Fossil diving in south
carolina is some of the best in the country. Expect a lot more content in this
area Soon. In the meantime check out the pictures and the Fossil discussion.
Many thanks To Paul Culver for writing the following Primer for South Carolina
Fossil Divers.
Fossil diving in south
carolina is some of the best in the country. Expect a lot more content in this
area Soon. In the meantime check out the pictures and the Fossil discussion.
Many thanks To Paul Culver for writing the following Primer for South Carolina
Fossil Divers.
How to be a Cooper River fossil diver by Paul
Culver
Fossil diving in the fast, dark waters of the Cooper River in South Carolina can
be an exhilirating and rewarding challenge for adventurous divers. Between 2-15
million years ago the eastern half of South Carolina was covered by a shallow
sea. Huge predators plied the shallow coastal waters and large mammals moved in
to forage in the coastal swamps and bogs as the sea receeded between 10,000 and
1.6 million years ago. Evidence of their existence can still be found today,
especially by local divers in rivers and tributaries which have cut deep into
the geological layers of the Ashley marl and the Hawthorne formation, a layer
containing a mix of of fossils from four epochs: the Oligocene, Pliocene,
Miocene, and the Pleistocene. As huge marine predators such as the Carcharocles
megalodon and other ancient shark species of the Miocene-Pliocene epochs(2-15
million years ago) fed or died, their exfoliated teeth dropped to the sea floor
and later became part of a fossil record that, as the sea retreated eastward,
mixed with the bones and teeth of amphibians and large land mammals of the
Pleistocene epoch(10,000-1.6 million years ago) such as beavers,horses,giant
sloths, bison, mastodons, and even saber-toothed cats among others. Although
this is a very simplified description of the geological layers formed by the
last 15 million years of SC coastal ecology, the result is a wonderful mixed bag
of incredible fossils that have been eroded from the geologic layers of the
Cooper River and lie in expansive fossil beds waiting to be discovered by diving
enthusiasts. Diving the Cooper River is not to be taken lightly. Care needs to
be taken when choosing tides for your dive plan (unless you want to end up in
Charleston Harbor!). Diving the East Branch of the Cooper seems a little more
forgiving while the West Branch has not only tidal influence on current, but
also at times increased current from water drawn through the Jeffries
hydroelectric plant at the head of the Tailrace Canal. Usually the best tides to
dive for good visibility are the last hour and a half of the ebb(outgoing) tide
and the first hour and a half of the flood(incoming) tide, with time for a
sandwich and a tank change in between. Be aware that eddies, extreme tides, and
dead low tides can cause visibility to drop to zero due to suspension of algae
in the water column. Except during extreme tides or abundant rains when
turbidity from silt can be a factor, visibility seems to be affected by two
factors: suspended algae and tannin. Suspended algae levels are directly related
to water temperature. Therefore it goes without saying that diving the Cooper in
the winter and enduring cold water temperatures is rewarded with awesome
visibility. The heat of the summer, when water temperatures hover near 86
degrees, causes visibility to plummet as suspended algae can make it appear like
you are diving in a blizzard white out. It's very hard to see your hand in front
of your face, let alone fossils on the bottom. Tannin on the other hand doesn't
seem to be any problem. Yes, it will cut down on light penetration or optical
clarity of the water, but it's the tint or stain that you notice to the water
instead of physical particles suspended in the water column that definitely
inhibit visibility or disperse your light beam. The Edisto River is a good
example of tannin stained water. So now, with a little background, let's go
divin'! First get yourself a good tide chart that shows the tides' varying
stages and their time differentials off the Harbor tide. These are available at
most local dive shops. You may need to buy one of those charts of the Cooper
River from Walmart so you will know landmarks that are used on the tide charts
if you are not familiar with them. You will need something to help pull you
along the bottom in the swift current...so take a long , cheap screwdriver and
drill a hole in the handle to add a lanyard for your wrist. This simple tool
will become invaluable for various tasks. I use mine to help anchor myself to
the river bottom and to pull myself along to cut back on exertion when there is
a stronger current. This seems to make my air last much longer. Also if you need
to adjust your gear or rest, just anchor yourself to the bottom with your
screwdriver and adjust away without worry of being swept down the river. Use at
least a six C cell primary light. If you can afford an HID light, get one for
river diving. They are particularly picky, but fantastic for the dark river.
You'll also need a tag line anywhere from 50-75' behind the boat in case you
come up and miss the boat. And don't think it can't happen. Don't forget to put
your motor in gear or raise it out of the water, or the current free spinning
your prop will wrap up your tag line shortening it greatly and making for a real
mess. And I strongly recommend polypropylene rope, as it floats quite well. Also
get a good danforth type anchor so you can anchor well in sand, clay, or mud and
a collection bag for your finds. OK! Let's go! Find a spot you would like to try
or pry the location of a good fossil bed from someone and check your tide chart.
Get there about two hours before your chart says it will be low tide where you
want to dive. This gives you a good hour to anchor, drink some gator aid and get
geared up. Put up your dive flag, put out your tag line, and get in the water
about an hour and fifteen minutes before low tide AT YOUR LOCATION. Go down the
anchor rope with your dive buddy and set the anchor if you don't have a bubble
watcher in the boat. Then work into the current along the bottom looking for
fossils and artifacts. I work into the current so if I have to surface early or
if there is still a little current at the end of my dive, I can just float back
to the boat. When you are ready to surface, watch your gauges. At 15 feet, do a
SAFETY STOP. There is a lot of traffic in the Cooper River,especially on the
weekends and holidays, and the River is narrow in places. Weekend warriors don't
all know what a dive flag is. Coming to the surface is probably the most
dangerous part of fossil diving, so BE CAREFUL!! I highly recommend a safety
sausage. Once you've listened for boat motors at your 15' safety stop, ascend
waving your hand or "swingin' your sausage"and get back in the boat to refresh
yourself and get a fresh tank to dive the the first hour or so of the incoming.
Congratulations! You are now a fossil diver!
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