Drift diving is NOT so relaxing!

[Ghosty]

Other than low on air or out of air I agree with everything. I hate drift diving. I tried to take photos in Cozumel with a group that wanted to drift along. I wasted so much air trying to keep up with everyone. Surfacing into a minefield of moving boats is scary as well. I prefer looking around a reef or wreck for different animals, not racing past them.

My first time in Coz, first tank was on Santa Rosa Wall on a high current day. It was SO frustrating that it almost soured me on Coz, right from the start. But of course I went with the flow and group and did well to not waste air trying to stay exactly the same short distance from the bottom and still not fly right into outcroppings, etc. If anything that dive was really good "training", when most every following dive was more easy and enjoyable. But it did sorta sour me on Santa Rosa now, lol. Don't know if I would choose that as an option next time I'm in Coz and everyone's deciding where to go. Same with our 2nd tank on San Clemente, was not enjoyable. But all the other six dives were! Even the Palancar Bricks swim-throughs, Columbia Deep, and moderate currents were all very enjoyable.

Situation 1: The DM and the group are swimming cross current to stay close to the reef. You can not keep up. Your air is running low - 600 psi at 60 ft. What to do?? You can not signal to your buddy, because he is huffing and puffing to stay with the group.

I liked your list of everything, definitely have that same plan in the back of my head when I run through "what-ifs".

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Having to keep up with a group in Cozumel turned my camera into a giant paperweight. My first dive there was an hour long. I was able to take one photo. I ended up skipping several boats so I could dive on the house reef instead.
We had a similar dive in British Columbia a few years ago. The first fifteen minutes were a wild ride, avoiding boulders and trying to protect the camera until we finally got out of the current. The next time we dived that site we asked the Captain to drop us off in the cove so we could skip the "fun" part.
If I didn't take a large camera on every dive I might not hate drift dives so much, but I don't dive for fun.

 

[kelemvor]

Well, drift diving would make an excellent AOW course...much better than fish identifying!

It's part of the regular NAUI Scuba Diver course.

 

[rsingler]

Eventually someone will get hurt, and all will have flags.

It is slightly distressing that so many of your posts have a negative tone to them. If you are teaching, that is probably not the best way to engage and warn your audience. Posters who react negatively to what you have said are not all flamers. Most are more likely reacting to HOW you chose to present your topic.

 

[KeithG]

...If someone jump's into the ocean without an SMB, they are indeed, a moron...

It all depends upon the situation. We never take our SMB for Bonaire dives. Or Roatan. Or Utila.

There are many places in the ocean where there is no current.

 

[dlofting]

It all depends upon the situation. We never take our SMB for Bonaire dives. Or Roatan. Or Utila.

There are many places in the ocean where there is no current.

Definitely agree....didn't need an SMB in Roatan or Sabang Beach. Wouldn't be without it in Cozumel or Socorro.

 

[Ana]

This thread is quite amusing...

The OP states that drift diving is not relaxing.

...so what would be the "relaxing" way to perform that dive? Actually, let me re-phrase the question.. what would be the "relaxing" way to perform a dive on a location with strong current?

To me the magic of drift dives, is that you don't have to worry about the current taking you too far or not far enough (in case of zero current), the boat will be relatively close when you surface, you come on board and voila'

I get the feeling the problem lays on the diver, the captain of the boat, or both.

 

[stepfen]

Local diving for me (Mediterranean sea) is totally current free, so I encounter currents only on my vacations to the tropics (mainly Indonesia) say for 5-10 dives a year. For me the biggest issue is that probably due to my size (I am a big guy) it seems that I have more drag than other divers and I tend to drift faster than the rest of the group. As a result, every now and then I have to somehow slow down to wait for them - the last thing that I'd like in these conditions would be to get separated from the group. I use my reef hook, or hide behind a rock or something (if available) or swim against the current for a while now and then. Lack of drifting experience and high air consumption doesn't help much either making drift dives not my favorite kind of diving so I would agree with the OP.

 

[electric_diver]

between 150 on wrecks like the A.E. Vickery, 170 on the Oconto and J.B. King, and 250 on the Roy A. Jodrey. When I think about relaxing drift diving, I think warm water and drifting into or off the Robert Gaskin. When I think about the scuba version of Normandy, I think the Oconto and the King.

I think you are over hyping the difficulty of these wrecks and the conditions. However it just may be that I'm acclimatized to the conditions.

If you want really fast water in the 1000 Islands try drifting off the Robert Peel on the bottom (around 170). The river narrows noticeably (you can see both walls of the channel in reasonable viz) and the water speeds up a lot! Its a short ride though.

 

[DanielRJones]

@shoredivr

People need to come visit us for a season in the 1000 Islands to understand.

I've done lots drift diving in the Caribbean, the east coast of Florida, lots of rivers including the Niagara above the famous falls, and what we have is the scuba version of base jumping in a wingsuit while skydiving especially between 150 on wrecks like the A.E. Vickery, 170 on the Oconto and J.B. King, and 250 on the Roy A. Jodrey. When I think about relaxing drift diving, I think warm water and drifting into or off the Robert Gaskin. When I think about the scuba version of Normandy, I think the Oconto and the King.

Are them drift dives comparable to wingsuit proxy base dives.

I have 700 skydives and wingsuit and do 4way 8way and bigway diving but i would never do a base jump and even less a wing suit proxy jump. I wish diving had licenses like skydiving with a b c and d and currency was taken into account.
Dive conditions are a c license today but not really a way of limiting on canopy loading in scuba