Welcome to ScubaBoard, an online scuba diving forum community where you can join over 100,000 divers from around the world discussing all things related to Scuba Diving. To gain full access to ScubaBoard you must register for a free account.
As a registered member you will be able to:
Participate in over 500 dive topic forums and browse from over 3,000,000 posts.
Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
Post your own photos or view from 80,000 user submitted images.
Gain access to our free classifieds marketplace to buy, sell and trade gear, travel and services.
Use the calendar to organize your events and enroll in other members' events.
All this and much more is available to you absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact the ScubaBoard Support Team.
Basic Scuba DiscussionsHave a Scuba related question? Get a Scuba related answer here. Please note: This forum has special rules. This forum is intended to be a very friendly, "flame free zone" where divers of any skill level may ask questions about basic scuba topics without fear of being accosted. Please show respect and courtesy at all times. Remember that the inquirer is looking for answers that they can understand. This is a learning zone and consequently, any off-topic or overly harsh responses will be removed.
Agreed. A true, two knot current is a lot stronger than most people realize. Very difficult to swim against in full scuba gear.
I'm not sure most people can really tell current speed from the water. I tend to think it is often exaggerated.
This Monday, I did a river drift. Drift speed varied depending on depth, channel, etc. Sometimes I was flying along in 4' depth so fast it was scary! (10' vis) Other times, in deeper water, it was just a fast cruse. No way to stop yourself or pick up anything - moving just too fast.
After the dive I tried to calculate average water speed by dividing dive time into distance. My guess was about 2.0 to 2.5 knots - and that was FAST!
My guess is that divers often exaggerate current speed.
__________________
A legitimate adventure has no predetermined outcome. - Chatterton
A flawlessly working rebreather is almost as dangerous as a completely unreliable unit since reliability encourages complacency. - Howard Hall stating the Richard Pyle Paradox
Decompression algorithms are akin to measuring with a micrometer, marking with chalk and cutting with an ax. - Rick Murchison
I'm not sure most people can really tell current speed from the water. I tend to think it is often exaggerated.
...snip...
My guess is that divers often exaggerate current speed.
On some of my dives in the south pacific this is what I experience.....the boat put a pull line from the stern of the boat to the mooring line. As you pull into the current tthe water depresses your purge (which you have already set to the max), you tuck your head in to protect the purge and the current pushes your mask off. Ah... now THAT'S what I call fun!
Usually this experience leads you to a reef edge where, if you can manage to kick from the mooring to the edge and swim over, you're in no more current.
Bye the way, I was with a divemaster on one of these dives that wore fins that looked 4 feet long. I was wearing twin speed splits. We both broke off the mooring at the same time and I beat him over the edge. Don't believe what you hear about those particular splits being poor in current.
Linear Mode
