under the surface - scuba diving finds

[Robert Le Mal]

Hi,

while I wait for my Excalibur to be repaired (fingers crossed) I have been diving without a detector.
And there's actually quite a bit of stuff just there on the bottom. Mostly it's just junk like modern plastic, shoes, beach umbrellas, beer bottles and all sorts of heavy iron objects with chains still attached presumably used to moor things in the past.

Images are from stuff found in the last 2 weeks at Williamstown in VIC.
If anyone can offer information on the age or use of the black glass that would be fantastic.

 

[Hiluxlou]

Some nice stuff there , see you found old mates wallet ?

 

[Ramjet]

When the price of lead goes through the roof you'll be rich

 

[Robert Le Mal]

some bloke named Jake apparently, no money & nothing valuable so I'd say it was stolen on the beach and tossed off the break water.
The mask & snorkel fit my youngest so that was a win, a quick clean and they're good.

 

[Robert Le Mal]

yeah Ramjet... I'm hoarding
actually I'll probably melt them into crude dive weights, local dive shop owner knows how.
Already gave away about 2 kilo to a friend but I'm stashing it now.

 

[Ramjet]

Cool bottles. There is a bottle collector at work and he has been very helpful pointing out old pub sites etc for me to detect.

 

[Robert Le Mal]

thanks - I'm starting to learn how to look for low spots on the bottom where stuff accumulates and gets covered by sand. My long 'tent peg' bottle detector is an idea I ripped off from a forum of keen bottle finders who use a really long spring steel rod in a 'T' shape. Really low tech compared to metal detectors but the sound of steel bumping a bottle is hard to mistake.

I could just wait for the next bit of rough weather and then I reckon the sand would move to uncover more stuff.

And now I have an idea of not just using a detector on old sites but also probably make or get a long steel rod and look for sunken ground that might be an old dump etc.
Branching out I suppose but all great exercise that doesn't hurt anyone.

 

[rocketaroo]

I love watching underwater treasure finding. Would have dived years ago, but have allways feared jaws.

 

[Jaros]

Yeah it's another world down there. I used to go snorkelling at Canadian Bay just past Frankston in Vic. and realised how great it was.
Try again.
Jaros

 

[Robert Le Mal]

Rocketaroo,

I started diving in 1995 then had some time off. I've dived in the bay, on the wall just outside the bay, in QLD and down at Wilson's Prom, on the wreck of the Lochard - never seen a shark.
What does trouble me is discarded fishing line, I carry a dive knife (sort of James Bond wanna be I know) and a smaller safety line cutter. I have had to cut fishing line at least 3 times now to unfoul my fins.

I see heaps of small rays but so long as you just leave them alone, no probs.

No one rings me, no one asks me for stuff, I love it.
Scenery can be beautiful or I'm just looking for stuff on the bottom. Very exciting every time I pull an old bottle from under timber or a rock or just out of the sand.
I haven't taken a lot of video recently because by time remember I have the Gopro attached to my harness usually the bottle is in the bag.

I'd thoroughly recommend it. Cars and lighting are statistically more dangerous than sharks.

@ Jaros - how deep is Canadian Bay? Worth diving? I want to dive the pier down there just to video the life under the pier.

Robert

 

[MJB]

Hi Robert,

Nice finds there...gotta love those old bottles.

Since Williamstown was where the ships moared when Victoria was being colonised I would say there is a good chance of some really nice old finds there. Beware though, Fort Gellibrand was used as a testing and proving ground during and after WW2 for bombs and such and no doubt there would be a few UXO's sitting in the water of there.

That purple torpedo scares me

 

[Robert Le Mal]

MJB if I knew where the prison hulks had been moored I'd definitely scour that part of the bottom, there'd have to be cool things there. Hobsons Bay is a busy place so it could be a little too exciting without a dive boat on the surface.

And I promise I won't go hitting stuff with a hammer in the water off Fort Gellibrand.

 

[Jaros]

Me too-re torpedo.!!!

Hi Robert,

Nice finds there...gotta love those old bottles.

