Strobe light for anchor chain

[Tortuga James]

We dive very low viz inshore waters off NC in concrete rubble fields that span acres. We flounder hunt. Because of the scattered nature of the concrete, and the fact that it all looks alike, navigation back the the anchor line is some times tough. I am trying to be creative, because I don't like free ascents into an area where boats might be, or a lot of surface current. A buddy had the idea of putting a strobe at the top of the anchor chain.

How far is a strobe visible in low viz conditions? Usually, it clears up away from the bottom, so maybe we could put it on the line at a 30' depth. I don't want to waste my time if it is less than 50 feet.

 

[daveg1]

We use them here in the North East. I feel they do help find the up line. THe didtance you can see them depends on the amount of light. I have found if its a bit on the dark side they work better.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I've got this one ... http://www.leisurepro.com/ProductImage/TKTSTS.html?PopUp=1 ... works great. Put it about 8-10 feet above the anchor ... even in murky conditions you can see it from a pretty fair distance ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tortuga James]

I've got this one ... http://www.leisurepro.com/ProductImage/TKTSTS.html?PopUp=1 ... works great. Put it about 8-10 feet above the anchor ... even in murky conditions you can see it from a pretty fair distance ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That's the one I was looking at. Thanks, I just ordered it and will give it a try.

 

[NJMike]

Do charter boats normally put one on the anchor line?

 

[Doc]

How far is a strobe visible in low viz conditions?

They are not, even the really heavy duty ones. The real problem? The diffusion of the particulate matter causes such scatter that when you're even close, the entire area seems to be flashing. It seems like lightning while you're skiing at altitude in a snow storm. Erverything arounds you lights up.

If the depth of anchor is quite shallow, attach to the anchor a length of orange fiberglass flagging tape (or bright yellow line). As you descend, take the other (weighted) end of the line inshore and shallower from the anchor. Begin your dive.

Upon return search, if you stay in that known depth, you will certainly find the boat via the anchor line when you stumble across the tape.

In the Red Sea, a common practice for liveaboards catering to advanced diving~ they moor at a safe depth, but run a skiff in shore and anchored shallow. A strobe light is hung off of that skiff, positioned say~ in 25 feet of water. As long as you come back and maintain a 25' bottom depth contour profile- you will find the boat!

 

[Tortuga James]

Doc...when we hunt flounder inshore here off NC, we are usally 3-5 miles off the beach in 60' of water. The best hunting grounds are the artificial reefs created by concrete rubble and old bridge columns. the flounder lie in the said in around the structure, and it all starts to look the same. Viz is usually about 10' on the bottom, but clears up considerable at the 20-30 foot depths. Sometimes we anchor on wrecks, but that makes navigation easy, because of the recognizable reference points.

It didn't used to bother see just to free ascend, find the boat and swim to it. But it seems the more experience I get, and the more I study good practices, the more I want to descend down and ascend up the anchor line. I am actually in the process of making a hang line system (fashioned after of the charter boats) that will run from the stern at 15' to a point somewhere about half way down the anchor line. Maybe that is the spot to clip on a strobe, where the jon line and anchor line meet.

You have a good idea to run say 100 feet of orange tape from the anchor. That would
provide a fairly large reference point to hunt around and make it easy to return to the anchor.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

They are not, even the really heavy duty ones. The real problem? The diffusion of the particulate matter causes such scatter that when you're even close, the entire area seems to be flashing. It seems like lightning while you're skiing at altitude in a snow storm. Erverything arounds you lights up.

That is somewhat true ... but not exactly.

I've used strobes to find anchor lines ... and to find a reel left at a specific point on a wall (to tell me where to ascend the wall) ... on many occasions. Our vis here is typically not good ... 10 feet or less at times. Although in turbid water there is considerable backscatter it is not difficult to see the direction of the source due to differences in intensity.

FWIW - In 10-foot vis I'm able to detect the light from more than twice that distance ... as I get closer I can easily pick out the direction of the light source.

It's never let me down ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)