Diving around dams?

[rdharbis1]

I've heard and read that people do this! How do you safely dive around a dam? Do you dive below the dam? The water is quite fast at the dams that I know. I shudder to think about diving above the dam. Maybe I just don't understand how everything works. Any comments, there are two dams that I would try if it is somethig that can be done -- safely.

 

[Don Burke]

They call low head dams "drowning machines", often for good reason.

http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/lowhd1.htm

http://www.mfwsc.com/lowheaddams.htm

http://www.disasternews.net/news/news.php?articleid=1982

http://www.boatohio.com/safety/safety009.shtml

 

[Ber Rabbit]

There are different types of dams, the low head dams are the drowning machines and deserve to be respected and avoided. I have never dove near a dam but it seems the earthen, etc. dams that have been erected to create reservoirs would be candidates for diving above the dams except for security issues (blowing up dams is frowned on). The location of the raceway where the water bypasses the dam would probably be your main concern.

The preceding information is just a sort-of-educated guess intended as food for thought.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[shaggie]

I'm going diving at Mansfield dam tomorow morning (up river side). Apart from the ungodly noise and vibration from the turbines, it's not a problem. There is even a scuba park there.

 

[CIBDiving]

One dive I enjoyed was outside Salem, Or. It was a dive between dams, and was best done at peak power need times. I can't remember the names but it was a liittle NE of Salem ( maybe 30 mi ), You got in just below one dam and rode the outflow current down through a 100ft deep trough ( maybe 50 ft wide) to the lake in front of the next dam. A wild ride! not a bad dive a "slack" either.

Used to do a 'crawdad' dive at a resevore in Or. too - headwaters of the clackamas river. An earthen damn across a valley. The dive was to 110 ft and colder than .... if you went to the bottom. You didn't want to get too close to the outlet, it feed into a pipe about 18 inches in diameter.

 

[Gary D.]

I've heard and read that people do this! How do you safely dive around a dam? Do you dive below the dam? The water is quite fast at the dams that I know. I shudder to think about diving above the dam. Maybe I just don't understand how everything works. Any comments, there are two dams that I would try if it is somethig that can be done -- safely.

Nobody can answer this as no two dams are the same and dams can change their status in the blink of an eye.

That nice calm body of water at the surface can be a raging torrent at the bottom. Each design has it’s own problems unlike any other.

Prior to diving one do your research. Learn all you can about the dam and the surrounding area. Contact the dam operators and see what their policy about diving is. In most cases they will have an exclusion zone that if violated could subject you to arrest.

Do some footwork prior to any finwork and you will be much happier in the end.

By the way, if you can get permission, they are cool to dive.

Gary D.

 

[H2Andy]

sorry, i don't know anything about dam diving

 

[mike_s]

sorry, i don't know anything about dam diving

Dammed if you do, Dammed if you don't.

 

[rdharbis1]

Thanks all, interesting stuff. I am amazed that you can dive in the lower side of the dam in such strong current. I will have to research the locals and see what we got here.

 

[SoCalAngel]

I dove with Drew's Dam divers, outside of Las Vegas several years back. We dropped down below the dam and had an amazing ride through the whitewater and boulders at a speed of about 5 knots. It was one of the most adrenaline filled dives I have ever done.

Unfortunately, it is no longer in operation. Feds closed them after 911. Here's an article about 'em. http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=628