My thought from this video is the hazard of turbulence and side whirlpools that may occur around the entire intake structure. Strong vortices at that depth are not visible since there is no surface to drag air from. You could simply get caught in a strong whirlpool and swept away spinning towards the trash rack and get stuck or even crushed there if the flow rate is high enough? Very very scary! I recognized the "ssssss" noise from the turbines, you can hear it anywhere underwater nearby intakes in hydro power reservoirs. As far as I got it, underwater currents and suction created from Delta P at intakes are extremely dangerous, scary and - very fascinating! Thank you for uploading!
@Pure Blood Thank you so much for saying so! English is not my language and I'm not good at it. Not at all actually! I am just a North Swedish country bumpkin, a highly skilled swimmer though, with a big fear of submerged tunnel intakes. Huge black holes w/ or w/o grates swallowing thousands of cubic feet per second give me nightmares. Looking down into turbulent water with eddies and whirlpools just freak me out, knowing what's going on below in the depth of the cold, black water. So, how does fear work? In some cases fear can attract us in a thrilling way. It can make us put ourselves at risk. It's like a challenge and there's only one way to get over it: Take the fight. So did I and nearly lost my life. That was in the late 90's, I was young and drunk and didn't realize how dumb I was. But now I do. And I tell you: Do never ever enter the deep water nearby a hydro power tunnel intake! Never think of it! Even if the water looks calm at the moment, the gate can be remotely opened in seconds and the suction starts immediately! So stay out!
This is fantastic! I grew up in this area and have always wondered what the intake was like at the base of South Holston Dam. As a child, I had an irrational fear of being sucked into the intake at the bottom (after seeing a dramatized version of it on a TV show). I think you guys just helped me overcome that fear, LOL.
I totally understand the childhood fear. I spent a great deal of time as a kid on Table Rock Lake in Branson Mo. I was petrified of the standing timber that was visible just below the surface. It was always the "unseen" in any body of water that triggered my imagination most. Later in life, fear turned to fascination. Now we dive places and in conditions that would have horrified me at age 8. lol Diving around any industrial area, such as a dam, can be inherently dangerous, but with caution and respect for the environment you are in, it can be very interesting.
@@AVAJourneys I'm the same way (scared of the unseen underwater, that is) and i'm 28. I'm still fascinated but maybe be brave enough to go down some day. My fear drives me to watch videos like these, though. Thanks for this
Your fear is justified. Divers have been sucked into the intakes in some dams and lost their lives. The fact that this dam was still generating power made this dive especially dangerous if those divers got down to close to the intake. They might have not had enough strength to pull themselves off those grates. Their is literally tons off water pressure against you in front of those intakes if water is running through the turbines.
I was thrilled to find this video. I live a few miles downstream from the dam and have always wondered what the intake for the turbines looked like. Thanks for showing it. That said, you guys are nucking futs. 3,000 cubic feet per second (24,000 pounds) of water going through those grates is nothing to trifle with. Too bad you didn't come across one of those legendary monster catfish that are said to inhabit the area near the dam. I've always heard the legends but never actually saw one.
You can hear the turbines as early as 2:20 with a good pair of headphones, very spooky! I would love to know how loud it sounded in person, at such low frequencies I wonder if you could feel the vibrations?
@@AVAJourneys If I’m not mistaken that big crane beside the critical spillway has a massive gate below it for critical levels. My grandfather knew a lot of people that worked up their. Thank you again and be safe!!
@@mdtransmissionspecialties we've been to the floor of the crain, diving in from the tunnel on the reverse side of the dam. You are correct about the gate.
Well, just beyond the grates, there is a large diameter intake pipe that carries water to a generator with an approximate capacity of 40+ megawatts. I believe the turbine installed is 45,000 pounds. I cannot advise the specifics, but I think the turbine is located in the power station located on the opposite side of the dam.
The soundtrack was so well chosen, the explanations, well everything. That's an excellent real life horror footage. Thanks for sharing, from a swimming/diving lover, cheers.
Thank you! We are starting a series soon that places us in some precarious environments. Should be interesting for sure! Thank you for your kind words!
As a kid, being given tours of Hiawassee by my grandpa had me well aware of what was going on in the deep waters behind the dam. The idea of being anywhere near that wall in the water put a chill in my blood that I couldn't overcome to bring myself to swim even in the marked swimming area far from the dam itself. Kinda takes away some of that fear to see you two diving next to one while it's running. At least I can swim in a dammed lake now if I want to.
I believe that's a completely rational fear. As kids, our uninhibited imaginations can easily amplify our perceptions. Although not a concern now, I wasn't a fan of underwater standing timber. From my childhood point of view, they represented giant skeletons reaching up from the depths. 😆
My absolute worse nightmare 🤦♂️. I won’t even get close to a dam in a boat! I have this fear of being sucked under and into some big black hole and never getting out. I’m sweating just trying to watch this
Better be. Careful been on a few dams where there are sections of the trash rack missing and if it’s discharging you are finished. Commercial diver for over 20 years
Absolutely understand. We conduct alot of our training at this location. (Occupational hazard) You are absolutely correct. Especially, if unfamiliar with the dive location. Good counsel and warning for others. Thanks for watching!
Me uncles Ray and Denholm were lake diving in Tritreste, nearby at the bottom, they then witnessed a skeleton and the intakes were making it do a kinda polka style dance.
