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Lake Diving- What`s up with that?
Anonymous - 2/03/2008 8:36 AM
Category: Anonymous
Replies: 15

At the risk of sounding like a dive snob.. can someone please clue me in on the appeal of lake/quarry diving? I understand that it is hard to get to "true" open water diving in many parts of the US... but really what do you look at in lakes? Rusty beer cans? Maybe I am missing something here and would like someone to set me straight if possible.
Anonymous - 2/03/2008 9:31 AM
Ya know, it`s just being in the water. Maybe working on skills. If you can be comfortable and stay with your buddy in a murky lake then a tropical reef is a piece of cake. And there is the topside comraderie that goes with a day at the lake.

Plus, there are fish and plants and sunken objects like boats to look at. But ultimately, you either see the appeal or you don`t. I don`t have much use for cycling but lots of people do.
Anonymous - 2/03/2008 12:08 PM
Some Lakes are bigger than small bays and can be deeper that the limits of recreational diving. There are lakes that contain wrecks and some even have submerged towns. I would much prefer a tropical water dive with interesting sea life but if you`re land locked a lake provides a place to practice skills and log dives working towards becomming a better diver or to advance your certification.
Anonymous - 2/04/2008 1:54 PM
Just another opportunity to get wet. There are some nice scuba parks in some lakes and quarries that have been set up with alot of different things to explore. It also gives you a chance to get under and work on some skills...and of course, nothing is like a nice day or weekend out...camping...grilling...having a blast....
Anonymous - 2/04/2008 3:41 PM
Some of us just don`t have the ability to dive in the ocean on a normal day. It takes planning a major vacatin. So in the meantime, we just make the most of what we have. :)
Anonymous - 2/06/2008 8:27 AM
I`m into finding artifacts and fossils. I find more diving freshwater than anywhere else. There is also the advantage of "fresh water" for your gear ! Have you ever dove a blackwater river with current ? That`s another story and another set of skills !!!
Anonymous - 2/07/2008 4:52 PM
There are a number of things to do and look at in lakes. Beaver lake Ak. has a couple of sights for examples. The first is a cove and at about 60 ft. there are a couple of planes, a helicopter, and boats for divers to enjoy. The depth is such that all o/w divers can check it out. While it isn`t the Big Oriskani, it is kind of neat. At Starkies island, the back side is a deep rock wall that drops down into the trees from when the lake was flooded. There is very little current and the viz. is about 60-80 ft.Be on the lookout for the very large bass and striper that populate this area. While it is cold a 5mm with hood and gloves is usually plenty to keep most from getting cold. The silt usually settles on the tree limbs and is easily knocked off with one good punch to the tree trunk. When you look up the silt has an apperance of a late Dec. snow fall. It really is quite peaceful. Once back on the shore fire up the grill, pop open a cold beer,start telling lies about how big the bass really were and start planning the next days dives. The bottom line is that it is a great weekend getaway with friends or a great way to make new friends and enjoy what we all love.... Diving!
Anonymous - 2/09/2008 2:31 PM
i would say the biggest reasons people dive lakes and quarries is for certifications and practice. Its calm, relatively clear water (depending on the individual body of water), no currents, and no tides. These are perfect conditions for new divers who may already be intimidated by the gear and the idea of going under water. They get the chance to practice their skills and get comfortable before their first salt water or moving water dive. Some divers just cant get out like they want to and want to keep practicing so as not to lose their edge. Others have bought new gear and want to learn all the ins and outs before they hit the ocean with it. theres nothing like jumping off a dive boat with new gear and seeing it sink away because you didnt use it or secure it correctly. or seeing it break. or having an uncontrolled ascent because you didnt test it first in controlled conditions. its basically like going to the pool , but better. sometimes they offer lots of plant/animal life, sometimes its ledges, caverns, or caves, and lots of times it planes, cars, and other stuff. if you dont like the quarry, thats ok. if you do thats ok too. the one thing that I`ve learned in the last 2 years is that as long as you put safety first, diving is all about personal preference.
