While not directly linked to BSAC , POMSAC was started by a coterie of BSAC instructors in the 1970s . POMSAC developed as an independent club , its only affiliation being the local Royal Papua Yacht Club . That said , POMSAC still does function in much the same way as a BSAC club : it has a committee , a boat , regular trips , expeditions , socials ... even the occasional ‘ drama ’. You might ask how diving in 28 ° C of water can be considered to be adventurous ... Have a look at the chart for the two main reefs just south of POM , and you ’ ll find it blank , as they are uncharted . This is a land of discovery .
POMSAC regularly dives around these uncharted waters and has plotted many
Fans of Karen – just look at the size of those fans !
‘ Anchor Drop ’ became popular due to the dense marine life at the edge of the wall reefs and wrecks onto its GPS over the years . One day we dived Neil ’ s knob ( named after Neil Whiting , author of Wrecks and Reefs of Port Moresby ) and decided to anchor slightly off the GPS mark ; we discovered a wall of huge gorgonian sea fans stretching from 15m down to 40m . On one occasion while diving this area , I decided to finish my dive at that spot so we could have a GPS location on that exact point . It was subsequently named ‘ Fans of
Karen ’. I never dared to dream of having a dive site named after me .
We also had a dive site named ‘ anchor drop ’, for good reason . On one of the regular diving weekends , the trip leader decided to locate a known dive site , but wasn ’ t able to due to the surface run-off from a storm .
As the group continued to look for decent viz along the barrier reef , they managed to find a clear patch and deployed the anchor .
A hammerhead shark passes above at Basilisk Beacon
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