At the Dalles Dam on the Columbia, there is the story of a dump truck driver dropping a load of boulders to armour the shore near the dam and he backed too far, and the truck went into the lake. The diver who went down to see if it was salvageable came back in record time - he'd seen a monster sturgeon swimming around the truck and under no circumstances was interested in a second look!
Great video. Visibility not too bad. I wouldn’t go near that thing though. What type of light did you use? Was that a light&motion sola dive? If so, what model?
Well, a response to the question can get slightly complicated. It's not so much the depth, but the relationship between pressure (atmosphere), nitrogen accumulation in the body and other factors. In recreational diving, safety stops, usually at around 20 feet are performed at the end of a dive to mitigate the affect of nitrogen levels in the body, as well as pressure variance. Essentially, one must surface slowly and also avoid breath holding as the decrease in pressure upon ascent can detrimentally impact the body physiologically. Essentially, the longer a diver is at depth the more aggressive the safety stops. Lengthily deep dives, usually involve decompression stops. This gets a little complicated mathematically. Very deep dives, require additional certifications and advanced equipment. So in short, its usually not the trip to depth that can get you, its the time spent there and the return. Nitrogen Narcosis is no joke, as it can severely impair judgement. The potential to embolize is always a concern as well. As stated, it can get complicated. I've probably over simplified things to a degree. Certification and training towards the specific diving one wishes to practice is so very important. Thanks for watching!
Hey Joe! If one were to drop down over the edge and onto the grates, yes, there is suction. Just enough to pull on your mask a bit, but not enough to where you cannot simply push off. Absent the protective grates however, an entirely different scenario
@@AVAJourneys Intresting. So the strong current in the earlier section wasnt somthing to fear? Just an indicator of the flow? Still terrifying for me! 😅
@@AVAJourneys Thats a great outlook as an explorer! I really enjoyed the video, good exploration music, captions, and you answering all the questions in the comments 🙂👍
But imagine that bottom half of the grating is clogged up by so much debris buildup, that it would restrict the flow, couldn't that lead to increased velocity and lethal suction through the open part?
I’m a local who has an uncanny fascination with this type of thing….I’m in school to be and underwater welder and I’d love to do the same stuff y’all do. Just today I took a little expedition into the Watauga dam spillway…best moment of my life so far
@@yvelynkyker2887 The dam is open to dive. However, to access more sensitive areas, permission is needed. We've done so, but for training purposes due to being public safety divers.
@@AVAJourneys Amen brother! Auto-correct changes my name from Lorin, to "Loin." Had a guy tell me one time, "I know parents can be brutal with names, but Loin? Man, that's cold!" Had to explain....
Sorry for the late response. We just completed a very precarious river trip. In response to your question, yes. There are some areas we've dived that have required permission. However, many divers dive that particular dam for recreation. It is also a popular area utilized by certification classes. We perform many of our training exercises at that location. Very good question!
@@AVAJourneys how are you not super scared of it being active when you're down there! that would be like instant death I thought. although with the grates there I could you'd just be pinned to them, not actually go through and get mangled.
@@xsm5525 There is a certain amount of suction, enough to pull your mask off if not careful. It increases the closer to center on the grates you get. The grates extend about 40 feet to the bottom. When generating, we stay above the grates for obvious reasons. Although, the pull is not as extreme as you might think. 😉
what a great video! didnt know you guys were divers as well. beautiful underwater scenery! so glad i subscribed to your channel. looking forward to more.
There is continuous maintenance/ inspections performed on the dam. At one point the valve associated with the intakes failed, which required repair. You are correct though, at the lake floor, on the bottom of the grates, substantial debris can be seen.
We’ll see about it in the future! A couple of us have been down there years ago, when they had to lower the lake to work on the dam. Actually, took a Jeep out there. Saw a few foundations, but not a lot left. Might be interesting to see underwater, though! Thanks for watching and commenting!
How were you able to do this without getting sucked in? I always was told if you swim near these its basically a death sentence. Sidenote:this is absolute nightmare fuel
OMG 😲 😱 - You are braver than me........ DP city ahead or what !!!! Did you take a rise break on the acent ? ( I'm ex Navy ) was not a diver though and its been many years since I did dive physics. As far as I recall you weren't deep enough to worry about narcosis, bit did you use standard compressed air or were you on trimix to help ? I would love to know your kit setup for that dive. It must have been very spooky near those intakes ! I pefer it in the sub, got very fond of my pressure hull 😉 Cheers guys ... Great dive 👏 Stuart
Thanks for watching Stuart! Yes, we performed a 2 to 3 min stop at about 20 feet. This time, we were just on air, no special mix. For repetitive dives, we have utilized Nitrox for a greater bottom time. This limits your max depth though. The deepest I've personally been, is 211 feet. That's pushing it to a degree, but we staged for decompression. Also, that was an ocean dive. This particular dam is located at a higher elevation, making it an altitude dive. We do not generally break 130 feet. Not without a great deal of planning and safety considerations. It all depends on the operation. Again, thanks for watching and your service sir!
