Poor viz diving

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alcina:
Of course. Everyone is different. If you are going to dive in low viz and don't think you will be comfy at first, if at all, make sure you try it out with good support and in an environment where that is the primary hazard - you don't want to go low viz, under the ice, in a new dry suit, with a heavy current in a kelp forrest next to a jagged metal wreck, for instance :wink:
LOL - My first PSD dives with my FD were my first dives in Absolute Zero Viz(as in black water, can't see, don't bother bringing a light as you can't see it (the light) unless you put it against your mask with the beam shining toward your eyeballs), cold water, an unfamiliar, too big for me, viking drysuit with bulky undergarment, in a BC and gear configuration much different than my recreational gear, including a full face mask, harness and pony bottle. And following the directions of the tender via rope tug signals, I was supposed to keepsufficient tension on the line and search for a caribeaner in mud a foot deep. Oh - and the entanglement hazards included monofilament line, gillnets and no-one knows what else.... though there were jagged metal things, there was no kelp and no ice.... at least not until later. But hey.... at least we had good surface support :D
 
alcina:
Of course. Everyone is different. If you are going to dive in low viz and don't think you will be comfy at first, if at all, make sure you try it out with good support and in an environment where that is the primary hazard - you don't want to go low viz, under the ice, in a new dry suit, with a heavy current in a kelp forrest next to a jagged metal wreck, for instance :wink:

It's the same thing as low viz divers who freak out in clear blue water...just the reverse!
You mean like this? http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/14319/cat/500/ppuser/2714 The bottom left pic is a UK800R at about 5' away.

Your taking all the fun out of it. :D We frequently dive water where the vis is so bad it is pitch black at noon on a clear day. By black, I mean like the crack of ones butt under a 7mm suit at midnight with no moon. Down is down and some vis is nice but not realy needed.

Gary D.
 
For the longest time I had an unjustified fear when diving low viz (5 ft or less). Everything was fine if I entered from shore and swam in along the bottom. The fear came when I descended on a line. I can't explain it other than the boogieman effect. I kept doing it though. It was either dive in that, or don't dive. The fear is gone now. One day, it just disappeared. I think it was diving with S&R in negative viz (yes, negative!). Can't see gauges, gloves, even your own mask. Just swimming along sweeping the area. No problems in good viz either. 200 ft viz in the Florida springs is phenomenal.
 
We've been having the usual fantastic winter viz (50-80'+) in AK.
So here I am in Puget sound. Tonight's viz was a whopping 5'.... apparently all the rain lately has been reeking havoc on the dive site viz..

The buddy I met up with for tonight's dive had to call it 'cause of gear issues, so I dove alone... it was actually quite enjoyable to creep along close to the bottom looking for the little stuff. I found a red octopus that I spent about 15 minutes trying to get a good picture of....

Red_Octo_3.jpg
 
Heh, I had something like that a few weeks ago. Was looking for some new dive sites, and on my way up from something like 55m or so, reel jammed. Did a longish stop surrounded by a deep blue (the vis was actually very good that day, but it didnt matter - all you saw was a solid wall of blue). Very hypnotic, almost.

The fact that they had fished a 4.5 shark there a few days ago did not help, though. I dont want to meet big tigers while floating alone in the water. Otherwise, it was a blast.

Vandit
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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