Mansfield Dam, 10/21 - 10/23

[cyklon_300]

sorry, the dates didn't click the first time I read the subject header...

I'll be in FL caving that week...you guys enjoy the lake, tho.

Windex conditions below 115' at the dam today down to 146'...there was however, a zone of complete white-out from 100' to 85' about 75 yards from the dam face. Could not read gauges, or see HID beam beyond 2'...weird, don't know what created the siltout...

My friend aced using his new drysuit, only took a 15 minute orientation dive and he was looking quite comfortable in it. Not bad, an essentially brand new Dacor trilam with bellows pockets and some pretty snazzy Chuck Taylor style rock boots for $450. It's a backzip, but for that price, hard to complain...

 

[Timeliner]

When you talk about Windex at 115 feet I'm just guessing that means pretty clear
It has to be pretty dark down there though right?? I sorta like that kind of view. Cool ,Dark, Clear... Nobody there to bug you... not a bad place to be!

 

[cyklon_300]

condition is like looking thru air...no particulates, no nada...everything is in extremely sharp relief. I'd estimate the vis was easily 30-35'....or as far as your light beam will go.

At 140' in the lake, if you shield you light, it's pretty much zero photons.

 

[loosebits]

Yep, coming of from 140' at the dam is like going though 3 lakes. Windex to about 120', regluar Travis until about 90', 0 viz white siltout until about 80' (but it levels out here so you're in it for a few minutes) and then plain ole 5 - 10' Travis to the surface.

Best diving in Texas!!

 

[texdiveguy]

The deepest I have dove Travis is 124', and it is very good vis....dark and nice.

 

[Narcd_dvr]

Anyone who wants to just pop in, we've got campsite 5... appearently its the furthest from the easy entrance right at the dam- wonderful. We'll probably try to claim the pavillion near the easy entrance for gearing up either that or just the back of the truck... don't care for hauling doubles that far.

If you dont mind a local stopping by, I can do a couple of dives with you guys on Saturday (22nd). However, I'm not sure how deep you'll be diving..

 

[loosebits]

Come on by, looks like there may be quite a few of us so I'm sure someone will be going as shallow or as deep as you like.

 

[ianr33]

there was however, a zone of complete white-out from 100' to 85' about 75 yards from the dam face. Could not read gauges, or see HID beam beyond 2'...weird, don't know what created the siltout...

I was talking to the guy filling my tanks in Aquasports about this. His opinion was that it was a Hydrogen Sulphide layer formed by Anaerobic bacteria. Sounds reasonable to me.Organic gunk sinks until it stops on top of colder denser,water where it decomposes and uses up all the available oxygen. As I recall H2S is soluble,so dont think the milkiness can be that,but could be some other breakdown product.

He suggested I taste the water next time to confirm this.Not too sure about that!!

Very disconcerting to go from 30 foot vis to not being able to read a gauge pressed to my mask,fortunately it only lasted a few feet.

 

[ianr33]

It has to be pretty dark down there though right?? I sorta like that kind of view. Cool ,Dark, Clear... Nobody there to bug you... not a bad place to be!

Yep,my feelings exactly. Very clear,quiet and peaceful,but that might just be the nitrogen.............

 

[FIXXERVI6]

yea, calm and clear, peacefull, but I was giggling when I passed 130 so I suppose the nacrosis amplifies the peacfullness. Having no particulate in the water tho was nice, really clear, when I backed off from Rand because the vis opened up I could see him head to toe clear as day, seeing him in his doubles and all reminded me of following him through a cave.