:-) Yeah that's supposed to be the perfect way to do scallops. The dam wall is probably never more than about 5 metres off (we swim along the wall, it is deepeest and least weedy there. I did a 70 metre swim across a deep, strong running estuary, carrying 3 fishing rods and a couple of tackle boxes mind, and a few other bits of kit, in December and I thought I was going to run out of steam before the water ended. My boy swam a seven year old across - and he also thought he might not make it. He had swum it twice already. There to check it was OK for the oldies, back to fetch the kid and back again... Water is dangerous. Wetsuits give you that extra bit of boyancy as well as warmth - so we use them to swim in.

If (and there are so many ifs it is just scary) things work out we'll be relatively close - target daydream at the moment is Flinders island :-) We can afford property there, and afford to live there seeing as I can work anywhere. You and your swimming partner can come and eat scallops and crays with Barbs and I instead. (smile) I've lived in back of beyond for a lot of years and the one you never see enough of is visitors. It's fun sea kayaking there I gather.