Low Visibility Diving Without Getting Flustered

Low visibility Diving? That’s how I met my husband.

No, he wasn’t underwater. He was talking to another girl, trying to impress her with tales of diving adventures.

He was telling her he was a police scuba diver and described a blind rescue in a swamp where drug traffickers had dumped their stash to evade the police.

‘It wasn’t water, it was mud. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, so I had to feel my way along the ground with my hands,’ he told her.

And I thought, ‘How does this guy manage low visibility diving without getting flustered?’

So, I asked him.

And because he wanted to show off and can tell you a lot in a short time, he talked about diving reels, communicating with sounds, and moving tied to his dive buddy.

Then I said to him… ‘Hold on, hold on, hold on. Sorry, but I’m missing a lot here. Explain it slowly so I can understand.’ So, he started explaining and forgot about the other girl.

‘Ok,’ he replied, ‘This is how I manage low visibility diving…'”

1. Why Low Visibility Diving if You’re a Recreational Diver?

Given how daunting low visibility diving can be for most, we could call it “chocodiving.” You can barely see anything because the water in front of you is pure mud, for example. Or it is so dark that you only see black water. Then your mind starts to imagine dangers hidden there, lurking. You might lose your buddy, become disoriented, or—bam!—crash into something you didn’t see coming.

Technical divers are used to it; they spend their lives in the dark, whether due to depth or caves. On the other hand, it’s understandable why a police officer would dive with low visibility—they have to get into the muck; it’s their job, and they get paid for it. But why would a recreational diver, who can go scuba diving in Cozumel with infinite Caribbean visibility, do it?

Well, some enjoy low visibility diving precisely for that adrenaline rush. For them, facing the darkness or a cloud of sediment is like playing a difficult level of their favorite video game. Other divers see it almost as a form of meditation. Enhancing concentration on what is important and being fully present are essential skills for diving with reduced visibility.

Others simply have no choice. There are no clear waters nearby, and the desire to dive doesn’t stop! If you have to pass through London’s submerged fog to see that World War II shipwreck, so be it.

There is a third type of diver, whom we’ll call treasure hunters, who dive into murky or completely dark waters to search for treasures. A good example could be night diving. Cave diving also involves low visibility—so low that if you don’t bring light, you can’t see anything.

These conditions may seem intimidating, but there are techniques and tools that will allow you to navigate murky waters with confidence.

2. The Challenges of Diving in Low Visibility

Poor underwater visibility can be caused by various factors:

Suspended particles such as sand, sediments, or algae become the main actors, blurring colors and shapes. Sometimes, you might encounter murky waters where the visibility is so poor that you could bump into a shark without even seeing it, or so your brain imagines.

Sunlight weakens with depth, creating an almost nocturnal environment. Adverse weather conditions can cloud the water as if you were diving in pea soup. Pollution can be another cause of low visibility.

Diving in murky waters is definitely not for beginners.

Orienting yourself is like looking for a needle in a haystack: Say goodbye to guiding yourself by sight. A compass and close references will become your new best friends.

Communication becomes more difficult. Whistles and lights will be your allies.

You might lose your buddy. You will need to rely entirely on your ears and hands.

If things get rough and you don’t feel safe, it’s best to abort the mission.

There’s no shame in turning back. Your life is more important than any dive. You can make this decision before diving or at any time during the dive. Underwater visibility can vary greatly, and diving in low visibility, poor water visibility, or even near-zero visibility requires you to be alert and prepared.

3. How to Face Low Diving Visibility

3.1. Prepare Yourself Mentally for Diving with Limited Visibility

Don’t let fear blind you even more!

Do you have little experience with low visibility diving conditions and suddenly find yourself in such a situation? Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit of panic. Water visibility can be a great challenge, and panic is one of a diver’s worst enemies and can lead you to dangerous situations. The key? Be prepared. Training for when visibility becomes difficult will help you stay calm.

Forget improvisation.

Before diving into murky waters, study the area and do a mental rehearsal of the dive. Thoroughly review safety protocols with your team, ensuring everyone knows how to react to any unforeseen events.

Many scenarios can be mastered with specialized courses. You will learn techniques in the course and develop others with practice and experience. A course in poor visibility diving or advanced wreck, cavern, or night diving will prepare you for the unexpected. The skills you learn will serve you well in muddy waters and make you a more complete diver.

Thus, if visibility suddenly decreases, you will breathe deeply and calmly, consider your options, and quickly devise strategies. Knowing you can navigate a challenging situation will greatly calm you and prevent panic.

3.2. The Equipment You Need during Low Visibility Diving

If you’re diving in low visibility, you need to keep your eyes wide open (even if it doesn’t seem like it!). We’re talking about murky waters where you can’t see a thing. So, you need the right gadgets.

