Aliwal Shoal, South Africa, 28 May 2002 - 4 June 2002

Griff · May 16, 2002

Mommy Worries

Hey guys
Last night on the phone to my mom, i told her of my plans to

1. Invite someone whom i met over the internet to come and sleep at my place and encourage him to bring his big gun with.

2. Dive in the sardine run, where there are more sharks in the water than people on new-years day. :duh

She says she's going to have to pray a bit harder now

Mark

SASpearo · May 16, 2002

He he he

I'll just take my mom some fish AFTER the trip ... then tell her I bought it somewhere ... She's WAY too paranoid to be sane after I tell her I actually SPEARFISH (been doing it for close on 11 years now)

Skindiver · May 17, 2002

are you really going to play... ?

I got booted in the eye Tuesday night at hockey and my mom said, are you really going to play that game again ? .. as for spearfishing..... whats that ?

Skin.... aparently with a deathwish.

SASpearo · May 17, 2002

OK .....

Let's stop talking about our mothers now .... before Sven gets funny ideas !!!

Griff ..... any news on the trips??

Griff · May 17, 2002

No word from Orca Team

But i can organise a boat to aliwal, cost about R450 for everyone. i dont know what the max no. of divers it can handle though, but i'll get more info today.

mark

Abriapnea · May 19, 2002

Hi all , good to see people getting excited about a spearing trip !
If you have boat problems you can get in touch with some of the dive schools/charters that service the Shoals ,they can put you in touch with private boat skippers that take spearos out - lots of local knowledge .
Enjoy .

Griff · May 22, 2002

Where are they

This is taken off the Shark's Board website (www.shark.co.za)

Flight undertaken on Thursday 16th May departed Virginia @ 10:25 am. Conditions very calm off the Wild Coast with a light land-breeze. Activity - Extremely quiet with a group of 50 bottlenose dolphins off Umtentweni area. These are local animals and not migrants associated with sardine activity. Apart from 2 small "oil slicks" off the Waterfall Bluff area and a small number of Cape Gannets sitting on the sea surface, no activity at all. Not much is known about the "oil slicks" that are seen during the run, however it is thought that these are caused from predation on the shoals and the subsequent release of fish oil from the sardines. A report received on Saturday from KZN Wildlife indicated that there was an abundance of shark activity at the surface off the Waterfall Bluff area. Past years have shown that the sardine shoals move into the area off Waterfall Bluff and remain there for anything between 2 to 4 weeks before moving northwards to the KwaZulu-Natal coast. It often appears that large cold fronts get the fish on the move and the Board will be monitoring the weather systems closely over the next few weeks. Shark nets at the smaller net installations on the lower south coast will be removed during this week in anticipation of the arrival of the sardines. Nets at the larger, more popular beaches will be left in place until the activity moves closer. In doing so the Boards staff will be able to remove the remaining nets at short notice.

only 10 days now...

SASpearo · May 22, 2002

An I can tell you one thing ...

It FRIGGIN FREEZING in Cape Town. They'll start moving this weekend.

Griff · May 22, 2002

all year summer

Durbs is the place to be right now.

Did a dive at Ballito on Saturday. No Wind, Small Swell, 15m+ viz and 22C water, for the freedivers...

...and underwater dance clubs for the fish

resistance is futile

Griff · May 27, 2002

Good Viz?

Last week of waiting now.
I had a look at the weather forecast, because we have just had a biggish south westerly blow through here. Durbs was a very chilly 15 deg. C at seven this morning.

here is the forecast for this week, from www.weathersa.co.za

27 15/24 Partly cloudy, but cloudy at first.
Wind moderate northeast.
28 11/28 Fine.
Wind fresh north-east.
29 12/27 Fine, becoming cloudy later with 20% showers or storms.
Wind moderate north-east, becoming south-west.
30 10/22 Cloudy with 30% showers or storms.
Wind moderate southeast.
31 12/25 Cloudy with 30% showers or storms.
Wind moderate southerly.
01 11/22 Cloudy with 30% occasional rain.
Wind light southeast.

southerlies usually mean good viz, so i hope that this is a good sign, and i hope we dont get too much rain.

I still havent heard from the Orca Team if they do day charters. Skindiver, do you have any idea what their plans are? otherwise i may have to look for another charter.

I dont know what the sards are up to at the moment. Riaan, have you heard any news?

