What to do while diving a lake with bad visibility?

[yeahiii]

Living in southern Germany local diving is usually limited lakes with usually quite bad visibility and more or less nothing bud mud to see. Having done most of my dives during vacations in the Caribbean I am probably quite a bit spoiled. When me and my girlfriend go to a local dive in one of those lakes we are usually done within 30 minutes as we simply don't know what to do without becoming bored. We really would like to enjoy diving there as well and get some more experience ... not only during our vacations.

I am probably not the only one with this kind of experience and would like to hear what others do diving under such conditions!

 

[Diver0001]

Where do you live? Is it feasible in terms of driving times to dive at a variety of different locations?

R..

 

[2airishuman]

Lakes differ from one to the next, seasonally, and from one location to another within a lake. Rivers, same.

I dive a number of freshwater lakes and rivers. Viz varies with 2 to 10 feet being common, 15-20 feet being an occasional luxury. I enjoy the seasonal variations, the fish life, and the topography.

 

[victorzamora]

I use those dives to practice skills. It depends on your cert level and experience regarding what matters to you and what skills you should practice....but I practice OOA skills, DSMB launch, buoyancy with a lift bag, midwater hangs and buoyancy control (simulated deco).

There's plenty of skills to be practiced, and you can come to enjoy those dives. Those dives will never replaced "good" diving for me, but there are a lot of people out there that dive LOTS in lakes and rivers with little to see and no visibility.

At the end of the day, it's still good to get in the water. The practice of gearing up, swimming around, gearing down, etc is great for keeping skills proficient for the "good" diving.

 

[EricTheDood]

Step 1: Move somewhere else.

YOLO.

 

[HantsDiver]

Sounds mega. A cold murky puddle with nothing to see and no way to see it. How good can it get!

If the place has a nice cafe or bar get out and have a drink. If it doesn't get out and drive either home or to a nice place to have a drink.

If you are one of those people who just wants to breathe underwater then why not see if a friend has a hot tub. It will be warmer and more enjoyable.

 

[Scott]

I look for marine life just like I do in warm tropical waters.
Also look for items that have fallen overboard or just pick up trash.
Skills practice
Hide and seek if vis is really bad.

 

[tbone1004]

buy a metal detector

 

[northernone]

I practice skills, play games or look for things.

There are things couples can enjoy while diving too that might extend your bottom time a few minutes as well. ; )

Final advice talk to other local divers, not all lakes are the same and some may have more to look at.

Regards,
Cameron

 

[Bubblesong]

Is there a local ecology conservation group that you can work with for underwater naturalist gardening? In order to give new life to lakes and ponds, after ages of toxins have been cleaned up, it would help to plant native grasses, water lilies, etc. Before reintroducing native fishes and crayfish, turtles and snails etc.
In our lake, we need to eradicate this invasive humongous snail, five inches across shell, and we have machines that are dredging invasive weeds, trying to restore original species.
If deep enough, the agencies might allow structures to be placed underwater to give juveniles a hiding place yet provide interest for divers.
In the USA we have divers volunteer with archeology teams, so Germany could benefit from that endeavor as well.