60' poor viz vs. 100' good viz

[pir8]

I've been to Willow but never Bainbridge. Always meant to but never found the time. I also want to get out to Guppy Gulch but time is a killer.

 

[TheHobster]

Which one is more challenging?

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

buoyancy is harder to control in shallow water - thats a fact - shallow water also brings surge which can be uncomfortable as well - so feeling uncomfortable on shallow dives with low viz is common and probably natural

someone mentioned that the difference in deep diving is hard to notice is right - thats one of the things a good instructor goes over on AOW deep dive and deep class - in clear water as a frame of reference, I remind people that while 90' is a deep dive; 90' is also the distance from home plate to first base - in clear water it looks like the boat is right above you, and in reality it is - this perceptual shift as it were, can be dangerous; so always check your guages and keep an eye on your air!

 

[jeckyll]

... keep an eye on your air!

The scary thing is that it makes sense

 

[Kim]

For me probably the most challenging, but definitely when I am completely psyched up to pay lots of attention, is at around 60ft in blue water with good vis. Disorientation can really throw me. In poor vis the "walls" seem closer and I can see easily where the bubbles are heading so I always know where is up - in blue water it's easy to lose it, especially if you've drifted off a wall or suchlike and there IS no bottom for a very long way.

 

[dive_lover88]

I think it's the matter of getting used to the place where you normally dive. For example,you normally dive in cold,low vist and current and when you go on a vacation to a warm, clear vist and low current location,you would get disorientation easily. And vice verca.
(off topic)It would be good to train in the place that you normally train so that you can get the exp,instead of waiting for a trip to a exotic place a handful times a year.
Sorry for thread hijack. Back to regular thread.
Darren

 

[Kim]

I don't think that was a hijack Darren. I agree with you actually, although it's hard to conjure up tropical conditions in Puget sound I suppose! Bad vis? Well that's a different matter. People arrange that themselves all the time!

 

[DOkie]

To each, one's own. Cold, dark, deep- no problem, but I get anxious in really clear water and I'm scared of fish.

Now THAT is too funny! I dive the Great Lakes (mostly U.P.) and agree 100%. Give me 1' vis. ANY DAY over a fish bigger than I am! I have no problem doing a "night dive" at noon because the water is so dark and the vis is so bad, but just the thought of being able to SEE something that has the capability to EAT me coming towards me just creeps me out! I know... I'm a big chicken, but I'll take 41 degrees anyday!!!!

 

[Delaware Dave]

I don’t know if any of you live in the coastal Delaware Area... but I live about 15min from Indian River inlet and spearfish there regularly. If there is 5-8 foot vis you better be thanking God. The usual conditions are 1-3 foot vis and a surge that will move you 10 -20 foot at a sweep. This is all fine and dandy because I'm quit use to it. But once I went too far around the jetty when the tide was moving about 5 knots and got sweep off my feet. Let me tell you how un nerving of a feeling steadily moving current was. But any way it is very true that different things un nerve different people and they may only be small differences (like surge vs. current). Oh... if you were wondering, by some miracle I managed to claw my way about 50-75 feet back out and around the end of the jetty. In retro speck I should have just let things flow and took a free ride into the inlet and just climbed up the rocks. Also I’m glad I kept my wits about me and didn’t flip out until I got out of the water.

 

[plot]

20' vis is the best I've ever seen... hopefully by the time I've hit 100 dives I've been somewhere warm and blue.

 

[chipwd]

In my short diving experience (44 dives so far) I have dove in the warm waters of the Florida Keys (Molasses Reef off Key Largo), the cold waters of Maine (Nubble light off York), the cold but clear waters of Dutch Springs and most often the cold and sometimes fairly clear waters of Lake George, NY.

I find the colder murky waters to be more challenging. Add to that currents or surge and you raise the challenge just that much more. Just the amount of exposure gear needed makes it more challenging. And that applies to any depth.

Just my "newbie" 2 cents.