Where/how to practice for currents

[Ontwreckdiver]

You could head up to Brockville and Rockport to dive the St. Lawrence river. There are shore dives and boat dives.
Scuba Diving | Brockville Tourism
I dive with Wayne from http://www.islanddiver.ca/

 

[Dogbowl]

You could head up to Brockville and Rockport to dive the St. Lawrence river. There is shore dives and boat dives.
Scuba Diving | Brockville Tourism
I dive with Wayne from http://www.islanddiver.ca/

Oh, yes! I forgot about the St. Lawrence. Does this river have moderate to strong currents?

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Yes, from moderate to hold on or you will end up in Montreal. lol

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Dogbowl

The currents in the Galapagos and Cocos were really not that brisk, we did not use reef hooks.

Come on down to SE Florida and do some drift diving in Boynton Beach, West Palm and Jupiter.

 

[boulderjohn]

Your original idea of going to Cozumel is not a bad one. They can be mild or ripping in the same place. Some sites, like Paso del Cedral and Barracuda, are famous for their stronger currents, but even there it can vary. The same is true of the famed places you want to visit. I had a friend tell me the currents were really difficult to handle when he went to the Galapagos--I went and they were downright easy. When I went to Palau recently, on many of the dive sites the DMs warned us that the currents could be really challenging, but we never had a truly challenging current in the 3 weeks i was there.

 

[Lorenzoid]

There's nothing to a drift dive if you drop in at the right point, and the current is doing what the DM expected it to do. You just float along until it's time to ascend--easy peasy. It's those times when you do have to swim across a current to make corrections that are hard. Or an out-and-back dive in which the plan is to first swim against the current and then turn around and go back with the current. But I'm not sure there's much one can do to prepare for current. You just do your best and swim hard.

 

[Trailboss123]

@scubadada beat me to it-- I was also going to recommend SE Florida as an addition or alternative to Cozumel. I would much rather dive there than in any river. Gorgeous reefs and sea life and you will learn lots and raise your comfort level!

 

[scubadada]

No, don't get me wrong. What @Adiron says is not correct. In both Cocos and Galapagos you will be holding against the current and stationing yourself to watch the sharks go by. You will be doing this my holding onto rocks and positioning yourself out of the main current. It is not a trivial activity and not one appropriate for a beginner diver.

Drift diving in SE FL is effortless unless you want to hold against the current or want to swim cross-reef without losing too much ground. Both of these activities can be pretty invigorating.

 

[Lorenzoid]

In both Cocos and Galapagos you will be holding against the current and stationing yourself to watch the sharks go by. You will be doing this my holding onto rocks and positioning yourself out of the main current. It is not a trivial activity and not one appropriate for a beginner diver.

I have been to neither, but I have gotten the impression they are not appropriate for beginners. However, how many people who have been diving for a few years have had previous experience holding onto rocks, etc.? It seems to me that kind of diving is fairly unique, and there's not much one can do to prepare for it. It will be a new thing to almost everyone on the boat.

 

[TMHeimer]

Who'd a thunk? ............Dang!

Or a tidal inlet?