Muck diving?

[orch1ds]

I was reading a scuba magazine and in one of the articles there was a reference to something called "muck diving". Could someone please enlighten me? Is it an environment or some sort of technique?

Thanks!

 

[foles1972]

Hi -- I believe it refers to lake/pond/river diving where the visibility is virtually zero.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Muck diving generally refers to diving in a place where the bottom is muddy or silty ... as opposed to coral or rock. Depending on where you do it, muck diving can be fantastic. Unlike diving reefs, where the views are all around you, muck diving generally involves spending effort swimming around looking for critters that live in the muck.

In some places ... like Indonesia ... some of the most fascinating critters you will see live in the muck.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[charlesml3]

Maybe some day, someone will explain to me how that could possibly be fun....

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Maybe some day, someone will explain to me how that could possibly be fun....

Depends on your definition of fun, I suppose. Diving Lembeh Straits was like an underwater Jurassic Park ... I saw some of the most unique critters I've ever seen. Many of them are found nowhere else in the world.

Some critters I found "muck diving" there ...

We do a lot of muck diving locally, here in Puget Sound too ... some of our local attractions ...

... and much more, but you get the idea. Some of us consider it fun to go find stuff like that ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[foles1972]

I just don't see how any of that could be fun.

Those pictures are amazing! Thanks for sharing them!

 

[foles1972]

BTW...what in the world is the creature in the first pic??

 

[Guba]

Fun is where you find it. Limited vis? As in "do you have to have a close up prescription on your mask to read your gauges because the vis won't allow you to look at them at arm's length?"
THAT'S muck diving! And it's nearly the norm for the vast majority of lakes within easy diving range around my parts. So, if I want to get in anywhere close to the number of dives I want, it's "suck it up and dive the muck". Makes those wonderful ocean and spring dives all the more special when we get to make them.

 

[visibilityunlimited]

How's this for a positive.
Muck diving brings divers closer to one another.

Actually muck diving or limited visibility diving does help you to notice the little things that you tend to miss when you have sensory overload from unlimited visibility.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

BTW...what in the world is the creature in the first pic??

It's a mantis shrimp ... it's fun to chase them when they jump out of a hole and scurry around on the bottom.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)