Savannah River / Augusta, GA

[diveprof]

With no rain predicted for the week, we are planning a river drift dive Saturday. Others are welcome to join us. Plans call for meeting up at 9a at the old marina (Phelps Ave boat ramp - exit point). PM for additional details. This is a shallow dive 18 - 20' max, but has a shipwreck, the remains of the old Hamburg cotton docks, remains of the old Hamburg bridge, fish and other neat stuff.

 

[J ORVIN]

Are you plan on diving Sunday?

John

 

[huntster70]

I pass by Savannah and have seen the River from I-95..... What kind of Viz is there in the river? and what is the best time to dive it?

 

[diveprof]

Yes, probably the lake at 1pm. Will post.

 

[2degrees]

why are you hitting the river so early? Does this take haveing two cars at the river?

If I can work it out I am wanting to dive with yall. It sound fun.

 

[diveprof]

I pass by Savannah and have seen the River from I-95..... What kind of Viz is there in the river? and what is the best time to dive it?

The vis is probably very different @ I-95 than Augusta. Lots of industry below Augusta and agricultural runoff. At Augusta, we get water from midlevel of the lake. We are in the fall line of the river. The bottom is rock and sand mostly (some silt in places). We get vis of 10-15' during periods of minimal rain. When is the best time to dive it? Most anytime when there has been minimal rainfall in the several days preceding th dive. I am hoping for good vis this weekend due to minmal rainfall. Yes, it is warmer in the summer (70 -75 or so), but we like it in the winter too. With depths of only 18' or so, the wetsuit doesn't compress as much. We had a 2+ hour dive recently on a drift dive. You can search my previous posts and get descriptions of the dives we do.

 

[diveprof]

why are you hitting the river so early? Does this take haveing two cars at the river?

If I can work it out I am wanting to dive with yall. It sound fun.

Some folks want to be done to watch football or have other afternoon plans. With up to 2 hours on the bottom and about 30-40 minutes of getting ready (meet at 9a, set up, driving back upstream etc., it will be about 9:45- 10a before we hit the water. After the dive, we fill tanks and by then it is 1p or so.

Yes, the big drift as we call it is best done with 2 cars. This is what we are doing Sat. It is too far to walk back. Also, better sunlight on the GA side in the a.m. (we dive near the shore on the GA side to about 1/3 off the SC shore - old Hamburg boat docks). You can dive the N. Augusta Boat landing with one car (enter at ramp, dive across to GA side, swim upstream looking for bottles etc until about 1/3 air, swim back to SC side and drift back downstream to boat ramp (don't miss it). More fish/marine life on SC side, bottles on GA side. Come join us. We have about 5-6 so far.

 

[2degrees]

Will there be anyone there that can help us out with the transportation? Me and my dive bud will be coming from Dublin Ga. I hate to bring two cars.

 

[Lee Taylor]

The river looks like a GREAT fossil bed. What do you know (or have heard) about diving for fossils in the Savannah River? Hook me up with some info if you have it. Boat operators etc.

 

[MikeDiver]

The river looks like a GREAT fossil bed. What do you know (or have heard) about diving for fossils in the Savannah River? Hook me up with some info if you have it. Boat operators etc.

There are some below New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam none above that I've seen. If you come to look for some stay on the SC side GA DNR frowns on picking up fossil/artifacts up off the river bottom at least between the Lock and Dam and HWY301. DAMHIK