Recreational diving on a loose sedimentary bottom
Muck diving is recreational diving on a loose sedimentary bottom, usually in relatively low visibility. It gets its name from the sediment that lies on the bottom at many dive sites - a frequently muddy or "mucky" environment. Other than muddy sediment, the muck dive substrate may consist of dead coral skeletons, garbage and natural detritus. The visibility is usually less than on the reef or wreck sites of the area. However, the sediment and detritus environment has a different ecology to the reef, and the "muck" substrate can be the habitat for unusual, exotic and juvenile organisms that are not found in the cleaner reef sites of the region.[1]
History
The term muck diving was first recorded as being used by Bob Halstead to describe diving off the beaches made up of black sand in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.[2]
Why people muck dive
The "muck" substrate can be the habitat for unusual, exotic and juvenile organisms that make their homes in the sediment and "trash" that compose a muck dive. The sediment and detritus environment has a different ecology to the reef. Creatures like colorful nudibranchs, anglerfish, shrimp, blue-ringed octopus, and rare pygmy seahorses may be more common, more easily found, or restricted to a sedimentary substrate.[citation needed]
Where people muck dive
The most publicised region for muck diving is Southeast Asia, where there are more marine species than anywhere else in the world. Places like Mabul and Kapalai in Sabah, Malaysia, Anilao and Dauin in the Philippines, Lembeh Straits in Manado,[3][1] Indonesia and Bali are popular because of the different creatures found in this type of bottom ecology.
Other sedimentary bottom habitats may also provide interesting ecologies, and muck diving is possible almost anywhere that recreational diving is possible.
References
- ^ a b Gronfeldt, Thomas (23 April 2015). "Diving The Muck". scubadiverlife.com. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ staff (Bottom Time). "At the Back of the Boat - Bob Halstead". Scuba Diving Magazine. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ Yevgeny Nyden. "Introduction to Muck diving at Lembeh". Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
Underwater diving
|
|
---|
Basic equipment | |
---|
Breathing gas | |
---|
Buoyancy and trim equipment | |
---|
Decompression equipment | |
---|
Diving suit | |
---|
Helmets and masks | |
---|
Instrumentation | |
---|
Mobility equipment | |
---|
Safety equipment | |
---|
Underwater breathing apparatus | |
---|
Diving equipment manufacturers | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Access equipment | |
---|
Breathing gas handling | |
---|
Decompression equipment | |
---|
Platforms | |
---|
Remotely operated underwater vehicles | |
---|
Safety equipment | |
---|
General | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Activities | |
---|
Competitions | |
---|
Equipment | |
---|
Freedivers | |
---|
Hazards | |
---|
Historical | |
---|
Organisations | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Occupations | |
---|
Underwater work | Salvage diving | - SS Egypt
- Kronan
- La Belle
- SS Laurentic
- RMS Lusitania
- Mars
- Mary Rose
- USS Monitor
- HMS Royal George
- Vasa
|
---|
|
---|
Diving contractors | |
---|
Tools and equipment | |
---|
Underwater weapons | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Specialties | |
---|
Diver organisations | |
---|
Diving tourism industry | |
---|
Diving events and festivals | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving hazards | |
---|
Diving procedures | |
---|
Risk management | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving disorders | Pressure related | Oxygen | |
---|
Inert gases | |
---|
Carbon dioxide | |
---|
Breathing gas contaminants | |
---|
|
---|
Immersion related | |
---|
|
---|
Treatment | |
---|
Personnel | |
---|
Screening | |
---|
Research | Researchers in diving physiology and medicine | |
---|
Diving medical research organisations | |
---|
|
---|
|
|
|
|
---|
Archeological sites | |
---|
Underwater art and artists | |
---|
Engineers and inventors | |
---|
Historical equipment | |
---|
Military and covert operations | - Raid on Alexandria (1941)
- Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
|
---|
Scientific projects | |
---|
Awards and events | |
---|
Incidents | Dive boat incidents | |
---|
Diver rescues | |
---|
Early diving | |
---|
Freediving fatalities | |
---|
Offshore diving incidents | - Byford Dolphin diving bell accident
- Drill Master diving accident
- Star Canopus diving accident
- Stena Seaspread diving accident
- Venture One diving accident
- Waage Drill II diving accident
- Wildrake diving accident
|
---|
Professional diving fatalities | |
---|
Scuba diving fatalities | |
---|
|
---|
|
|
Publications |
---|
Manuals | - NOAA Diving Manual
- U.S. Navy Diving Manual
- Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival
- Underwater Handbook
- Bennett and Elliott's physiology and medicine of diving
- Encyclopedia of Recreational Diving
- The new science of skin and scuba diving
- Professional Diver's Handbook
- Basic Scuba
|
---|
Standards and Codes of Practice | |
---|
General non-fiction | |
---|
Research | |
---|
Dive guides | |
---|
|
|
Training and registration |
---|
Diver training | |
---|
Recreational scuba certification levels | Core diving skills | |
---|
Leadership skills | |
---|
Specialist skills | |
---|
|
---|
Diver training certification and registration organisations | Commercial diver certification authorities | |
---|
Commercial diving schools | |
---|
Free-diving certification agencies | |
---|
Recreational scuba certification agencies | |
---|
Scientific diver certification authorities | |
---|
Technical diver certification agencies | |
---|
|
---|
Military diver training centres | |
---|
Military diver training courses | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Surface snorkeling | |
---|
Snorkeling/breath-hold | |
---|
Breath-hold | |
---|
Open Circuit Scuba | |
---|
Rebreather | |
---|
Sports governing organisations and federations | |
---|
Competitions | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Pioneers of diving | |
---|
Underwater scientists archaeologists and environmentalists | |
---|
Scuba record holders | |
---|
Underwater filmmakers and presenters | |
---|
Underwater photographers | |
---|
Underwater explorers | |
---|
Aquanauts | |
---|
Writers and journalists | |
---|
Rescuers | |
---|
Frogmen | |
---|
Commercial salvors | |
---|
|
|
|
---|
Diving physics | |
---|
Diving physiology | |
---|
Diving environment | |
---|
|
|
Other |
---|
Deep-submergence vehicle | - Aluminaut
- DSV Alvin
- American submarine NR-1
- Bathyscaphe
- Archimède
- FNRS-2
- FNRS-3
- Harmony class bathyscaphe
- Sea Pole-class bathyscaphe
- Trieste II
- Deepsea Challenger
- Ictineu 3
- JAGO
- Jiaolong
- Konsul-class submersible
- Limiting Factor
- Russian submarine Losharik
- Mir
- Nautile
- Pisces-class deep submergence vehicle
- DSV Sea Cliff
- DSV Shinkai
- DSV Shinkai 2000
- DSV Shinkai 6500
- DSV Turtle
- DSV-5 Nemo
|
---|
Submarine rescue | Deep-submergence rescue vehicle | |
---|
|
---|
Submarine escape | |
---|
Special interest groups | |
---|
Neutral buoyancy facilities for Astronaut training | |
---|
Other | |
---|
|
|
|