Wondering about lake diving hazards...

[svnipp]

My only diving type experiences have been snorkeling in the Bahamas and Snuba in Key West. Both of these offered great visibility and were obviously restricted to very shallow depths. I've never done anything at all in lakes other than riding jetskis and whatnot.

I'm curious what kind of dangers and injuries you have to worry about in diving the lakes here in TX? Anyone ever been hooked by a fisherman for instance? Any problem with snakes? I've heard that alligator gar can be really nasty and have some serious teeth. I know that there are also some actual gators in TX.

Call me chicken or whatever, but I've been reading the TX lake condition reports posted by others here and a lot of these indicate visibility in of 5' or less. I'm just a bit nervous about getting in water and not being able to see more than a few feet. Is this a common concern for beginners and simply something that you just grow accustomed to?

 

[dburg30]

First you'll want to make sure you are ALLOWED to dive in whatever lake you are talking about. If you are, and it is a boating / fishing lake, you will need to have proper signage on the surface to let other people know there is a/are diver(s) below.

As far as nasties, I dont know how aggressive certain fish are where you are. I know you dont want o wear dangly / shiny stuff

 

[john844]

I would put fishing line entanglement as a hazard you will likely encounter. You will want at least one cutting device in easy reach. Practice being able to find them without looking. Be especially careful around trees. I guess getting snagged by a fisherman would fall into this category of entanglement. You can cut the line to prevent them from pulling you to the surface. I have heard stories involving fisherman casting at the bubbles and also of getting hooked.

Low visability is another common thing you will find in lakes. There is a lot of sediment collecting on the bottom of lakes. One misplaced kick towards the bottom will stir up a cloud of silt reducing visability greatly, or completely. I have seen vis deteriorate to the point where I could not see my light until it was inches from my mask. Sculling with your hands can also stir up the silt. Be very conscious of your movements anywhere near the bottom. Good buoyancy and trim will help out here. Non silting kicks are also helpful.

Buddy skills and awareness are important and you should pay more attention to them when you first start diving in the lakes.

Our lakes have very little light penetrating below 5 or 10 feet. We use lights and carry backup lights.

I would advise trying to find a local diver with some lake experience to dive with for a day or two. They can help you out with more local specifics that we might not mention. Be careful and try to have fun at the same time.

John

 

[tstormdiver]

The things that come to mind about lake diving here in KY are: they tend to be dark, murky & at depth,... cold. There is the possibility of stray fishing line that can ensare a diver & boats,.... Or more precisely the drivers of such vessels who are totally clueless or too drunk to care as to what a surface buoy with a dive flag means. The only other hazard here are the viscious little "KY Piranha",... aka bluegill, breem, sunfish,.... & about another dozen names for then buggers. You definitely want to protect your earlobes!

 

[Doc Harry]

I do a lot of lake diving, and here is my take on hazards:

-Fishing line (entanglement hazards)
-Man-made structures (entanglement hazards)
-Constructions debris (entanglement hazards)
-Motor boats (risk of being struck by boat/propellor)
-Dams (water intakes, entanglement hazards)
-Trees (entanglement hazard)
-Poor visibility increases all of the above risks

 

[Txfirefighter4305]

Possom Kingdom is supposed to be good. As is Lake Travis near Austin. Like KY, they can be dark, murky, and cold. At the minimum, I was suggest a small light even in daytime just incase you want to look under or inside something.

In Fort Worth, there is Lonestar SCUBA on 183 South of 30 and Scuba Sphere on Camp Bowie east of the traffic circle. I was in both this summer and it seems Lonestar has a little nicer shop. However, I did my OW with Scuba Sphere in 1999 and didn't have any regrets. There are other shops in the area so shop around. Do some research on the agency the shop teaches thru...PADI, NAUI, SDI, whatever. For example, I know local SDI OW classes are done one computers and with weight integrated SP Knighthawks. The local PADI shop teachs weight belts and tables. Good to know both ways though.

As far as diving in lakes, there can be a lot to see. Fish certainly, sometimes good sized ones. Wrecks or purpose sunken boats. Be careful and watch your depth gauge, on a sloping bottom, I find its easy to get deeper than you think you are real fast.

