Black Water Diving

[Cave Diver]

I have done my share of diving in low visibility waters. My typical dive sites range in visibility from a whopping 15' to a dismal 18 inches. I have done night diving where we turn out the light and dive by moonlight, and the darkest environment I have ever dove in was exiting a cave during a lights out drill.

Of course in all of these instances, I had at least SOME idea about the environment I was diving in, but I am curious to hear from those that regularly dive in NO visibility. Such as search and recovery divers in muddy rivers and lakes, etc.

How does it feel dropping down to the bottom in such conditions where you have absolutely no reference points, cant even read your depth gauge? Do things such as HID lights help even a little?

Comments? Experiences? Questions?

 

[MichgnTechDiver]

Firdt off, this thread should probably be directed towards the Tech section of this board, however people will answer your question here undoubtedly.

I have had ZERO visibility in many wrecks i have penetrated. I am ashamed to say that i retrieve artifacts from wrecks sometimes, nothing big, like a nail, or cup or something of that nature. The artifacts are always under a layer of silt at least 6" deep <if you've read the last dive you can verify this>, and when you start looking around, vis becomes zero. Lights help usually only enough to see your gauges, if that, because lets face it, if its pure silt, light cannot penetrate dirt. As for how it feels, like your completely alone and lost in nowhere, if that makes sense. It is a great joy to follow your guideline and eventually see light, and increased vis.

 

[Bob3]

In "real" blackwater, the only way you can tell if your light is on is to press it against your faceplate.
You get used to it pretty quick & rely on your sense of touch, even with 3-finger mitts on.
Used to spend 10 - 11 hrs at a stretch in blackwater, gets scary getting into the clear stuff, ya think you're going to fall to the bottom.
:mean:

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I read in the Last Dive that wreck divers in zero vis are told to close their eyes because your brain will try to create something to see in zero vis. Is that true?

 

[jbd]

a lot of no viz or zero viz but agree with the observation made by the others. As for the closing the eyes thing; its been my experience that with eyes open or closed in these circumstances your brain tries to see something.

 

[jonnythan]

Tim Ingersoll once bubbled...
I read in the Last Dive that wreck divers in zero vis are told to close their eyes because your brain will try to create something to see in zero vis. Is that true?

I'm not sure about diving, but I don't see why it would be different from caving.. I've done a few "no lights" trips where we go caving in the dark. It's definitely a unique experience, and hurts a bit more when you fall than while diving. Closing your eyes is a big help, because your mind really does create things. You could swear you see walls where you don't, it's really quite disturbing.

 

[SeaJay]

What a great topic.

I live on a barrier island in South Carolina, not far from Hilton Head. The waters around here are truly zero vis. It kinda cracked me up when I heard you refer to 18" as "zero vis." I'd love to have that kind of awesome visibility around here. :lol:

As a child I was always at a tremendous disadventage... Up to when I was about seven or so. Then it took me a while to get used to the "sight" thing. I remember playing dodge-ball when I was ten or eleven, and I could never manage to get out of the way of the ball. It was a severe disadvantage. You see, I was born blind, but surgery gave me sight when I was about seven.

Today I wear contact lenses and with them, I see 20/20. And when I finally did get used to being able to see, I did great. I've raced motorcycles, and decades ago in high school I varsity lettered many times over.

But to this day I really feel more at home in the dark than in the light. Even though I see great, I know exactly how many steps it is to the kitchen, and I still have an uncanny sense of direction and motion. I can often smell where someone has been recently, based on fragrances in their clothing, and when we're out in the boat I can literally smell the fish go by. People think I'm nuts until they look for themselves.

Diving blackwater? Welcome to my world.

Gauges can be seen if you place them directly against the glass of your mask, lit with a light (also pressed against your mask). Be sure to keep a compass handy, and know your current before you get in. If there's something in the water with you, and it's not your buddy, hit it and it'll go away. At least, it always does for me.

And as far as the eyes go, I sometimes find mine open in blackwater, but generally no... No reason... It's just more comfortable that way for me.

Last summer when I dove in Ginnie Springs' 200+ foot vis, it felt like I was flying...

 

[jonnythan]

SeaJay once bubbled...
What a great topic.

I live on a barrier island in South Carolina, not far from Hilton Head. The waters around here are truly zero vis. It kinda cracked me up when I heard you refer to 18" as "zero vis." I'd love to have that kind of awesome visibility around here. :lol:

As a child I was always at a tremendous disadventage... Up to when I was about seven or so. Then it took me a while to get used to the "sight" thing. I remember playing dodge-ball when I was ten or eleven, and I could never manage to get out of the way of the ball. It was a severe disadvantage. You see, I was born blind, but surgery gave me sight when I was about seven.

Today I wear contact lenses and with them, I see 20/20. And when I finally did get used to being able to see, I did great. I've raced motorcycles, and decades ago in high school I varsity lettered many times over.

That's an awesome story

If there's something in the water with you, and it's not your buddy, hit it and it'll go away.

That made me laugh harder than anything I've seen in a long time

 

[SeaJay]

http://www.islc.net/~bayne/songs/blackwater.mp3

 

[Bubble Boy]

Well the only thing I will say for sure is that there is a definite warm and fuzzy feeling knowing you have your buddy with you. I hate doing the braille dives but sometimes you have no choice. I remember one dive where I held the flashlight up to my mask as I could not tell it was on and I bumbed into something. It was an old farm tractor tire but when you cant see...your mind will play games on you.

Speaking of braille.....why do drive through bank machines have braille key pads and why do they sterilize the syringes before lethal injections????