*** is wrong with vis at BH this weekend?

[robint]

Vis was horrible, it was like diving in 2% milk!!! I bet it was down to 10' at times, especially from 40' to surface, maybe 20' vis at bottom.
I know there were alot of divers, but a friend arrived on Thursday and said it was the same. I haven't seen it that bad unless they were dredging!!! Having 100+ students thrashing around didn't help either, but even at 7am on Saturday it was ugly, even at the bottom. Uggghhh.
I have never seen so many awful students, also. They were popping to the surface like corks all day Saturday. I saw at least a dozen students breach, throw their masks off, and try to climb on top of the bouys. It was sad. Maybe the vis contributed, but we watched them all interacting with their instructor's and none of them seemed to be comfortable in the water, most looked downright terrified. We saw a lot of tears, too. It was one of the worst days we have ever seen at Blue Hole. Geez.

robint

 

[bikefox]

Vis was horrible, it was like diving in 2% milk!!! I bet it was down to 10' at times, especially from 40' to surface, maybe 20' vis at bottom.
I know there were alot of divers, but a friend arrived on Thursday and said it was the same. I haven't seen it that bad unless they were dredging!!! Having 100+ students thrashing around didn't help either, but even at 7am on Saturday it was ugly, even at the bottom. Uggghhh.
I have never seen so many awful students, also. They were popping to the surface like corks all day Saturday. I saw at least a dozen students breach, throw their masks off, and try to climb on top of the bouys. It was sad. Maybe the vis contributed, but we watched them all interacting with their instructor's and none of them seemed to be comfortable in the water, most looked downright terrified. We saw a lot of tears, too. It was one of the worst days we have ever seen at Blue Hole. Geez.

robint

We dove it last weekend (and Monday) and the vis was good. It wasn't very busy though.

Too bad about the students. Hopefully they improve their skills before someone gets buddied with them.

 

[robint]

We dove it last weekend (and Monday) and the vis was good. It wasn't very busy though.

Too bad about the students. Hopefully they improve their skills before someone gets buddied with them.

I hope some of them reconsidered getting certified!! I hope the instructor's didn't finish them.

As far as the vis, it couldn't have been just because of the people since our friend was over on Thursday and it was the same - mid-week it is usually crystal clear! One person said they heard a rumor of a cave-in under the hole shifting the bottom. Don't know if is true, but it was definitely a sign of something being wrong.

 

[Divedoggie]

Anyone there this week, please keep us updated! We are heading there next weekend. If there is a contaminate or cave in, I don't think I want to play there!

 

[RonFrank]

The milky color indicates something other than students and divers kicking it up.

When I was there near the end of July after the dredging, the water had a milky color, but the vis was near 80feet. Maybe something did cave in below resulting in the milky color, and decreased vis. Top that off with a LOT of divers, and that could EQ some very bad vis.

DiveDoggie, I'd not worry about it as there is not much to be done. If it was a cave in, than the vis should return to normal in a week or so. If not, well where a lot of CO LDS's checkout, 10feet of vis would be a blessing!

You could also consider Perch for the rescue class. We've had unseasonably warm weather, and I bet Perch is still on the warmish side based on diving there the third week of Oct. (62F). That wetsuit temps there brother!

 

[Divedoggie]

Ron,

Thanks for the encouragement. We are going to do U/W Nav drills for specialties at Perch. I suppose that if viz is really bad at BH, the Nav drills will be good there, too!
Rescue will be fine in low viz at BH as well. Half the scenarios are on the surface and exits, and the other half end up on the surface, so no problemo.


I'm planning on some night dives. One of my favorite things about BH is a night dive after everyone has gone back to their rooms for the night, and then doing stops facing up, looking at the stars.

Remember the night dive when, at 80 feet, we heard ghostly music?

 

[knotical]

You could also consider Perch for the rescue class. We've had unseasonably warm weather, and I bet Perch is still on the warmish side based on diving there the third week of Oct. (62F). That wetsuit temps there brother!

A friend dived perch this weekend and reported temps in the low 50s.

 

[Divedoggie]

The problem with taking a class to Perch, and a Rescue Class at that, is the viz can instantly drop to zero if your not very careful. Then its ruined for everyone else, for the rest of the day.

I prefer to dive perch with skilled divers, and disturb it not!

I've never seen temps below the thermocline in Perch that were above 45. 50's would be a treat!

 

[RonFrank]

The problem with taking a class to Perch, and a Rescue Class at that, is the viz can instantly drop to zero if your not very careful. Then its ruined for everyone else, for the rest of the day.

I prefer to dive perch with skilled divers, and disturb it not!

I've never seen temps below the thermocline in Perch that were above 45. 50's would be a treat!

Perch has become of more interest as I have done more diving there. Last trip there was no thermocline. This indicates that at times outflow or weather can result in the lake turning over.

In September the thermocline was very pronounced, and the lake smelled like sulfur in places. The vis was also crap.

In winter last year when we dove this together, it was freezing top to bottom, but definite thermoclines then as well.

The topography is more interesting than I had originally thought. So I will continue to dive it at least once a trip. When the vis is good, it's a fun dive, and when not, it's still not horrible.

 

[Desert Pirate]

Vis was horrible, it was like diving in 2% milk!!! I bet it was down to 10' at times, especially from 40' to surface, maybe 20' vis at bottom.

I just think this is a funny comparison. Bein a dairy farmer, if you can get that good of vis in your milk tanks, you need to take a serious look at your feed ration

LMAO
Clay