 

[Wookie]

You will soon find out why they call us "Texas Swamp Divers". My only hassle with lakes besides they are dark, murky, full of monofilimant, catfish, gar, gators, and 10,000 of your closest friends on summer weekends is they taste funny.

 

[svnipp]

Possom Kingdom is supposed to be good. As is Lake Travis near Austin. Like KY, they can be dark, murky, and cold. At the minimum, I was suggest a small light even in daytime just incase you want to look under or inside something.

In Fort Worth, there is Lonestar SCUBA on 183 South of 30 and Scuba Sphere on Camp Bowie east of the traffic circle. I was in both this summer and it seems Lonestar has a little nicer shop. However, I did my OW with Scuba Sphere in 1999 and didn't have any regrets. There are other shops in the area so shop around. Do some research on the agency the shop teaches thru...PADI, NAUI, SDI, whatever. For example, I know local SDI OW classes are done one computers and with weight integrated SP Knighthawks. The local PADI shop teachs weight belts and tables. Good to know both ways though.

As far as diving in lakes, there can be a lot to see. Fish certainly, sometimes good sized ones. Wrecks or purpose sunken boats. Be careful and watch your depth gauge, on a sloping bottom, I find its easy to get deeper than you think you are real fast.

Thanks for the great response. Actually, I went to both Scuba Sphere and Lonestar Scuba. I ended up signing up with Lonestar Scuba for the basic OW course. I also picked up a set of snorkel gear (mask, fins, booties, and snorkel). Now I'm just chomping at the bit since my class isn't until Aug 5th, that's one reason I'm devouring these boards.

I have seen a LOT of references to Lake Travis and PK. I have also seen a lot of mention about the Comal river and Aquarena Springs. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that the $230 Scientific Diver course is going to be in my not too distant future as it's a requirement to dive in Aquarena Springs.

Thanks again for the good info.

 

[DaleC]

I do a lot of lake diving, and here is my take on hazards:

-Fishing line (entanglement hazards)
-Man-made structures (entanglement hazards)
-Constructions debris (entanglement hazards)
-Motor boats (risk of being struck by boat/propellor)
-Dams (water intakes, entanglement hazards)
-Trees (entanglement hazard)
-Poor visibility increases all of the above risks

good list.
I would add thermoclines (don't know about Texas though) which can produce quite startling temp changes if your not ready for them.

 

[101recon]

My only diving type experiences have been snorkeling in the Bahamas and Snuba in Key West. Both of these offered great visibility and were obviously restricted to very shallow depths. I've never done anything at all in lakes other than riding jetskis and whatnot.

I'm curious what kind of dangers and injuries you have to worry about in diving the lakes here in TX? Anyone ever been hooked by a fisherman for instance? Any problem with snakes? I've heard that alligator gar can be really nasty and have some serious teeth. I know that there are also some actual gators in TX.

Call me chicken or whatever, but I've been reading the TX lake condition reports posted by others here and a lot of these indicate visibility in of 5' or less. I'm just a bit nervous about getting in water and not being able to see more than a few feet. Is this a common concern for beginners and simply something that you just grow accustomed to?

I'm a new diver as well and understand your concerns.To me this is sort of like being afraid of the dark.There is nothing there that isn't there in the light.Learn as much as you can about the site itself.Then decide if you are comfortable in low vis.

I do a lot of lake diving, and here is my take on hazards:

-Fishing line (entanglement hazards)
-Man-made structures (entanglement hazards)
-Constructions debris (entanglement hazards)
-Motor boats (risk of being struck by boat/propellor)
-Dams (water intakes, entanglement hazards)
-Trees (entanglement hazard)
-Poor visibility increases all of the above risks

Good points Doc.

I like to treat a new dive site much the same as a new camp site on land.Learn as much as you can about conditions and pack for them.Learn the local critters that could be dangerous and how to avoid unwanted "interaction".A bear and a rattle snake on land are no different than a shark and a moccasin under water.They can all bite you.I just have to decide which ones I'm comfortable sleeping/diving with.