Very Muddy Shore Entries

[tstormdiver]

I have dove a couple of times in some public land lakes and found them to be very interesting. We have found abaodoned cars & underwater forests. However the one big draw back is the mud. This isn't a few inches of mud & carry on your way, it is up to your knees or mid thigh & you're thoroughly stuck, type mud. Unfortunately getting a boat is not an option right now. There are no boat ramps & the entries have all looked to be solid until you wade a few feet from shore then suddenly you you drop off into a mess. The group I have been diving these lakes with, all have drysuits, so we don't get as cold as we would have with wetsuits. Yesterday while diving, one of our group made it past the mud after a bit of struggle, I was stuck up to my thighs & another (who had doubles) struggled for 20 min. to get his gear on.The diver that made it to clear water tried to free me, but wasn't strong enough. After the third diver got his double tanks on, he was able to help pull me out of the mud, where I could put my gear on. By that time I was already getting a bit chilled from standing stuck in the 45 degree water (I had on my thickest undergarments). Needless to say, because we were already cold from trying to get into the water, the dive was rather short. It seemed to be rather a waste to expend that much time & energy just to get in & get our gear on. I've tried putting the equipment on & then wading in & I have tried donning the equipment after entering the water, both have about the same effect, I get stuck in the mud. Any suggestions as how to deal with all the mud? These could be very fun dives, but the mud is really (& quite literally) becoming quite a drag.

 

[eandiver]

Can you build or buy a raft? Providing there is no mud on the walk/bank just put the raft in the water, put the gear in and several people can hold on the sides and slide it out to deeper water. You'll have something to hold on to while you don your gear. A kayak would work too but I think the larger the surface area the less apt it would be to get stuck. Of course it's just something else to carry down to the water.

We have a similar problem here at Buford Sink but it envolves a 1/4 mile walk in the mud just to reach water. The dive is worth it though.

 

[miketsp]

You say you're into a couple of feet of water when you get into the real mud.
Maybe some sort of inflation device would help you tow your gear out into deeper water and then you put it on? Some sort of inflatable mattress with a fairly large area and then it would serve a dual purpose as a dive float and/or support platform for gear.
In this way you'd be a lot lighter crossing the mud.
If diving as a group, rig it with a couple of lines and you ferry all the gear out into deeper water.

Just saw someone else made a similar suggestion while I was typing.

 

[cummings66]

Since you're in a drysuit inflate the drysuit. I've been able to float in as little as 6 inches of water fully suited up that way.

Personally I don't like the mud and clean up afterwards, plus around here that mud usually has a horrible stench to it.

 

[ScottB]

Inflate BCD, Inflate Drysuit... float out towing BCD/gear behind you..

if that's too much hassel.. the Walmart 20 dollar special =)

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1170678

They puncture pretty easy.. so either bring a patch kit.. or a piece of ply wood to set in the bottom

 

[Gary D.]

Sounds like your training to be a PSD.

Anything you can do other than walking will work better. Walking is the worst thing you can do.

Try getting a K-Mart or WalMart coffin and putting your gear in it. Tie a line to it, “roll” out to deeper water and then pull your gear out. Even a snow toboggan could work very well if not better.

The trick in this gushy crap is to go out as light as you can with the biggest footprint possible. Also try slicking up the bottom of the sled with something slick, like wax, vegetable oil or something along that line.

Then there is the air boat.

Gary D.

 

[james croft]

Not sure how practical they may be but I would look at Mudders. It is like a snowshoe for mud. I bought a pair after sinking up to my hips when waterfowl hunting in the Tidewater region of VA. I got mine at www.cabelas.com. Search for Mudders. I now cross mudflats like a blue heron. They have given me almost supernatural powers to go where no man has gone before.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks for all the great ideas. I think we may try a long piece of ply wood to get us out over the mud, first & see how that does. If that doesn't work, the we may try the rafts. I don't know if the "mudder" shoes would work, this is a very fine silty mud. It was very decieving that it was even there. It looked just like the solid bottom right up at shore. If we can get out just a few ft. into the water, then we can don our gear & get on with the dive without the mud. Once again, thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[tstormdiver]

Sounds like your training to be a PSD.

Anything you can do other than walking will work better. Walking is the worst thing you can do.

Try getting a K-Mart or WalMart coffin and putting your gear in it. Tie a line to it, “roll” out to deeper water and then pull your gear out. Even a snow toboggan could work very well if not better.

The trick in this gushy crap is to go out as light as you can with the biggest footprint possible. Also try slicking up the bottom of the sled with something slick, like wax, vegetable oil or something along that line.

Then there is the air boat.

Gary D.

To be honest, I'm looking into that. I'm a voluteer fire fighter & an EMT- FR at work . I may try seeing about joining a local county voluteer fire dept. & joining PSD after I complete my DM course early next year.