A very successful Nationals has been completed this year. Many thanks to Ian Ewing and his team from KZN for all their hard work. Here is a day by day blow:
Monday - Day 1 – SA Individual Championships
Dived off the Bluff in Area 2.
Conditions were not good with visibility ranging from 1 to 4 meters and a moderate swell, but no wind. Even in these conditions, a large number of fish were shot. Biggest was a 12Kg cuda from Andrew Henwood.
Tuesday - Day 2 – SA Individual Championships
Dived in Area 3 off the Umhlodti River Mouth. There was only one very small piece of reef where the water was clean, about the size of a rugby field. The sea was calm with a moderate SW later. With about 60 divers in this small area, there were some interesting times for both divers and bakkies. Visibility started around 6 meters and deteriorated to less than one meter. Those who stayed on the River Mouth reef got the best of the conditions and the fish moved with the clean water and the thermocline southwards. The compo was shortened to 4 hours when viz. dropped to 1 meter. Again very good fish were shot including a 27Kg cuda by Daniel Kospic (Croatian and European Champion) which took the Biggest Fish prize.
Thursday - Day 3 – SA Interprovincial Championships
Dived in Area 1 at Warner Beach. A very long ride south. Again, the sea was calm with a light westerly later. Water was cleaner at the Warner’s nets area with about 6 meters visibility and deteriorated to less than a meter in the northern part of the zone. Again very good fish were shot with several teams getting their 30 fish quota.
Friday – Day 4 – SA Interprovincial Championships
Dived in Area 2 off the Bluff. Even though this area had already been dived, teams bagged some excellent catches. Sea was quite rough, with a moderate to strong south westerly blowing at the start, with visibility up to 15 meters. Current was moderate South/North.
After 4 hard days diving, Ryan Burmeister was declared the South African Individual Champion and the KZN Midlands Team consisting of Ryan, Jaco Blignaut and Brod Wittaker, the winners of the SA Interprovincial Championship.
Every day the Emzemelo Wildlife (Natal Parks Board) in the form of James Wood and his team were at the weigh-in’s and SAUFF would like to thank them for their co-operation and efforts on our behalf.
