Ill be diving cooper river in Dec. for the first time. Has any one dove there before. Tips on diving the river, best way to look for the teeth. Thanks.
cooper river dive
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JamesK
Contributor
No tips, but you do suck! 
ut: I am jealous. Have fun.
ut: I am jealous. Have fun.kingdiver
Guest
Good luck man!
I was there this past spring and came back with some nice teeth, about fifteen or so, different shapes and sizes, all in a plaque now. I'd go there again.
It's dark and you'll face wicked currents, but once you stick to scouring the bottom for the teeth, you'll have an awesome time. It's really weird how you spot the teeth. On both of my dives, I was twenty minutes into the dive before I spotted any teeth, and the vis is of course two feet and less, which I'm sure you know.
Do you know of any other spots where they're catching these teeth, I heard down by Savannah somewhere.
Where do you dive in the Chattanooga area?
I was there this past spring and came back with some nice teeth, about fifteen or so, different shapes and sizes, all in a plaque now. I'd go there again.
It's dark and you'll face wicked currents, but once you stick to scouring the bottom for the teeth, you'll have an awesome time. It's really weird how you spot the teeth. On both of my dives, I was twenty minutes into the dive before I spotted any teeth, and the vis is of course two feet and less, which I'm sure you know.
Do you know of any other spots where they're catching these teeth, I heard down by Savannah somewhere.
Where do you dive in the Chattanooga area?
kingdiver
Guest
Any body out there know where else to dive for the Meg teeth?
Is it true the Savannah River is a possibility?
Is it true the Savannah River is a possibility?
seaangel
Guest
Occassionally, I hear of findings in the Savannah River. I don't think it is as common as the Cooper River though. Although the Savannah does make a pretty good drift dive and in some areas their have been findings from Civil War relics also. The Confederate Powder was on the Savannah River and there have been cannon balls, etc found in the river. Also, antique bottles, along with modern urban trash.
gonediving
Guest
I did my first dives in the copper last weekend. It was great.
You need a good light and something to help hold ya in place. Some people use a screw driver or a pick type tool that u can get at Home depot. You will also need to wear extra weight.
The light is the key. You will find the teeth just laying around waiting around for you to pick em up.
Good luck
You need a good light and something to help hold ya in place. Some people use a screw driver or a pick type tool that u can get at Home depot. You will also need to wear extra weight.
The light is the key. You will find the teeth just laying around waiting around for you to pick em up.
Good luck
samsliquidblue
Guest
Hi Rouge Diver,
The Cooper River has been a dive that I go and do for some time now. It is a favorite among the guys. To dive the river you need to be good in a mild current, black water, and confidence. In December the "natives" or "locals", as they are called, will be hibernating and that is good. The water will be cooler and hot drinks and warm things like a coat are nice to have; possibly a dry suit is even better while you are out on the river. To find the teeth, you will need a good light which will raise the odds on finding stuff when you are there. A little research ahead of the ball game will let you gain your "River Eyes" so you can recognize the shapes of objects being searched for. Take a look at some of the websites that sell teeth and artifact books. Having a good charter is the next thing to get. They know where to go in the river to find the fossil beds or the areas for artifacts. You will need a pick of some making. The best one is the brass 1 1/4 inch stock handle with a stainless spike about 10 inches long. It drives into the river bottom with ease while you are attached to it with a lanyard. With that instrument, you can "crawl" and "pick in" and stay put. Most of the movement that you will do is a crab motion on the bottom because you are over weighted to stay down. Knee pads are recommended to save the suit of your choice. One can find them in Toys R Us or you can find an inner tube the right diameter to fit your leg above your knee ( including the wetsuit) that is cut to cover down to your ankles. I used to use the knee pad but now I like to use both, one for protection of the suit and the other for cushioning. Comfort is everything here and preservation of the suit too. The knees take a HUGE beating. The only diving you will do is to dive down and dive up in the river. For the rest of the time on the bottom, you will for the most part crawl and pick your way around. While looking at the beds, you can fan the silt away or dig in one. The current is nice since it clears all the particulate up that you stir up in the hunting process. The depths will not be any deeper than 40 feet with most in the 30-35 range. The first dive or two will be your settling dives where you see what is there and how the river works, your air can go fast on this dive so calm your self and have a look around. The river bottom can be log jams, hard clay, sand and gravel beds. Each environment yields different treasures. The log jams have artifacts from the past to the current. The hard clay surrounds the gravel beds and can have individual finds on them. The sand which is usually along the sides of the river will hold lighter objects along with the logs which form the log jams. The more ground you can cover will raise your chances of finding treasures. You are looking at chances of Animal Fossils, Indian Artifacts, Colonial, Revolutionary, Civil War and Modern items to be found. The River was the Expressway of travel for generations in that area. So a concentration of a variety lie hidden on the river bottom. Luck and the skilled eye will bring the gifts from the river's bottom. We always say, "the river giveth and taketh away from all the divers that come." The river likes dive gear and it returns it too, just maybe not yours. Good luck, if you need more suggestions, you contact me at samsliquidblue@yahoo.com
