What? You dive in Lake Zurich? Why? Are you crazy?

This is a question often asked of divers during conversations every day around Zurich. It is surprising how people, who have never dived in the lake, seem to have already formed an opinion about it. Many people, even divers trained in tropical waters, still refuse to believe that Lake Zurich could be in the slightest bit interesting as a dive site, even after hearing evidence to the contrary. This is a great shame.

This article was written to try to show such people that we aren't crazy, and that their preconceptions should be challenged. This article is also available under the shorter URL - www.zurichdivers.com/why

But the lake is freezing cold, won't you freeze?
To hear this question from a non-diver is acceptable, but it is often heard from certified divers. The latter group will recall from their training that they learnt about different types of exposure suits, appropriate for both warmer and colder waters. So with the appropriate exposure suit, why would a diver need to freeze? When you go skiing, isn't it cold? But with the right clothing skiing is a lot of fun isn't it?

The second part of the answer to this question is a very simple fact: In the summer months the water temperature is 24 degrees. Thousands of people in Zurich swim in the lake every day, are they also crazy? Such water temperatures are often warmer than those found in the ocean, even in holiday destinations. It is true that the temperature reduces once you go a few meters below the surface, but in the summer months this reduction is not considerable. Yes, if you dived with no exposure suit or a 3 mm wetsuit you would freeze. Divers here use 7 mm wetsuits with hoods and gloves - we do not freeze. Those of us who dive deeper and longer use dry suits - no water ever enters our suit, and finish the dive dry.

But there is nothing to see, why do you bother?
Nothing could be further from the truth. How could someone who has never looked say there is nothing to see? The lake is teaming with life. Scores of fishermen and fishing boats can be seen on and around the lake - surely they must be there for a reason? Just take a walk along the side of the lake and look down into the shallower water - can you see the schools of fish?

Lake Zurich is home to a complex and delicate ecosystem. Mussels, snails, fish, invertebrates and various other forms of life provide plenty for the diver to study. For more information see the article about flora and fauna in Lake Zurich.

But the lake is dark, how could you see anything?
If you look into a swimming pool that is painted black, does the water look dark, or is it just the fact that no light is reflecting back? In the shallower sections of the ocean the bottom is often made of white sand, which makes it easy for us to see it. In the lake the only light you see reflected back is from the suspended particles in the water, giving it a green appearance. If you were actually under the water, you would find that plenty of light penetrates down through the water, it's just that this light doesn't always reflect back up to the surface again. During any other time except winter you would have to go all the way down to 40 meters below the surface before you would find yourself in darkness.

But the lake is dirty, why would you want to go in that water?
Lake Zurich is one of the cleanest lakes in Switzerland, and supplies your drinking water. Do not mistake the fact that the lake might sometimes appear to be dark to also mean that the water is dirty, this simply isn't true.

But the lake is full of rubbish, surely that can't make for a very interesting dive?
It is sadly true that in a country which values cleanliness the population can often be seen throwing their cigarette butts directly into the lake, as if it were some sort of giant rubbish bin. The same people discard their rubbish onto the streets where the rain may wash it also to the lake. However, despite this fact the lake is surprisingly clean. Old bicycles and other discarded items are a rare and interesting find. There are often organised clean up events to remove any rubbish not normally visible from the surface. So on the whole, the lake is quite clean.

But the visibility is bad, what is the point of diving when I can't see my hand in front of my face?
Again, this is also not true. During the spring we can have up to eight to ten metres of visibility. As the water warms up the visibility in the first ten metres of depth might drop to two to three metres. If other divers have kicked up silt on the bottom this may reduce further. Travelling lower into the colder sections will reveal crystal clear waters with visibility exceeding 20 metres. So to summarise, we don't always have the perfect conditions of tropical locations, but our visibility isn't as bad as you might think.

Ok, so maybe I misjudged the lake, so just what is there to see then?
Well apart from the animal life already mentioned there are many interesting geological formations - walls with sheer drops, overhangs, etc. In some sites giant water pipes and other machinery can also be observed.

But if it isn't as good as a coral reef why would I bother?
If you can't leave the house wearing just a t-shirt, would you stay inside just because the sun isn't shining? Of course not. If it were raining, you'd take an umbrella. We don't put our lives on hold and hold back from the things we enjoy because of such setbacks. Is a football match cancelled because of a little rain? Of course not, the fans put on their raincoats. We aren't lucky enough to live in the tropics, but we still have a great diving resource at our doorsteps.

It would be a shame to pass up such an opportunity without actually seeing for yourself. A picture is worth a thousand words, so this article will conclude with a small selection of images taken from Lake Zurich.

Best regards,
The Zurich Divers team