Downwellings north dive sites!!!!!

[OceanSailor]

Got caught in a downwelling a few years back on Barracuda. I could stay at depth, but only by finning rapidly. The amazing part was watching my exhaust bubbles descend rather than their usual rise to the surface.

Got separated from everyone in the dive group when the dive was called. Everyone pretty much scattered as we headed for the surface. While making a lonely stop for a few minutes at 30 ft, my wife appeared out of the gloom helping another diver who appeared utterly exhausted from the whole experience.

Have experienced downwellings at other sites in Coz, but none as strong as the one at Barracuda.

Lesson learned: Bigger is better when it comes to safety sausages and any safety sausage is better than none. Mine (8 ft/flourescent green) was spotted by the dive boat as soon as I inflated it. After our recovery, we spent 10-15 minutes looking for the others in the dive group. Wave heights were in the area of 2.5 to 4 feet. Spotted a diver's safety sausage (4 ft/orange) after a few minutes and the last diver (no sausage) after maybe another 10 minutes. He could see us and had been blowing his whistle furiously trying to the boat's attention. Problem was the boat was upwind and the winds were blowing pretty strongly - enough to mask his whistle. Sausages arre a good thing.

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

It also happened to my wife and I at Barracuda, and I suspect that if you dive it often enough, it's bound to happen. We rounded a part of the wall at about 125ft and without any warning we were almost instantly taken to 160ft (technically, according to my PDC, 159ft) before we realized what had happened and began to fight it. We then spent the next 10 minutes fighting to get back to the top of the wall. I would like to say that there is a "best way" to deal with that type of situation, or a "don't do it", but your going to have to decide your course of action in a split second. And it may not be as cut and dry as fighting a rip current on the surface. Given how quickly we went from 125-160 (which, I'm still amazed I have ear drums), if we had tried to just swim horizontally in any direction to get out of the current, by the time we would have made it out, we would've been well below 200ft. Even kicking as hard as would could straight up we were still only barely able to hold our position. Instead we chose to kick like crazy straight-up, go hand-over-hand up the wall, and yes, fill our BC (not completely, but damn near). As we got closer to the top, we dumped our BC's and went over the top and rested for a few minutes, then surfaced. So, the moral of the story is, there is no "one way" to deal with the situation, because the situation isn't always exactly the same for everyone. But, whatever you do, be thinking it through. If you're going to fill your BC, know your going to have to dump it and be watching your exhaust bubbles for signs that the current is changing. If, you're going to try and swim horizontally, decide if you will be able to get out of the current before you hit a depth that might cause more problems than the possibility of DCI from a fast ascent. But, and this is the most important thing of all, don't panic!!!

 

[Prop Joe]

No one way to know how to react correctly. No way to know what you'll find up there or anywhere on the island as weird things happen. Earlier in the morning we had done Barracuda. Bubbles were going down. We used a bunch of air on our BC's inflating/deflating as needed plus kicking like hell just to stay at present depth. Listen to briefing and dive the plan. If you get separated look for one minute then call the dive (that's another story from Barracuda).

 

[DiverG]

Ok, I am finally able to repost this trip report. This was posted originally on the now defunct diverlink.com message board in July 2000. I was part of this group, but I was not diving that day since my plane left the next day. I am pretty sure I had posted this account on here before. Here goes...

The Dive From Hell


Posted by LE Joe ® , Jul 21,2000,12:00
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To begin with please understand that this is being written in an effort to find facts not faults.
Our dive boat headed for Santa Rosa Wall with a full compliment of divers. Aquadog and Marla, Roger and Danny, MB and BillP, Julie and me. We dove this wall the day before and was looking forward to doing it again. All the dives that we made up to this point were wonderful. Gently flowing along in picture perfect drift dives that are fun and relaxing.
The dive started out somewhat different for me because as I was gearing up, I noticed that I blew an o-ring on my SPG.

Gonna have to abort. The DM came up with another one but didn't have a wrench to change it. Wouldn't you know that Aquadog just happened to have one.. I'm div'in! My computer didn't fit in the barrowed console so, I just tucked it up the leg of a 2-mil shorty I was wearing.

