Easter Dive Trip - Camping

Here in Australia, Easter commands a 4 day weekend and comes as the clock changes and the cool weather arrives.  Its a little like Labor Day I would say.  So with a four day weekend, the Adelaide University Scuba Club goes to Marion Bay on the nearby Yorke Peninsula.  It is a weekend of diving and camping.

Now, I must admit camping gear did not make the cut for the bags coming to Australia.  I bought a sleeping bag while down here for this trip but that is about the extent of my camp gear.  So for the four day weekend, I packed my bag with some clothes, a loaf of bread, a few cans of tuna, and an enormous bag of trail mix.  I had my scuba gear, a tarp and my sleeping bag.  But without a cooler, I had no refrigerated food, and only a few beers stuffed inside my flippers and regulator bag.

I made the 4 hour trip to Marion Bay with one of the members of the dive club who was nice enough to pick me up.  And leave me exactly one back seat for all my gear.  We arrived as the sun set and began setting up his four person tent, which he originally offered to share.  Until he loaded in the cooler, the beer, his air mattress, his large duffel bag and who knows what else.  He looked at it and commented on how there was no way it was a four person tent.  I reckon 5 webbies at least would have fit in that tent.  So I set up my camp.

A few people commented on how uncomfortable I would be and how I would get all wet from the dew.  But I assured them, since they weren't really offering me an alternative anyway, that I would be ok.  I had trained in a hammock on the Chesapeake Bay.  I knew about waking up wet from dew.  But it never really happened.  And my new sleeping bag was always quite warm.

Around 30 people ended up on the trip.  We had a number of sites in the caravan park and all manner of camping could be found.  No campfires because it was wildfire season.  There were electric kettles and gas stoves.  Some people had a bar fridge.  Some lived in swags.  Some lived in 4 person tents with huge sun room annexes.  They had never heard of smores.  Not that we could make them.  So most nights consisted of sitting around with a few beers listening to stories about diving.  Or meeting the sometimes very strange people of the club.  So for four days I existed on trail mix and a few sandwiches.  And one night we had lobster.

So that was the camping.  Dive posts to follow.