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Deep River Sniping with Scuba Gear

gavin		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 11:01:47 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Anyone come across people sniping for good at the bottom of deeper rivers using scuba gear? Visibility tends to be pretty good in most rivers? I guess there might be a bit of danger involved with currents in rivers like the Buller and Shotover? Might be something an operator like Dive Queenstown might be able to help out with I guess if no-one's come across anyone doing anything like it here. They advertise drift diving in the Clutha as one of the tours they do.
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gingerbreadman		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 12:48:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Its a wonder ther allowed to do that as a business wouldnt take much to end up witha face full of rock lol....if you were going to go sniping deep pools or even shallow 1,s for that matter youd be far better off with a hookah system of some sort that way you can stay under for hours at a time theyv got those battrey 1,s have you seen them..? ther farely price,y .though i did see some for around $600 usd somewere on the net.

gavin		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 4:45:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Yes, seen those ones that take a feed from the surface. Don't think they'd work so well in a fast flowing river though :P Quite amusing seeing those guys go down the Clutha - looks quite fast. Was wondering about the rocks flying by and potential for knocking yourself out! Guess I'd need to work out some method of anchoring if trying to snipe while scuba diving in a river like that. Would be very frustrating to spot a nice nugget then get whipped down stream - doubt it's possible to swim against a current like that! Just idle musing anyway at the moment ;)
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MD369		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 4:55:59 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 2/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 26 Location: West Coast Thanks: 4 times Was thanked: 5 time(s) in 5 post(s)		I have spent more than 20 years mucking around in rivers - drift diving, raft guiding, kayaking, etc, etc and used to work as a Hydrologist, so spent quite a bit of time under water servicing & installing river gauges and height recorders in different rivers. Scuba gear can be used perfectly safely in rivers - but of course every situation is different & should be assessed for all hazards & dangers. I have not tried sniping, but can't see any reason why not. I have spent a lot of time on the Buller and would be extremely wary of diving a powerful river like this - I have a permanent shoulder injury from a kayaking accident on the Buller in 1994 during which I was held down by the current for a long & worrying time! There are lots of hazards on rivers that can bite the unwary, but if you have the right experience and training it's pretty easy to pick the safe places to dive & stay away from the dodgy ones! Reminds me of about 6 or 7 years ago I was drift diving the Karamea River just below the gorge checking out the trout - I was swimming down a rapid, all bubbles & white water, & stuck my head up to check my line down the river and discovered a jet boat heading right up the middle of the rapid I was swimming down! Managed to avoid him OK, but lucky I looked up when I did. Anyway, low summer flows would generally be the best - good viz, warmer and less power in the river. Be interesting to hear how you get on. The guys running suction dredges can run a compressor from the same motor driving the pump. This feeds air direct to the diver.

gavin		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 5:10:20 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		Thanks for that MD369 - I guess I need to find some calm water if I want to give it a go. Makes sense like you say to go in the summer when the water should be calmer (and hopefully a little warmer!). Dive Queenstown also replied with the following: I am sure some people have looked for gold in rivers before, its certainly easy in pools and still sections with good visibility. However there are definitely dangers in all river drift diving especially bigger and faster ones. We do our tours in small groups with a guide/instructor ratio of 1:1 on 2:1 to keep everyone safe and have very thorough briefings before every dive. The obvious dangers are rocks and strong powerful currents, but in unknown rivers you can get into trouble with fallen tree branches, whirlpools, eddies or roots overhanging the sides. Our head guide has extensive knowledge and hundreds of logged dives in the stretch of river we operate and we can play with it because we know whats there. Warnings taken! ;) Edited by user Monday, 9 August 2010 5:10:56 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified
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gingerbreadman		Posted : Monday, 9 August 2010 7:32:38 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 19/07/2010(UTC) Posts: 473 Location: south of the black stump Thanks: 34 times Was thanked: 96 time(s) in 74 post(s)		Yea like you said gavin in swifter water youd have to ancor a hookah but haveing said that its a lot easer in swift water when you are useing it as opposed to useing tanks as when your scuba diveing your wearing a lot more gear that catch,s the current were as hookah youv just got a air line attached to a harness round you chest with a great big weight belt round your waist...some fellas even put weights round ther legs!! and when your dredging you can suck a hole in the gravle lie in it so as not to get swept down and just keep extending your hole . pluss some of the new,r compressors can pump a fear amount of air my,n is good for 2 divers with 25 foot of hose each the only draw back would be carting the motor around as ther not that light especally if you wanted to wander a fare way but you could sit it ona tube and float it!! actually if youv gota bit of dosh!!...oleo mac make a wicked 2 stroke motor i think its 2 or 2.5 hp and it only weighs about 10 pound and fits into a pack real good id say that would run a compressor nicel,y...probly be quite a weapon!!....someing to think about anyway... Edited by user Monday, 9 August 2010 7:37:04 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

gavin		Posted : Tuesday, 10 August 2010 6:24:19 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Administrators, Registered Joined: 20/02/2010(UTC) Posts: 1,326 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 736 times Was thanked: 535 time(s) in 287 post(s)		For the sniping side of things I think I'm leaning towards the more mobile and stealthy scuba tank option at the moment ;)
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starflash		Posted : Monday, 16 August 2010 2:31:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 16/08/2010(UTC) Posts: 192 Location: auckland, tairua Thanks: 18 times Was thanked: 38 time(s) in 30 post(s)		scuba does not work as you dont have enough bottom time and the expence of comp air would not make it viable, i have used an 8hp hookah rig overseas which worked really well however the system required is very expensive. you would be looking at $2400US if purchsed over there from keene or similar. they have an agent in nz but the mark up is just to great. best just to hold your breath