60' poor viz vs. 100' good viz

[Tortuga James]

Which one is more challenging?

The post about what qualifies a diver to get out of newbie status got me thinking. As I approach the 100 dive mark (98), I realized that I still have a lot to learn about all sorts of situations outside of my experiences. Except for a few dives in the keys and bahamas, the majority of my dive experiences have been in the shallow (60') inshore waters off the NC beaches, where good viz is 15' and often it is more like 5-8'.

I realize a whole different set of challenges arises in deeper dives, but this past summer on the U352 sub at 115' and 70' of viz, it felt like (although much shorter) a much easier dive to perform from than the low viz inshore dives, which really challenge your buoyancy control, because you can't see the structure until you almost run into it.

I am interested in your thoughts

 

[REII]

Most of my experiences have been in good visability. Average is probably 40 to 50 foot vis. I find it more difficult, and more uncomfortable to dive shallow in poor vis that deep in good vis. Maybe that is just because diving with poor vis is a rare experience for me?

TOM

 

[wedivebc]

Which one is more challenging?

The post about what qualifies a diver to get out of newbie status got me thinking. As I approach the 100 dive mark (98), I realized that I still have a lot to learn about all sorts of situations outside of my experiences. Except for a few dives in the keys and bahamas, the majority of my dive experiences have been in the shallow (60') inshore waters off the NC beaches, where good viz is 15' and often it is more like 5-8'.

I realize a whole different set of challenges arises in deeper dives, but this past summer on the U352 sub at 115' and 70' of viz, it felt like (although much shorter) a much easier dive to perform from than the low viz inshore dives, which really challenge your buoyancy control, because you can't see the structure until you almost run into it.

I am interested in your thoughts

I know exactly what you mean. I usually dive in less clear (15' during summer) water and find cold murky water much more challenging even shallow dives than warm clear deeper water.
I dove the U352 this year and it was like being in a big bath tub. Great dive though. My son stayed real close after he saw one of those sand tigers

 

[jeckyll]

Swampdogg: I'm at about the same number of dives as you and I'm realizing that different people have different "buttons".

I don't mind lower vis but I'm finding that I don't enjoy fighting current very much. So I think your question is very subjective

 

[Wilson]

We pray for 15 foot viz down here. Sometimes it's 5-8 feet at best all the way down to 80 feet. It does challenge your skills...buoyancy and navigation come to mind. You are also forced to get your gear under control (streamlined). Hopefully, there's no monofilament to greet you as well. You will be a better diver for having endured all this and having perfected your skills along the way. Deeper diving is more a matter of having been trained for it and having redundant systems to back you up.

 

[REII]

Swampdogg: I'm at about the same number of dives as you and I'm realizing that different people have different "buttons".

I don't mind lower vis but I'm finding that I don't enjoy fighting current very much. So I think your question is very subjective

Fighting strong currents are highly overrated.

TOM

 

[Tortuga James]

Current is great as long as the boat is going the same direction.

A whole different topic is one that you point out..everybody has different things that scare or make them uncomfortable. Out of necessity, we often leave the boat unattended while on the bottom, and my greatest fear is that I will not be able to find the anchor line and come up way down current of the boat, or even worse, the anchor pulls and the boat drifts away.

 

[TSandM]

I was thinking about this after taking my blows for calling someone "new".

There's an old saying about having 50 years of experience, or having one year of experience 50 times. I dove with an instructor in the BVI who had over 3000 dives -- but they were all in the BVI. He was very comfortable and knowledgeable within that realm, but I'm quite sure he would have found dry suit diving in pea soup in Puget Sound quite challenging. On the other hand, I've gotten fairly comfortable in those conditions, but got completely flummoxed by upcurrents on the Indonesian walls.

Somewhere, I read that a relatively inexperienced diver with knowledge of local conditions can be much better off than a very experience diver ignorant of those conditions, and I think there's a lot of truth to that.

What any given diver finds most challenging is going to depend on the resources he brings to the table. I have disorientation problems when deprived of a visual reference, so very poor visibility and night diving are challenges for me. The diver I went out with last night is worried about currents, because she isn't a strong swimmer, but dsteding, who grew up surfing, isn't bothered by current at all.

The spooky thing about diving deep, to me, is that the challenges of doing so are not immediately apparent. After all, swimming around is no different at a hundred feet than it is at 30. The challenges of deep diving are in the preparation -- understanding what happens to gas consumption, and being prepared to cope with malfunctions and emergencies where the surface is a lot further away.

 

[Wilson]

I have disorientation problems when deprived of a visual reference, so very poor visibility and night diving are challenges for me. The diver I went out with last night is worried about currents, because she isn't a strong swimmer, but dsteding, who grew up surfing, isn't bothered by current at all

Good points TS & M. My first few dives after certification were night dives in a river with a moderate current. I learned alot about buoyancy, especially using my breath to raise and lower myself in the water column, how to use the bottom or structure to break the current, how to position myself to take advantage of current and how not to freak out in the middle of a dive. Those first few dives were pretty intense. But, being stuck in a silt cloud and barely able to read my compass almost gives me vertigo.

 

[seadoggirl]

Doesn't what you are doing underwater have a lot to do with it? When I have my camera with me I'm hoping for the clearest water I can find on the planet. When I have my speargun I'm wanting less vis for cover to get the better fish. I also don't know that either vis prepares you for all situations. I'm a warm water girl and can't imagine what you guys in the Great Lakes go through. I would love to have the experience of cold water but I got to tell ya, I'm chicken when it comes to that COLD!