The New Rapid Bay Jetty, South Australia

Well the new Rapid Bay Jetty has been open now for a few weeks and I can honestly say it is worth the wait and worth the cost.

I have been diving Rapid Bay Jetty for more years than I care to remember. I remember the long walk to the old T-section and the original diver's platform. Back then you would cart your day's diving gear out in the morning, set up camp and dive and enjoy surface intervals right there where you jumped in the water. All that came to an end with the closure of the old jetty some years back.

For many years now diving the jetty has meant an ankle twisting rocky shore entry and exit and a very long swim out and back leaving little strength or enthusiasm for multiple dives. That has all changed now with the opening of the new jetty along side the old one.

The new jetty runs parallel to the old one and for about half the original jetty's length providing a nice easy walk from the car park to the new divers platform. The divers platform has been staged so that there is 'walk in' access over quite a range of tide heights. On a really low tide you might need to use the ladder on the bottom platform. All this beats scrambling over an unstable rocky beach by far.

Rapid Bay Jetty is a wonderful dive and a photographer's dream when the visibility is good. It is famous as a haunt for Leafy Seadragons and attracts visitors from all over the world who come to see these fantastic creatures. With the new jetty they can now dive in safety and comfort.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that's what you do! ) ...Robert

Photo: Robert Rath C7070 1/125s at f/2.8 ISO100, Inon D2000 Strobe + Natural Light, Jetty - Courtesy ten.com.au