Had a close call with a silt cloud in a New Orleans canal last month

We were doing a simple valve inspection in about 15 feet of water. The viz was okay, maybe 5 feet, until my partner on the surface kicked his fins too hard right above me. The whole bottom just erupted into a black cloud. I went from seeing my gauges to zero viz in maybe two seconds. I froze for a second, which was stupid. Had to feel my way back to the shot line by touch alone. Now I make sure the whole team, topside included, knows to move slow and keep clear directly over the work area. That minute of blind panic was enough for me. Anyone else had to change their surface support routine after something like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkermorgan2mo ago

Man, that sounds rough. You're right to focus on the surface team, but the real fix is a better plan for zero viz. Freezing happens, so you need a drill for it. We practice grabbing the umbilical or hose and hand-over-handing back to the tender. Just feeling for the shot line can get you turned around if the silt is bad.

robert2462mo ago

So you practice grabbing the hose in the dark? That sounds like a great way to find out if your tender is making coffee or taking a nap.

anderson.jason2mo ago

Gotta ask, is a little silt cloud really that big of a deal? It's just bad viz, not a gear failure. You found the line and got out fine. Changing whole team routines for a one-time scare seems like overkill. Most dives go fine without all that extra drill stuff. Panic is a personal problem to manage, not always a sign the plan was bad.