soltari675
Contributor
Sometimes you can find bare rock to touch a fingertip to keep from bumping coral with the rest of your body. I have done it to stop and look at certain fish and not get pushed away in the current.
Fingertipping
- Thread starter SoccerJeni
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I agree that a finger is better than a whole hand, or crashing into things, and I'll agree that sometimes putting a finger down in a carefully chosen place to hold a position may be beneficial. But I didn't see the mention where these are students and I don't know that it should be a common practice. I still think it goes back to basic skills.
DaleC
Contributor
dbulmer
Contributor
SoccerJeni,
One other consideration to think about.
That piece of coral that a diver is trying to touch might be a scorpionfish or stonefish - not nice to touch
One other consideration to think about.
That piece of coral that a diver is trying to touch might be a scorpionfish or stonefish - not nice to touch
Not all corals are created equally, and frankly I have noticed most divers can't tell the difference between live coral and bare rock.
Some thin skinned LPS coral just a finger tip on the coral would press the sensitive tissue to the skeleton causing a tear opening it to infection. In most cases the coral would heal itself but not always. Sometimes when infections set it the whole colony can die rapidly. This is not always the case, and can depend on both the type of coral and it's overall general health.
On top of that there are corals that can make you sick. If for instance you grabbed onto a colony of palythoa, they can contain toxic palytoxin. Or the more obvious fire corals, and things that could sting you.
Imagine now you cause an infection that kills a colony that's been growing for decades. Better to avoid touching all together.
Touching the reef makes little sense to me, especially since there are so many divers that can't tell bare rock from live coral, sad but true.
Some thin skinned LPS coral just a finger tip on the coral would press the sensitive tissue to the skeleton causing a tear opening it to infection. In most cases the coral would heal itself but not always. Sometimes when infections set it the whole colony can die rapidly. This is not always the case, and can depend on both the type of coral and it's overall general health.
On top of that there are corals that can make you sick. If for instance you grabbed onto a colony of palythoa, they can contain toxic palytoxin. Or the more obvious fire corals, and things that could sting you.
Imagine now you cause an infection that kills a colony that's been growing for decades. Better to avoid touching all together.
Touching the reef makes little sense to me, especially since there are so many divers that can't tell bare rock from live coral, sad but true.
GrumpyOldGuy
Contributor
If I have to touch anything, it means "I" as a diver failed to control myself. It happens at times as I am far from a perfect diver, but its a cue that I am doing something wrong and need to improve my control or stay farther off the structure.
As for damaging the eco system, outside of a living reef a small touch probably won't hurt anything, but if I apply the same high standard to all my diving I am less likely to cause damage on a sensitive reef. It is true that I as a single diver I am much less damaging with a few touches than mother nature, but the reefs are already in decline and cannot justify ANY additional damage to them as a tourist. In my local dive site, touching the bottom stirs up the silt and blows the visibility for everyone for an hour or so, an added incentive.
As for damaging the eco system, outside of a living reef a small touch probably won't hurt anything, but if I apply the same high standard to all my diving I am less likely to cause damage on a sensitive reef. It is true that I as a single diver I am much less damaging with a few touches than mother nature, but the reefs are already in decline and cannot justify ANY additional damage to them as a tourist. In my local dive site, touching the bottom stirs up the silt and blows the visibility for everyone for an hour or so, an added incentive.
Crush
Contributor
I agree with most of the posts above. However, to my mind one aspect has been missing - situational awareness to prevent unanticipated contact. Of course you could (and should) learn to back-kick, but given a strong-enough current you may be headed towards contact that cannot be avoided by back-kicking alone. I would suggest that most divers who are likely to make contact with coral are totally unaware of the current acting upon them. As you approach some coral take a minute to look at your drift. Assume that you are a tanker/freighter, not a JetSki, and maneuver accordingly. Approaching coral from down-current is always a good idea if the formation is small as the eddy currents will be unlikely to draw you in. Finally, when close to the coral look at the little fish - are they swimming to maintain their position? If so, you might have to as well.
OP
SoccerJeni
Scuba Baby
I'm in the same boat with you Grumpy If I can't control myself I have failed. However, that being said, I am still pretty new so there are times I am not perfectly buoyant.
My thoughts when I am near a reef is to stay above it far enough that I won't get near it. The couple of times I did get close enough that I was concerned I could possibly touch it, I used my hands waving them in front of me to cause me to rise in the water. I never touched the reef. I know that's a no, no to use your hands, and I don't like doing it. But at that time I felt like if it was between me touching it and waving my hands, I'm waving my hands. And my eyes about popped out of my head when I saw someone fingertip the reef to stay off of it.
If I can't control myself I have failed. However, that being said, I am still pretty new so there are times I am not perfectly buoyant. My thoughts when I am near a reef is to stay above it far enough that I won't get near it. The couple of times I did get close enough that I was concerned I could possibly touch it, I used my hands waving them in front of me to cause me to rise in the water. I never touched the reef. I know that's a no, no to use your hands, and I don't like doing it. But at that time I felt like if it was between me touching it and waving my hands, I'm waving my hands. And my eyes about popped out of my head when I saw someone fingertip the reef to stay off of it.
DennisS
Contributor
I don't worry about it, if I have to use a fingertip to keep from bumping into the reef because of surge or current, I just do it. I'm not a perfect diver.
I'm in the same boat with you Grumpy
I wouldn't think of it like that. Buoyancy is dependent on so any factors that the loss of one of them can quickly cause it to dissappear, sight for example, or concentration. If I'm helping a student and not focusing I quickly find myself either rise or sink significantly.
The same thing can happen close to objects. I often show off and show students how close I can get my nose to a certain object and then smugly use my lung volume to move away from it, and then there's other times when I'm on my own with a camera when it just helps to use a finger to push away rather than try a back scull or other such trick.
When close to coral look for a patch of sand to push off of. Or better still if the coral has algae growing on it, it's a safe bet that piece is already dead and you can use that to push off. In general though 'no touchy' is the best policy with coral.
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