Local firefighter dies in off-duty diving accident - White, GA

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

My experience in North Georgia and East Tennessee springs is 42 degrees F at or around 80 feet, and viz on a good day is 15 feet.

Does that hold true at Kraken?

 

[Rollin Bonz]

My experience in North Georgia and East Tennessee springs is 42 degrees F at or around 80 feet, and viz on a good day is 15 feet.

Does that hold true at Kraken?

48-52 at depth (100-158ft) year round
I've seen viz from 3 feet to 50ft, sometimes on the same day depending on where you are. Usually better the deeper you go, but not always. Always dark below 100 feet.
Typical viz in the shallows is 10ft, at depth it's usually limited by your light.

 

[Invader]

We local divers @ Kraken are sponsoring a BBQ for his family. There is also a gofundme, for those that do that sort of thing.

Firefighter Lieutenant Robert Fernandez, organized by Keith Fitzpatrick

 

[Invader]

My experience in North Georgia and East Tennessee springs is 42 degrees F at or around 80 feet, and viz on a good day is 15 feet.

Does that hold true at Kraken?

Kraken has 3-4 thermoclines depending on the time of year. below 75'-157' it's 48-50F year round. Upper 17' in the summer is 84F. Drops about 4-5F per thermocline till the last one.

Viz in the kiddy pool (trainee diver area) can be down to 5' or so. Back left area (takes a swim to get there) can be 50-60ft. Lower viz under 100ft will be light source dependent.

 

[Invader]

As I’ve been told, the site was once a quarry (granite iirc) and has an old steam shovel on the opposite of the side with the main docks. Sometime around the turn of the 20th century (1920s) they hit a vein of water that could not be stopped and flooded the quarry. Hence the “springs” in Kraken Springs.

Steam shovel is still there it stalled out trying to escape. Back when diesels had spark plugs or something.

 

[Gene]

I did a few dives here when it was called Whitestone Quarry I think back around 2012 while working in Atlanta. Had to rent a 7mm farmer john due to water temps. On one dive, while on air, I dropped down a line that was more or less in the center of the quarry and it led down to what looked like maybe a back of a pick-up truck, or some kind of farm equipment vehicle at around 155ffw. The vis was very minimal and I didn't see it until I was right on it.
Sorry to hear about the fire-fighter's incident.

 

[Rollin Bonz]

I did a few dives here when it was called Whitestone Quarry I think back around 2012 while working in Atlanta. Had to rent a 7mm farmer john due to water temps. On one dive, while on air, I dropped down a line that was more or less in the center of the quarry and it led down to what looked like maybe a back of a pick-up truck, or some kind of farm equipment vehicle at around 155ffw. The vis was very minimal and I didn't see it until I was right on it.
Sorry to hear about the fire-fighter's incident.

Yep old (50's ford?) pickup. Also a white falcon station wagon ('64?), an Impala, and at least 3 more that my buddies and I have not identified, all 145 and deeper. According to a post on dive buddy.com from 2012, there's a Corvette. Also a Buick in about 12 feet that was a recent addition.

 

[joe8mofo]

Yep old (50's ford?) pickup. Also a white falcon station wagon ('64?), an Impala, and at least 3 more that my buddies and I have not identified, all 145 and deeper. According to a post on dive buddy.com from 2012, there's a Corvette. Also a Buick in about 12 feet that was a recent addition.

The corvette was removed from the water a few years ago.

 

[Shasta_man]

After becoming certified it was somewhat of a surprise to me that there were other reasons to go diving than to see the cool critters. A place where you are right next to a steam shovel before you can see it is such a situation but to each their own.

So a plb would not work here? Plbs only work at the surface? I was thinking that they could be issued on entrance. Not because they could be found before air expires but at least to recover the body with less risk.