Bloomin' Algae

[Sintax604]

Well, if last night's dive is an indication, it looks like the "April bloom" is upon us. Whytecliff offered up 4' vis in the top 30 feet and only 15ish feet down below. Hooray for night diving during the day!!! <insert sarcasm here>

It's brown and it's ugly, but at least they've turned the hose back on...

 

[DaleC]

Randy and I dove there earlier in the day with much the same conditions. Saw the octo on the bay side of the right wall (cut side) under rocks at about 60-80 ft and a large octo on the left (Islet) side just off the big rock at about 40-50'. It was under a square 3'x5' concrete mooring block.

Poor Todd

 

[Roko]

So as a newbie to the wet coast (Been here since December), how bad does the seasonal bloom get? How long does it last?

I haven't been able to get in the water for the past month (and it sucked!), but am planning on getting my tanks filled tomorrow for some diving hopefully soonish.

 

[BradnerBoy]

Yeah, after a 1.75hr drive home, even in crap vis, I would have preferred to look at Scott's fins instead of the bumper of the car in front of me.

Poor Todd

 

[bhalah]

Well, if last night's dive is an indication, it looks like the "April bloom" is upon us. Whytecliff offered up 4' vis in the top 30 feet and only 15ish feet down below. Hooray for night diving during the day!!! <insert sarcasm here>

It's brown and it's ugly, but at least they've turned the hose back on...

Is it the increase in day length that causes the April bloom? I'm from out east and don't understand the reasons for this..

 

[Sintax604]

Is it the increase in day length that causes the April bloom? I'm from out east and don't understand the reasons for this..

The cause of the bloom has something to do with the water warming up on the surface (yay spring!) and the penetration of the light which makes all the photosynthesizers very happy. To show their appreciation, they wreck our vis.

On the plus side, everybody below the gloom figures it's night time and comes out to play during the day. It's a great opportunity to see stuff you don't normally see during daylight hours - provided you can see past your own hands.

 

[Sintax604]

Yeah, after a 1.75hr drive home, even in crap vis, I would have preferred to look at Scott's fins instead of the bumper of the car in front of me.

Ahhhh, you're making my fins blush! I bet that's the last time you'll forget your hood!

 

[Skookumchuck]

So as a newbie to the wet coast (Been here since December), how bad does the seasonal bloom get? How long does it last?

I haven't been able to get in the water for the past month (and it sucked!), but am planning on getting my tanks filled tomorrow for some diving hopefully soonish.

A far greater affect on visibility for the lower mainland comes with the spring freshet when the snow starts to melt. It will start soon and at its peak the mighty Fraser will pump up to 10,000 cubic meters per second of zero vis into Georgia straight.

 

[TheWetRookie]

A far greater affect on visibility for the lower mainland comes with the spring freshet when the snow starts to melt. It will start soon and at its peak the mighty Fraser will pump up to 10,000 cubic meters per second of zero vis into Georgia straight.

Snow????? Here??? Um, where are you? Don't you remember we had to import snow for the olympics.

 

[tregrrr]

Snow????? Here??? Um, where are you? Don't you remember we had to import snow for the olympics.

I am guessing this is just one more thing we can blame Vanoc for then?? We were on track for a mild bloom until they brought the trainload of 'foreign' freshet snow into play.