VERY Shallow Diving Tips

jjjjeremy · Jul 9, 2014

Hi all,

In the next week or so, I may be doing a very shallow dive for lead sinkers. No more than 15 feet. The area is nearly picked clean from freediving (close to 1000lbs pulled so far), and I just want to do a tank dive or two to pick up what's left over, and scout for other patches of lead.

Do you have any suggestions for what I should watch out for? Obviously, weighting is going to be an issue, as well as exposure for what I anticipate to be a long dive in colder water. The area can have a bit of surge too.

Anything else? Thanks in advance!

scoobydrew · Jul 9, 2014

Watch out for hooks and I guess people fishing.

redlegs · Jul 9, 2014

Might consider bringing something to cut steel leaders. I use stainless fishing pliers ..

KeithG · Jul 9, 2014

Watch your gas supply. Every now and then we hear about solo golf ball divers that drown. Simple dives like this can become boring and you may lose track of time....

Adam Grose · Jul 10, 2014

Stray fishing line would be my first concern in a situation like this.

DivemasterDennis · Jul 10, 2014

All of the above. I also echo and emphasize the "monitor your gauges" point. It's easy to get distracted and vary from your dive plan, both as to depth and time. Be safe on every dive, even shallow ones. Also, weight properly. Do not add weight just because you will be at 15 feet. That is not a variable for changing your weighting, if your are properly weighted otherwise.
DivemasterDennis

kelemvor · Jul 10, 2014

I've done cleanup dives like this with project aware before. Make sure to wear some good gloves. I'd go with cheap work gloves over expensive dive gloves. Also, bring a knife or other implement to help you root around in the sand some.

TSandM · Jul 10, 2014

Be careful with your ears. Up and down in shallow water is the biggest stress for them. The only times I've had to abort diving activities for ear problems have been after prolonged periods spent in very shallow water.

jjjjeremy · Jul 10, 2014

Thanks all. I've been watching out for the fishing line and using gloves, etc, while freediving, so I'm pretty used to that. About the weighting, I'm normally neutral at 15 with a nearly empty AL80, so if I don't add weight, and I'm low on a tank at 8 ft, I may just pop up. My plan is to be a little negative, and just crawl around on the bottom.

driftwood · Jul 11, 2014

I do a lot of habitat restoration in pretty shallow conditions. Deepest being about 25'. Rather than crawling around, I dive head down. That way I don't stir up as much silt and work with my hands in front of my mask.

VERY Shallow Diving Tips

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