Upwelling?

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PensacolaNewbie

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Location
Pensacola, Florida
# of dives
25 - 49
On a recent dive we missed anchoring on the wreck. We were in two teams of two. The first team reported back that they could not see the wreck from the anchor but found it and gave us a bearing to the wreck from the anchor. When my buddy and I reached bottom we could only see sand but started on the indicated heading. The only thing I could see was my buddy and green water. I felt I was going up but very slowly. When I checked my depth I was about half way to the surface. I let out what little air I had in my wing, but continued to go up. I gave the palms up "what's going on" signal to my buddy but got the same signal in return. I dove for the bottom and with considerable effort was able to get back down. I then found the wreck and checked it out for awhile with no further buoyancy problems. Back on the boat my buddy said his experience was the same as mine. When I uploaded the dive to my PC I saw that I went in a steady ascent from 95 to 6 feet in 3 minutes.

One of the other divers suggested we may have hit an upwelling of water, similar to an updraft in an aircraft. Anyone encountered this before?
 
I have never found that type of current in the Panhandle, not saying you didn't but, well, interesting. N
 
That is strange. I have only ever heard of upwellings over open water along the top of a deep wall, never originating from a flat bottom. I just don't know.
 
I have never found that type of current in the Panhandle, not saying you didn't but, well, interesting. N


Googe says that it exists, although I don't understand enough of the science involved to know what they're talking about.

Just google "florida upwelling" and check out anything on the first page.

Terry
 
Googe says that it exists, although I don't understand enough of the science involved to know what they're talking about.

Just google "florida upwelling" and check out anything on the first page.

Terry

I understand the Gulf upwelling phenomena but that is generally a widespread occurrence and not a concentrated current that a diver would discern. But, like I said, he says there was a current, I was not doubting him. Quite likely in an effort to swim against the often strong horizontal currents that are common here and with little reference to a fixed object our diver was not swimming in the direction he thought, the mind can do strange things, ask any instrument rated pilot, trust your instruments, not your inner ears.

N
 
I've been in situations where viz went from "fine" to "press gauge up to mask and use a flashlight to see it" in a few seconds. With no visual reference, you can swim in any direction and think it's another (though bubbles will always go up). That little bit of air in your bc also expands as you rise, so both things could have worked together to account for your ascent.

Did your computer protest any during the encounter??
 
My computer didn't yell at me. Becoming disoriented seems like the most logical explanation.

Still, I'm not sure that explains my buddy having the same problem, nor my difficulty getting back down with no air in my wing.

This experience just adds to the fun.
 
I don't know if I'd use the word fun, as any ascent that is not planned is a huge concern. Luckily your ascent rate did not cause any real issues and it would appear that you have escaped unscathed. As for the reason your buddy did the same thing as you? What was his visual reference in open water with nothing to see? The answer is, You! Your buddy may have had the same issue as you since you were both together and cued your depth off each other. Only a guess though.
 
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