To avoid a silt-out in environments with sediment — such as rivers, springs, caves and wrecks — make sure you:

1. Are properly weighted with good trim so your feet and head are level as you swim.

2. Hover with buoyancy control, not your fins.

3. Swim well above the bottom if the circumstances allow.

4. And switch to a kick that pushes water back instead of down, like the frog kick.

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But sometimes, even careful divers find themselves in panic-inducing zero-viz situations. If you find yourself in a silt-out, keep a cool head and follow these tips:

➜ Stop

It can happen when your fin hits the mud bottom of a spring or your tank scrapes the “roof” of a room you’ve entered in a deteriorating wreck — suddenly, you’re engulfed in a silt cloud. “The biggest mistake in trying to get out of a silt-out is making it worse — usually, by swimming frantically,” says PADI's technical diving executive Karl Shreeves.

➜ Wait and Assess

Sometimes, silt can settle quickly. Watch your bubbles so you don’t get disoriented (they’ll be rising up). “If possible, carefully ascend above the silt,” says Shreeves. “Don’t make it worse by kicking downward.” Make a 360-degree scan to see if you can spot an area of improved viz on the edge of the silt cloud.

➜ Swim Away

Once conditions have improved, carefully kick away from the silt cloud. And if conditions don’t improve? “Your gut tells you to steer into clear water, but if you’ve been stirring it up, the silt cloud marks your path,” says Shreeves. “It might not feel right, but retrace your path, turn around, and swim through the silt until you come out the other side.

READ MORE: How to Handle Low-Visibility Situations While Scuba Diving