On any of the other dives, this would have been just fine.
Within the first 10 minutes, I knew this would be a short dive because the current was tiring me out too much. There were times however, that tucked down behind the reef, I could rest a moment and catch my breath, but I knew I was using too much air and if I kept this up there would be trouble. The current seemed to pick up considerably after the second swim through and I had had enough of this situation. By this time, I was being pinned against the coral and my main concern was to get closer to Julie... who was right below me but didn't see me. She had grabbed MB's hand and looked much calmer because of it. This was a good thing! I decided to stay as close as I could to them thinking that maybe we are going to swim outta this stuff. This is wear it gets scary...
MB took Julie down inside a spot that was close to the wall and with what looked like a lesser current. They both were finning hard just to stay there. BillP was close by, Auggie had a hold of Marla with both hands and I'm not sure where Roger and Danny are. I was holding my position by craming my video camera housing into the coral. (I know... I know... but at that point in time a didn't care about any stupied coral!) I wanted to get closer to MB and my new bride, but hesitated to because (which the video shows) their bubbles were going straight behind them and then DOWN! Now THAT scared me! I don't have enough strength left to fight this current... and even if I did, I was no match for it. Now what the hell am I suppose to do? Wait it out? I didn't panic, but beleive it wouldn't take a whole lot more to make me. Helpless. I was glad that Julie was with MB, at least she has a chance... but it didn't look good for me I thought. I watched what other were doing and they seemed to hug the bottom and pull theselves along hand over hand. Ok, I'll try that. It worked. We got out of the bad stuff in a short time. The DM bumped into me giving me the "go up" signal. I thought "No **** Shurlock!" Now there is only Julie, MB, BillP, and me at about 15-20 feet. We were there for about a minute or so. MB was joking around I think to calm us down. He placed my hand on Bills as if to say "You two buddy up and I'll stay with the pretty girl". We all smiled at him and I was going to say somthing to him when all hell broke loose.
I didn't know what was going on because it all happened so fast. But this is what I did noticed. BillP went down very fast and very deep. I watched him go! I saw it because just seconds before I was right beside him. At the same time MB and Julie was fading off into the abyss but level with where I was. And maybe I was going up, I really don't know. I had this video camera to hold on to (which later turned out to be a blessing) and my computer was tucked up my pant leg. I didn't bother trying to get it out. What the hell is going on here? What's this??

All four of us were together in a group at one level and now everyone is gone!!!!!!!!!! THAT scared me too!
My thoughts at that time were, at least Julie has a chance to make it with MB. It doesn't look good for me and Bill though. I remember thinking "Gee, and I really liked him too..." What about his wife Jenny, and their kids...
I found myself out in the middle of the ocean with no refference to the sun or other divers. That scary when it happens for the first time. That's when I noticed something that I have never seen before. It's hard to describe... but all the bubbles that came out of my reg weren't going anywhere. They were just kinda "there". Spaced evenly apart as if they were placed there for my inspection. They weren't going up down left right.... nowhere. I didn't believe it either, but the video shows it very clearly. And it also shows something else that is just as unbelievable. Right at that moment, there is a RUSH of water as if a dam broke on top of me! I went spinning in God only knows what direction. But I think I was in a upwelling because the video shows me finning like crazy trying to go someplace... and the sun is in the picture... so I must have been trying to get back down to my safety stop. The tape shows what looks like someone throwing a large bucket of water on me... but I was already underwater... hmmmm... anyways, it knocked my mask loose and it filled with sea water that burned my eyes. (I found out later that Julie had blood in her mask) About the only other thing I remember before I saw the bottom of this beautiful beautiful BOAT... was I knew I've had enough... I had no room for anything else to go wrong. And I had this overwhelming desire to see Julie once more...
When I saw the bottom of a boat, I headed towards it because I thought I could do better to help find the others from up there. I couldn't see anyone in the water anymore. I broke the surface and there was Den looking at me from the boat. Man, was I glad to see her! It was the wrong boat, but who cares! We gotta find the others... everyone showed up but BillP.
The last thing to scare the witts outta me was that fact that BillP wasn't anywhere around. Remember, the last time I saw him was when he was heading straight for the bottom. It didn't seem as if he could have possbly made it through all that. I was scared of the unknown. I didn't want to tell Den what I saw because I didn't want to worry her... I was glad that this current threw me towards the surface and not what it did to Bill. But off in the distance was a safety sausage that was Bill. We were so releived... it's hard to exsplain. Some time had passed before we finally picked Bill up. When we get to him and ask if he is alright, he says jokingly, "Sure, I'm fine. I got 200 more pounds, I'm going back down for awhile."
If there were an oar on board, I would have clobbered him with it!

