Salt or Fresh Water?

[bradymsu]

As a Michigan native where our seas are sweet and cold, I have rarely visited the ocean and all of my diving has been in freshwater, until last month. Despite the warmer temps and better vis, I wasn't impressed. It's a lot more unpleasant when you get water in your eyes or mouth, you feel nasty when you get out and you need to rinse your gear right away. The salty folks I was diving with feel I'm crazy prefering freshwater over saltwater though my Michigan dive buddies tell me they prefer the Lakes as well. Most Scuba publications seem tailored to ocean divers.

Apart from what's down there (corals and big fish in the ocean and well preserved wrecks in freshwater) what type of water do you prefer and why?

 

[Rick L]

Hmm I dive fresh and salt here in massachussetts and new hampshire -maine! I like salt more but love fresh water too!
I find a lot of antique bottles and fishing stuff in the fresh water lakes. I get lobsters flounders and dive stuff in the salt!
lobster tastes better than bottles and lures hehe!
Plus you never know what you will see in the ocean.
allways seeing new things.
Rick L

 

[Stone]

1) I've never been freshwater diving, so I had to pick the ocean.

2) I like to spearfish and hunt bugs, so I had to pick the ocean.

3) I live next to the ocean, so I had to pick the ocean.

4) I dislike cleaning equipment after a long day of diving, but numbers 1 through 3 force me to pick the ocean.

 

[TexasMike]

Since there wasn't a category that suited me, I added on to the poll.

I'm one of those that if it's deep enough to count as an actual dive, I'm in the water as often as possible. Mostly cuz I love this sport, and I want to keep my basic skills as sharp as possible.

 

[herman]

I gotta go with saltwater, although I have to admit that I much prefer the Caribean to off shore here in North Carolina. There are just so many kinds of fish and other amimals to see and there is always something new. I just saw a picture of a couple of lion fish taken off our coast, they are not susposed to live here but they were here just the same. Where did you do your saltwater dives?

 

[TexasMike]

Hey Herman...

I plan to do a dive to the NC Wrecks out of Moorehead City this summer (first part of July). Any chance we could hook up?

I'm going out with www.NCWreckdiving.com

 

[Norm]

I love both of them. I like the freshwater because: It's local, it's where I go caving, it's where most of my deep dives have been made, there's no equipment cleanup after a dive, and it's where I've done all of my ice diving.
I like saltwater because: It's sealevel, (duh!), it's usually warmer than most of my dives, it's usually better vis than I have locally, and there is so much more to see.
They both have tons to offer and each has few drawbacks as well. I do not see how anyone could confine themself to only type of diving. I believe any true diver would expose themselves to both, given the opportunity. I am thankful I have been privelaged to do both.
Norm

 

[herman]

Hi Mike,

By all means, give me an email if you are comming to NC. I would enjoy meeting you and do some diving. I live about 20 min from RDU (I think you fly into there). If you find some diving out of Wilmington you want to do, I have a house 45 mins from the Wrightsville Beach/ Carolina Beach area, may can put you up for a day or 2.

 

[Tavi]

The majority of my dives have been salt water. I plan on catching up a little this year with fresh water dives . I do like both. I like not having to rinse my gear after a fresh water dive, and the navigation is more challenging with less vis. In the Carribean (where most of my dives have been) I like the variety of wrecks and corals and fishes. One of my favorite dives so far was both. It was a cavern dive, Fresh at the suface (sweetest water I ever tasted) a halocline, and salt water below. It was interesting that most of the life in the cavern was in the top 20 ft or so.

 

[Dee]

I'm with Tom...if it's deep enough to cover my tanks I'll dive in it. I enjoy fresh water because that's what I have handy. But you won't catch me turning down salt water infavor of it!