@@AVAJourneys Thank you for that 😀 I forgot to take into account the altitude.. We had a dive accident happen to a special operations diver we were inserting once and I used to play chess of duty with him as he was very bored stuck in a DT on his own as you can imagine. It does though still make me laugh when I think back to it as during the decompression he had a high helium atmosphere and he used to sound like a smurf over the com with his sqeaky voice 🤣 😂 Was always scary with anyone in that tank though, not only the fear of losing a gas line or losing system power but what always scared the hell out of me was when someone was on pure oxygen ! My bunk was in the next section / bulkhead but if we had a general quarters fire practice I was out my bunk faster than a 50 cal round 😀 Thanks for the reply and info, will allways watch your dives now as my spine is shot so I'm bedbound now. I love science and nature and look forward to seeing some marine life 👍 Stay safe out there and if you see Davy Jones down there tell him that I want my locker back 😀
everybody should subscribe to your channel. I made movies for 35 years and I really enjoy what you do. the rest of you out there what are you waiting for?
Very cool video. I have spent a lot of time on this lake over the years and have always wondered what was down there at the base of the dam. As I child, I heard stories of huge catfish on those rocks. You didn’t come across any of those I presume? Looking forward to another video. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you Colton! Yes, we've encountered a few big ones on our dives. Nothing to live up to an urban legend though. lol Largest i've seen is maybe five feet in length. We plan to bring you more videos from that particular lake, as well as some others in the area. Additionally, we have some overseas locations selected as well. Thanks again for subbing!!
My grandfather took me to the dam all the time to fish. He heard the same stories and shared them with me. But i did witness divers going down with weapons to bring up one of these fish. they came up empty handed but said about the same, that they had come across some as big as them but not the VW bug size that are rumored to be there. i waited by the dam until they came up, I was not leaving until i had talked to them, I was so excited !
I’ve been diving for 28 years. I’m an instructor. I’ve dove in some very challenging and dangerous environments. But, I will never go diving on a dam or the intakes of one. It just scares the bejeezus out of me. I’m done with freshwater lake diving.
@@AVAJourneys Oooeh, Bonaire! In the street where I grew up our neighbors had a second house on Bonaire, they used to be avid divers as well and told me that along with a 4x4 in the garage and a 4,5 meter RIB they also have two complete sets of scuba gear there, available for use. When I still lived with my parents those neighbors always invited me to come with them and go diving, but back then a return flight from the Netherlands was pretty expensive and I didn't have the money for it so never took them up on their offer. However I got into scuba myself a few years ago, and now that the flights have gotten considerably cheaper and I have the money for it anyway I'll definitely take them up on the offer! From what I've heard Bonaire is in the top 5 of best scuba destinations on earth, along with the Red sea, Bohol, the Great Barrier Reef, and somewhere else?
Bonaire is definitely our favorite of the ABCs. The other locations you named are on the list, as is Galapagos. We had a friend just return from that location, with some amazing footage. If you do get an opportunity to hit Bonaire, GO! You'll never forget it!
I just couldn't do it. I already hate being near dams. Even small out of commission ones. There's just something about them that just unnerves me to pieces.
Well guys like you brave such things so I dont have to........hard to see the current maybe next time you could squirt out some food colouring or non toxic dyes into the current so it shows up better.........im guessing its a very quick journey to the turbines from there on when generating......scary
Fair enough 👌 we've been in far more dangerous circumstances, and much much deeper. Truly depends on skill set and training level. Occupational hazard, so to speak. Thanks for watching!
@@AVAJourneys I wouldn't do it. But yet I clean windows high-rise and residential and people think I'm nuts. I have a fear of getting sucked into pipes or anything like that so I couldn't do that for a living. Mad Respect Tho 💪💪
Life is boring, so why don't we just hit the HPP turbine intake grates, lol... I'd surely skip that after watching the "pressure differential" diving safety vid.
Screw everyone. Jk. We are all here for the same thing. Biuuut, what kind of GiANt catfish about the size of a city bus is sitting down there just chillin'.
Hey guys, I’m sorry but the vision in the video was so bad that it made something that was supposed to be really cool and interesting into something long and boring. And I promise I’m not trying to be a hater or just wanting to say something mean. I truly was excited to see something that I most likely would have never seen before. But you really couldn’t see anything so I never knew what I was looking at. And the pictures that said this is where we are at. Never looked like what was in the water. So I’m terribly sorry for being so negative. I’m just really disappointed in the video because I had my hopes up thinking I was going to see something really cool. But instead it just looked like mud or a huge slab of concrete underneath the water. Anyways, so sorry guys for the bad review.
We’re sorry you were disappointed. The depth makes it very dark. And, it takes very powerful dive lights just to get a bit of visibility. Water clarity in the lake, due to sediment and algae is not great, even though the lake is very clean on the scale of pollutants. The scene really is mostly concrete, rock, mud, and otherwise. Thanks for watching, and for your candid comments.
We conduct training dives at this, and many other locations, on a consistent basis. Some of us are commercial and/or divers with experience in adverse conditions. Unless dropping over the grates toward the center of the greatest pull, the risk is negligible. However, not recommended for novice divers. If for any reason, the depth. Thanks for watching!
@@AVAJourneys I think I'll keep my venturing in clear bright water and away from spooky cold darkness. Thank you for taking the camera so chickens like me can have a look! Be careful down there though brother.
Subjectively, it's associated with the same interest that draws divers to wrecks and other submerged structures. Additionally, we perform training exercises in this area and are very familiar with the environment.
