Considering Lake Lanier Diving

[skwrek]

Hi!

I am a new diver. I just got my OW certification last year at Dive Haven. My wife was certified before I met her. Well we live in Cumming, GA so I was thinking why not dive Lake Lanier? My wife is very hesitant to try the lake because she feels visibility is terrible. Which, after reading a lot of the posts here, I guess is true. But it's so close and cheap, so I am still considering it. From the posts I've read, it seems like it is even worse now that the water level is so low.

For a new diver like me, would you recommend it? And where would be the best place in Lake Lanier to shore dive from (considering the low water level)? It sounds like WBP it the best from reading the posts, but still unsure. What are the dangers to be aware of? Or should I just wait until I get some more experience?

Thank you. I value your opinion, since you have the direct experience with diving this lake.

 

[BORG]

Welcome by the way!! I'll give you my 2 cents. I dive there most all the time because it is close by and I know a place that is safe and reasonably calm boat traffic wise. Best vis, no way. Passable vis at shallower depths of less that 30ft. Yes. For someone who would like to work on their skills and stay shallow and can stay within 5 ft. or less of their buddy. It will work. It's not as clear as Dive Haven and definitely not as clear as Alabama Blue Water or Loch Low Minn in Tenn, but it is closer too.

 

[stiltwalker]

Welcome
I'm a new diver also, my son and I have been diving Lanier all summer. It’s the only place that I have dove except one on the NC coastline. The lake is fine as long as you don’t go past the 30' mark. I stay even shallows, like 22-25 or less. Start slow in the shallows and stay by your partner. You can loose each other if your not careful. The viz is terrible. Watch out for boats, have a dive flag, find a sandy area if you can, dive during the week, its better then weekends since there is no boats. You and your wife not like it since you can't see more then 6-8' on a great day. Give it a try and be safe. If you like it great!!! If not then try it again another day. Keep in mind that you will have to stay on the bottom to see anything.

Let us know how it works out.
You might just have some fun
Stiltwalker

 

[skwrek]

Thanks for the welcome, Borg and Stiltwalker! Borg, is the safe place that you are talking about near Two Mile Creek park? I see by the posts, that is where you frequent. I guess the only way I'm going to tell if the visibility will bother us is to try it. What thickness wetsuit do you guys wear in the summer--if you are only going down 30' or so?

Thanks again.

 

[Flightlead]

Most freshwater bodies in temperate zones experience a "turn over", generally in the fall and spring. In the winter as the surface water temperature (and density) approaches that of the sub surface water the lake literally turns over. This process continues until you have a pretty much constant temp/density from top to bottom. This destroys the stratification that gives us thermoclines and also oxygenates the water. This also gives us much clearer water. For Lanier I think this generally occurs just after Thanksgiving. I have seen as much as 20-30' vis at depth in Lanier in the winter.

As the lake warms up and stratifies water at depth looses is oxygen. Algae blooms in the upper levels, and silt generated by boat traffic is suspended in those upper levels. This reduces the visibility and also the light to lower levels, further reducing the algae growth down low. In the two springs/summers before this I dove Lanier, we had much better vis at depth (ie > 50-60') and even 10-15' at around 70'-80'. Generally vis diminished with depth to 50-60' and the increased again. We have not seen that this year, although I've not dove more than a handful of times in Lanier this year it seems to be uniformly bad top to bottom. Even at 100' it doesn't clear up. It is probably due to a combination of factors. The diving in Lanier is at its worst this time of year - significant stratification, high levels of boat traffic, very warm surface water. It is especially bad in shallow places with lots of boat traffic, and a silt bottom - e.g. cocktail cove.

The best vis seems to be over a rock bottom, which is basically the rip rap on the dam. WBP is all mud and silt bottoms, but there are lines run to follow, a few platforms etc.

 

[BORG]

Yes, I go in at the Two Mile Creek Park area on the cove at the left. I have dove there with a 7mm wetsuit and can be pretty comfortable down to 30ft. I have recently gotten a new drysuit that will enable me to dive year around. If you are careful not to silt when you are diving there you can see when you get near the bottom. If you silt, as I often do. Just swim out of it and move on out of the silt area. I was there yesterday and it was like a Fall day almost. Windy and cool. Stiltwalker has been having a great time finding things on his dives. I found 2 complete fishing rods and reels about two months ago there at Two Mile Creek. They were in about 25 ft. of water.