diveprof
Contributor
I am starting this thread with reports about diving in the Augusta, Georgia area. For previous reports about diving/diving condition here, please refer to my "Winter Diving in the South" thread.
A brief overview of the two most popular dive sites:
which will be followed by today's dive report:
1. Lake Thurmond (Clark Hill Lake to most long time Augustans)
Best sites are both East and West Dam along the rocks. The S.C. side (East Dam) has an airplane at 35' (follow the rock dam out at 20' to find the rope line leading to the plane). The remnants of the old diversion dam used during construction made for an interesting deeper dive (75'- 90'). A rocky ledge is in 35 -40' of water parallel to the parking lot on the SC side of the dam. This host a gnome and angel statue. Depths of up to 125' are a short swim from the plane. Vis varies depending on rain from 6' to 15'+. Water temp this weekend was 64 degrees on top and 54 degrees at 82' with vis about 10 -15'.
2. Savannah River - A nice 1 -1 1/2 hour drift dive from the 5th street marina to the old marina/boathouse downstream. Depths are 21' max. Vis can be great a times 15' -20' during periods of low rain. A lot of history on this dive with a shipwreck (bow, deck planking, boilers and other stuff) just below the first bridge support for the 5th street bridge, the remnants of the old Hamburg docks (cotton docks) that run the length of the dive 1/3 of the way out into the river from the SC side (lots of fish here around the pilings and rocks), and the old Hamburg bridge remains (about 1/2 the way down the GA side). The river is 62 degrees currently and gets to about 72 degrees in the summer.
Today's dives: Seven of us were at the Lake today for our morning dives. We divided into two groups. Group 1 had plans to do just one dive and were mostly staying shallow (plane and rocks of the dam) with the exception of a brief drop to the "missle" (airplane fuel drop tank) at 82' a short swim from the plane. Group two (my group)decided to use the first dive to explore the area below the 100' wall to see if anything else of interest was there. We dove to 116' max depth for 50 minutes. Vis was great, but nothing to report below the 100' wall but silt.
Dive two was more interesting. Four of us made this dive. We began our dive with a short surface swim south to the 15' drop-off. Descending we ran into large schools of small fish (1-2" stuff-probably new hatchlings). We dove along the 35-40' ledge. Lots, and I mean lots!!! of small fish covered the rocks. We swam past the gnome statue and descended down to the angel statue that is situated on a large rock (about 10'x8')located at 54'. Vis was great. We did not need to use lights the entire dive. From the statue we swam through the trench to the 65' ledge and turned south. We swam along the 65' ledge for about 80' and then dropped down to the 80-90' wall. The wall was nice in the reduced light with the sunlight hitting the face of the wall. The log with the dive flag on the wall @83' also had lots of small fish. From the log we began our ascent up the slope to the three big rocks at 54'. Just before reaching the three big rocks we ran into a large school of shad. Thousands of small fish that parted around us. This is one of the more interesting sights to me - thousands of fish that swim in unison. We run into them at least once a month during the warmer months. We continued to the three big rocks. They were covered with small fish and vis was at least 15', maybe more here. We then turned south again and swam to the airplane. After crusing around it a bit we began our ascent up the roks of the dam for an extended safety stop. On the swim back in to shore we ran into a large bass (12 pounds or so). Dive was 85' max depth for 1 hour, eight minutes. We observed at least three distinct thermoclines (about 27', 40' and 65'). Great day of diving.
#1
A brief overview of the two most popular dive sites:
which will be followed by today's dive report:
1. Lake Thurmond (Clark Hill Lake to most long time Augustans)
Best sites are both East and West Dam along the rocks. The S.C. side (East Dam) has an airplane at 35' (follow the rock dam out at 20' to find the rope line leading to the plane). The remnants of the old diversion dam used during construction made for an interesting deeper dive (75'- 90'). A rocky ledge is in 35 -40' of water parallel to the parking lot on the SC side of the dam. This host a gnome and angel statue. Depths of up to 125' are a short swim from the plane. Vis varies depending on rain from 6' to 15'+. Water temp this weekend was 64 degrees on top and 54 degrees at 82' with vis about 10 -15'.
2. Savannah River - A nice 1 -1 1/2 hour drift dive from the 5th street marina to the old marina/boathouse downstream. Depths are 21' max. Vis can be great a times 15' -20' during periods of low rain. A lot of history on this dive with a shipwreck (bow, deck planking, boilers and other stuff) just below the first bridge support for the 5th street bridge, the remnants of the old Hamburg docks (cotton docks) that run the length of the dive 1/3 of the way out into the river from the SC side (lots of fish here around the pilings and rocks), and the old Hamburg bridge remains (about 1/2 the way down the GA side). The river is 62 degrees currently and gets to about 72 degrees in the summer.
Today's dives: Seven of us were at the Lake today for our morning dives. We divided into two groups. Group 1 had plans to do just one dive and were mostly staying shallow (plane and rocks of the dam) with the exception of a brief drop to the "missle" (airplane fuel drop tank) at 82' a short swim from the plane. Group two (my group)decided to use the first dive to explore the area below the 100' wall to see if anything else of interest was there. We dove to 116' max depth for 50 minutes. Vis was great, but nothing to report below the 100' wall but silt.
Dive two was more interesting. Four of us made this dive. We began our dive with a short surface swim south to the 15' drop-off. Descending we ran into large schools of small fish (1-2" stuff-probably new hatchlings). We dove along the 35-40' ledge. Lots, and I mean lots!!! of small fish covered the rocks. We swam past the gnome statue and descended down to the angel statue that is situated on a large rock (about 10'x8')located at 54'. Vis was great. We did not need to use lights the entire dive. From the statue we swam through the trench to the 65' ledge and turned south. We swam along the 65' ledge for about 80' and then dropped down to the 80-90' wall. The wall was nice in the reduced light with the sunlight hitting the face of the wall. The log with the dive flag on the wall @83' also had lots of small fish. From the log we began our ascent up the slope to the three big rocks at 54'. Just before reaching the three big rocks we ran into a large school of shad. Thousands of small fish that parted around us. This is one of the more interesting sights to me - thousands of fish that swim in unison. We run into them at least once a month during the warmer months. We continued to the three big rocks. They were covered with small fish and vis was at least 15', maybe more here. We then turned south again and swam to the airplane. After crusing around it a bit we began our ascent up the roks of the dam for an extended safety stop. On the swim back in to shore we ran into a large bass (12 pounds or so). Dive was 85' max depth for 1 hour, eight minutes. We observed at least three distinct thermoclines (about 27', 40' and 65'). Great day of diving.
#1