GUE Fundamentals Class Dutch Springs

[ScubaSam]

Congratulations on your REC pass.

Never taken a class with Mer and know her from living in cave country. She is a good soul. Have only heard glowing reviews about her classes.

 

[CptTightPants21]

You can get cordless lights with enough burn time for most typical cave/technical applications, but I think it's worth learning to manage the light cord. A few reasons:

1. No matter how good the battery life is in cordless lights, it'll be better with a canister. Technology may improve to the point where that advantage is meaningless, but it's not there yet. I can do 2 or 3 long cave dives at pretty solid brightness settings without worrying about a charge.

2. You can't lose it on a dive. It's hardwired to a battery pack which is secured to your waistband. I dropped mine on a dive on the oriskany once. Without a cord, that thing is gone. Instead, I was able to just haul it up.

3. The cord tucked into the waistband is what makes the light sit really nice in the temp position. This is super useful for working with two hands in a dark environment.

4. The light head is much lighter and more comfortable to use when you don't have a battery hanging off the back. Again, this may change as battery technology improves, but it's not there yet. Cordless lights with respectable burn time are heavier and bulky.

Learning to manage the cord is pretty simple. It becomes second nature with a little practice.

This is a great write up. Points #2 and #3 especially.

We do Kraken every once in a while, as well as Lake Jocassee, SC. But we go for the better-vis, 72F spots--the springs--as much as we can manage. It's hard enough to practice skills in mid-water without having to worry about losing sight of one's buddy or whatever visual reference point there is.

@rvojr , what's the vis like in Dutch Springs? I guess most quarries are similar--I haven't been to many. I went to college up there, but I wasn't a diver at the time, and I'm not even sure if Dutch Springs existed as a dive site.

Viz at Dutch averages 20-30 ft. In the winter time it goes to 50ft+, the algea bloom in mid July/Aug can cause viz to drop to 5-10. Dutch max depth is 106ft with typically three water temps with two termoclines-One around 30, another around 60. The thermoclines will shift as the water heats up for summer and cools down in the fall and you will find that the silt will accumulate in one of these levels. With the expected bloom, viz will go to crap from 20-60 or 70ft and we ok in the deeper, colder parts of the quarry.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Viz at Dutch averages 20-30 ft. In the winter time it goes to 50ft+, the algea bloom in mid July/Aug can cause viz to drop to 5-10. Dutch max depth is 106ft with typically three water temps with two termoclines-One around 30, another around 60. The thermoclines will shift as the water heats up for summer and cools down in the fall and you will find that the silt will accumulate in one of these levels. With the expected bloom, viz will go to crap from 20-60 or 70ft and we ok in the deeper, colder parts of the quarry.

That kind of vis makes the OP's success in Fundies all the more impressive. It's hard enough in the clear FL springs.

 

[blake7]

That kind of vis makes the OP's success in Fundies all the more impressive. It's hard enough in the clear FL springs.

Actually, lower vis (more material in the water) makes it easier to maintain buoyancy due to the visual reference.

For fun sometimes, try and do an S-drill in 100+ ft visibility in blue water at 30 ft with no bottom. If you don't have a scan already built up that constantly glances at your wrist for the depth, you can easily go +/- 10 ft.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Actually, lower vis (more material in the water) makes it easier to maintain buoyancy due to the visual reference.

For fun sometimes, try and do an S-drill in 100+ ft visibility in blue water at 30 ft with no bottom. If you don't have a scan already built up that constantly glances at your wrist for the depth, you can easily go +/- 10 ft.

I have done these drills in all kinds of vis. I agree that in low vis, depending on the kind of particulates in the water and the light, it can be a useful visual reference. The downside is as I mentioned: easier to lose sight of one's buddy in 3-ft vis. It has happened to us. It can be frustrating to have to interrupt a practice session and surface to reconnect with one's buddy.