Favorite Diving Depth

[jjjjeremy]

In general, I do not see any reason to go below 60 feet. Not much life there. Yes, there are wrecks in the deeper water, but with so little bottom time, why bother?

I feel the same way. I was in Belize in August, and I knew a few people who went out to the Blue Hole. From what I understand about the dive, you go straight down, spend 8 minutes around 120-130, and spend the rest of the time coming back up. After I heard that, I figured it was a waste of a day and my time in Belize to just hit the rec limit, and come back up. I guess I don't have the deep-diving urge?

The deepest I have been is ~80 feet, and it felt just like 40 feet except I was using air twice as fast. I'll trade bottom time and pretty colors for a number on my depth gauge any day!

 

[Wolfie]

Depends on what you're going to see. My favorites are straits of mackinaw wrecks in the 80-120 range. Cayman north wall in the 75-100 range. The added bottom time and light on the mini walls in the 30-50 range are also very cool. Wrecks in the less than 75 range tend to be busted up and not very interesting to me. Just one guys opinion.....

 

[TSandM]

In Puget Sound, I love the shallows. We have little or no surge most of the time, and the shallows are often sunlit and really lovely, with colorful algae and lots of life. I've done whole dives with max depths of 20 feet and had a ball. In fact, I did a 45 minute dive once with a max depth of 11 feet, because my ears wouldn't clear, and I got tons of fun photographs. No need to go deep to see cool stuff, although it's nice to have the option.

 

[vladimir]

In general, I do not see any reason to go below 60 feet. Not much life there. Yes, there are wrecks in the deeper water, but with so little bottom time, why bother?

If you go to Cocos, a typical dive plan will be: descend to 120', cling to rocks, wait. After a few minutes you might be rewarded with a dozen hammerhead sharks that will quickly scatter when you exhale. Schools of cleaner fish (the lure) will wait with you. These were taken at 120':

Even for the macro photographer—who can find a world of material in the shallows—sometimes you have to go deep. This sea whip and shrimp were in a 100' of water, in Lembeh:

My favorite dive depth is where the good stuff is, but I agree that shallower is usually better. I have been treated to mantas, whale sharks, dolphins, a marlin, a sailfish, lots of curious sharks, swirling schools of jacks and barracuda, etc., in the shallows. And, of course, all the typical reef denizens you can find on a healthy shallow reef. (Unfortunately, a healthy shallow reef is harder and harder to find.)

 

[Blackmore75]

I love being deep in the Red Sea, (120-140 ish) because that's where the Hammerheads hang out, but being circled by 200-300 Great Barracudas at the 30-50 foot range the last time I was there was breathtaking!

 

[drbill]

My favorite depth is wherever the critters are. I filmed at 180-200 fsw for several months to capture "deep ecology" but my general preference is 40-50 feet to maximize bottom time for filming. At some sites I'm happy to stay at 20 fsw when there is plenty to film.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

We have had great dives at depths from 25 feet to 130 feet, but I like the 75 foot range, as it is as that depth that I get a real sense of the water column, the vertical dimension to diving. On walls, I think 90 to 100 feet is my favorite because of the indescribable color of the water on a sunny day when looking out from the wall into the blue. But on any given dive, the best depth is where there is something going on that we want to watch.
Divemasterdennis

 

[Steve_C]

I prefer shallow for more BT but do what is needed. Off NC if you want lots of corals and all the critters it is the deeper ledges so we are talking 100 ft or so. Wrecks with any viz I dive are 60-120.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Here in the Keys I prefer the 25/35ft range

 

[Paladin]

I like to stay above 60 feet for the bottom time. I just like being underwater, so depth is not important, just how long I can stay submerged. I will go deeper if there is a good reason, but generally you will find me above 60. I have sometimes been given some strange looks when I dive doubles in 25 to 35 feet but I don't care. I can stay down a long time at 30 feet on a pair of 72s!