Currents

[Dave Dillehay]

If the water level comes up, outside of tidal action, it must be that the outside "grand current" is slightly aiming toward the shoreline instead of straight up the channel like it almost always does. This is the cause of the "dreaded" down currents, like rip tides floating back to sea.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS While the tides are normally quite small they do vary with the seasons, why, I don't know.

 

[Mike]

Nobody notice it yet that all these strange currents coincide with the arrival and departure of the Freedom of the Seas?

That thing is so big it's effecting the tides and currents now!

 

[ggunn]

I have been on quite a few dives in Cozumel where the current switched direction (North and South) and (up and down). One on Cedral Wall in the afternoon that went out an down and we missed the wall (saw it pass underneath tho), a night dive (Dalila) where the current ran South and out (East) then switched to North and out. We saw alot of sand that night. Some dives in the am have run fast, out, down, up and some underwater tornados.

I can say these are not the norm and I have found no correlation with the moon or time of day or time of year. I have noticed Cozumel does not have much tidal action. I have noticed the water being slightly higher at times for periods of days or the week and I can't explain that - it does not seem to be tide related and doesn't seem to me to be related to any different currents over the reefs. I've notice the water level against piers over many trips to be different.

These are very local effects due to eddy currents. When the current is running "backwards" at a particular location, if you go a mile up or down the coast, it likely will be normal there. They move around, so that's why the direction and speed of the current at any location can change in a hurry.

 

[briankinley2004]

Strong current is usually never an issue unless you have to swim against it or turn your head side ways

 

[greyghost]

I was there towards the end of Sept. 11'. Currents were EXTREMELY more than normal. Many of the dives had currents in the 3-4 knot range. Depending on the reef exposure, even the shallow dives were difficult to navigate and take pictures.

 

[bbarada]

I was there towards the end of Sept. 11'. Currents were EXTREMELY more than normal. Many of the dives had currents in the 3-4 knot range. Depending on the reef exposure, even the shallow dives were difficult to navigate and take pictures.

That's interesting. We were at SCC the last week of September 2011 and found the currents very calm. Even at the expected high current places like Santa Rosa Wall. We dove almost every afternoon out in front of SCC and had almost no current. We did 4 boat night dives during the week, and experienced calm or very slight current.