Actually, there was a bass near the beginning of the dive. As far as the track, just asthetic, and also, to mask some of our communications. We were training
I’m from the Scottish highlands and we have lots of hydro electric dams - with the amount of rain we get it’d be silly not to take advantage of it! I like to snorkel in the sea around the Isle of Skye where I live but there’s no way I’d ever scuba near anything man made….that kinda thing makes my vagina cringe, and not in a good way! I don’t even like walking onto a dam or along a canal, I don’t know why it terrifies me but it does. I learned to swim in the sea, (like all of the kids my age did as growing up in the 80s there was no swimming pool locally), and I’m fine in open water. You guys diving near those intakes must have balls of steel!
Lol, Understood John. We often train in environments like this one. Over time, you adapt. Although, we always respect the environment we are in and consider the risks of any underwater activity.
Lol. That is a common reaction for sure! We are planning another dive in that area when visibility is far better. We've had a great deal of requests to do so. Thanks for watching!
My absolute worst nightmare is being even next to one of those intakes.
It's a bit spooky, depending on visibility.
I agree, I would not get anywhere near the intakes.
My thought from this video is the hazard of turbulence and side whirlpools that may occur around the entire intake structure. Strong vortices at that depth are not visible since there is no surface to drag air from. You could simply get caught in a strong whirlpool and swept away spinning towards the trash rack and get stuck or even crushed there if the flow rate is high enough?
Very very scary!
I recognized the "ssssss" noise from the turbines, you can hear it anywhere underwater nearby intakes in hydro power reservoirs.
As far as I got it, underwater currents and suction created from Delta P at intakes are extremely dangerous, scary and - very fascinating!
Thank you for uploading!
@Pure Blood Thank you so much for saying so! English is not my language and I'm not good at it. Not at all actually! I am just a North Swedish country bumpkin, a highly skilled swimmer though, with a big fear of submerged tunnel intakes. Huge black holes w/ or w/o grates swallowing thousands of cubic feet per second give me nightmares. Looking down into turbulent water with eddies and whirlpools just freak me out, knowing what's going on below in the depth of the cold, black water. So, how does fear work? In some cases fear can attract us in a thrilling way. It can make us put ourselves at risk. It's like a challenge and there's only one way to get over it: Take the fight. So did I and nearly lost my life. That was in the late 90's, I was young and drunk and didn't realize how dumb I was. But now I do. And I tell you: Do never ever enter the deep water nearby a hydro power tunnel intake! Never think of it! Even if the water looks calm at the moment, the gate can be remotely opened in seconds and the suction starts immediately! So stay out!
I just have to say turn to the LORD and have all!!! Hallelujah praise GOD
I'm strangely addicted to my submechanophobia and this is perfect, thanks.
Haha...we completely understand! We'll probably post another dive to the intakes, with better visibility, in the future.
This is fantastic! I grew up in this area and have always wondered what the intake was like at the base of South Holston Dam. As a child, I had an irrational fear of being sucked into the intake at the bottom (after seeing a dramatized version of it on a TV show). I think you guys just helped me overcome that fear, LOL.
I totally understand the childhood fear. I spent a great deal of time as a kid on Table Rock Lake in Branson Mo. I was petrified of the standing timber that was visible just below the surface. It was always the "unseen" in any body of water that triggered my imagination most. Later in life, fear turned to fascination. Now we dive places and in conditions that would have horrified me at age 8. lol
Diving around any industrial area, such as a dam, can be inherently dangerous, but with caution and respect for the environment you are in, it can be very interesting.
@@AVAJourneys I'm the same way (scared of the unseen underwater, that is) and i'm 28. I'm still fascinated but maybe be brave enough to go down some day. My fear drives me to watch videos like these, though. Thanks for this
Your fear is justified. Divers have been sucked into the intakes in some dams and lost their lives. The fact that this dam was still generating power made this dive especially dangerous if those divers got down to close to the intake. They might have not had enough strength to pull themselves off those grates. Their is literally tons off water pressure against you in front of those intakes if water is running through the turbines.
@@reh3997 what's even crazier is that people have gotten sucked in AND SURVIVED!
@@paulloveless9180 Yes indeed, but the probability of that must be close to zero depending on flow velocity, pressure etc.
I was thrilled to find this video. I live a few miles downstream from the dam and have always wondered what the intake for the turbines looked like. Thanks for showing it. That said, you guys are nucking futs. 3,000 cubic feet per second (24,000 pounds) of water going through those grates is nothing to trifle with. Too bad you didn't come across one of those legendary monster catfish that are said to inhabit the area near the dam. I've always heard the legends but never actually saw one.
We definitely respect the conditions down there for sure.
There are some good size fish, but I’ve never encountered those that fulfill the legends.
You can hear the turbines as early as 2:20 with a good pair of headphones, very spooky! I would love to know how loud it sounded in person, at such low frequencies I wonder if you could feel the vibrations?
You can feel the low frequency, more than hear it. It's not a deafening rumble, but you certainly know you're there.
Absolute nightmare fuel. And the algorithm knows this….
I’ve known this dam my whole life. I’ve always wondered what this looked like thank you!
You're certainly welcome! We hope to return when conditions are a bit clearer. Provide a deeper perspective. No pun intended... 😉
@@AVAJourneys
If I’m not mistaken that big crane beside the critical spillway has a massive gate below it for critical levels. My grandfather knew a lot of people that worked up their. Thank you again and be safe!!
