Cold water visibility...

[DBailey]

My diving experience has been...

Warm, salt water in the Bahamas with visibility between 100-150 feet.

Cold, fresh water in the Chicago area with visibility between 5-30 feet.

Is there cold water diving (fresh or salt) that can match the visibility of tropical locations?

 

[DiveMistress2]

Hey there DB,

Now how cold is cold water diving in your mind?

Brockville can easily boast 100+ ft of visibility and it's the Canadian Caribbean with 70F water.

Kingston is a little chillier at 50-60F and days with 100+ft of visibility.

The Tiller wreck in lake Ontario most days has visibility of around 100ft but is cooler yet at 43F throughout the summer.

There are a lot of wrecks in the great lakes where great visibility is available.

Whereabouts are you from?

 

[MechDiver]

I have seen 80 to 90 foot vis in British Columbia, and I believe it is better than that in places. That is the best coldwater I have personally been in.
Some of the freshwater lakes will meet or surpass your figures also, but vis like that in coldwater is not the norm

MD

 

[Snowbear]

I've seen 100'+ viz in Alaska saltwaters. Usually in winter, but have seen it close to that in summer as well. The good viz can go away within a matter of hours when the plankton blooms again, though

 

[Tractor Tom]

...but I have made dives in Tobermory (again, VERY cold water) where the vis approached 100 feet. We have been 80' above a wreck on a bright day, and been able to see it from the surface. Of course, your face kinds of goes NUMB when you put it in the water to look!!!!

 

[DBailey]

For me:

Cold water = 50F and below
Not warm water = 50F to 75F
Warm water = 75F and above

I am a wetsuit diver (since I don't own a drysuit) and am quite comfortable at 43F in a 7mil farmer john on a 45 minute dive.

My homebase is Chicago. So far, my cold water experience has been in lakes and quarries.

I was not trying to base my cold water visibility question based on my experience, but on comments I have read by other people and some research of dive locations.

Glad to hear that there is cold water diving with great visibility and I won't always be "in the dark".

 

[JacobsonC2]

For me:

Cold water = 50F and below
Not warm water = 50F to 75F
Warm water = 75F and above

I am a wetsuit diver (since I don't own a drysuit) and am quite comfortable at 43F in a 7mil farmer john on a 45 minute dive.

My homebase is Chicago. So far, my cold water experience has been in lakes and quarries.

I was not trying to base my cold water visibility question based on my experience, but on comments I have read by other people and some research of dive locations.

Glad to hear that there is cold water diving with great visibility and I won't always be "in the dark".

50F water to me is down right balmy, even in a wetsuit. cold to me is under the ice.

 

[yknot]

Is there cold water diving (fresh or salt) that can match the visibility of tropical locations?

While I can't make this claim from personal experience, I have heard that for spring diving in the Anarctic, divers have reported 1000+ foot vis. Reportedly due to no algae that time of year and probably aided by ice covering keeping water from being stirred up by wind and wave. Personally I have seen exceptional vis (80+ ft) in some limestone quarries under optimal conditions.

 

[Lightning Fish]

An instructor from the LDS I go through was diving Porteau cove earlier this year. From 80 fsw he could see the surface. When he got out, one of the divemasters said he could see the mountains from 80 feet down. Now that would be cool.

Bill