WHAT do you call low VIS?

[AquaTec]

speaking of vis..what about best vis.

i read somewere years ago that the best possible vis in the clearest ocean could only reach 150 feet because of the salidity of the water.

anybody know any facts on this

 

[builderbloke]

well i can vouch for 154.1976 feet or 47 meters

i dived the zenobia in cyprus and at 47 meters sitting in an articulated lorry i could see my dive boat



was a big boat though

 

[AquaTec]

sorry i should have mentiond horixontal vis.

i was in the caymans and at 320 feet i could see the boat.

but vis is based on horizontal

 

[freediver]

just finished a commercial job in Lake Waco, Texas and the viz was 2 inches (I know this because I had a ruler for sediment measures and I decided to measure the viz). At 30 feet it drops to absolute zero (forget about reading gauges). Assembly and disassembly of instrumentation was all done by feel. YECCCCHHHH!

 

[jiveturkey]

I'd say 5 to 10 feet but I haven't really had much experience with low vis diving. I've had great vis pretty much everywhere I've gone.

 

[raxafarian]

we just had 3-6 inch vis tonight.... add in the surge and some big rocks... needless to say, 5 min. bottom time was enough.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

AquaTec once bubbled...
speaking of vis..what about best vis.

i read somewere years ago that the best possible vis in the clearest ocean could only reach 150 feet because of the salidity of the water.

When I dove the tank in the Living Seas exhibit at Epcot, you could see from one side of the tank to the other. At 203' in diameter, it's been the best vis I've ever experienced.

For regualar diving, I've been pretty spolied. All of mine's been done in Florida and the Caribbean, and the worst I've ever experienced has been 40'.

I felt downright claustraphobic.

Marc

 

[SM Diver]

For underwater hunting, I like to have at LEAST 10', anything less than that I consider very poor. If I can get at least 10-15, then I can find the spot if the buoy was deployed well, and I can get up on top of the ledge and swim along and do all right.

The worst vis I've ever been in was about three months ago. Dropped down in 60' and hit the bottom. Couldn't even read (or see) the dive computer without it being directly in front of my mask. That was a little strange, to be honest.

 

[lanun]

low viz used to be < 5' (monterey breakwater) but since making my dives in tropical waters, whenever the DM says vis is bad, it's equivalent to spectacular (for me that is), maybe > 20 feet :

haven't been exposed to 100'+ vis before, though i do not think it would change my perception of bad vis. i like those tiny critters so even if i missed the turtle, i am still happy for the bottom time.

 

[scubatacular]

I only dive in Britain, what is this thing called 'vis' you are talking about? :mean: