Divers: Brenden and George
Water Temp: 11.5 C
Visibility: 15m
Depth: 55m
Conditions: Glassy and Oily ocean

In the dark it's hard to discern what the weather is going to do. It's winter still and it's cold and gray most mornings. Today is no exception, sort of. As usual we have to be up and going early on the boat and it looks like we will have good water conditions but it will be dark, overcast and a bit "gloomy". Sunshine always makes a difference both above and below the water and even at 55m. I remark to my buddy that I think it will probably be dark and gloomy because there appears to be heavy cloud obscuring the rising sun. Half an hour later I'm eating my words as we pass through the heads. The clouds break up and the sun dazzles us in the back of the boat. It lifts the mood and makes you feel good. Everyone is smiling presumably like me 'cause they know we have cracked for yet another a great day and surely a good dive. Sun out. Water dark dark blue and oily and a near empty boat. Life is pretty good on this mid August morning.
The shotline is vertical for a change and we quickly drop straight down landing in the middle of the hopper. The VHB was a hopper barge used to transport silt dredged from the mouth of the Yarra. It's remarkably in tact sitting upright and is larger than I imagined. We head to the bow inside the hopper observing one of the other teams inside the hull. Continuing up and over the port side we round the bow and head down the starboard side which has collapsed outward halfway along the hopper. The vis is good. Lots to see on the wreck as well as the usual fish suspects. Wish I'd bought my camera. Hate that!
For some reason all the teams end up back at the bow which makes for an interesting spectacle with 7 lights criss crossing backward and forward in an ad hoc light show. Suddenly we are both alone. A longer run time means we can head back along the starboard side checking out the double wall of the hopper and back to the shot to retrieve the strobe placed there at the beginning of the dive. Our ascent is uneventful but the sun seems duller at our 6m stop. Sure enough the cloud has rolled in and by the time we reach the pier the fog has begun to roll in. Fortunately we're done and dusted and everybody remarks on what a fantastic dive that was. Well worth the effort. And a definitely worth a another dive.

Brenden