2013-03-05 20:31 hbos copepod soup

Divers : John, Kacper, Axel,
Goal : Visibility reading check difference between plate and printed/laminated version, looking around at depth
Max depth : 19.4 mtr
Duration : 55 minutes
Air temp : 12.0 celsius
Water temp : 3,0 celsius minimum
Fish: > 1 Zander at 7 mtr, Copepods soup in dive area and under Paviljoen, extremely active (hunting) shrimp.< 10 bigger Ruffe spread between 12 and 17 mtr depth. < 10 smaller Perch. 
Baseline visibility:  7,5 mtr (trespa plate)
Baseline visibility:  6,5 mtr (printed version)
Secchi visibility:  10.5 mtr
Plants: Elodea , individual small plants grow at banks. Elodea in unrooted (tumbleweed like) bushes remain constant being covered with a thin layer of sediment.

Comment:In the dive area left from the Paviljoen a soup of copepods is very active, but funny enough only in the dusty area. As soon as you come into clearer areas the copepods are less concentrated. So divers that agitate sediment, attracts copepods and shrimp that feed on these copepods. With regardds to visibility reading, Kacper was curious what the difference between a printed version and the trespa plate was. Printed version gives about 1 meter less, because the lines are not as white as the trespa version.
After visibility we went for the deep. Again in the dusty areas more copepods are active. Loads of shrimp under and near blocks of clay. We went east from the middle and had to swim quite a bit. 
The slopes of the NW bank are sandy and very bare apart from a small Elodea here and there. 
Near the drum a cloud of very active copepods again.
Very nice dive, with warm hands after 7 years of coldwater diving thanks to GNT gloves. 
Area A,D,B