Low visibility tips and tricks

[URSA78244]

So here's the problem. I like many recovery divers out there make almost 95% of my dives in low/no visilibity an doutside of a DATAMASK it's darn near impossible to read guages, let alone locate items underwater. While there are many methods for locating items in black water, what are the tricks and tips for visibility? My old dive shop owner gave me a great one at the time, use a zip lock bag full of clear water.

Anyone else have any good ideas??

 

[DevonDiver]

Anyone else have any good ideas??

Liquivision X1

 

[james croft]

I dive in black water quite often. When searching I am stirring up the bottom very badly as I am searching by feel and making "snow angels" on the bottom. I have used the clear bag of water before just to try it but I have no good place to store it.

When searching I usually depend on touch and not sight. I use a jackstay search line to keep from missing anything. Even when I have a foot or two of viz I generally just close my eyes and depend on touch. I dislike being startled by object looming up in my face so I just keep my eyes shut and search by feel.

I have taken a bunch of various search and recovery schools and many of them are a joke and taught by people who do not search for a living. Unless you are on a search line doing a methodical search you are wasting your time. You do not need to see anything to find it. The jackstay search method is my favorite and if bottom conditions allow it to be used it is the only way to go. My usual jackstay set-up consist of a rope no longer than 75 feet with a lead anchor at each end. Coming off each anchor is an upline attached to a bouy. Using one or two divers we swim aong the bottom holding hands with the divers on either side of the search line. The line is grasped between the divers hand while they use their free hand to search along the botton. When one of the divers needs to stop he just squeezes his hand which stop both divers while he checks out an item, etc. When he is ready to resume he gives two squeezes and the search continues. Other numbered squeezes indicate trouble, item located, etc.

When the diver(s) get to the end of the search line they shift the anchor over a few feet and retrace the area they just covered. They will go back over some of the area they just searched but also cover new areas. When they get to the opposite anchor they repeat the process.
This method allows the divers to cover the area very thoroughly. The distance the anchor will be moved depends on the size of the item searched for. A large item like a car will allow you to move the jackstay anchor 10 feet or more while a smaller item such as a pistol we would only move the anchor three feet for example. A body recovery I might go a couple of feet more.

Another jackstay method is taught by one agency but it leaves a lot to be desired. It has an anchor at each end but uses two divers at opposite end of the line that swim towards one another and each move the anchor at the end of each leg at the same time. The drawbacks of this method is that the divers are not in contact with each other when they get entangled there may be some lag time before the other diver is aware of this. The moving of both anchors at the same time eliminates some of the redundancy found in only moving one anchor at a time. Using the first method I have been able to locate a single ignition key on a mud bottom in zero viz. It is so thorough a search method that you can search an area and state "the item is not there", instead of "I could not find it." If the item is in the search area it will be located using this method if the divers are methodical and patient.

For gas maintainance I check my guage often, frequency depending on how deep or shallow I am.
I use a light to see it and if I am in real black water I hold a light to the guage face to brighten up the luminous dial and then place it against the faceplate of my mask. When using a jack stay search I often check my guage on each pass when moving the anchor. Once I figure how much air I am burning I may figure out I only need to check it every few passes or so.

I have one mask I use in black water that has a small compass with a luminous dial glued inside the faceplate of my mask that help orient myself to my surroundings that is pretty useful when diving without lines. I glued it in using waterproof Goop.
Many divers will tell you the j-valve is outdated, no longer made, etc. Not so. It is still currently used by the military and some commercial divers (cost a hell of a lot more than a regular k valve). It is really handy when diving in ink as the reserve feature will keep you from running out of air. It is a valve that may be mandated by government regs when doing certain diving for that reason. I know someone is going to pipe up and tell you a story about how the valve will get bumped down and the diver ran out of air as a result but I dive j-valves a lot and make it a habit to routinely check the valve position. When I bump into something I know it and will then check my valve position. Takes about 2 seconds to do it.

The bottom line is that being able to see is a luxury but it is not a necessity when searching. Those that depend on being able to see to locate an item will probably not find it in diving in real world conditions. Adapt to search methodically and by feel and check your air often. The jackstay search is your friend and will allow you to find stuff.

 

[HowardE]

So here's the problem. I like many recovery divers out there make almost 95% of my dives in low/no visilibity an doutside of a DATAMASK it's darn near impossible to read guages, let alone locate items underwater. While there are many methods for locating items in black water, what are the tricks and tips for visibility? My old dive shop owner gave me a great one at the time, use a zip lock bag full of clear water.

Anyone else have any good ideas??

When I dive in low to no viz I use my air integrated watch computer which has a backlight for seeing it. Usually "no viz" is a few inches, and I can still see my watch pressed against my mask (good enough) if this is the case.

I also have a standard SPG with a glow in the dark dial. I can reach this, and my flashlight to make the dial glow, and see it.

The best way to learn where your stuff is... Is to always clip it off to the same clips. Practice clipping and unclipping your gauges so that they become muscle memory, and you don't even have to think about it really. they become almost instinctive. Practice with your eyes closed.

 

[Haiko]

... My old dive shop owner gave me a great one at the time, use a zip lock bag full of clear water...

Where do you use the bag for if I may ask? Put it in front of you like a big magnifier?

P.s. it must be really creepy to "see" just by using your hands, you never know what you gonna be touching...

 

[james croft]

P.s. it must be really creepy to "see" just by using your hands, you never know what you gonna be touching...

Sometimes it is a bit creepy. That is why I like to keep my eyes closed.
I don't like to use gloves as I depend on a sense of feel in black water but depending on what I am looking for and the temperature of the water I will use gloves, especially if I am looking for a body. Sometimes I can get by with latex gloves.