MB, I owe you more than I can ever repay.
Thank you.
Lake Erie Joe

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

In 2003 went up to Barracuda with 6 divers +1 dive guide. When we got to the wall at about 80 the downcurrent just kept pulling all of us hard past the wall. I kept putting air in my BC and kicking like crazy turned around to see if the guide wanted to abort. So we hit 120 came back to about 90 and we were all flying still getting pulled down by a good current. Finally after about 8-10 minutes the guide signals everybody abort. So we all went to about 20-30 ft for safety stop. We were there for maybe 4-5 minutes when I saw my bubbles hovering in front of my face instead of going up or down. I knew this was going to be very bad and when I looked up at the diveguide his string with sausage was getting sucked down faster than he was. He was getting all tangled in it trying to swim down to get everybody's attention to surface fast as we were all inside of a whirlpool.When I saw him and I went to signal everybody up fast we were down around 40 feet and then nothing but whitewash and loud bubbles. Could not tell up from down left from right and as I was trying to surface the only thing I could think of is I hope I am not taken down this toliet flush. As we all surfaced panicked the whirlpool was spinning the boat out of control as we tried to exit. It was very weird but also a scary close call.

 

[scubafanatic]

I'd always thought I'd like to dive the 'northern' sites sometime, but although 'deep' and 'current' don't really scare me, the up/down wellings don't really sound like too much fun, not really worth dying for, so maybe it's time to rethink my former 'desire' and scratch these off the list ?

 

[Gdog]

Sounds like it isnt just the northern sites that can be affected. Santa Rosa, even Punta Tunich and Francesca. DiverG, would love to see that video......

 

[agd]

There are some very informative observations in this thread, thanks to those contributors.

I have experienced similar events both on the Northern dives of Cozumel and in the lagoon passes in the Maldives.

In places where the currents are strong and the underwater topography is "hilly" there will be, in addition to the horizontal components of the current, vertical components. Some of the vertical components will be laminar, that is they will follow the slope of the terrain, but others particularly where the shape of the terrain changes quickly, will become non-laminar and have severe eddies in both horizontal and vertical axes. These conditions will cause you to get either dragged down or spit up. Both are equally hazardous in their own way.

Great theory so far, but what do you do about it? To reinforce the good suggestions so far, I would say, based on what is happening with the topography nearby, try to assess where the currents might take you. Easier said than done, so then when you are caught respond aggressively by getting head down. finning and if necessary dump air from BC when the current tries to spit you up or fin hard and add to BC as needed when your bubbles are going down ( ready to dump the BC as soon as things change...and they will). If you can, move horizontally to where there may be less up/down. Closer to the reef will generally be less extreme than 30 feet from it and of course you can try to hang on to something or look for a lee.

The BC or not to BC argument has merits both ways. The thing about diving is that once you are displaced from your "neutral buoyancy" depth, you become dynamically unstable; the forces to displace you further increase with the amount of deviation from your neutral depth, so I fall on the side of using the BC to compensate, so long as you are ready to reverse when the current changes. ( We all have dump valves at the hip of our BCs so we can let air out when we are head down and finning down, don't we? )

Of course, there are times so bad when all this won't be enough, and like some of the experiences in this thread, you may have to cancel the dive and at the most extreme, do what you have to do to get to the surface alive, even if it does mean a risk of DCS or a chamber.

 

[DandyDon]

Sounds like it isnt just the northern sites that can be affected. Santa Rosa, even Punta Tunich and Francesca. DiverG, would love to see that video......

Nope. Down currents are possible on many walls there with the clashes of the main current, fingers, eddies, etc. I was swimming along the edge of reef once there, next thing I knew I was down at 100 ft alone with my pony sitting on boat. Now I leave it behind only for shallow dives not close to walls.

They may be more common up north but I think that any Coz diver needs to know how to get out of one, quickly, without panic - just like any beach wader needs to know how to get out of a rip current - going across it, not fighting it. Except in a down current, you may have to deal with ear issues and narcosis before you get out. I swam away from the wall to get out and did a slow but nervous ascent.

Glad this was brought up as the possibility is so seldom mentioned here or on the boats.

 

[greylion]

As my wife and I were leaving Coz yesterday, we met jenlovestodive at the airport and she told me of the same dive. She was sucked down to 140 ft immediately and had to crawl up the wall to get back to more reasonable depth. She was all scratched up even though she had a wet suit on. Pretty scary.

I will say that my wife and I talked for around a 1/2 hr about this incident after Jen left and I think we may have learned something from it? You really need a little luck and must keep your whits about you or it can be all over.