Choice of Tank color for visibality

Loony Tunes <loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> pounded away at his
keyboard resulting in:
:I am looking to purchase all basic equipment and one of my concerns is
:visibility, particularly the ability to see each other at the greatest
:range. We are located in north New York State (USA) so most of our
:diving locally will be fresh water of moderate to low visibility. Given
:the size of the tank, I assume that the choice of tank color could make
:a significant difference in visibility. The information I have seen on
:color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
:
:Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?

Yellow is the easiest colour to see underwater. Lime green is also
good. Blue is not bad.

Regarding visibility, the colour of your fins is more significant than
the colour of your tanks.

Dan Bracuk
Is it my imagination, or do Buffalo Wings taste like chicken?
The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/


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On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:26:20 GMT, Loony Tunes
<loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

>the size of the tank, I assume that the choice of tank color could make
>a significant difference in visibility. The information I have seen on
>color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
>
>Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?

Galvanized is going to turn white.
Yellow is going to turn white.
Blue is going to get darker.
Red is going to turn black.
If there's no light, there's no light.
Particulate matter coupled with no light compounds the problem.
The tank color will only help if you never take your eyes off of it.

Why would you be too far from your buddy to be able to see or touch
them when in low viz?

The solution is to get BRIGHT lights with a good, solid, sharp beam.
10 or 18 watt HID looks like a lightsaber and is FAR easier to see at
geater distances than a colored piece of equipment. The little C4 is
neat for looking in holes, but useless for signalling in low viz.



--- Rich
http://richlockyer.tripod.com/

On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:26:20 GMT, Loony Tunes <loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

>Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?
I own and dive Yellow, White and galvanized, and I have chased and dived with
all the other standard colors.

White is (by far) the most visible under almost all conditions. I haven't seen the conditions
where some other color (yellow) is better, I just assume they exist somewhere.


safe diving,

bullshark

Loony Tunes wrote:
> I am just getting back into SCUBA and bringing the whole family this time.
>
> I am looking to purchase all basic equipment and one of my concerns is
> visibility, particularly the ability to see each other at the greatest
> range. We are located in north New York State (USA) so most of our
> diving locally will be fresh water of moderate to low visibility. Given
> the size of the tank, I assume that the choice of tank color could make
> a significant difference in visibility. The information I have seen on
> color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
>
> Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?

Thanks all. It isn't so much a case of getting too far away from a
buddy, but rather papa duck wants the best chance to catch sight of an
errant duckling.. Also I have been diving in local waters (25-30 years
ago) and so know what low visibility is like. Mama bear and Goldilocks
haven't. Being better able see one another will mean one less thing to
concern a neophyte.

In article <Rsxjd.44814$JS4.33894@twister.nyroc.rr.com>, Loony Tunes
<loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

€ It isn't so much a case of getting too far away from a
€ buddy, but rather papa duck wants the best chance to catch sight of an
€ errant duckling..

We don't need ducklings who need to be watched, and we don't need
anyone who thinks tank color will help anything.

It's one of the marks of ignorance, particularly once it's been
explained to you.

--
"We're going to rush the hijackers."
-Jeremy Glick, aboard United Airlines flight 93, September 11, 2001

Flourescent colors, esp yellow-green work well at depth because they take
the ultraviolet (which punches through water even better than blue) and
change
it to another color.

On the surface: hot pink. I've got a friend with hot pink tanks, and when
she pops up,
she is instantly visible, even a quarter mile a way. No question of diver
vs sea lion,
it's KATHY.

However, my personal choice is galvanized. They look the same after ten
years as new,
no paint chips, and they don't dominate photographs.


"bullshark" <bullshark@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:ad5to09pme16i0md5g4csa9fqjs70pc5sf@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:26:20 GMT, Loony Tunes
> <loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?
> I own and dive Yellow, White and galvanized, and I have chased and dived
> with
> all the other standard colors.
>
> White is (by far) the most visible under almost all conditions. I haven't
> seen the conditions
> where some other color (yellow) is better, I just assume they exist
> somewhere.
>
>
> safe diving,
>
> bullshark

Loony Tunes wrote:
> Loony Tunes wrote:
>> I am just getting back into SCUBA and bringing the whole family this
>> time. I am looking to purchase all basic equipment and one of my concerns
>> is visibility, particularly the ability to see each other at the
>> greatest range. We are located in north New York State (USA) so
>> most of our diving locally will be fresh water of moderate to low
>> visibility. Given the size of the tank, I assume that the choice of
>> tank color could make a significant difference in visibility. The
>> information I have seen
>> on color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
>>
>> Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?


Yellow is the most visible color underwater and probably the best choice.
When your choice of color for most SCUBA gear was black I painted the bottom
of my fins yellow so people could follow me more easily and recieved
frequent comments about it. A couple of years ago I was doing a class in
very limited visibility and one of the other instructors had gloves with
yellow finger tips. They always showed up first.

However if it's identification rather than visibilty that you are after just
pick some color that few people like and put some big decals on the things.

Also ignore Mr Macho aka Jammer six, he had to use his MA after the title.

"Loony Tunes" wrote

>I am just getting back into SCUBA and bringing the whole family this time.
>
> I am looking to purchase all basic equipment and one of my concerns is
> visibility, particularly the ability to see each other at the greatest
> range. We are located in north New York State (USA) so most of our diving
> locally will be fresh water of moderate to low visibility. Given the size
> of the tank, I assume that the choice of tank color could make a
> significant difference in visibility. The information I have seen on
> color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
>
> Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?

Sure. If you're just getting back into scuba and you are bringing your
family with you, learn to stay close enough to one another for the color of
your tank not to matter.

Lee

"Rich Lockyer" wrote

> Why would you be too far from your buddy to be able to see or touch
> them when in low viz?

Right.

> The solution is to get BRIGHT lights with a good, solid, sharp beam.
> 10 or 18 watt HID looks like a lightsaber and is FAR easier to see at
> geater distances than a colored piece of equipment. The little C4 is
> neat for looking in holes, but useless for signalling in low viz.

What a shame you had to follow the correct response with this junk.

Lee

Loony Tunes <loonytunesNOSPAM@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message news:<ggqjd.88096$l07.2422@twister.nyroc.rr.com>.. .
> I am just getting back into SCUBA and bringing the whole family this
> time.
>
> I am looking to purchase all basic equipment and one of my concerns is
> visibility, particularly the ability to see each other at the greatest
> range. We are located in north New York State (USA) so most of our
> diving locally will be fresh water of moderate to low visibility. Given
> the size of the tank, I assume that the choice of tank color could make
> a significant difference in visibility. The information I have seen on
> color penetration of water may not be applicable to dark waters.
>
> Are there any recommendations or guidelines in this regard?

Fluorescent colors have my vote, both for tanks and fins. I agree with
the poster about fins because the movement will catch one's eye
quicker. After dawdling on a photo subject and trying to rejoin my
buddy, his bright yellow fins seemed like strobes flashing as I caught
up to him.

Chasing a lost fin in the surf works out a lot better if it's a bright
color, too! 8^)

Dave C (Please note- the above email address is defunct)

Source/supplier of PURE TALC for drysuit latex seals. If interested,
contact dcalderbankATcheshireDOTnet, or check eBay auctions (eBay ID
dave4868). Thanks.