Diving in low viz

[xyrandomyx]

As a few people have pointed out, what you consider 'low vis' depends on what you're used to and what you can expect in your area. I don't dive in vis less than about 2 metres/ 6 feet. Why not? I like to get at least one dive in on most weekends (say, three out of every four weekends). The vis here is seldom that poor, so, when it is, I'd rather just leave diving until the next weekend. I do fairly regularly dive in vis between 2 and 3 metres/ 6 and 10 feet. Why? That's often what the vis is like here and, as I said, I like to get at least one dive in on most weekends. I'm sure that if the vis here was typically 30m+/ 100 feet+ and seldom dropped beneath 20m/ 60 feet, I wouldn't bother diving when the vis was less than 20m/ 60 feet.

 

[Divescape]

As a few people have pointed out, what you consider 'low vis' depends on what you're used to and what you can expect in your area. I don't dive in vis less than about 2 metres/ 6 feet. Why not? I like to get at least one dive in on most weekends (say, three out of every four weekends). The vis here is seldom that poor, so, when it is, I'd rather just leave diving until the next weekend. I do fairly regularly dive in vis between 2 and 3 metres/ 6 and 10 feet. Why? That's often what the vis is like here and, as I said, I like to get at least one dive in on most weekends. I'm sure that if the vis here was typically 30m+/ 100 feet+ and seldom dropped beneath 20m/ 60 feet, I wouldn't bother diving when the vis was less than 20m/ 60 feet.

You have now also joined the Bourg Collective so see you on the Atlantic side soon. Yip new boat new handle on Scubaboard.

 

[emoreira]

Nice, crystal clear waters are too far away from home, always plane and a huge amount of money, which is not normaly available.
i promised myself never require an update (scuba skills update). This means diving at least once every 6 months. Diveble water are far from home, 200 miles away the nearest, hotel night to get wet in a murky quarry. So, two to three times per year I dive in that pea soup.
Besides, diving in crystal clear waters (Caribean) involves a dive excursion with seldom known people. People I've seen in the dive school, but not friends or frecuent buddies. Diving in the "local" quarry is normaly with friends, with those frecuent buddies that we know each other perfectly well, we know each other's gear and how we dive, we can sleep together, even inside the car, as once happend in a stormy night. In those circumstances, "low viz" is just a detail in the whole thing.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Northeast dark and murky waters - 3 to 5 foot viz confirms my ability to handle any conditions and still feel confident. Around 1 foot viz or less is truly no fun - that I generally avoid and there is nothing to see. So I will call dives on next to zero viz.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I think I'm reaching a point where if conditions aren't to my liking I'll skip the dive ... or abort it early. Probably because I have plenty of diving opportunities, and I'm getting to that age where comfort means more to me. Last night I ended our dive after less than 10 minutes, because the vis was in the 3-4 foot range, and I could see it was having an affect on my dive buddy. She thumbed the dive, we went up and talked about it, and when she suggested going back down I said "Nah, let's just call it a night. We'll try it again in a few days." She was fine with that.

Likewise, a week and a half ago I ended our first dive on the Swell after 23 minutes, because of high current and low vis. A couple years ago I'd have pushed on, but swimming into someone's fins before you even know they're there is a sign to me that the dive ain't worth it ... especially when diving in a place you've never been before, and into significant current.

Perhaps if my diving opportunities were limited I'd see it differently ... but given where I live, I can always just try again tomorrow ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[drbill]

OK, I'm spoiled. I generally avoid diving when the vis drops below 20 ft. Of course I have the great benefit of being able to pick and choose my dive days since I live very close to our dive park and conditions may get much better by tomorrow. And, if they don't, I can always do a night dive where great vis isn't as important.

 

[PfcAJ]

I often find myself diving through ridiculous vis to get to something clearer. There are a bunch of caves where the 1st 20-70ft is 2-3ft then it clears up into beautiful crystal water below that. Super cool when you pop out into a clear water layer.

 

[TSandM]

We have a lot of days where the top 10 or 20 feet is virtually opaque, but you come out into pretty clear, dark water below. I have no problem with that.

Bob, I guess we're both getting old. I have enough dives here, and the prospect of enough more, that diving when all my attention has to be spent keeping the team together just isn't inviting. Not being able to see someone's HID light at 3 feet is time to go out to lunch!

 

[kr2y5]

I like to live in the future... diving in unpleasant low viz murky conditions helps improve and maintain my skills and experience, and that gets me one step closer to all the difficult, exciting dives I will make one day, some of which may even be in the same neighborhood, maybe just a bit further offshore and/or deeper... I am willing to put up with the temporary discomfort because my mind is somewhere else. If nothing else, a dive in murky water is a dive, on which I am going to use my compass and depend on it, and that will surely come handy .

 

[ccx2]

Unless its at least 20'plus viz you will have to go without me. I'm a wuss and murky water scares the fudge outa me, like when that six inch Sunfish or Parrotfish wiggles right before its going to eat you and causes a dangerous panicked response, if you live thru the attack the panic may get you afterwards. You can have it whie I watch the Discovery Channel.