Do you have a minimum viz or temp for a dive?

[Dive-aholic]

Nah, I am still reading the thread. (Going into Devil's Advocate mode here) Just having a hard time understanding the desire to dive in a cold, muddy lake. I could see being in the ocean or something with clearer viz and then buying the equipment needed to make the dive at whatever temp. But in Texas, in the muddy lakes, where bass, perch and catfish are mostly likely what you are going to see if you get lucky. What's the draw?

I mean I get cold and clear dives, and I can understand warm and murky dives. But cold and murky in a Texas lake is a hard one to understand for me. Is there something down there I don't yet know about?

It's not what's down there. It's just the fact that you're diving. You're under water breathing a reg. Living in Arizona, if I didn't dive 5' or less viz and temps in the 50s, I might not dive for several months. So I adapt. I bought a dry suit. I got really good at compass navigation to make up for the low viz (that only works when I can see my compass). It also makes me a better diver. I can maintain my buoyancy in black, fresh water. And because I do it so often, my skills are better than if I just dove once every few months.

 

[pipedope]

I guess it depends.

I am quite comfortable diving in zero vis and often prefer it for getting a job done.

For most rec diving I like at least a foot or two of vis, just for reading gages and other odda and ends.

I have had more times where the water was too warm than too cold.
If the water is cold you can go to a dry suit with thicker undies or additional neoprene but when the water is too warm you much cool the diver. This means a source of cold water and a way to pump it.

 

[Tristessa]

During the summer i did 11 dives total in a lake in search of a sunken village from 1921. The vis was at best 6' and temp was around 52. Add to that the fact that the altitude was over 2100' and you have yourself a very nerve-racking experience. HOWEVER we manged on the 8th dive to find a house complete with some furniture( actually two chairs) at 80'. So were are overly optimistic about the future, however we fear that the rest of the village( including a church complete with belltower?) is too deep for exploration.
MY KINDA DIVE!

 

[Rick Inman]

Are you sure about that?
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/22008/cat/500/ppuser/2714

Gary D.

The funnest thing about this photo of Gary, is the light in his left hand.

 

[DORSETBOY]

'll limit my depth in low temp / viz to less than 30 metres. In the lochs up here in Scotland, the main prob Ive found is that the water holds a lot of peat and blocks all light any deeper than this. On a course I'll bin the dive if viz is less than 6 feet.

 

[drl]

40 degrees (45 is better), 5 feet vis. If I can't see my own fins, that's the cue.
Of course I prefer "80 cubed" diving, but there's not much of that in Chicagoland!

Deborah

 

[wheelietaco]

I am used to diving in 3-4 feet viz. its all i have to dive in. but the deeper you go, it should clearer. i have been at 80ft with no light where its about 45-50 degrees and have 13-15 ft viz. the best I have ever seen is 20-25, i thought that was just amazing. but if its water i will dive it. I just love the sport.

 

[Goose75]

Nah, I am still reading the thread. (Going into Devil's Advocate mode here) Just having a hard time understanding the desire to dive in a cold, muddy lake. I could see being in the ocean or something with clearer viz and then buying the equipment needed to make the dive at whatever temp. But in Texas, in the muddy lakes, where bass, perch and catfish are mostly likely what you are going to see if you get lucky. What's the draw?

I mean I get cold and clear dives, and I can understand warm and murky dives. But cold and murky in a Texas lake is a hard one to understand for me. Is there something down there I don't yet know about?

I haven't dove in our lakes in winter yet. I probably will after I finish repairing my dry suit. For me, motivation for a dive in a cold and murky Texas lake will be to maintain proficiency and experience in a wide range of conditions. For others it will be to cure the unquenchable desire to do any diving rather than none. If neither reason is enough for you, try finding a place with something un-murky to see. In Texas that will likely be San Marcos or Balmorhea Springs. San Marcos requires taking a scientific diver course, Balmorhea springs is clear, not very deep and great vis – good things for a newbie diver. You’ll have to check to see if either is open in winter. The swamp diver forum will have details on each – I haven’t been to either.

 

[Goose75]

hijack
Dearman...LOVE your profile pic!!!
/hijack

Glad you like it. I tend to rotate the avatar but the profile was too good to change. The diver in the front is Spamsonite should you ever run across his posts.

 

[akscubainst]

Air temp - above 0F
Water- No min winter it's usually 34F
Vis - No

Dave