Water temperature +3+6°С (June), +10+18°С (upper layer in July-August); below the thermocline - +4+6°С), +8+12°С (September). Deep of thermocline - from 10 m to 60 m.
Visibility - 25 - 50 m (June - July), 5-10 m (upper layer in August, 40-50 м - below the thermocline in August), 10-15 m (September)
Current - high probability. Upwelling is a characteristic phenomenon for Baikal. A large mass of warm water, heating up, rushes down. Cold, deep water - goes to meet. The currents are both horizontal "along the wall" and descending-ascending. It starts suddenly, and just as suddenly ends. You can start the dive "in perfectly calm water" and finish "barely holding onto the bottom with your hands. It is IMPOSSIBLE to predict and determine the direction of the current in advance.
Diving - 3-4 dives / day
Air temperature: +10°С / +30°С (May-June), +15°С / +25°С (July - September). Recommended clothing - T-shirt + fleece jacket + wind-waterproof jacket for protection from rain.
Wind and storm* - May is the quietest month in terms of wind and storm conditions.
*Do not follow each other. A large wave (up to 3 meters) is possible with a complete absence of wind and a strong wind (100-120 km / h) with a small wave. A sudden start and an equally sudden end is a feature of the Baikal winds. The situation changes in a few minutes. At the beginning of the dive - complete calm, after 30 minutes - the ship is hardly kept at anchor. This requires good physical shape and self-support from each diver. Sometimes entering and exiting the water is done in difficult storm conditions.
Recommended equipment - dry suit, dry gloves, 2 regulators (for extremly cold water, mark 0-4°C), 3 layers undergarment: thermal underwear, special diving underwear maximum den (Arctic 4 Element, Body Tec2 Waterproof or similar) + undersuit max den (BZ400 Santi, Wezzle Extreme or similar), 2 pairs of wool socks.
Recommended сertification Level - Dry Suit Diver + AOWD
For diving during a safari - the certificate of the diver is MANDATORY! If you do not have a certificate, diving is NOT possible.
All dives - from the ship, without the use a speed boats. Entry into the water is done from a dive deck. Return to the ship - by the ladder.
Diving from the anchor. Diving is done on the route "from the ship, returning to the ship." During the dive, the ship is anchored at the dive site. The distance from the anchorage to the start of the dive site is 10 - 70 meters.
Drift - diving. It is done in places where anchorage is not possible. For safety, the dive boat cannot come close to the dive site to drop on and pick up the group.From the ship to the start of the dive site it is necessary to swim on the surface of 10 - 100 m (also return to the ship). This type of diving requires a lot of concentration from the group and can only be organized for very experienced divers.
Briefings. Before each dive, information about the dive site, recommended route and depth will be provided. Some dive sites have pictures. Read more about Baikal dive sites here.
Recommended dive time - not less than 40-50 minutes. Baikal - it is LANDSCAPE diving. Great walls, rifts, terraces and canyons that go into the abyss. It starts from 3 meter and goes up to 170+m. If you see a wall from 3 m to 30 m, then we call it a "small step". Perhaps the only place in the world where you will find so many panoramic views.
Dive guides*. Baikal dive sites have very simple navigation. In our safaris, we give divers a lot of freedom. Depth is limited to diving certification. Dive time is UNLIMITED. Based on many years of experience - we do NOT guiding. On some dive sites, it may be suggested to follow our instructor, for passing on a particularly difficult route..
*Our instructors always dive during a diving safari. They explore new "corners" of the dive site, new depths, clean the bottom from trash and fishnet. If your goals and level of training is suitable for a dive you can always join him.
