# Visibility in the Gulf



## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Ok, all you gurus, what are the key factors that determine the visibility out in the gulf? Wave action, wind direction, rain??????? Is there any way to come to an educated guess on the visibility before you head out other than simply showing up and diving. It seems like the last two months has been pretty bad viz and I was just wondering if there was any way to predict it at all.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Good question John. I think there are WAY to many variables to accurately predict it though, like the wweather, hurricane tracking, ect.

I do nothere are fee based thermal imaging sites of the gulf, and they can give you a real good idea of current conditions at that moment, to see breaks from green to blue water, ect. I know tuna fishers and suck use them.

Was a madder? dont like 5 foot viz with big sharks??? oke hee hee...me neither


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

> *Clay-Doh (3/31/2008)*
> 
> Was a madder? dont like 5 foot viz with big sharks??? oke hee hee...me neither


Don't mind 5 foot viz. And don't mind big sharks. What I do mind is whenyou combine 5 foot viz and big sharks. Trust me Clay, what good is that powerhead of yours when the shark has already bit your ass because you didn't see it coming.

I'm just ready for that 50+ foot visibility to come back.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

High winds from the south cause bad vis. Also rain and the weather up north will effect the vis. When things start to thaw out up North the Mississippi and Alabama rivers bring dirty water down to us. Some years if we have vis over 10 feet before the freezes up North in the fallwe are lucky. Last year with not much rain we had good vis most of the year. And last fall and Winter were one of the clearest i've seen it in 30 years. Whenever the current comes from the West the vis gets worse East current usually means clearer water. And hurricanes means at least two weeks with bad vis. With all the flooding going on up North I would guess this year will be about a 10 foot average (Hope I am wrong)


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

> *sealark (3/31/2008)*High winds from the south cause bad vis.


Really, I and others were of the thought that south winds would blow in the clear blue water. Why do south winds bring bad viz?


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

I think the chlorofil that gets up and clouds the water is one of the biggest reasons. Note the "blue water" is Way out there.
















Looking forward to getting out with you and my Shark Shield just for those 5' days



:toast

Stressless


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

HIGH south winds tend to stir the bottom up. Light south winds dont stir it that much. I found that the east current is what brings the clear water in not the south winds. I have seen the winds blow from the south for weeks and have a west current with bad vis. Also South winds with a East current good vis. Everything I state are from past observations. Just when you think you have everything figured out mother nature throws another factor into the equasion and everything goes to shit. Soooo go figure.....:reallycrying:doh


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Well as soon as this global warming hurrys up and does it thing, we will have good viz from all that clear glacier water flooding in. Also when the red snapper go icstint (any day now) it will clear up cuz there wont be so much red snapper poopy in the water. :letsdrink


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## bmoore (Oct 10, 2007)

You guys that get out during the week please keep us posted and up to date for the weeend warriors.

I've always heard anything from the east. wind currents will bring clear water. West=fud. This is the worst I have seen it. when you are getting 10-20ft 20+ miles offshore that is awful!


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Ok, is there anyway to see which way the general current is moving in the gulf???????? I know the current can change in any given area, but what about the overall gulf current if there is such a thing. Just trying to understand something here. If they can throw darts at a dartboard about the weather forecast, someone somewhere has to have come up with a system for underwater condition predictions. But that would just be too easy.

I think I'll start my own Viz reporting service and get paid to be wrong 80% of the time. That's what the weather guys get paid to do, so nothing would be out of the ordinary.


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