The Project
a mission to go where only fish have been before...
The underworld hidden within the crystal clear water of the Sawtooth lakes is inherently shrouded in a veil of mystery. The project’s mission is to pioneer dive sites in the alpine lakes of the Sawtooth Mountains.
Diving at Altitude
Any dive over 1000 feet above sea level is considered an “Altitude Dive.” The beautiful Lakes in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) range in elevation starting at a little over 6000 ft all the way up to Idaho’s tallest lake, Lonesome Lake {10,449ft.)
The air at altitude is “thinner” meaning it has less pressure and density than air at sea level, so even though oxygen still makes up 21% of the air, there are fewer oxygen molecules in the air versus the same volume of air at sea level. This is important because Hypoxia a condition that is the result of the body not getting enough oxygen can occur when the partial pressure of Oxygen gets lower.
Thinner air also affects dive planning. When the partial pressure of oxygen decreases, the dive’s theoretical depth increases. For example, a dive at an elevation of 6000ft with an actual depth of 40ft should be planned at a theoretical depth of 50ft. The most modern computers will have a mode for altitude diving.
Theoretical Depth at Altitude
Car and Boat Dive Sites
The dive sites on these lakes offer the easiest way to dive the Sawtooth Mountains. Most of the dive sites at these lakes can be accessed from the shore, however some sites can only be reached via boat
Pack-In/Out Dive Sites
These dive sites are not for the faint of heart. Dive gear must be packed in and out of the Sawtooth Wilderness. It is possible for teams to self-support a dive objective with smaller tanks, however, it is much easier to utilize horses and/or other pack animals to carry tanks, dive gear, and emergency equipment in/out of a dive objective.
