1st. no kidding 0 viz dive.

[Navy OnStar]

Well, I had my first "couldn't see my hand pressed up to my mask dive." It was a search and recovery training dive (with Santa Rosa County Search and Rescue) where the Black Water River and the Escambia Bay meet near Pensacola. The silt was about 2ft. thick and we had to go down and conduct a search for a knife. (Simulated Evidence Recovery). We were using a PVC grid to conduct our search.

I had been in low vis, 2-3ft, before but this even blocked out the sunlight at 10ft. It was kind of cool. We held onto the grid at all times and used arm squeezing signals to communucate. I knew my buddy was there within arms reach if I needed. As soon as we touched the silt the cloud eveloped us. I think the instructor was actually throwing silt my way to see how I would handle it there's no way to know for sure because I couldn't see him from the time we descended until we found the knife and came back up.

Anyway, I learned a ton. Just thought I would share a really cool (I thought) experience.

[Rileybri]

That sounds crazy! Reminds me of my CONTOMS SAR training where they put black out goggles on us and sent us into a room full of obstructions and loud noise (recordings of chain saws, auto gun fire, and screaming people) and we had to get a mannequin out with out getting dead (simulated dead of course). Its the ultimate in team trust exercises! All I can say is I am glad you guys are on our side!! Keep up the great work!

BTD

[tndiverdude]

That was how the viz was at the quarry when i went for my OW test.
sub mask at best.. no wait.. below sub mask.

[SlvrDragon50]

I would have been insanely nervous...

All my dives have been at least 50' visibility

[Rileybri]

Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50

I would have been insanely nervous...

All my dives have been at least 50' visibility

Come on up to Lake Champlain we have a sold +/- 5' vis right now. True muck diving! you are totally screwed if you touch bottem. Fun stuff.......

[SlvrDragon50]

Originally Posted by Rileybri

Come on up to Lake Champlain we have a sold +/- 5' vis right now. True muck diving! you are totally screwed if you touch bottem. Fun stuff.......

heh, I don't even know of I can take the temperature. I was dying in 72*F wearing a 3 mm wetsuit

[Ryanh1801]

No vis. diving is the best diving.

[Rileybri]

Originally Posted by SlvrDragon50

heh, I don't even know of I can take the temperature. I was dying in 72*F wearing a 3 mm wetsuit

No problem we are 77 suffice and 52 deeper with little to no viz!

[Grin]

I've done a few of those dives where your watching the depth gauge thinking " HMMM I though it was only 75 ft deep here" and then Bam! I crash into the bottom. Great! this vis is less than the length of my arm! In this situation I give up and start right back up. At least I can see my depth gauge though! That sounds pretty freaky without even a foot of vis!

[Navy OnStar]

I had to turn on the audible tone for my computer to tell me when I was low on air (1000psi). Our max depth was about 20ft. Even with the backlight on the computer and it pressed against my mask I still couldn't read the numbers while doing the search. I could finally see when I hit about 5ft. and the sun finally showed through the silt. Judging ascent rate was tough.