diving in fresh water

[STOGEY]

For those who are experienced, what is it like to dive in fresh water? Isn't most of frsh water very murky? How's about someone passing on some of their experiences on fresh water diving.

 

[Green_Manelishi]

For those who are experienced, what is it like to dive in fresh water? Isn't most of frsh water very murky? How's about someone passing on some of their experiences on fresh water diving.

Fresh water "rocks".

True, the lakes and ponds can be mud-holes but if you stay off the bottom and are not too deep the vis is not bad at all. If you are deep, bring a light. If you are bouncing off the bottom and mucking up the joint, control yourself.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Most lakes seem to be low-vis.

My only fresh-water dives have been ~10 dives in Lake Tahoe, NV. with 100+ feet of vis. and 2 dives in the American River, Sacramento CA., first dive 30 feet, second dive <1 foot (something upstream really stirred it up. We got separated and I surfaced).

 

[vetdiver]

The springs and spring-fed caves of north and central FL are crystal clear - otherwise, I have only done lakes in AZ and IL, which tend to be a bit murky, but not too much worse than a bad day in the ocean off New England!

 

[DiveTyme]

One of the nice things about freshwater is you don't have to rinse your gear.

 

[Mako Mark]

I dive in the caves and cenotes here in Mexico, and the water is as clear as air. I remember taking someone famous to Dos Ojos once and diving with buddy Q there. He said "I think we should go upstream, the vis is better there" The VIP said "but Buddy, its about 300 ft here" Buddy replied "yeah, it about 600 ft upstream"

And it was, it was so clear that you couldnt see the beam of my 50 watt light passing through the water.

 

[spectrum]

I do a lot of skin diving in fresh and salt water and both have their pplace. Some lakes stay fairly clear and will remain that way for the most part through te season. Where the oceans are at the mercy of storms, red tide etc. Some lakes are nicer than the best day's I've seen new the shore in the ocean. The ocean has more life, the lakes generally have many more golf balls and artifacts in my experience, lacking the big storm currents a scuttled boat will remain for a long time. Lake surface contidions are more predicatable Dito on the easy gear clean-up.

Sometimes it's nice to travel light and at the peak of summer you can get away with a lot less exposure protection.

Boat traffic can be harder to evade on popular lakes.

Both have their place but I think the ocean is my preference and it's worth the hassels. Lakes are enjoyable and I keep them as a fallback. We are looking forward to revisiting many when we get certified this spring.

Pete

 

[MASS-Diver]

For those who are experienced, what is it like to dive in fresh water? Isn't most of frsh water very murky? How's about someone passing on some of their experiences on fresh water diving.

I like to use FW sites as training spots or good spots to get wet when the ocean is rough (like when it's screaming NE in decemeber). I just posted a thread about Hathaway Pond on the cape - it's a nice small pond, great for training. The vis was over 25' yesterday- very nice.

I also have dove some of the ponds down in Nickerson St park on the cape and found the vis to be very good there as well (espically in the winter).

 

[keelhaul123]

For those who are experienced, what is it like to dive in fresh water? Isn't most of frsh water very murky? How's about someone passing on some of their experiences on fresh water diving.

To me the biggest advantage the ocean has over fresh water is the greater diversity of life and the wider range of color. For me its visually more satisfying, and of course you won't find a Poling dive in fresh water! Having said that I do occaisionally dive in the Connecticut River when I need to get wet and just don't have the time to drive the 2 hours to Cape Ann. Pick your dive under a bridge and you may just come up with some interesting artifacts (19th century apothecary bottle being one of my best finds). Also you get the chance to see some things you won't see in the ocean, like the prehistoric looking sturgeons that you see in the river from time to time. And if you are a freshwater fisherman, there is no better way to find out where the BIG bass hang out. Yup...I'll take the ocean over fresh everyday, but for those times when I NEED to get wet, I'll still enjoy a freshwater dive

 

[MASS-Diver]

To me the biggest advantage the ocean has over fresh water is the greater diversity of life and the wider range of color. For me its visually more satisfying, and of course you won't find a Poling dive in fresh water!

I'd rather the ocean anyday too - but, that said, I hear they have decent FW wreck or two if you are willing to drive up to the Great Lakes