Abort or not

[animian2002]

I went swimming yesterday and while I'm happily "clocking" my laps, a downpour started and thunder and lightning can be heard/seen. And the next most rightful thing to do is to get out of the pool and so everyone did it spontaneously. AT that point of the time, a question pop into my mind :bonk: What if we are diving at that time be it on the surface getting ready to descend or we have descended and happily diving underwater when we heard the thunder, do it abort the dive immediately ?

Personally, I feel that we should abort the dive if we are still on the surface. cos that is too dangerous :nono:
But if still underwater, :embarr: do we abort our dive immediately and surface

sorry for asking such a stupid Question :embarr:

 

[The Chairman]

but it "strikes me" that this one that has been "hotly" debated before. Here are some "hits" that will get your "flash" going in the right direction... I just hope your pun surge protector is working! :tease:

The most recent hot spot

A good one, with lots of points

About Rain, which can be accompanied by lightening

Two years old and still timely

 

[n2diving]

I don't know the proper scientific response to the question.
So when in doubt...error towards safety. I'm gonna get out.
This is an interesting artical related to this topic.
Cave Divers get zapped while diving.
http://www.cavediver.net/dive_reports/dive_disp.asp?DR_ID=65

Bmer

 

[The Chairman]

but I find their explanation of events HIGHLY unlikely. I wonder how many stunned fish there must have been? Even spring water has enough electrolytes in it to dissapate the largest strike within a few inches.

 

[Custer]

animian2002 once bubbled...
I went swimming yesterday and while I'm happily "clocking" my laps, a downpour started and thunder and lightning can be heard/seen. And the next most rightful thing to do is to get out of the pool and so everyone did it spontaneously. AT that point of the time, a question pop into my mind :bonk: What if we are diving at that time be it on the surface getting ready to descend or we have descended and happily diving underwater when we heard the thunder, do it abort the dive immediately ?

Personally, I feel that we should abort the dive if we are still on the surface. cos that is too dangerous :nono:
But if still underwater, :embarr: do we abort our dive immediately and surface

sorry for asking such a stupid Question :embarr:

The only stupid question is one unasked.

First of, regardless of cause, you should call any dive that you feel uncomfortable with.

That said, I've been in the ocean, and had lightning strike close enough to the boat for people on board to feel it, and had no effects underwater.

A West Palm Beach drift dive, with the cool illumination effects of lightning, was one of the coolest dives I ever did.

Lightning would only make me want to get in the water.

 

[Diver0001]

animian2002 once bubbled...
I went swimming yesterday and while I'm happily "clocking" my laps, a downpour started and thunder and lightning can be heard/seen. And the next most rightful thing to do is to get out of the pool and so everyone did it spontaneously. AT that point of the time, a question pop into my mind :bonk: What if we are diving at that time be it on the surface getting ready to descend or we have descended and happily diving underwater when we heard the thunder, do it abort the dive immediately ?

Personally, I feel that we should abort the dive if we are still on the surface. cos that is too dangerous :nono:
But if still underwater, do we abort our dive immediately and surface

sorry for asking such a stupid Question :embarr:

If you're under water you might see the flashes but I doubt that you'd hear it. Anyone have first hand experience?

Personally if I were under water I wouldn't abort the dive. If I were on the surface with a large metal object strapped to my back when a storm started I'd tend to want to get under water asap.

Do you think that if the lighting hit the water that you'd feel it? I'm not sure about that either. Anyone have any facts about that?

R..

 

[jbd]

on several occassions when thunderstorms passed through. I could see the flashes of lightning on the shallower dives but could not hear the thunder. On the deeper dives we never knew there was a storm.

 

[jiveturkey]

I'd stay in the water if the waves weren't too high and if the wind wasn't too strong. I wouldn't necessarily be afraid of the lightning but you have to watch out for storms. Conditions can change quickly.

 

[zeN||]

Wow, what a read, N2diving, this is cause for a lot more research, barbecued at 90+feet? zeN

 

[sharpenu]

I have to call shenanigans on the cave diver story! Pure BS! netdoc, back me up on this!

I have been diving on more than one occasion off the coast of Florida (the lightning capitol of the world) and most times you don't even know they are there. Once, we heard what sounded like a giant Star Wars laser gun when strikes hit the surface 60 feet or so above us, but that is all.

One time, when reentering the boat, we were told by the captain that a waterspout had gone right over our flag.

No ill effects at all.