How Dive Sites are Evaluated
Preliminary Information: First, we have to know the site exists. We rely on reports of our fellow divers to identify locations where there's enough interest to warrant a report and site visit. For example, we had no idea anyone dived Scofield. Or sometimes we just drop by a lake on our way to somewhere else. If it looks promising, we'll put it on our "future places to dive" list.
Once we've decided to include a lake on the dive site, we hit the books to find altitude, thaw times, etc. We call dive shops near the site to ask questions (and usually learn very little -- that's why this web site can help you). Once we know a fair amount about the lake, we visit the site to double-check the information, take some measurements, and take pictures.
Site Visit: At the site, Bruce takes an "above-water" picture. Using a Canon Rebel G with zoom and polarizer, he tries to capture the feel of the site. Then we dive. We use the dive spots that other divers would be most likely to use, not necessarily the spots that would be most awesome.
For example, our site visit at Fish Lake consisted of stops at several points along the north shore, checking the facilities, beach, and water. We went over to the south shore. Three divers spent eight hours at the lake, doing three dives of differing type. Our "team" is sometimes as few as two divers, or as many as six. Our group has both experienced divers and newer divers, so we get different perspectives on the site.
| Bruce | SSI Master, >300 dives, 10 years | Photographer, "been-there, done-that" view |
| Dominic | PADI, >100 dives, 7 years | Experienced adult diver's perspective |
| Steve | SSI, >100 dives, 10 years | Experienced young adult view |
| Brian | SSI, >50 dives, 5 years | "Teen" perspective |
| Gary | SSI, >50 dives, 5 years | "Teen" perspective |
| Matt | SSI, infrequent diver, 7 years | "Occasional" diver's view |
| Mike | PADI, new cert 1998 | New diver's view |
| At most sites, we report visibility as a range, for example 12-15 feet. To get these numbers, we start at the surface. An 8-inch disk is lowered by rope. When the 2-inch "O" on the disk can no longer be seen, this is the "useful visibility." This is usually the first number we list for visibility. When the disk itself fades, this is the absolute limit of visibility. |
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At five feet depth just off shore, we record the surface temperature. This is the "summer surface temperature." As we continue down, we record the depth of the thermocline. In lakes where the thermocline is indistinct, we use the depth at which the temperature stops dropping rapidly. The temperature below the thermocline is noted. |
| Continuing downward, we look for the "depth of daytime darkness." Because eyes can adjust to low light levels if given enough time, we've arbitrarily selected the depth at which Bruce's Ocean Edge computer lights up. We write down the statistics. |
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With the statistics recorded, we begin scouting for fun things to see. We try to get a few underwater photographs to show what the lake looks like. We take three cameras: an MX-10 and MMII from Sea & Sea, and a Nikonos V. (While Bruce takes the majority of photos, Dominic and Mike also take their turn with the cameras.) We'll often shoot three or more rolls of film at a site, just to get a couple of pictures that are good enough for the site. |
Once the site visit is complete, we discuss the site's merits and agree on the "tone" of the review. Bruce picks some pictures that capture the spirit of the dive site and constructs the web page. (Because multiple cameras are used, some pictures may still be in the camera when a page is constructed.)
Pictures are scanned on a flatbed scanner and sent to the web site in a modestly compressed JPG format. While this may not give the breathtaking detail you might see at some web sites, it won't take you five minutes to load and view a page. We've struck a compromise between "pretty picture" and speed, so you can get the information you need.
The Rating: We've created a scale for the important factors that make a dive site good or bad. Because your diving interests may be quite different from ours, we report the individual items that build the overall scale on the dive site menu page. But there has to be something there to make it worth diving: either great visibility, lots of fish, fascinating underwater terrain, etc. So (perhaps unfairly) we add all the factors together to arrive at our final number. The rating is created as follows:
| Factor | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Access | pack animal or boat | long hike or swim | <150 feet or improved | easy car access |
| Visibility | less than 2 feet | 2-6 feet | 6-12 feet | over 12 feet |
| Terrain | mud flat | rocks | rock/moss/other | interesting |
| Services | wilderness | bathrooms nearby | camping, beach BRs | dive services |
| Fish | none seen | rare | easily seen | friendly, lots |
| Crayfish | none | night or under rocks | frequent | loaded |
| Wow! | waste of time | same old thing | interesting | great dive |
| Spearfish | none | allowed (Sp) |
We report the total points, then the breakdown. For example, a dive site rated 14-a2v2t1s2f1c3w2Sp has an overall rating of 14, access less than 150 feet to shore, visibility between 6 and 12 feet, terrain relatively boring rocks, services with bathrooms on the dive beach area, rare fish, tons of crayfish, an "interesting" Wow factor, and allows spearfishing. Got that?
Diver Feedback: As we hear from other divers who've been at the lake, we add information on other types of dives at that location. You might give us descriptions of other dive locations on the same body of water, or at a different depth, or a different time of year. This helps us create an accurate picture of seasonal variation of the site -- differences in water temperature or water clarity.
For example, we went to Jordanelle in mid-July and made our dive in the algae bloom after a whole day of heavy boat traffic. Naturally, we weren't impressed with the visibility. Other divers emailed to tell us Jordanelle was excellent in the fall. Our October dive at Causey featured crystal clear water. Yet we hear that in June, algae and silt from snowmelt make this reservoir murky.
Hearing from you helps us "round out" a site's description.
