Drove to Whangaroa at 5.30am on Monday morning. On the water at 10am, headed to Cavs. Rising easterly swell but electric blue water off Plate Island. Headed to the weedline at the top of Cavs. Marcus went for a snoop – Matt and I had a pleasant dive on a weedline full of demoiselles and baitfish. I shot up about 4 small trevs and kahawai (for my Dad’s smoker) – lured in a small kingie with the kahawai strung on the loaded gun – for fun only. Only small pannies. Due to the easterly swell we snooped down the western side of the main Cav island. Marcus got a 7kg fish we reckon – didn’t weigh it, we shot some small pannies. Headed to the pin off the top of Cavs, I acted as boatman due to the big blue water swells. Fields of blue mao mao and parore but no kings. We headed to Ruahine Shoal. Matt and I dived it, Marcus had a rest. We each shot small pinkies – it was noticeable that as Matt shot his that all the other pinkies dropped another 5 metres down – thanks Matt had to dive to 15m plus, after 3 shots managed one. We headed off to Stephenson Island for a snoop – Matt got a nice 7kg snap, I shot a few more pannies and got a 1.5kg cray. Snooped the normal territory we do. Matt’s snap swam up to him and ducked under a rock – he eventually found it Highlight of the day was losing “rocks scissors paper” to Matt outside the pub and having to run in my wetsuit and order dinner for the three of us at 7.30pm before the restaurant closed. We’ve learnt from Kaitaia. We decided to change the plan on Monday night and head to Cape Brett out of Pahia on Tuesday. Got up early, fuelled up and drove to Waitangi boat ramp. Headed to Hole in the Rock – again blue blue water – but big easterly swells. Fish life going off but not a safe dive snooped all morning inside the coast running north from Cape Brett – trying to stay out of the exposed swell. I saw a good 7kg plus fish but most of the ground was open and dropped to 20m so you could only use the coastal slope and weed as cover. Difficult. I shot some more small pannies. Saw schools of juvenile kingies and kahawai throughout the day. Matt got crook. Headed inside Urapukapuka. Marcus and I attempted to find legal scallops and got 27 after about an hour’s hard diving to 8m – Matt filleted the fish. Then off to snoop the top of Urapukapuka. Pretty exposed. I tried to peer over a ledge but got thrown over it by the swell – and watched a biggie bolt into the gloom from under the ledge to my left. Burleyed kina inside the coast – nothing but pannies. Blue mao mao and parore everywhere. Matt got a 4kg fish and Marcus no luck. Got to Matt’s by about 8pm, home after boat wash up by 10pm. Great time. Sad to see Crockett and Awarua depart our shores.... - Snoop