Clark Hill Diving on 4/26 and4/27

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diveprof

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Evans, GA (underwater of course)
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Our group will be diving Clark Hill/Lake Thurmond (SC side of the dam) Saturday 4/26 @ 10am (probably a two tank dive day). We were considering 9am, but decided to give the sun a little more time to rise. It is supposed to be a warm day. The first dive will be deeper, maybe 100'. Second dive (about 11:45 - noon) will be shallower. Others are welcome to join for one or both dives. PM for more specific info. Sunday dives start at about 1pm (maybe two tanks).
 
I have about decided that the best time to dive is when conditions are at their worse:shakehead:. Today's dive was scheduled at 10a. I was awaken this morning by thunder and rain. The sky was overcast and it was raining on and off. One diver called me and bailed out cause he was afraid he would get wet I guess:shakehead::shakehead::lightingz Jokingly, I assured him that PADI told me that if I hold my instructor card to the sky that the clouds would part, the sun would shine and the angels would sing:D:shakehead: As I left the house for the dive to Clark Hill (18 miles) it was raining. However, as I crossed the Savannah River the clouds parted, the sun shone and the angels sung (well maybe it was John Boy and Billy):D Well of course I had to call the diver that bailed out and tell him that it worked:rofl3:
The dive conditions were excellent. We had 15'+ vis, a flat lake. A thermocline is forming at 20' - 55 to 60 degrees. Not that 60 degrees is warm, but it felt like hitting a sauna on the ascent. Dive one was to 99' for 1:04. We dove down to the 3 big rocks (48') and hung out with the fish for a while. We continued past the pool filters to the 40' ledge (32' today). Mega fish at the budda and horse skull. We dropped down to the angel statue and went through the trench - both sides visible. We hung a right to where the mass of rope from the old bouy is and then dropped down through the forest to the 100' wall. I turned on my light only once the whole dive just to get a diver's attention for a turn. Great vis, yes and schools of fish (small) even at this depth. This ain't susposed to be happening, but it is. The 80' wall was great. Vis may have been 20'. I swam on my back a while just looking up at the wall. At the end of the 80' wall we swam back up to the 3 big rocks then along the bouyancy course, rocks and to the exit after a long safety stop. We saw several bigggggg bass during the dive. No, I'm not going to say where cause I don't want the fishermen messing with them. A nice alligator gar too, and a river otter??? Great first dive. I also did a 2nd shallow dive to 60' for 1:06 with a friend whose Doc has just given him permission to return to diving. Nice bass and fish this dive too.
 
I will give you a call if I can make it. Still have a family thing, but it may end by 12:30pm.
:monkeydan
 
Four of us dove today including two new folks - Mike and Jeff. Glad you could join us. Dive one was to max depth of 96' for 50 minutes. We dove to the three big rocks (lots of small fish here), the entire 80' wall (Mike M thinks that today was the best vis on the wall this year. It was probably 15-18'. We dove a little of the 100' wall - schools of small fish are still here, ascended through the forest, the trench, past the angel statue to the 40' ledge and on South for a safety stop and exit. Dive two was to 78' for 59 min. We dove to the plane, down to the missle, a portion of the wall, onward to the pool filters and the three big rocks. From there it was to the plane, the bouyancy course and ski boat. We finihsed the dive on the rocks of the dam. Great light and mostly blue skies for a 60% chance of rain day. Two nice dives. Maybe a Thursday evening/night dive folks.
 
wow Andy, 15-18'? I'm going to have to come down there again soon. Sounds like a nice dive, hope you don't get spoiled with all that Carribean-like visibility and start loosing your buddy skills ha ha!
 
wow Andy, 15-18'? I'm going to have to come down there again soon. Sounds like a nice dive, hope you don't get spoiled with all that Carribean-like visibility and start loosing your buddy skills ha ha!

Well not caribbean-like vis (working on that salt cay trip plan now -turks and caicos). I just tell everyone this is NASCAR diving (if you ain't rubbing you ain't racing). Easy to hang together today. I had to rub some silt in my mask just to be comfortable:shakehead:.
My motto is "never lose a buddy - he or she may have dive gear you might want to recover" :D
 

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