Poor Visibility

[Walter]

I keep a buddy line in my BC pocket at all times. In low viz, I'd break it out and put it to use.

In low viz you merely have to change your focus to have a great time. There are lots of thing to see close up. I dive low viz quite often, viz of 2 or 3 inches is not all that rare. Look at little things that live in the sand. You'd be amazed at all the life you miss on the days of great viz.

 

[SwimJim]

I keep a buddy line in my BC pocket at all times. In low viz, I'd break it out and put it to use.

In low viz you merely have to change your focus to have a great time. There are lots of thing to see close up. I dive low viz quite often, viz of 2 or 3 inches is not all that rare. Look at little things that live in the sand. You'd be amazed at all the life you miss on the days of great viz.

Walter beat me to it. Using a buddy line is the way to go. Work slowly and look at the little critters. I often do that on shore dives around here. Use can use this time to sharpen your compass skills too as you can't really cheat. If you take photo's this is a good time to switch to macro mode. You would be surprised how good of results you can get. Dive safe

Jim

 

[gcbryan]

Walter beat me to it. Using a buddy line is the way to go. Work slowly and look at the little critters. I often do that on shore dives around here. Use can use this time to sharpen your compass skills too as you can't really cheat. If you take photo's this is a good time to switch to macro mode. You would be surprised how good of results you can get. Dive safe

Jim

Nice picture but that's not what I'd call poor viz. I don't think anyone would be aborting a dive where you could get that picture.

 

[S. starfish]

If you can get pictures without silt that looks like snow then it doesn't qualify as really crappy viz.
Personaly, if I'm in at a site I know I find zero viz diver to be a real kick. At the beginning of may the viz was so bad that my buddy and I both swam face first into the side of a wreck and still couldn't see the damn thing. Unfamiliar sites and viz that bad however probably aren't the greatest combination.

 

[Land Locked]

We don't call it muck diving around here for no reason! If we have 20' vis we
are blessed. You have to work with your buddy, pre-dive and during the dive.
I prefer for my buddy to be at my side, it bothers me to have a buddy hanging
back behind me where I'm continually checking on their location. If the low vis
is really getting to you go ahead and abort, but if you practice your buddy skills
you can have some great dives in low vis! It's better than no diving at all!

 

[Diver0001]

What do you do when you run into such poor visibility? Abort the dive?

At 1ft vizibility you can't see your hips anymore.... I think I'd call it. If I can still sort of see my flippers than I'll make the dive. That's good enough viz to see stuff. I've made lots of dives where I could only find the bottom by touch but usually it doesn't last for the whole dive and/or at all depths.

R..

 

[Cacia]

Walter, what does a buddy line look like?


I hate low viz myself. I consider it more dangerous than I want to take on...like stumbling around in the dark. I cans see valve/tank drills, deco...the whole challenge and understand the appeal but it is not the diving I know...it is two different things altogether, IMO. the only thing it has in common with what I do are cyllinders and fins. I go to see.

 

[Land Locked]

At 1ft vizibility you can't see your hips anymore.... I think I'd call it. If I can still sort of see my flippers than I'll make the dive. That's good enough viz to see stuff. I've made lots of dives where I could only find the bottom by touch but usually it doesn't last for the whole dive and/or at all depths.

R..

Exactly! If we have to move through an area of low vis to get to better diving,
do we abort the dive or stay as a buddy team? I've been through some quarries
where physical contact was required due to the low visibility.
I've never seen or used a buddy line, we usually just stay shoulder to shoulder.