Great visibility makes for best summer of diving since flooding started in 2011

GOLD Coast divers are experiencing the best underwater conditions in three years, and it’s having a flow-on effect for the tourism industry.

Shona Pinkerton shares some of her diving pictures.

GOLD Coast divers are experiencing the best underwater conditions in three years, and it’s having a flow-on effect for the tourism industry.

Visibility has reached 20 metres in some dive hot spots, making for the best summer diving since flooding started polluting Gold Coast waterways in 2011.

“When you have a flood all the water in the catchment area flows out to the ocean and makes it very dirty,” Devocean Dive owner Shona Pinkerton said.

Shona Pinkerton shares some of her diving pictures.

“Visibility can be as low as one metre as there’s so much run-off coming through.”

Beautiful, clear water for the past few weeks had attracted more certified divers, she said.

“We’re pretty busy all year around, but what happens when it’s very good is all the local divers who are certified are out there taking advantage of it.”

Ms Pinkerton said there was sensational marine life at the Seawave dive site, including giant groupers, massive schools of trevalli and little anglerfish.

Queensland Scuba Diving Company owner Mark Salter said the Gold Coast had been through a “perfect storm” in recent years because of the high Australian dollar, bad economy and floods.

Shona Pinkerton shares some of her diving pictures.

“We’re just not getting those bad weather conditions we’ve had to put up with the last few years, so diving is excellent.”

“Now the dollar’s gone down, the economy is looking good and the weather has come good, so the perfect storm looks like it may have passed.

“We’ve had some bad summers, the last couple, and we hope to be back to normal and not see another one for 10 years.”

Each year about 6000 to 7000 new divers do PADI dive courses in southeast Queensland, with the majority on the Gold Coast.

Shona Pinkerton shares some of her diving pictures.