Since Williamstown was where the ships moared when Victoria was being colonised I would say there is a good chance of some really nice old finds there. Beware though, Fort Gellibrand was used as a testing and proving ground during and after WW2 for bombs and such and no doubt there would be a few UXO's sitting in the water of there.

That purple torpedo scares me

 

[rocketaroo]

Rocketaroo,

I started diving in 1995 then had some time off. I've dived in the bay, on the wall just outside the bay, in QLD and down at Wilson's Prom, on the wreck of the Lochard - never seen a shark.
What does trouble me is discarded fishing line, I carry a dive knife (sort of James Bond wanna be I know) and a smaller safety line cutter. I have had to cut fishing line at least 3 times now to unfoul my fins.

I see heaps of small rays but so long as you just leave them alone, no probs.

No one rings me, no one asks me for stuff, I love it.
Scenery can be beautiful or I'm just looking for stuff on the bottom. Very exciting every time I pull an old bottle from under timber or a rock or just out of the sand.
I haven't taken a lot of video recently because by time remember I have the Gopro attached to my harness usually the bottle is in the bag.

I'd thoroughly recommend it. Cars and lighting are statistically more dangerous than sharks.

@ Jaros - how deep is Canadian Bay? Worth diving? I want to dive the pier down there just to video the life under the pier.

Robert

Have you uploaded any video? Would like to see it

 

[the duck]

Bottles are 1860 to about 1890 3 piece mould with applied tops very common bottle and though old not worth much

 

[Jaros]

Hi, Canadian Bay as i new it back in the late 60's-80's was one of the best dive sites around Melb.--close/handy--but you had to lock your car securely and have a good insurance policy as coming back to an empty car was common-broken windows etc. The bay is a great snorkelling /scuba site--you'll be ok.
Jaros

Rocketaroo,

I started diving in 1995 then had some time off. I've dived in the bay, on the wall just outside the bay, in QLD and down at Wilson's Prom, on the wreck of the Lochard - never seen a shark.
What does trouble me is discarded fishing line, I carry a dive knife (sort of James Bond wanna be I know) and a smaller safety line cutter. I have had to cut fishing line at least 3 times now to unfoul my fins.

I see heaps of small rays but so long as you just leave them alone, no probs.

No one rings me, no one asks me for stuff, I love it.
Scenery can be beautiful or I'm just looking for stuff on the bottom. Very exciting every time I pull an old bottle from under timber or a rock or just out of the sand.
I haven't taken a lot of video recently because by time remember I have the Gopro attached to my harness usually the bottle is in the bag.

I'd thoroughly recommend it. Cars and lighting are statistically more dangerous than sharks.

@ Jaros - how deep is Canadian Bay? Worth diving? I want to dive the pier down there just to video the life under the pier.

Robert

Have you uploaded any video? Would like to see it

 

[Robert Le Mal]

Hey Duck - thank you. I am happy they're old - didn't think they were worth more than maybe $5 a bottle... I've been soaking them in vinegar to get the worst of the marine growth off. Do the different bottle shapes imply different contents?

@Rocketaroo - think I might have posted this before? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hltaXvjV-0
not very exciting except for the half penny just stuck to a rock... no metal detector required. I am not bringing the shopping trolleys home ;-)
I'm also slowly changing the way I carry my gear, the mask I use & other stuff, all a learning curve. Diving is one thing but finding & retrieving stuff another. Probably find an easier way to sling the Gopro so I'll be more tempted to switch it on anytime I think I might have found something fun.

 

[golddiggerart]

Yeah it's another world down there. I used to go snorkelling at Canadian Bay just past Frankston in Vic. and realised how great it was.
Try again.
Jaros

I snorkel all of that area....from Mt Martha to Olivers Hill Frankston.
Lots of Mussel stocks down at the yacht club Mt Eliza...

Arthur..

 

[rocketaroo]

Cool, will watch the vid tonite

 

[HeadsUp]

a friend told me about watching a very old part of sydney harbour being excavated

victorian medicine bottles , ink pots , wine and food product bottles , wine goblets and hand blown crystal wine decanters , and even a few gold molds and smelting crucibles.

I wish :/

surely you could track down the owner of the wallet ?

I have returned 4 over the years , one even had a thick wad of notes inside