@@AVAJourneys any particular spot you all would happen to be going to in the area? I live in the area so I know it pretty well.
@@mdtransmissionspecialties we've been to the floor of the crain, diving in from the tunnel on the reverse side of the dam. You are correct about the gate.
@@AVAJourneys I’d have loved to see it! Anything in this area. People here don’t explore. Thank you for the content you all be safe out there.
How many turbines are there?
Well, just beyond the grates, there is a large diameter intake pipe that carries water to a generator with an approximate capacity of 40+ megawatts. I believe the turbine installed is 45,000 pounds. I cannot advise the specifics, but I think the turbine is located in the power station located on the opposite side of the dam.
@@AVAJourneys How strong is the turbine? As in how strong is the suction when you get close to it
@@Reaper_ZL1 Not to bad at the top of the grates, but increases as you descend toward the center point. Which is not advisable
@@AVAJourneys is the current in the center impossible to escape?
I’d hope not
The soundtrack was so well chosen, the explanations, well everything. That's an excellent real life horror footage. Thanks for sharing, from a swimming/diving lover, cheers.
Thank you! We are starting a series soon that places us in some precarious environments. Should be interesting for sure! Thank you for your kind words!
As a kid, being given tours of Hiawassee by my grandpa had me well aware of what was going on in the deep waters behind the dam. The idea of being anywhere near that wall in the water put a chill in my blood that I couldn't overcome to bring myself to swim even in the marked swimming area far from the dam itself. Kinda takes away some of that fear to see you two diving next to one while it's running. At least I can swim in a dammed lake now if I want to.
I believe that's a completely rational fear. As kids, our uninhibited imaginations can easily amplify our perceptions. Although not a concern now, I wasn't a fan of underwater standing timber. From my childhood point of view, they represented giant skeletons reaching up from the depths. 😆
My absolute worse nightmare 🤦♂️. I won’t even get close to a dam in a boat! I have this fear of being sucked under and into some big black hole and never getting out. I’m sweating just trying to watch this
Lol! Totally understandable!
I would be far to afraid for DP to get any where near those intakes.
It can be a little spooky. There are definitely some areas to avoid for sure.
Me, and Divers One and Two are with ya. "When it's gotcha, it's gotcha!"
@@AVAJourneys why?
I assume the old cabin cruiser on the far side of the dam fell apart years ago? That was usually a favorite place when I certified back in ‘93
It is actually still there and in fair condition. We may dive that location in the future.
Better be. Careful been on a few dams where there are sections of the trash rack missing and if it’s discharging you are finished. Commercial diver for over 20 years
Absolutely understand. We conduct alot of our training at this location. (Occupational hazard) You are absolutely correct. Especially, if unfamiliar with the dive location. Good counsel and warning for others. Thanks for watching!
@@AVAJourneys you’re welcome my friend. Great videos
Me uncles Ray and Denholm were lake diving in Tritreste, nearby at the bottom, they then witnessed a skeleton and the intakes were making it do a kinda polka style dance.
That’s definitely bizarre! Thanks for watching!
Did you all see any of the monster catfish thats supposed to be in there i have heard about over the years growing up?
I believe the largest I've seen is maybe about 3 ft in length. I've heard many tales of the giants...have yet to see one.
At the Dalles Dam on the Columbia, there is the story of a dump truck driver dropping a load of boulders to armour the shore near the dam and he backed too far, and the truck went into the lake. The diver who went down to see if it was salvageable came back in record time - he'd seen a monster sturgeon swimming around the truck and under no circumstances was interested in a second look!
Have you considered carrying a small bottle of food coloring with you on dives like this? It can help visualize currents.
I haven't. Excellent idea though
Any large catfish in that depth?
Some good sized, yes sir! But none fitting the urban legend descriptors. LOL
Looks dangerous. Is it legal to do that?
Yes sir. This particular location is one of our primary training locations. We’re very familiar with the conditions.
Great video. Visibility not too bad. I wouldn’t go near that thing though. What type of light did you use? Was that a light&motion sola dive? If so, what model?
The visibility has been better...and worse. For that particular dive we utilized the UK Aqualite Pro 2
how deep can you go and how long without getting the bends!? ( I may have spelled it wrong) .
Well, a response to the question can get slightly complicated. It's not so much the depth, but the relationship between pressure (atmosphere), nitrogen accumulation in the body and other factors. In recreational diving, safety stops, usually at around 20 feet are performed at the end of a dive to mitigate the affect of nitrogen levels in the body, as well as pressure variance. Essentially, one must surface slowly and also avoid breath holding as the decrease in pressure upon ascent can detrimentally impact the body physiologically. Essentially, the longer a diver is at depth the more aggressive the safety stops. Lengthily deep dives, usually involve decompression stops. This gets a little complicated mathematically. Very deep dives, require additional certifications and advanced equipment. So in short, its usually not the trip to depth that can get you, its the time spent there and the return. Nitrogen Narcosis is no joke, as it can severely impair judgement. The potential to embolize is always a concern as well. As stated, it can get complicated. I've probably over simplified things to a degree. Certification and training towards the specific diving one wishes to practice is so very important. Thanks for watching!
Isn't there enough change in pressure to suck you up to the grating?