Anonymous - 2/10/2008 4:23 PM
Diving is diving if people only did it in the ocean the business wouldnt be half what it was now there are many lakes and rivers in the us with depths and great sites to see also when a hurricane hits the coast you can still dive...equipment lasts alot longer one spot we dive is a little over 100ft deep another 200ftlake was 10miles out in the gulf and it was only 101ft diving is diving..enjoy it while you can
Anonymous - 2/11/2008 2:17 PM
It started with a simple math issue. The lake is 15 minutes away and the ocean is about 4 hours away. Its easy to just take an early afternoon dive without having to go anywhere. There is plenty to see though, wrecks/fish/ and submerged trees... I live about 15 minutes from Lake Jocasse, where "Deliverance" was filmed... No I`m not related.. hehe The trees are really cool to dive, but creeps most divers out... They won`t admit it but... the water is colder but we can still do deep dives, and the clarity is way better below 100`, as most sediment stay more towards the surface, very surreal. When I did my "deep dive" during our advanced training, we were in a 3 week period that it stayed in the high 90* temps. At 107` water was 52*. I almost laughed out loud thinking as I looked to the surface that I was going to get frostbite and yet it was almost 100* just 100` above me. To check us for narcosis, our instructor gave us some long math to do on our slates, as we were writing out our equations, I noticed a "fishsickle" laying on the ledge were we were perched. It looked like a small bass, but was as if it was frozen and oblivious to us being there. I`ve had a number of fish let us swim right up and touch them. Its not as clear or warm as the ocean, but it satisfies my urge to get wet.
Anonymous - 2/11/2008 8:14 PM
Low viz, sometimes colder, enless exploration of old towns and artifacts, what`s not to like about it. Plus, your in the water.
Anonymous - 2/18/2008 9:52 AM
very simple.....you try diving anything else other than lakes ect. in colorado.
Anonymous - 2/20/2008 10:06 PM
Don`t mean to be a salt water snob, but a wet cold cavern is okay,but how many wet cold caverns and rocks can you find interesting? Hey, it`s getting wet, but I will take the gulf anytime....
Anonymous - 2/28/2008 10:42 PM
Try diving the Great Lakes sometime. 1000`s of great shipwrecks and in some places visability to compare to the tropics!
Anonymous - 3/04/2008 6:16 PM
I love my lake. I can get out on a Saturday morning and be back home with gear washed and hung to dry before noon. Three hours to nearest spring or ocean dive.
Anonymous - 3/18/2008 1:57 PM
Don`t misunderstand me as a freshwater snob! I mean 100ft+ visability, clear blue water, flashy fish and wildlife, and the hastle of having to use a big, noisy, gas guzzelling boat. I just don`t see the appeal. I mean 75 percent of the plant is salt water....been there, done that. Take a trek inland and hook up with a few hardcore, landlocked, blackwater divers! There is nothing more spine tingling than a 100ft deep NO VIZ, hardhat, blackwater, 40 degree dive. I`m not trying to come off as an asshole, truth is we all got into diving for different reasons. Some of us love 100 feet of viz and a reef exploding with life and color while others of us cant wait to don doubles and pop a little air into our wings in a Mexican cenote. Quarrys owners work hard to give their patrons tons of things to dive on; boats, planes, cars, etc. They are great places to dive. Not any better or worse than the gulf, or your local mud hole.....just different. The cool thing that binds us together in a sport where its members define themselves by the environment they dive in is the absolute love for the sport. Admit it! The first time you sucked that cold, dry air off a reg you were hooked. I was. I dive in the ocean because i love to dive, I dive in the local river for our local dive rescue team ( i joined the team because i love to dive), I dive at my local quarry because its a great place to dive, and socialize with likeminded people who love to dive. truth is most of us landlocked divers dive where we can, when we can, because we can.