Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt. Redbeard
Rich: Aren't those called aqua thermoclines? Been 20 years since I was in dive school.
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Totally different.
A thermocline is when there is a separation layer at a particular depth. I've been out at Catalina where it's felt like about a 10 degree difference between 35ft and 40ft... but the thermometer on my computer doesn't pick it up very well because it's warmed by my wrist. We always joke about temps on a particular dive being "60 Suunto degrees" meaning it was actually anywhere from 50 to 55 at max depth.
Coldest I've been in was low 40s in Lake Folsom (and pea-soup visibility) for an advanced skills class.
Glad I have a drysuit... but my fingers and face were still numb after 8 hours in that lake!
I'm talking about cruising along straight and level and the temperature suddenly drops (or increases) and then returns to normal.
On the back side of Catalina at Farnsworth Bank, there are actually some fresh water hot springs that are a real treat to swim past... The fresh water mixing with the salt water forms a "halocline", similar to the distortion in the air above a hot road or hood... the distortion makes it impossible to focus on anything through it.