Hey Joe! If one were to drop down over the edge and onto the grates, yes, there is suction. Just enough to pull on your mask a bit, but not enough to where you cannot simply push off. Absent the protective grates however, an entirely different scenario
@@AVAJourneys Intresting. So the strong current in the earlier section wasnt somthing to fear? Just an indicator of the flow?
Still terrifying for me! 😅
@@gothound9479 More or less. Not so much somthing to fear, but respect.
@@AVAJourneys Thats a great outlook as an explorer!
I really enjoyed the video, good exploration music, captions, and you answering all the questions in the comments 🙂👍
But imagine that bottom half of the grating is clogged up by so much debris buildup, that it would restrict the flow, couldn't that lead to increased velocity and lethal suction through the open part?
seeing those grates and hearing the turbines is giving me anxiety.
I’m a local to this dam and I’ve always wondered where the water weren’t to be generated and now I know thanks for the great video
Thanks for watching Dakota!
@@AVAJourneys you’re welcome and is there any pics of the intakes online? I’d like to see them before they filled the lake
@Dakota Rutherford There a few, but not many. They date back to its initial construction.
Have you all been to Norris lake? There’s a city under certain parts, along with the massive dam they have
Not as of yet, but it is on our list to dive.
As a East Tennessee Diver myself I am loving your vids.
Thank you! We have more coming!
I’m a local who has an uncanny fascination with this type of thing….I’m in school to be and underwater welder and I’d love to do the same stuff y’all do. Just today I took a little expedition into the Watauga dam spillway…best moment of my life so far
Outstanding! That's am excellent career path. Keep it up!
@@AVAJourneys what is the easiest way to get into exploring dams and spillways? I’m sure for some of them you have to contact TVA
@@yvelynkyker2887 The dam is open to dive. However, to access more sensitive areas, permission is needed. We've done so, but for training purposes due to being public safety divers.
@@AVAJourneys thank you for the insight!!
Before you sign the commitment papers look up 'The Byford Dolphin Incident.' On a very empty stomach. Not child safe.
Be careful down there! Those big titanium balls of yours might damage the turbines. That explains why we're getting power outages.
Lol, we will do our best to avoid causing an interruption in service! Thanks for watching!
My pleasure. Great vid, this is a lot of fun.@@AVAJourneys
Hey, can you get my crank bait while you're down there??
There are so many lewers down there, might be difficult to spot yours. Lol
@@AVAJourneys If you were looking for "lures," you might spot his. 😉
@@lorinkramer1524 love auto correct.....oops 🤣
@@AVAJourneys Amen brother! Auto-correct changes my name from Lorin, to "Loin." Had a guy tell me one time, "I know parents can be brutal with names, but Loin? Man, that's cold!" Had to explain....
Cool video.. did you guys have to communicate with the Tva to dive down there like that?
Sorry for the late response. We just completed a very precarious river trip. In response to your question, yes. There are some areas we've dived that have required permission. However, many divers dive that particular dam for recreation. It is also a popular area utilized by certification classes. We perform many of our training exercises at that location. Very good question!
Are there fans inside those intakes?
There is a large diameter pipe just behind the grate. Water is pulled in through there and passed through the turbines.
@@AVAJourneys how are you not super scared of it being active when you're down there! that would be like instant death I thought. although with the grates there I could you'd just be pinned to them, not actually go through and get mangled.
@@xsm5525 There is a certain amount of suction, enough to pull your mask off if not careful. It increases the closer to center on the grates you get. The grates extend about 40 feet to the bottom. When generating, we stay above the grates for obvious reasons. Although, the pull is not as extreme as you might think. 😉
Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.
Thank you!!
Man that viz is rough! Props to you guys.
Final destination tier event and the grates fall down and the turbines spin like crazy
Lol, interesting perspective 🤔 Thanks for watching!
what a great video! didnt know you guys were divers as well. beautiful underwater scenery! so glad i subscribed to your channel. looking forward to more.
Thank you Sherry!
This is a true nightmare due to me actually almost being sucked in into a intake pipe once but thank God my adrenaline kicked in and I escaped
I think Jonny Wood rode a Bass Boat through the spillway back in the ‘60’s.
Interesting 🤔
how dose one clean all that junk out of an intake normally!?!? must be plugging up intake and affecting performance of turbine!!
There is continuous maintenance/ inspections performed on the dam. At one point the valve associated with the intakes failed, which required repair. You are correct though, at the lake floor, on the bottom of the grates, substantial debris can be seen.
@@AVAJourneys so would it possible to drain lake, then remove junk or remove while full of water!?
Hey could you go to lake watuga there’s a town under the water it’s insane
We’ll see about it in the future!
A couple of us have been down there years ago, when they had to lower the lake to work on the dam. Actually, took a Jeep out there. Saw a few foundations, but not a lot left. Might be interesting to see underwater, though!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I live in Middle Tennessee and Ive been here. Its really pretty.
How were you able to do this without getting sucked in? I always was told if you swim near these its basically a death sentence. Sidenote:this is absolute nightmare fuel
OMG 😲 😱 - You are braver than me........ DP city ahead or what !!!!
Did you take a rise break on the acent ? ( I'm ex Navy ) was not a diver though and its been many years since I did dive physics.
As far as I recall you weren't deep enough to worry about narcosis, bit did you use standard compressed air or were you on trimix to help ?