Only Five sleeps till aliwal!

I cant wait!

Mark

SASpearo · May 27, 2002

Looks to be a good 'un

The sards are slowly moving up the coast - they've been spotted off Port Edward, with smaller shoals being reported off as far north as Margate / Ramsgate.

I think with this mother of a storm we had over the weekend in Cape Town, and another cold front moving in tomorrow we'll see them hurrying along right into our path ....

I haven't heard from the Orca team either - I think we should do as Timothy suggested and talk to the local commercial fishermen - they'd know the right people to talk to. Otherwise we do the 'spearo hike'

Griff · May 29, 2002

Three Days

Hi guys, almost time now!

Skindiver, where are you guys going to be staying, maybe we can get together after the dive for a few cold 'uns.
Still havent heard from Orca team, so it looks like we are going to have to sort something els out. Riaan, how fit are you? its only a five k swim .

Lets hope the southerlies bring up the sards and the good viz. 20m would be nice.

Also, just to confirm, 8:30 on friday, in durban Riaan?

Cheers

Mark

SASpearo · May 29, 2002

Yeah yeah yeah!

8:30 in Durbs .... I posted the flight numbers earlier on this thread ....

Apparantly the sards are slightly deeper than 'normal' this year - that's why there's no major streaming of messages to the Sharks Board .... they're a coupl of miles offshore. Weather's still misserable in Cape Town, always a good sign for a good Sard run .....

5K swim? Before breakfast ..... uhm .... after breakfast ...... uhm .... no. Can you spell MasterCard?? He he he ....

Epic!

Skindiver · May 29, 2002

El Sardino

Hi Guys.

Ok from what i have heard there are small pockets moving up. Those in the know said they expect to hit it right on the button at Aliwal this weekend. The smaller pockets 'o' sards in the front apparently require the most protection by us from those ugly gamies. When the water is thick with pilchards it apparently drops off some. I will be down there Friday morning. Staying at coconut something or the other village. I will PM you my number.

regards
Skin.

SASpearo · May 30, 2002

Fast and furios!

Last day at work .... heeeeeee haaaaa !!!!!

Griff ... how's the weather looking? CT is PISSING cold. I left some soup in the office last night and now it's frozen SOLID ..... he he he thank heavens for microwaves.

El skinno ! Are you gonna be diving tomorrow? What's the rest of you plans? I'll be there around 8:30 tomorrow morning, and I'll be staying till the 9th - are we gonna hook up some time for at least some fishy tales and cold ales?

Yeah !!!!!!!!! Let's ROCK !!!!!!!!

Aliwal SHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SASpearo · May 30, 2002

Oh yeah ....

I might not be bringing any spears - just too much hassle. Could we stop off at Dive Factory on the way to the water and pick one or two up?

SASpearo · May 30, 2002

Oh yeah ....

I've signed up for the sardine sms service ..... he he he

Griff · Jun 4, 2002

Blown Out?

Hi Skin

So, how was aliwal? I hope that you had a good dive, despite the weather. Riaan and i were going to go on sunday, but it got a bit blown out. I am hoping this weekend will be better weatherwise.

Its still very cold in durban, but viz is good on the northcoast so we are going for a dive this afternoon.

Cheers For now

Mark

Skindiver · Jun 4, 2002

Bad weather

Hi guys

Yes the weather was not kind. Current reversal kept our fish far and deep. Some good bottoms came out especially a nice cat face off the Nebo.

I blatted a very long garfish 1m+ , hoping it would turn out to be a wahoo... still a big garfish though.

A few queenfish in the backline and a snoek or two. I will be back in two weeks and hopefully catch the conditions right. Crays were plentiful.

I have to ask myself why i bother with shore entries and shit clips, and whilst fortunately it was not my 1.4 Beuchat mundial elite supercustom rail barrel reelie, i would still like my 1.4 RA back if recovered from the surf right at the rocks at Greenpoint Scottborough.

regards
Skin.:waterwork

Griff · Jun 5, 2002

Lost gun!

I'm sorry for your loss. Tell me, was it the longline clip on the handle of your RA that gave way? If it was then yours is the second one i have heard of, and i'm going to change my setup.

I hope you enjoyed the snoek. We got a few on friday, and chef riaan treated to some of the best fried fish i have ever had.

Cheers

Mark

Aliwal Shoal, South Africa, 28 May 2002 - 4 June 2002

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