Hi all. Just read the tragic story of Katie in the Sea of Cortez, and was wondering what everyone's experience is relating to dive briefings and whether or not you felt well-informed about strong currents before the dive. I know that currents can change from day-to-day, but usually the divemaster should know the area pretty well.
Dive briefings-Strong currents.
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VaScubaGirl
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I just dove Morehead, NC recently and during the briefing the DM said the currents were "somewhat" strong...somewhat my left foot! This area (which I had dove several times before) is not known for strong currents. It was all I could do to get down to the anchor line without being swept out to sea and then I was pullin myself hand over hand to get down to the wreck. Once on the wreck, I stayed in the lee and was ok (when I tried to go to the other side I was smashed into the wreck...not fun!) coming up on my hang my body was just flapping in the currents, I was completely horizontal. I am far from an air hog, but man, I was sucking down on my tank just from the sheer expenditure of energy! So...to make a long post longer...no I don't think I was well prepared for the conditions. But on the flip side, what more could he have said. thankfully we didn't have any super inexperienced divers on board or it could definitely have caused some issues.
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Who did you go out with? Did they send the DM down to secure the anchor first?
I've done the Floirday Keys wrecks in currents like that, when the Gulf Stream wanders in, but I was always warned.
What happened to Katie was tragic.
don
I've done the Floirday Keys wrecks in currents like that, when the Gulf Stream wanders in, but I was always warned.
What happened to Katie was tragic.
don
Ahh...Nothing better than a nice drift dive.
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In open waters two hour boat ride from shore?! NOT!! :grwow:
don
R
redacted
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Almost got to do a drift dive in a rarely used section of the Flower Gardens last summer, but the currents would not cooperate. 5 miles off shore or 120 miles - it's further than I'm going to swim.
Had an experience similar to VaScubaGirl in the FL Keys with the Lady Cyana dive shop - before they closed shop - a couple years ago. Never would dive with them again and glad they closed down! Completely horizontal hand-over-hand going down anchor line to wreck, then once there greeted by about 6 other divers clinging onto opening next to line, afraid to let go....I swam about 10 feet into current - taking about 60 kicks or so, then gave up and aborted dive, cause not a "rec" dive - too much like work. When at surface, DM at Lady Cyana stated that I "must not have experience diving deep or doing wreck diving" - you gotta be kidding! They should never put 15 + divers into that site - current made it WAY too risky for bad things to happen fast.
FreeFloat
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First dive for me post-certification was on a charter off Brockville, onto a wrecked upside-down schooner sitting on a ledge at 45-60'or so (local divers will know which wreck I mean)
Everyone else on the boat professed a familiarity with the site, but I, being the unabashed newbie, approached the charter boat captain for a site briefing.
I was told there was "a little current - it's slight, you may not really notice it" or statements to that effect, and only after I asked specifically whether to expect current. Only because I had freedived a site further upriver in fairly good current earlier that year.
Well the current I encountered on this particular wreck site was not exactly to flagpole standards - but was certainly "noticeable". I would guesstimate it at about 2 knots. It's a long story, but I burned through a third of my tank just getting 200' upstream.....
I don't really fault the charter boat captain, but can only imagine what I might have felt like had I not thought to ask that specific question........
Everyone else on the boat professed a familiarity with the site, but I, being the unabashed newbie, approached the charter boat captain for a site briefing.
I was told there was "a little current - it's slight, you may not really notice it" or statements to that effect, and only after I asked specifically whether to expect current. Only because I had freedived a site further upriver in fairly good current earlier that year.
Well the current I encountered on this particular wreck site was not exactly to flagpole standards - but was certainly "noticeable". I would guesstimate it at about 2 knots. It's a long story, but I burned through a third of my tank just getting 200' upstream.....
I don't really fault the charter boat captain, but can only imagine what I might have felt like had I not thought to ask that specific question........
spiderpiglet
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Hi I'm new here so if I'm posting in the wrong forum, please excuse. I'm going to be doing my divemaster in Taiwan and I want to buy my own gear for obvious reasons. The prices here sound really good but I want some feed back on the gear I am looking at. If anyone has any opinions on the following gear, please post a reply ASAP. Thanks!
Sporasub Compact Plus BCD with either the Sporasub reg and octo or I can get Scubapro R190 reg and MK2 octo. I can also upgrade the reg to Scubapro 380. The gage is also included, either Sporasub or Scubapro. The guy is making it a packaged deal and I didn't get all the product codes cause my Chinese isn't that great but I'm mighty impressed I got this far!
I'm looking at Mares fins, a Tusa M14 mask, and a full 3mm wetsuit.
So if anyone can give advice, whether you think I'm looking at the right stuff, anything you think I should consider buying, whatever, it would all be appreciated. Cheers
Sporasub Compact Plus BCD with either the Sporasub reg and octo or I can get Scubapro R190 reg and MK2 octo. I can also upgrade the reg to Scubapro 380. The gage is also included, either Sporasub or Scubapro. The guy is making it a packaged deal and I didn't get all the product codes cause my Chinese isn't that great but I'm mighty impressed I got this far!
I'm looking at Mares fins, a Tusa M14 mask, and a full 3mm wetsuit.
So if anyone can give advice, whether you think I'm looking at the right stuff, anything you think I should consider buying, whatever, it would all be appreciated. Cheers
flw
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It's perfectly do-able, our tides can be up to 12 knots in places, though we don't go to the fast bits - all you need is the boat free and able to move to pick people up - everyone will go in the same direction, jst make sure if its a drift everyone is marked all the time, if a wreck then put up a dsmb on ascent and the boat will be right alongside when you come up.
There's a great shallow wreck in scapa the Tabarka where the tide is 4-6 knots - the boat drops everyone 150m upstream by teh time your at 15m you'll be on the wreck, slip inside and spend an hour pottering ( it's great) be a bit wary of the tide near the holes, then when you've had enough come up, the boat will be half a mile away waiting, but it'll not be long before you're picked up
We've had deco's where we've drifted several miles on a station, once it's released ( requires a co-ordinated approach) it takes all the stress out.
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