I was thinking about diving a river to get some shots of salmon. Pretty good current like 5-6 kts. Im thinking Id have to anchor myself somehow, like with a boat anchor. Anyone ever dive a shallow fast river and if so, any tips? Thanks in advance.
River diving??????
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midnite135
Contributor
River Diving =)
Thats something I have also been looking into but not managed to find alot on.
This guys site seems pretty neat and he appears to be pretty knowledgable about it.
http://www.mindspring.com/~divegeek/requip.htm
Thats something I have also been looking into but not managed to find alot on.
This guys site seems pretty neat and he appears to be pretty knowledgable about it.
http://www.mindspring.com/~divegeek/requip.htm
Find an eddy and you can just sit and watch the fish. DO NOT anchor yourself to anything. If something comes floating down you are the wall getting hit with the battering ram and the wall will lose.
Gary D.
Gary D.
ArcticDiver
Contributor
From your profile you are in Alaska also. Or, at least you spend some time here. So my experience may be applicable.
Beware of sweepers and underwater obstacles. That is a lot of current. Get pushed into one and you probably will not be able to get out. I saw a canoe get completely scrunched in one; enough said.
I'd do a snorkel recon first. Don't even tempt yourself by wearing scuba or weights.
Those clear rivers don't look so clear when you are actually in them.
Put someone downstream to catch you, or do it in an eddy where you can control your travel. If an eddy and a salmon fishing river you are probably going to see lots of lures and line. Entanglement?
Personally I'd never use a dive flag in one of our Interior rivers. Just an attraction for the boater to come over to see what it is. Just be sure to be deeper than the boats, or out of their way. The Kenai might be another story. But, visibility is so bad there I don't think you'd want to dive it anyway.
Well, you get the point. It can be done and it is fun. But approach river diving like trying to handle a porky without getting stuck.
Beware of sweepers and underwater obstacles. That is a lot of current. Get pushed into one and you probably will not be able to get out. I saw a canoe get completely scrunched in one; enough said.
I'd do a snorkel recon first. Don't even tempt yourself by wearing scuba or weights.
Those clear rivers don't look so clear when you are actually in them.
Put someone downstream to catch you, or do it in an eddy where you can control your travel. If an eddy and a salmon fishing river you are probably going to see lots of lures and line. Entanglement?
Personally I'd never use a dive flag in one of our Interior rivers. Just an attraction for the boater to come over to see what it is. Just be sure to be deeper than the boats, or out of their way. The Kenai might be another story. But, visibility is so bad there I don't think you'd want to dive it anyway.
Well, you get the point. It can be done and it is fun. But approach river diving like trying to handle a porky without getting stuck.
Ya, AK is home base for me. I was thinking of the Kenai while fishing was closed. Not many floaters to worry about there. I have first hand experence with getting wraped around logs underwater from my rafting days. Im still thinking some sort of anchor would be a good thing.
"A very mad agressive porky".ArcticDiver:
Very good points Articdiver.
Gary D.
I agree with GaryD skip the anchor.
One thing I am aware of in river diving is a modification to your fins. Its kind of bizarre but it works for the guys that use them.
Basically they bolt pieces of angle iron stakes to the fins which they then plant into the bottom to hold their position in the current. There is also another item that is essentially two stakes connected together about 18 inches apart sort of like this
!-------!
!-------!
! !
You stab one side in the bottom andwalk the other forward then stab it into the bottom and walk the first side forward etc etc.
One thing I am aware of in river diving is a modification to your fins. Its kind of bizarre but it works for the guys that use them.
Basically they bolt pieces of angle iron stakes to the fins which they then plant into the bottom to hold their position in the current. There is also another item that is essentially two stakes connected together about 18 inches apart sort of like this
!-------!
!-------!
! !
You stab one side in the bottom andwalk the other forward then stab it into the bottom and walk the first side forward etc etc.
Wildcard:
For us not you. It makes a recovery easier.
Gary D.
Basically three pointed stakes are bolted on to each fin. One on each side and the third in the middle. This obviously makes the fins rigid. Most often you descend to the bottom, face into the current and jab the pointed stakes on the fins into the bottom to enable you to hold positon against the current. Bear in mind that this position of facing into a strong current may cause your regulator to free flow as if you were pushing in on the purge. Mostly I know of this being used in soft bottom rivers but possibly it would give a means of geting a fin hold on any solid rocks sticking up from the bottom.
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