I would love to know your kit setup for that dive. It must have been very spooky near those intakes !
I pefer it in the sub, got very fond of my pressure hull 😉
Cheers guys ... Great dive 👏
Stuart
Thanks for watching Stuart! Yes, we performed a 2 to 3 min stop at about 20 feet. This time, we were just on air, no special mix. For repetitive dives, we have utilized Nitrox for a greater bottom time. This limits your max depth though. The deepest I've personally been, is 211 feet. That's pushing it to a degree, but we staged for decompression. Also, that was an ocean dive. This particular dam is located at a higher elevation, making it an altitude dive. We do not generally break 130 feet. Not without a great deal of planning and safety considerations. It all depends on the operation. Again, thanks for watching and your service sir!
@@AVAJourneys Thank you for that 😀 I forgot to take into account the altitude..
We had a dive accident happen to a special operations diver we were inserting once and I used to play chess of duty with him as he was very bored stuck in a DT on his own as you can imagine.
It does though still make me laugh when I think back to it as during the decompression he had a high helium atmosphere and he used to sound like a smurf over the com with his sqeaky voice 🤣 😂
Was always scary with anyone in that tank though, not only the fear of losing a gas line or losing system power but what always scared the hell out of me was when someone was on pure oxygen ! My bunk was in the next section / bulkhead but if we had a general quarters fire practice I was out my bunk faster than a 50 cal round 😀
Thanks for the reply and info, will allways watch your dives now as my spine is shot so I'm bedbound now. I love science and nature and look forward to seeing some marine life 👍
Stay safe out there and if you see Davy Jones down there tell him that I want my locker back 😀
@@TRS-Tech LOL...Thank you. We certainly will brother!
everybody should subscribe to your channel. I made movies for 35 years and I really enjoy what you do. the rest of you out there what are you waiting for?
Thank you so very much! That is a massive complement coming from someone of your stature!
how did you not get sucked in?!?!?! wild!
Lol! Physics 😀
Do you worry about getting sucked in?
@@CaptainSpud80 😆 We exercise caution ⚠️
Delta P safety instructors just had a stroke
MY GAWD!!!
Absolutely terrifying
what would scare the Hell out of me is being sucked against the grates and being stuck their
There is enough pull to place you against the grates, but you can push yourself off. The pull is greater towards the center however.
Look for summer moon wells 5 years old missing from Rogersville TN
Very cool video. I have spent a lot of time on this lake over the years and have always wondered what was down there at the base of the dam. As I child, I heard stories of huge catfish on those rocks. You didn’t come across any of those I presume? Looking forward to another video. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you Colton! Yes, we've encountered a few big ones on our dives. Nothing to live up to an urban legend though. lol Largest i've seen is maybe five feet in length. We plan to bring you more videos from that particular lake, as well as some others in the area. Additionally, we have some overseas locations selected as well. Thanks again for subbing!!
Five feet is absolutely gargantuan! 😂
@@zacharygentry3465 haha, in perspective to ocean encounters, not so much. 😆
My grandfather took me to the dam all the time to fish. He heard the same stories and shared them with me. But i did witness divers going down with weapons to bring up one of these fish. they came up empty handed but said about the same, that they had come across some as big as them but not the VW bug size that are rumored to be there. i waited by the dam until they came up, I was not leaving until i had talked to them, I was so excited !
I think that story is told in every town near a dam in the world.
Affascinante...saluti dall'Italia! 😊
Grazie! Felice che ti sia piaciuto!
I’ve been diving for 28 years. I’m an instructor. I’ve dove in some very challenging and dangerous environments. But, I will never go diving on a dam or the intakes of one. It just scares the bejeezus out of me. I’m done with freshwater lake diving.
Totally understandable! Where are some of your prime and preferred locations? One of our favorites is Bonaire incidentally.
@@AVAJourneys Oooeh, Bonaire! In the street where I grew up our neighbors had a second house on Bonaire, they used to be avid divers as well and told me that along with a 4x4 in the garage and a 4,5 meter RIB they also have two complete sets of scuba gear there, available for use. When I still lived with my parents those neighbors always invited me to come with them and go diving, but back then a return flight from the Netherlands was pretty expensive and I didn't have the money for it so never took them up on their offer. However I got into scuba myself a few years ago, and now that the flights have gotten considerably cheaper and I have the money for it anyway I'll definitely take them up on the offer! From what I've heard Bonaire is in the top 5 of best scuba destinations on earth, along with the Red sea, Bohol, the Great Barrier Reef, and somewhere else?
Bonaire is definitely our favorite of the ABCs. The other locations you named are on the list, as is Galapagos. We had a friend just return from that location, with some amazing footage. If you do get an opportunity to hit Bonaire, GO! You'll never forget it!
I just couldn't do it. I already hate being near dams. Even small out of commission ones. There's just something about them that just unnerves me to pieces.
That’s actually not an uncommon fear. Being underwater is already a different experience. Add large mechanisms and it can be a bit disconcerting.
This was my first checkout dive 3 years ago, I still hate it
Well guys like you brave such things so I dont have to........hard to see the current maybe next time you could squirt out some food colouring or non toxic dyes into the current so it shows up better.........im guessing its a very quick journey to the turbines from there on when generating......scary
Excellent idea!
Me: OH CHRIST NO
Also me: Proceed
Lol, totally understood!
