Drift diving is NOT so relaxing!

[scubadada]

Hi @Ana

Boynton Beach was nice today also, 2 dives on the Castor in the morning, 2 nice drifts on Black Condo and Clubhouse in the afternoon

 

[The Chairman]

I played in the currents at Ginnie Springs today. The five Ds came in handy as I made my way around the ballroom with friends. I think I had my lights on for only one or two minutes. I just relaxed and let my eyes adjust and felt the currents as the ebbed and flowed. I floated kind of high out of the current when I got near the grate and felt it whoosh underneath me. A fin correction so I'm looking at the blue of the exit, an exhale to allow me to sink into the flow and I'm off like a shot. Currents don't have to be your enemy. Learn how to dodge and also learn how to lead them so you can benefit from all that energy by going with the flow. Relaxed? You bet. Had lots of fun too. I'll be hitting the Eye in a couple of days where out foxing the current is very important and fun as hell! We're always going to find currents underwater, so enjoy the challenge of learning how to read them and dealing with them. I do.

 

[electric_diver]

View attachment 478703
During that same high outflow last year, same area produced the following dive for me.

Yellow dot is the Ash Island Barge. The plan (green) was to jump in just off Wallace, drift along the Wallace side of Fiddler’s elbow and surface.

The Current had a different plan. It took me on the red route on the opposite side of the Elbow and dumped me off near Wood.

Same area. Different current.

Ash Island Drift is one of my favourite dives. You can hit three wrecks in one dive.
First is the cabin cruiser from Swamp Thing at 55 feet on the North side.
Second is the remnants of a steel catamaran on the south side in 150ish (one pontoon is on the North side)
Third is the Ash Island barge.

Also you never know what you might find. A buddy of mine found an embossed torpedo bottle there a few year ago.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Most drift diving is relaxing. The OP asked us to envision a situation where we had difficulty. I've never had a problem doing drift dives in places like the Rainbow River, Pompano, West Palm, the islands, even rivers such as the Delaware and Niagara. A few times Kaniatarowanenneh handed me my own butt. I just did the Daryaw drift with Dan Humble as my buddy. Nice and relaxing. Last year, we had a screaming surface current dropping onto the Jodrey in 250 feet, but once on the wreck even the port side was nearly still water. The faster outflow caused the water to updraft ahead of the wreck giving us unexpected great diving conditions. Usually, there is a current on the port side bow. The day before the water beat the crap out of us on the Ash Island Barge when we drifted off it. The day before that, we had a post failure while drifting into the King. The faster water made it more challenging and there was a crazy wicked updraft at the work boat on the King. The water normally blows past. That day it was scooping divers up toward the wall. Once, a buddy and I found a reverse eddy on the Jodrey. The point I was trying to make might be better stated by author Laurence Gonzales:

“We don't understand the power of nature and the world because we don't live with it. Our environment is designed to sustain us. We are the domestic pets of a human zoo called civilization.”
― Laurence Gonzales, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

 

[gcarter]

Did the long drift off of the Lillie Parsons yesterday afternoon. My average air consumption is ~ .60, Yesterday it was .51. I would say I was relaxed.

 

[hammet]

Hi @Ana

Boynton Beach was nice today also, 2 dives on the Castor in the morning, 2 nice drifts on Black Condo and Clubhouse in the afternoon

Splashdown for am and pm trips?

 

[Ana]

*** The OP asked us to envision a situation where we had difficulty drifting.***
I understand the perception of an activity is differentfor each individual. If one needs to have total control of every aspect of the dive I guess drifting is not the way to go.

Very happy to realize that's not me... Wouldn't enjoy my local dives as much as I do.

How wonderful there's many types of diving to fit each person's styles.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Exactly! I prefer to photograph subjects that require time to find them, let them get used to me being close to them and then getting the lighting and camera settings correct. That is nearly impossible to do when the water is pushing against you and your camera. The only photos I got during drift dives were wide angle drive by shootings.
I understand divers enjoying the ride, but that's not why I dive.

 

[nolatom]

Is too...
neener neener...

;-)

 

[scubadada]

Splashdown for am and pm trips?

No, my favorite, Underwater Explorers. Kevin is the Castor King