Checking the weather first is of course the best idea, but like many have mentioned sometimes something comes up that no one expects...happens quite a bit here in Texas too. It was just something I had wondered about as the dive lakes we've visited (mostly on sunny clear days - last time was overcast but not even any rain ever happened - just overcast - not thunder clouds) have ever said anything about what they expect you to do in the event of a surprise thunder storm.
something I keep forgetting to ask....
- Thread starter Becca65
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TONY CHANEY
Contributor
After being hit by lighting last month, had I been given the chance to do it over...1) never would have entered the water but the winds blew the strom in faster and in a different direction than we first thought. 2) I would have stayed underwater until it passed.
After reading for days and days after the hit, it seems that the air was charged and looking for a path to the ground...which I provided.
After reading for days and days after the hit, it seems that the air was charged and looking for a path to the ground...which I provided.
I have had a couple of thunderstorms roll in whilst I have been diving, each time it has happened on night dives in the eastern Mediterranean when the temperature changes at nightfall have caused storms and winds to blow in, not that common and not on the forecast. BUT it really is truly awesome to watch lighting flashes overhead whilst night diving and we have always been able to stay below 30 foot until it has passed.
The storms have always been whilst we have been doing shore dives and we have always exited the water quickly at the end of the dive until we have been certain that the storm really had passed. Once we ditched tanks and bcd's right by the shore and walked up in just wetsuits because the storm still seemed to be close to us, but even that one passed quickly and we collected the tanks without issue.
I certainly would not choose to kit up or walk around with a tank on in a storm, or even want to be bobbing around on the surface, but if you are already in the water and stay at a reasonable depth then you are perfectly safe, if you have enough air then wait it out and enjoy the show, if not then surface as close to the shore as you can, ditch and stash your tanks and bcd and move away from them to a safe location to wait till it is safe to collect them.
I have never experienced a storm on a boat dive, but as I normally only dive from ribs I would want to get ashore as soon as possible. - Phil.
The storms have always been whilst we have been doing shore dives and we have always exited the water quickly at the end of the dive until we have been certain that the storm really had passed. Once we ditched tanks and bcd's right by the shore and walked up in just wetsuits because the storm still seemed to be close to us, but even that one passed quickly and we collected the tanks without issue.
I certainly would not choose to kit up or walk around with a tank on in a storm, or even want to be bobbing around on the surface, but if you are already in the water and stay at a reasonable depth then you are perfectly safe, if you have enough air then wait it out and enjoy the show, if not then surface as close to the shore as you can, ditch and stash your tanks and bcd and move away from them to a safe location to wait till it is safe to collect them.
I have never experienced a storm on a boat dive, but as I normally only dive from ribs I would want to get ashore as soon as possible. - Phil.
DogDiver
Contributor
Been Great Lakes wrench diving were it was like glass when we entered the water. 20 minutes later we herd the engines revving (recall) and when I looked up I could only see half of this boat at a time. 6-8 footers. Wild ride home.
LowDrag
Contributor
I was diving at a lake on Mt. Hood here in Oregon a couple of summers ago when a storm rolled in on us. A lady came up to us as we got out of our gear and asked if we had known there had been a storm with thunder and lightning. Neither of us even knew there had been a storm.
I did read my book cover to cover - neither husband or I remembered reading anything about bad weather or lightning - so I went back and looked - nothing there....but thanks to all for the good information. All I had to base my thoughts on is the fact that when you're in a pool you're told to get out at the first sight of lightning or sound of thunder...but of course in a pool even if you had scuba equipment on you wouldn't be very deep.
The problem with being in a pool as that water conducts electricity, not that you would be struck by lightning. Lightning looks for the path of least resistance to ground. If you were in a pool, as long as you were not touching the sides, you are not very likely to get struck. Just electrocuted from being in water.
Large bodies of water are less of a problem because the electricity has more area to disperse.
Large bodies of water are less of a problem because the electricity has more area to disperse.
freewillie
Contributor
Started one dive on vacation in Cancun, Mexico in very nice bright sunny skies. Iwas was using my flashlight more to look in cracks and under rock ledges. All of a sudden towards the end it got quite dark and I really did need the flashlight. When we surfaced the skies had gone very dark grey and the seas were getting very rough. We went through same routine getting back in the boat but the swells had gotten very big making it more challenging to get back on board. Then it started raining very hard. We just stayed in our wetsuits and left the towels in the dry sack. By the time we got back to the dock and under the roof the rain just stopped. By the time we got back to the hotel the skies were clearing and the sun starting to peek out from the clouds.
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