Bahamas: Missing Female Diver

[Cave Diver]

Have I ever been diving in a 3 knot current? Yes, a few times. Once at Wolf, once in Fiji, and a few times at Hole in the Wall. It's nasty and nobody should do it.

I'm not sure if your statement is referring to current in general, or at that specific site. Assuming you're generalizing, I have to say that current is manageable as long as both diver and captain is aware and capable of handling the logistics of it. I've done a live drop into a current that was estimated at almost 4 kts. As the captain was following our SMB during deco, GPS showed actual rate of drift to be 5+.

It's not something I'd recommend for new divers, but it's certainly doable with the right experience.

 

[Amazz]

I should have been more specific and was generalizing a bit. I consider you cavers and techies to be in a category of your own. I was also thinking more about the site Hole in the Wall in Jupiter where currents can run considerably faster than 3 knots and pull divers off the wall into deeper water very quickly. That dive should be aborted if conditions are faster than 3 knots. The generalization has more to do with AOW divers and not divers who have tech training.

 

[redacted]

Just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing, I figure 3 kt is about a football field (100 yd) per minute.

 

[ScubaSteve]

Just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing, I figure 3 kt is about a football field (100 yd) per minute.

1 knot is equal to (approximately)

1.15 mph
.001552056 MACH
1852 meters per hour
6076 feet per hour
101.2686 feet per minute
30.86667 meter per minute

SO....YES you are basically correct

 

[cappyjon431]

Part of the problem stems from the fact that most recreational divers have no clue in judging what a nautical mile/hr. (kt.) is when they are underwater. We used to dive off of Cat Cay in the Bahamas every week, and I can't tell you how many divers (literally hundreds) we had surface claiming a "ripping" current or a "5-6 knot current". What these divers were actually facing was a stiff 1.5 knot current (sometimes it would actually get above 2 knots, but very rarely) that was difficult to swim against. Most people can swim into a 2 kt. current and make some progress, but it is tiring and it is difficult to sustain. Swimming against a 5 kt. current in dive gear is virtually impossible.

 

[boulderjohn]

Wow, that is heart racing stuff. Kudos to the guy who filmed and rescued at the same time!

...and had the presence of mind to anticipate the need for the rescue by filiming his computer and the rescuees periodically throughout the dive.

The last time I saw a discussion of this video, the consensus was that it was a fake.

By the way, roughly the last 60 posts have just about nothing to do with the topic of this thread.

 

[ItsBruce]

1 knot is equal to (approximately)

1.15 mph
.001552056 MACH
1852 meters per hour
6076 feet per hour
101.2686 feet per minute
30.86667 meter per minute

SO....YES you are basically correct

Very good on the equivalencies. But how many furlongs is that per fortnight?

 

[Cave Diver]

very good on the equivalencies. But how many furlongs is that per fortnight?

~9280

The last time I saw a discussion of this video, the consensus was that it was a fake.

Judging from the way the no-stop time remaining jumps around during the dive, I'd guess this video was pieced together from at least two seperate dives.

 

[jon m]

Thank you for posting that video; and to the heroic filmmaker for sharing his experience. The video would make a good sticky in the beginner's forum. It says a lot about what new divers can expect in many places - to be led into situations beyond their experience and understanding. Yes, they are responsible for themselves but it is obvious that the potential for a bad outcome is there. Can a 12 year old and buddy (mentally also 12, it seemed) be counted on to say "NO" to participating in a dive beyond their training? Obviously not in many cases.

I will be showing this video to my dive buddy (15 yr old daughter). I hope it helps her understand why we took extra instruction and practice dives before heading out on the reef, spent a week with a private DM even when told we did not need it, and obsess about gear prep. I think she already gets it; if I thought she didn't we wouldn't be in the water.

thanks again for posting that, i forwarded to my dive buddies... that vid made me queasy, just watching.(so close, and have no idea)
thanks for saving them!!!!
-Jon

 

[ScubaSteve]