Poor viz diving

[TSandM]

My certification dives were in less than 10 feet of visibility. I pretty much had no idea where I was most of the time, and I was TERRIFIED of losing my instructor. In fact, he gave me a light on a lanyard, so I had him on a leash

It was a real challenge to learn to control descents when you lost sight of the surface after ten feet, and didn't pick up the bottom for another 20.

My most recent fiascos have been trying to do ascent drills at night in ten feet or less of viz, and trying to do navigation patterns in midwater in the same conditions.

But on this trip to Hawaii, where people were complaining about the poor visibility, I was absolutely fine. Twenty feet is plenty!

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

I get very uneasy when the viz is even 20 ft and usually call the dive if it is a deep one. II was afraid of getting tangled in the kelp. What about kelp in bad viz? What comes into play?

In Southern California we are really happy if visibility is as good as 20 feet. At least that is true along the coast. The Channel Islands are better. Most of our diving is in 10 foot or less visibility. Some of my best dives have been in conditions where visibility was less than 5 feet. It seems a lot of the small creatures feel relatively safe in low visibility conditions. Also you will see animals that are normally only out at night on a low visibility day.

Why would kelp be more of an issue in low vis?

 

[wheelietaco]

I dive in eastern Oklahoma. the worst I have seen is about 2-3 feet. the best about 20ft. Now imagine if you can almost perfect diving in conditions like that. then go to someplace where its clear. I dive here because traveling is expensive. I just love diving. I will dive in a muddy pond if its my only option.

 

[RonFrank]

I am eager to know how many of you dive in poor visabilty and ...what it is like...do you get used to it?

In Colorado the lakes generally have viz of 0-20ft. In the summer 10ft would be good, and even 5ft is tolerable, but I've gone down in 2ft that can turn to zero when you hit the bottom which someone always does.

I've heard of the illusive 30-60ft vis in some high mountain lakes. I can only HOPE that this is the case when we dive them this spring. I'm not holding my breath

Why do you do it?

Because it's good training, I really enjoy diving, and I'm not rich enough to hang out in FL or Hawaii during the winter. :11doh:

Do you get claustraphobic, ever?

Claustraphobic no. Disoriented..... sometimes.

If you get used to diving, navigating, and working with a buddy in low vis, diving good vis is cake. I was thrilled in FL with 30ft of vis when others were complaining. We also had a couple days of 100ft vis, and I was just awe struck!

In Colorado we are truely cursed. Not only is there low vis, there is generally black silt bottoms, and VERY little to see (did I mention is cold as Ell as well?) On a typical Colorado dive I will see maybe a dozen fish IF I'm lucky (sometimes none), and the usual 100's of crawdads.... Dads are kinda cool, and they grow them big here, but I dream of days where I can dive in tropical waters :06:

I'm always struck by how many divers Colorado certifies. A large number of these are in the summer at places legendary for vis so low that one can not see their gauges. I often wonder how a) new divers can stand to deal with those conditions AND do skills and b) how instructors can keep track of their flock I certified in the hole which has great vis, and I did that for a reason.

 

[gracefulc]

I did my OW cert dives in 3ft viz in Hood Canal (Washington); cleared out to about 10' once we dropped below 40 ft. Was a little wierd on the first dive (since I had only dove in a pool before) but now anything 10' or more is good viz to me; 15' plus and I'm absolutely thrilled. Definitely has made a big difference for me as I have learned a lot about navigation and buoyancy, since if you stir up the bottom and you only have 10' viz to start with.... lets just say you better run when the other divers realize who stirred it up!

I absolutely love it; did 2 dives on Kauai last september and DM was complaining that the viz stunk b/c it was only 30'. I about choked; I LOVED it! I'm doing some dives off the Big Island in March so if the viz really is 50' plus I will probably just spend the whole time trying to close my dropped jaw. :14:

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Normal is 4-8ft in our main training lake. I have been down though when it was less than the distance to my elbow. Not a big deal. As long as I can see my guages I'm cool. Even if it means holding light on them and pressing them against my mask. Of course these are dives in a lake I'm very familiar with and I don't have to worry about big sharks or giant maneating catfish. And I'm hoping to never run into a lake monster either. As far as how deep will I go vis really does not factor into it as long as I can, again, see my guages and know which way is up. Also low vis is a subjective term. There was a post on here a few days ago in another forum about conditions in the lake I dive in where the poster stated it was zero below 35 ft. I know this lake and what is zero to some is 1-2 ft to others. If you can see your guages it's not zero. If you have a light and can see the bottom without planting your face in it it's not zero. Zero is zero. As was mentioned earlier if you hold your light to your mask and can't see it then that's zero. For me even 2-3 inches is still some vis. I've been to 100 ft in 2-3 and had no anxiety. It's darker but usually clearer where we dive at lower depths, that's why they make lights. I've been to the fla springs and dove and I've snorkeled in largo, key west and cozumel. This May tho will be my first diving in the keys and my first will be the Duane. And I don't care what the vis is, as long as the boat goes out I'm on it and in the water. As a DM candidate I feel it's in my best interest to experience as much as I can in terms of conditions. It's also important to the people I work with and will work with in the future to be as experienced as I can. Diving in low vis sharpens all of your skills. Navigational skills, stowing your gear and not losing things, staying streamlined and knowing your setup by feel as opposed to sight are what sets serious divers apart. It's why I'm glad I'm getting my training where I am. If you can dive in the north be it east or west coast or in our great and not so great lakes and quarries most of us can dive anywhere. More so than someone who's never dove cold, dark, low vis conditions. To me every pro should be able to dive in any cnditions for which they are trained to teach regardless of vis. In open water that is. Overhead environs, wrecks, under the ice, etc., these are a different matter.

 

[Phreak]

Ok Seattle vis sort of sucks.

But hey - at least its not muddy, swampy, lake, quarry diving. It's freakin Puget Sound. Critters are everywhere. Every. Where.

 

[Cacia]

Not to brag or anything, but we have some days where it is 200+. I know that because even though it gets described as 100+, I can see the entire distance of the YO257 times two. I think our water is not so nutrient rich and we get clear clean deep ocean water that moves in on a good incoming tide. Makes those "out of the blue" surprise appearances pretty likely.

I think I would look like I had never dived before if you put me on a descent line in 10 ft. viz. I just realized that reading other people's reports.

Definitely have to switch to MACRO more often!

 

[sharky60]

Yeah, all us land locked divers are used to low vis, I mean, how good can vis in a lake be? sure there are times during the year it's not too bad, but for someone who learned to dive in the ocean and the Hawaiian Islands, (Midway Island actually), was my benchmark, lake dives are not my favorite.

I have dove in the ocean with bad vis also, so bad you couldn't see your hand against your mask. I think it's a little more unsettling than low vis lake diving, most lakes don't have things that could mistake you for a seal and make a meal out of you.

 

[Wayward Son]

I like to have at least 10 feet. More is better, but my speargun is a 48 Biller, so overall it's about 5 ft long. I need enough viz to be able to aim it.

Less than that, a bridge span is a good site. You can work the structure over looking for shovelnose lobsters, don't need much viz for that.