Diving and lightning

[ScubaK-Dawg]

Hi everyone
I've been reading a lot of the discussions on this board and it is very interesting and informing. I've been diving for a few years now and I have asked this question to a few people and still haven't got a solid answer.
What do you do when you're 35 feet deep and you notice lightning above????
I don't know if I should get out as fast as I can or go deep and try to wait it out or what???/
What do you think??

I would get out of the water.

 

[Coogeeman]

If there is a storm brewing then the surface of the water will start to swell and rough, if it hasn't already, so lightening or no, I'd look at getting out. Lightening just adds more impetus....

Though, thinking about it, it would be cool from a photograpers point of view...imaging looking up and seeing a lightening display!

Coogeeman

 

[nauifins73]

There is an article in the Spring issue of Alert Diver magazine (DAN's publication) about lightening/storms. I thought I had it right where I knew where it was, but. I will keep looking - you might check their website and see if there are articles from their back issues.

Becky

 

[sharpenu]

Here in Florida, the lighning storms are a daily occurance. They often form quickly and then move on in a hurry. I have been on the bottom and had thunderstorms pass over my head a few times. Lightning is no big deal when at depth, it dissapates within a few feet. If not, it would kill all of the fish, would it not?

Once, while diving off the Loggerhead, we had a waterspout pass right over our bouy. We didn't even know until the Capt told us when we surfaced. I would think that your head sticking up while waiting pickup or a boat would be a more likely lightning hit than a diver 40+ feet down.

PS sorry for spelling errors, Im tired