2023/2024 Vic Challenge

To kick off the 2023/2024 dive season, the Southern Freedivers Vic Challenge has begun and will run till 11th June 2024!

There were some really good catches in the last season, including 6 Flatties that were over 1kg, 1kg sweep, 3kg snook and a 10kg Kingfish.

The Vic Challenge has been run for many years and this will be its 22nd season.

There are 10 key Victorian species to target and divers can use this as an opportunity to try to figure out how and when to target each species.

The eligible species are;

Flathead
Sweep
Snapper
Whiting
Snook
Crayfish
Kingfish
Trevally
Squid
Salmon

The heaviest fish of each species gets 10 points, second heaviest 9 points, third heaviest 8 points and so on. Maximum score = 100.

For the first timers, have a look at the leaderboards from previous seasons to see which species are submitted at specific times of year.

Keep in mind that even if a bigger fish may have already been submitted, you can still get points depending on the size and if others have submitted fish. For example, if someone else submits a 3kg cray and yours is 2.5kg, you have a chance to get 9 points if no one else submits a cray. Then if someone submits a cray bigger than yours, the score for your cray would only drop to 8 points.

Individuals are able to submit a maximum of 2 per species, which means you can upsize once.

Minimum weights are as follows;

340gm - Whiting / Trevally
400gm - Flathead / Sweep / Squid / Australian Salmon / Snook / Snapper
1000gm - Crayfish
3000gm - Kingfish

Fish must be taken in Vic waters. Fish must be submitted within 30 days of capture. Maximum 2 of each species to be submitted. Fish must be weighed on certified scales. We will bring a set of certified scales to each SFD club meeting.

Please refer to the 2023/2024 Vic Challenge post on the club forum for alternate weigh in locations. Some weigh points are still being confirmed and the list will be updated once we have confirmed the people with certified scales are available to weigh in fish.

Alternatively, you can have the fish weighed on any certified scales (butchers, supermarkets), as long as a picture of the scales certification sticker is submitted with each fish entry.

Preferred method to submit fish is via a PM on the forum to VictorianChallenge with completed submission form.

If you have any further questions regarding the Vic Challenge, please come to a club event, meeting, or send us a message on facebook or the forum or contact any committe member.

Every entrant in the Vic Challenge also goes into a VC prize draw at SFD presentation night. Regardless of number of fish entered every entrant gets 1 entry in the draw.

The leaderboard will be updatedl every month, usually in the lead up to the club meeting.

So good luck to everybody that participates and we look forward to seeing everyone's submissions.

How to enter:
1) Be a member of Southern Freedivers
2) get your fish weighed on any certified scales. These could be the club scales or any scales at a butchers shop or your local woolies.
3) fill out the form below and send a picture to the Victorian Challenge account on the forum or send a picture to the Southern Freedivers Facebook page. If your fish wasn’t weighed on club scales, please send a picture of the fish on the scales and a picture of the certification certificate on the scales.

Dive safe and have fun chasing these tasty fish!