Struck by lightning while diving?

[The Chairman]

The "dilution" of the shock is pretty substantial in the water, especially salt water. I love being on the reef during a thunderstorm, but I certainly don't want to be getting in or out of the water at that time. Near or at the surface is a dangerous place to be.

 

[Neilwood]

I would certainly prefer being underwater during a lightning storm than on the surface - you are in a pool/lake/sea with lots of conductive liquid which will disperse charge away from you a lot better than wandering around on the surface with large amounts of metal attached to you (tanks/regs/clips/torches/reels etc).

I would extend my safety stop by as long as possible which includes going into my reserve if need be. Better to surface with 20 bar left in the tank than be wandering about imho.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

The most terrifying dive for me was one where I was caught in a typical FL summer storm.
Solo shore dive , with doubles no less. I was submerged steaming out to the third reef. Just past the second reef, I noticed how dark it got, seas picked up and pissing rain. Then the brilliant flashes. Lots of flashes. There was no way I was going to surface, from here or shore. I doubled back and stayed as deep as I could on by the second reef. I found a bored moray, so I kept myself busy chilling with with him.
Things calmed down after an hour or so and I made my way out.
From what I understand, when it strikes water the energy gets dispersed at the surface. How far down that travels, dunno.

I think you did the smart thing.

I wonder if an SMB would be like flying a kite?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I once noticed strange flashes while I was down on a night dive when I was at my safety stop. A storm had rolled in. It was neat. One of my treasured memories with a good friend who passed tragically young on the 3rd of this month.

Everything I have researched says stay down and let it pass, the charge will disperse when it hits the surface.

How many fish get killed from lightning strikes? Not many I would wager.

 

[Ghetto Diver]

Regarding the kyte, the exact question came to mind. Then, I tied my buoy off and came back to it when I was ready to leave.
It was only 16' or so of water.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

From what I understand water in and of itself isn't exactly conductive. It's the minerals/debris in it that is. I've never tested that, but I believe deionized water is non-conductive. Thought this was sort of interesting Water conductivity - Lenntech

Regarding being underwater in a thunderstorm....it's quite surreal. Being underwater watching flashes overhead is actually kind of beautiful. Although not quite as much fun during the first dive of an OW class with students. Thankfully none of them panicked or were really freaked out but we also called the rest of the day after that dive.

 

[jeffsky29]

We've always discussed that if we got caught in a serious thunderstorm offshore that we couldn't outrun we would just anchor and go to the bottom and wait it out. Having a PLB significantly reduces the risk of being lost at sea if the boat went down or the anchor line broke.

But seeing this video presents some questions. I am no expert on being struck by lightning while scuba diving. Is this video more theater than anything else? Seems like they would have been safer in the water than on a metal dock.

I am a boater, not a scientist, but I have learned a lot about electricity being a boater. For example, at a salt water marina, it is pretty safe swimming, even though a boat could be leaking electric into the water from the dock side power. Since salt water is a good conductor, the electricity does not travel very far. However, if this was a fresh water marina with dock side power leaking electricity into the water, you can easily get electrocuted, because you become the conductor. The electricity would travel much further in fresh water, looking for a conductor.

I believe in the video, they were in fresh water, not salt. Very, very dangerous, because fresh water is a poor conductor, so the lightning will travel in the fresh water to a better conductor, a person. And I would bet the metal tank is the best conductor. Salt water is a good conductor, so pretty safe under water, I would think the deeper the safer.

With respect to the diver’s tank getting hit by lightning, very bad timing for that diver. That lightning was in search of a conductor and that metal tank is probably a much better conductor than salt water!

 

[Rob9876]

I had heard that you are generally pretty safe from lightning when diving in the ocean as long as you are not near the surface. I do wonder how that changes in a fresh water quarry that's only a few acres and only 80 to 100 feet deep -- probably best to try to avoid, I'd guess.

 

[MoistNeoprene]

Since salt water is a good conductor, the electricity does not travel very far. However, if this was a fresh water marina with dock side power leaking electricity into the water, you can easily get electrocuted, because you become the conductor. The electricity would travel much further in fresh water, looking for a conductor. /QUOTE]

I think you got that wrong. Since fresh water is a worse conductor the lightning would not be able to travel as far through it. It would dissipate faster and heat up the water more in the immediate vicinity. However it would be more dangerous to be in the area of effect in fresh water because your body is a better conductor relative to the water so more of the current would travel through you.

Fresh water = small AOE high damage
Salt water = larger AOE lower damage

 

[drbill]

From what I saw in the video, it appears the divers were in pretty shallow water. No thanks. I was once on a very long dive (2 1/2+ hours) when a storm kicked up. No close lightning strikes and a waterspout developed not too far away.