The Cooper River has been a dive that I go and do for some time now. It is a favorite among the guys. To dive the river you need to be good in a mild current, black water, and confidence. In December the "natives" or "locals", as they are called, will be hibernating and that is good. The water will be cooler and hot drinks and warm things like a coat are nice to have; possibly a dry suit is even better while you are out on the river. To find the teeth, you will need a good light which will raise the odds on finding stuff when you are there. A little research ahead of the ball game will let you gain your "River Eyes" so you can recognize the shapes of objects being searched for. Take a look at some of the websites that sell teeth and artifact books. Having a good charter is the next thing to get. They know where to go in the river to find the fossil beds or the areas for artifacts. You will need a pick of some making. The best one is the brass 1 1/4 inch stock handle with a stainless spike about 10 inches long. It drives into the river bottom with ease while you are attached to it with a lanyard. With that instrument, you can "crawl" and "pick in" and stay put. Most of the movement that you will do is a crab motion on the bottom because you are over weighted to stay down. Knee pads are recommended to save the suit of your choice. One can find them in Toys R Us or you can find an inner tube the right diameter to fit your leg above your knee ( including the wetsuit) that is cut to cover down to your ankles. I used to use the knee pad but now I like to use both, one for protection of the suit and the other for cushioning. Comfort is everything here and preservation of the suit too. The knees take a HUGE beating. The only diving you will do is to dive down and dive up in the river. For the rest of the time on the bottom, you will for the most part crawl and pick your way around. While looking at the beds, you can fan the silt away or dig in one. The current is nice since it clears all the particulate up that you stir up in the hunting process. The depths will not be any deeper than 40 feet with most in the 30-35 range. The first dive or two will be your settling dives where you see what is there and how the river works, your air can go fast on this dive so calm your self and have a look around. The river bottom can be log jams, hard clay, sand and gravel beds. Each environment yields different treasures. The log jams have artifacts from the past to the current. The hard clay surrounds the gravel beds and can have individual finds on them. The sand which is usually along the sides of the river will hold lighter objects along with the logs which form the log jams. The more ground you can cover will raise your chances of finding treasures. You are looking at chances of Animal Fossils, Indian Artifacts, Colonial, Revolutionary, Civil War and Modern items to be found. The River was the Expressway of travel for generations in that area. So a concentration of a variety lie hidden on the river bottom. Luck and the skilled eye will bring the gifts from the river's bottom. We always say, "the river giveth and taketh away from all the divers that come." The river likes dive gear and it returns it too, just maybe not yours. Good luck, if you need more suggestions, you contact me at samsliquidblue@yahoo.com
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The best advice is dive warm. The water temp will be in the low 50's. At least 7mil wetsuit or drysuit. Happy hunting.
Do you have a charter yet? If not, I could recommend Freedom at Depth. They are located in Goose Creek. Mark Woods, the owner, is an old friend of mine and a really great guy. Teh Cooper is a fun dive. Look for Clay pipes also, they are a common colonial artifact find. Oh, FYI- Freedom at Depth has a nice website too- Freedomatdepth.com
On my checklist of equip for cooper I have listed:
- swiss miss coco
- large thermos!
The pick is very important as well. It needs to be weighted.
I tried big screwdrivers and stuff but when I bought a heavy
brass handled one from Bill Routh it became much easier.
Bill's an excellent guide BTW and is at www.offthewalldiving.com
One other tip. Try to shine the light towards you at an angle
with your arm extended and not outwards from you.
This can help you see any glints from the teeth and improve
the way you see the shapes. The above posts are right;
it takes a little while to recognize the shapes of the teeth
and other things but then it just clicks. If you don't KNOW
it's a rock or a stick then pick it up. You can always throw
it away later. That's how I got my first peace pipe artifact.
Check out my profile for the best find I have yet on the
cooper.
Kell
- swiss miss coco
- large thermos!
The pick is very important as well. It needs to be weighted.
I tried big screwdrivers and stuff but when I bought a heavy
brass handled one from Bill Routh it became much easier.
Bill's an excellent guide BTW and is at www.offthewalldiving.com
One other tip. Try to shine the light towards you at an angle
with your arm extended and not outwards from you.
This can help you see any glints from the teeth and improve
the way you see the shapes. The above posts are right;
it takes a little while to recognize the shapes of the teeth
and other things but then it just clicks. If you don't KNOW
it's a rock or a stick then pick it up. You can always throw
it away later. That's how I got my first peace pipe artifact.
Check out my profile for the best find I have yet on the
cooper.
Kell
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