Keeping in mind that this is BASIC scuba...

[Blackwood]

I dive in cold, dark and poor viz water because that's what I have easy access to. (Note, cold to me is ~50°. Many of our Canadian, European, and Northern US friends will have a different opinion).

Simply put, I love to dive. I love the weightless feeling. I love breathing under water. I love the quiet. I could live in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a mud pond nearby, and I'd likely dive it.

BTW, the water temperature is somewhat irrelevant. If you're cold, you aren't wearing adequate exposure protection.

 

[Zieg]

A few more reasons for diving cold water ...

And one really nice thing about diving in low-vis conditions ... it kinda forces you to pay attention and focus on your surroundings. Sometimes when the water's clear you tend to look so far ahead that you miss the treasures lurking just beneath you ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Totally agree with what your saying, but I've seen a number of cold water divers who are so conditioned on this focal range that when they do get in open, clear water, they tend to only see what is just in front of their face and miss that cool shark that just swam past them a short distance away.

But I don't mean to change the direction of this thread. Actually I do love diving in cold water. The part I love is that it is so different from warm water. As your pictures attest, the creatures are different. The marine life can be so abundent. Working in Iceland some years ago, we were taking bottom samples and a less than 1 sq.ft. sample would be packed full of fish. Haven't dove the Great Lakes, would love to, but they're not salty, that's just creepy, gotta have salt. Personelly, I don't see the allure of lakes and quarries, but hey, that's me. I've always lived on the coast.

 

[imasinker]

Hey cabbage....

Here's a nice cold pic for you....It is me in the back ground...water temp was 1 degree Celsius, the air temp the same, depth 60 feet, the viz about 5 feet, dive time 28 minutes. LOVED IT!!!!!
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/116908/ppuser/93857

 

[princessaprilia]

.... (I spent my air conditioner savings on dive gear this year...).

I've been threatening to use that too.

 

[Jimmer]

Cold freshwater is the best thing in the world to preserve old wooden shipwrecks. We've got 150 year old wooden sailing ships, virtually intact in the great lakes. It's fantastic. In lake Erie, the visibility can be stunning once you drop past the thermocline into the low 40 degree territory. I've literally had 100+ foot vis in Erie on a wreck on several occassions. I wouldn't trade that kind of diving for the world.

 

[SteveAD]

Considering that a certain other thread was closed before I had a chance to to chime in, I would like to extend my thanks to Psychocabbage.

For choosing such a a perfectly appropriate name.


Unless we want to be be limited to diving a couple weeks a year (if even that) we dive where we live.

 

[Aquabear]

For the adventure and a challenge. Get outside of the home or office. See the world as few others can or even dream of. Scuba, hiking, kayaking love the natural highs!
98ft, 8' vis, strong current but being at an unnamed wreck looking at history-priceless

 

[Aquabear]

Thanks ... yes, I shot them. They're all either from our local mudholes (Puget Sound) or our neighbor to the north, Vancouver Island.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Great pics! Reminds me when I was there years ago Bremerton Naval yard. I saw a huge school of squid at night, amazing and huge crab! whats the crabs name again? Dungeons, Dungenss?
Anway, thanks great pics.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Great pics! Reminds me when I was there years ago Bremerton Naval yard. I saw a huge school of squid at night, amazing and huge crab! whats the crabs name again? Dungeons, Dungenss?
Anway, thanks great pics.

Dungeness crab ... great eatin' ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[seaducer]

Thanks ... yes, I shot them. They're all either from our local mudholes (Puget Sound) or our neighbor to the north, Vancouver Island.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Don't know why I felt compelled to thank your pic post, all it does is tell me how horrible a photographer I am still...