halocline
Contributor
I've been in down currents on a wall, swimming hard and laying on the inflator button just to avoid descending. It can be fairly scary, and in a place like Cozumel it is not uncommon in some areas. I think once you're in a strong current you do whatever you have to. I've heard swimming away from the wall can help, but the 'natural' tendency is going to be to swim to the wall to grab on to something. I don't think up currents are as common but I certainly have heard of them.
Not sure what this has to do with a right-side dump, though. If you have that much air in your BC at depth, even dumping from one side will certainly do the job.
This is the problem with 'what-ifs' like this. Okay, sure, in an online discussion group you could make the argument that in this specific scenario, theoretically it could be useful to have an extra dump, but if you put one on the wing, you're worse off in other ways and you're stuck with it. The old dive rite travel wings used to have a right side dump and it was in a pain in the ass (well, right cheek anyway, haha) because once you learn to vent with your left hand only it's MUCH more convenient to reach down to the left hip. It's muscle memory. As far as having dumps on both sides, it definitely is an extra failure point and something to snag on. Those OPVs, even the good ones, are not the most bomb-proof valves.
Not sure what this has to do with a right-side dump, though. If you have that much air in your BC at depth, even dumping from one side will certainly do the job.
This is the problem with 'what-ifs' like this. Okay, sure, in an online discussion group you could make the argument that in this specific scenario, theoretically it could be useful to have an extra dump, but if you put one on the wing, you're worse off in other ways and you're stuck with it. The old dive rite travel wings used to have a right side dump and it was in a pain in the ass (well, right cheek anyway, haha) because once you learn to vent with your left hand only it's MUCH more convenient to reach down to the left hip. It's muscle memory. As far as having dumps on both sides, it definitely is an extra failure point and something to snag on. Those OPVs, even the good ones, are not the most bomb-proof valves.