Lake Diving?

[jnunn04]

I was at Lake Martin over July 4th weekend and was amazed how clear (for a lake) the water was. I also starting thinking that there were several towns flooded when various lakes were formed by TVA years ago....

Are any of these "towns" withing dive limits? Is there anything left to see? I can't get to the coast to dive very often and thought that this might provide another opportunity....

Just wondering and if so I think it would be a neat (although dark and cold) dive.

 

[MattCrunk]

My Tennesse River diving has been limited to Wilson and Pickwick lakes, but I haven't seen much of anything like you describe there. I've always heard there is a old steam locomotive somewhere that was once a part of the early, pre-TVA lock system, which was flooded when the current dam/lock system was put into service. Not sure if it was located on Wheeler or Wilson.

Anyone on here have any experience diving Smith Lake? Anything of note to see there? At a glance it seems to be clearer than most other lakes in the area.

 

[CaveMD]

I wish I could find someone experienced diving Smith to go on a few trips with.

 

[Phil_cotton]

There have been several threads on diving martin - as well as there are several people who post dive info a few times a year. Been hoping to join up on one sometime just was never available when they were going. there are some bridge spans that I hear dove mostly, but there are houses and believe i read once about someone locating the old post office.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/deep-dixie-divers/337358-lake-martin-kowligia-bridge-quick-diver-report.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/deep-dixie-divers/336433-kowaliga-bridge-old-new-5-21-10-a.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/deep-dixie-divers/275877-alabama-lake-diving-wedowee-smith-martin.html?highlight=lake+martin



just for a few

 

[BNow0707]

I have dove both Lake Martin and Smith Lake a few times each. All of my dives on martin have been shore dives on the old and new bridge spans. I believe it is the location of the town of Irma that lies just down river from the new bridge, I talked to some guys diving a pontoon down there one weekend and one said he had spent an entire summer diving over that site and found absolutely nothing. I have done some reasearch and eveything Ive found says that everything was completely leveled before the lake filled. That trees were cut and chained into wind-rows which would make using traditional depth finders difficult at best for locating structures.

We dove Smith from a boat. There are some building foundations on smith, but I haven't seen much more than squares that were about knee high made of softball sized rocks, and this was exposed when the water was very low several years back. There is a set of 30 and 40 foot waterfalls beneath the surface of smith lake.

All in all I still believe there are alot of interesting things beneath the waters of this state but it will take time, detemination, and frankly alot of luck to find them, but that doesn't hinder my desire to gear up and keep looking.

 

[Granny Scuba]

My husband learned to dive in Smith Lake in 1970 at the age of 13. He had a 40 year sabattical until I was certified last summer. I have asked him about diving in Smith Lake. He seems pretty confident that the poor viz is not worth the drive. I doubt it has changed in 40 years.

Funny our oldest son was certified in the chattahoochie near Ft. Benning. and he said the viz was terrible, but I guess all he needed was 60 feet.

 

[BNow0707]

Smith Lake is very diveable. Granted it's not quarry clear but it is diveable. I last dove there in sept 08 we had approximately 10 feet viz after a big rain. It sure beats the inches of viz in the coosa river system.

 

[rdharbis1]

My wife and I will be diving Smith Lake tomorrow. It will be our second. The first attempt was called after about 20 feet. It was way to cold for what we had on (shorties). The viz was bad too. It had rained hard in the late morning hours and the boat traffic had picked up big time so the water was all stirred up. Probably be best to dive early in the day. At least that is what we will do in the morning!
I am not sure how much cleanup was done before they built the dam, but I know that there was some. As for buildings, I fear they would be much too deep to reach in most cases. But what do I know, I still am trying to get past the 20 foot mark! I'll just keep trying and I find anything I will let you know.

 

[Granny Scuba]

So what is the best lake to dive in Alabama?

 

[Lone Frogman]

My wife and I will be diving Smith Lake tomorrow.

Dive Report Please