Swim-search dive in Ocean Pit Harleston to look for a lost mobile phone.

• Divers: Ken, James
• Max Depth: 6.1
• Dive Time: 34
• Water temperature: 18C
• Viz: 2 metres to  0!

Having been given the approximate location of the lost phone we initially paddled out in a Canadian canoe and dropped a marker buoy at the spot.  Back onshore we got dressed-in then finned back to the buoy (100m) to commence the dive to the bottom.  The water depth was about 4m and the lake bottom was very silty/muddy reducing the viz to practically zero.
We conduct a swim search around the (buoy) sinker weight comprising two concentric circles using a knotted line.  We quickly realised that finding a phone in the mirk was nigh on impossible so aborted the attempt after 10-15mins of trying, surfaced then finned back towards the shore before diving again and swimming to the beach on a compass bearing.  The water depth varied between 2m to 6m and the viz nil and 2m.  We were attached using a 2m buddy line.  After reaching the foreshore we then gently finned just above the bottom along the edge in a northerly direction through weed with generally a sandy bottom (2m to 3m depth) and improved viz (2m).  There were some small fish and fresh water mussels and James found a single dive fin and an empty beer bottom.
Dive data:

• 1st dive started 1114hrs, 11mins, 4.4m max depth
• 2nd dive started 1138hrs, 23mins, 6.1m max depth

Water temp 18C to 20C