• Wide-Beam Flashlights: They light the way, but be careful—they can be a double-edged sword. If the water is full of particles, the light illuminates them and you get the opposite effect. You see less but very clearly. Point the flashlight downward and adjust the intensity.
• Strobe Light: These are like camera flashes that turn on and off. Ideal for marking entry and exit points in the water when you can’t see anything. You can also attach it to your tank—a flash and you’ll be seen instantly.
• Be Bright! In low visibility waters, forget the black suit. If you’re dressed in black with a mask and all the gear, you look like a ninja anchovy. You need to stand out like a fair. Wear bright colors. Diving instructors often do this to draw attention to themselves so students don’t get lost.
• Reels and Lines: If you know how to use them, you can return to where you came from with minimal visibility. Learn to handle them in a cavern, cave, or wreck diving course.
• Buddy Line: Ideal for staying close to your buddy and not losing sight of them. It’s a short rope (to avoid tangles) that attaches to the gear with carabiners or a wrist loop.
• Compass: Your best friend in the dark. In reduced visibility, the compass becomes your best ally. It helps you navigate underwater without getting lost. If you’re using the compass on your dive computer, make sure to calibrate it before diving.
• Delayed Surface Marker Buoy (DSMB): Essential for surfacing safely.
• A Knife: If you get tangled in lines or seaweed, believe me, it will come in handy.

3.3. Skills And Techniques for Diving in Reduced Visibility

Use reels. Who said reels are only for caves or wrecks? If you know the water will be murky during your dive, use one. Attach the reel to something near the anchor (not directly to the anchor in case it’s raised) and unwind it as you progress. Some technical divers tie the reel line to the lifeline at 100 feet/30 meters to ascend directly to that depth for their decompression stop. Always retrace your steps.

Proceed at a slow, steady pace. Reducing your pace in low-visibility diving helps you maintain better discipline and improve crucial aspects: buoyancy control is easier without frantic kicking, you’ll use less air, and avoiding unnecessary wandering reduces the risk of getting lost. Plus, you can listen – wrecks often make sounds.

Hand signals are different: When visibility is zero, communicate with your buddy using light or touch signals. These are the only ways to understand each other.

Utilize your underwater navigation skills. Again, preparation is crucial in low-visibility diving. Find reference points: rocks, pinnacles, bends, the seafloor, even your bubbles (which always ascend). Heavier objects like your gauge hang downward. Knowing your relative position to these elements makes orientation easier even with low visibility.

Stick to the reef and avoid open areas: If you went with the wall on your right, return with it on your left. And for goodness’ sake, use your compass to avoid unwanted direction changes.

Lifeline buoys are your best friends in low visibility diving. They constantly indicate your position to the surface boat, assist in your descent and ascent, and help keep you on course if attached to something at the bottom.

Deploy an SMB if lost: If you’re spinning around, deploying an SMB signals the surface. In a current, tie it to the dive site to prevent drifting further.

Ascend safely and respect decompression stops.

Buoyancy control is crucial in low visibility diving to avoid stirring up sediment. Kicking wildly will raise all the muck from the bottom, especially in confined spaces like caves, making visibility even worse.

Help your buddies: If you’re at the end of the line, a clumsy diver stirring up silt will obliterate your visibility. How considerate!

3.4. The Best Dive Buddy for Poor Visibility Is the One You Don’t Lose

The most important thing in low visibility diving is not losing sight of your buddy. Have a joint dive plan that includes how to maintain contact even when you can’t see each other. Practice signals before diving. In very poor visibility, hand signals won’t work. Decide on how to communicate: taps on the tank, flashlight signals, holding hands…

Buddy diving is essential: but let’s admit it, in crystal-clear water we sometimes relax a bit. Mistake! In murky waters, discipline is paramount: stay close to your buddy (if necessary, tie yourselves with a buddy line), communicate constantly, and dive as a team. The extra safety from perfect collaboration is worth it. Four eyes are better than two!

4. What Do Divers Learn from Low Visibility Diving?

Appreciate clear water: If you got your diving certification in the Caribbean and then dive in murky water, you’ll notice the difference. Murky water will make you appreciate good visibility like never before.

Improve concentration: With low visibility, you must pay attention to everything: your surroundings, where you are, and where your buddy is. There are no colorful fish to watch, so you check your gauge and depth meter more often. You become a super-aware diver, like a pilot flying through fog.

Take diving to the next level: In murky waters, you rely on all your diving skills. Use a compass to maintain your course, control your buoyancy to avoid stirring up silt, and use bubbles to know your position… you use pro techniques!

The ultimate compatibility test with your dive buddy: Low visibility diving tests your dive buddy. Maintaining contact, communicating blindly, providing support – if you succeed, you’ll be unbeatable!

In summary: Low visibility diving can be challenging and disorienting, but with the right preparation and equipment, it is doable. Master navigation techniques, stay calm, and use tools like flashlights and compasses. Poor visibility diving enhances concentration, makes you use all your diver resources, and strengthens collaboration with your buddy.