Hi divers,

We plan to go for a double dive at the Marietta Dal and Smith's Rock, and these are sites suitable for OW divers:

The Marietta Dal was a 7500 tonne liberty ship built in the USA in 1944 and is one of the most interesting shipwrecks off Brisbane. On May 15 1950, the 140 metre long ship was carrying a cargo of sulphur, oil, tractors and other general cargo when it ran aground on Smith Rock. Any hopes of salvaging the ship and cargo were quickly abandoned when the vessel broke in two. Now completely broken up, the remains of the Marietta Dal are now found in 10 metres to 18 metres and make for a fascinating dive. Scattered over a wide area of Smith Rock the main section of wreckage contains a twisted pile of plates, beams and the long prop shaft. However, the most interesting part of the wreck is the cargo of tractors, which look like small tanks with their caterpillar tracks. Even without the remains of the ship this is a wonderful dive as there are ledges, caves and gutters packed with marine life.

Smith's Rock itself has three pinnacles, the highest of which rises to about 6m below the surface. With a maximum depth of around 20m the most interesting features sit around 15m. Good visibility will reveal large schools of batfish and butter bream and a large range of coral species like cod, angelfish, beaked coralfish, clownfish, and damsels, and larger species such as wobbegong sharks, turtles and spotted rays frequent the area.

Each diver must:

• Be a current Unidive member, medically fit to dive, who passed the swimming test.
• Have an Open water certification or equivalent.
• Have dived in the last 6 months.
• Dive within their certification and capability.
• Ensure that they have all required dive gear (except tanks and weights, which are provided):
  • Bring their own mask, snorkel, and fins as Unidive does not provide them.
  • You must dive with an SMB / safety sausage, cutting device and whistle. Note: These items are NOT supplied. SMB / safety sausage and shears can be purchased from Unidive.
  • Please note, there will be no time to sort out gear hire on the day of the trip
• Follow instructions given by the boat handlers or the dive supervisor.
• Help out throughout the whole day.
• Notify the Dive Officer and Trip Organiser of any changes to their personal circumstances as declared in the event registration form.
• Be able to attend a trip meeting the Thursday before the dive, at 6:30 p.m. at the Unidive shed.

If you have any questions about the trip, please email dive@unidive.org.