Nothing like a big, sucking drain that leads to the insides of a gigantic food processor, yass, yass!
Nope, just the thought of the delta p crab lol
Hahaha 😆
Where’s all the giant catfish I keep hearing about ?
@@NoposhChigger myth. There’s some good ones, but no Volkswagens. lol 😆
Shouldn’t be down that deep next to dangerous machinery in the first place
Fair enough 👌 we've been in far more dangerous circumstances, and much much deeper. Truly depends on skill set and training level. Occupational hazard, so to speak. Thanks for watching!
It was great when the music was turned off but then it went on again
We're glad you enjoyed the portion you did Terry.
Holy Terror Batman!
That's a big fat nope from me.
I don't know how you walk with those giant balls you got lol
Lol, not sure about that. Just enjoy the adventure and challenge!
@@AVAJourneys I wouldn't do it. But yet I clean windows high-rise and residential and people think I'm nuts. I have a fear of getting sucked into pipes or anything like that so I couldn't do that for a living. Mad Respect Tho 💪💪
Life is boring, so why don't we just hit the HPP turbine intake grates, lol... I'd surely skip that after watching the "pressure differential" diving safety vid.
Lol, fair enough!
This did not help with my anxiety
Its not so bad, if you play it safe.
Screw everyone. Jk. We are all here for the same thing. Biuuut, what kind of GiANt catfish about the size of a city bus is sitting down there just chillin'.
Hey guys, I’m sorry but the vision in the video was so bad that it made something that was supposed to be really cool and interesting into something long and boring. And I promise I’m not trying to be a hater or just wanting to say something mean. I truly was excited to see something that I most likely would have never seen before. But you really couldn’t see anything so I never knew what I was looking at. And the pictures that said this is where we are at. Never looked like what was in the water. So I’m terribly sorry for being so negative. I’m just really disappointed in the video because I had my hopes up thinking I was going to see something really cool. But instead it just looked like mud or a huge slab of concrete underneath the water. Anyways, so sorry guys for the bad review.
We’re sorry you were disappointed. The depth makes it very dark. And, it takes very powerful dive lights just to get a bit of visibility. Water clarity in the lake, due to sediment and algae is not great, even though the lake is very clean on the scale of pollutants. The scene really is mostly concrete, rock, mud, and otherwise. Thanks for watching, and for your candid comments.
So that sorry reality doesn't meet with your expectations. Wow. You must be continuously disappointed by life.
@@dallaslane6927 RELAX..
@@jamesvw769 He should relax. That's my point.
Cool
I would poop my diving suit.
Ithought that they would turn the turbines off ... NO THEY DONT wtf alright lets dive down to a active water intake
We conduct training dives at this, and many other locations, on a consistent basis. Some of us are commercial and/or divers with experience in adverse conditions. Unless dropping over the grates toward the center of the greatest pull, the risk is negligible. However, not recommended for novice divers. If for any reason, the depth. Thanks for watching!
Nope.
Nothing ventured. 😀
@@AVAJourneys I think I'll keep my venturing in clear bright water and away from spooky cold darkness. Thank you for taking the camera so chickens like me can have a look! Be careful down there though brother.
Why would you want to see this?
Subjectively, it's associated with the same interest that draws divers to wrecks and other submerged structures. Additionally, we perform training exercises in this area and are very familiar with the environment.
This video was the scariest thing I’ve Sean on UA-cam. That’s going to be a hard pass from me
Understandable!
First of all I didn't see not one fish.
Second, how come the errie music.
Actually, there was a bass near the beginning of the dive. As far as the track, just asthetic, and also, to mask some of our communications. We were training
@@AVAJourneys the reason I asked about the music is because I have an afobia about big bodies of water and the music just makes it more errie. Thanks.
@@dianecoleman4658 totally understand Diane! Thanks for watching!
@@AVAJourneys 😏
ΔP
I assume in reference to the concept of delta-P in diving safety.
Just plain creepy.
It can be! 😀
Horrifying!
Lol! Naaa. Not so bad.
Music is way to much
RELAX.
Nope!
I’m from the Scottish highlands and we have lots of hydro electric dams - with the amount of rain we get it’d be silly not to take advantage of it! I like to snorkel in the sea around the Isle of Skye where I live but there’s no way I’d ever scuba near anything man made….that kinda thing makes my vagina cringe, and not in a good way! I don’t even like walking onto a dam or along a canal, I don’t know why it terrifies me but it does. I learned to swim in the sea, (like all of the kids my age did as growing up in the 80s there was no swimming pool locally), and I’m fine in open water. You guys diving near those intakes must have balls of steel!
Yeah no. Worst nightmare. Horrifying.
Lol, Understood John. We often train in environments like this one. Over time, you adapt. Although, we always respect the environment we are in and consider the risks of any underwater activity.
I hated every second of this. I mean, don't get me wrong... Good job and whatnot. But no. No effing way.
Lol. That is a common reaction for sure! We are planning another dive in that area when visibility is far better. We've had a great deal of requests to do so. Thanks for watching!
I bet people catch a bunch of big catfish around that dam. That is exactly the kind of structure they like.
Yes sir! We've seen several good sized ones on more than one occasion.
Are you looking for missing Rogersville little girl named Summer Wells?
Missing for 1 year.
1-800-TBI-FIND
Not on this dive, but have assisted in previous searches.