High winds (and seas) diving

[Jessica Anderson]

I was heading out the other day for a dive but I woke up to banging outside and realized it was THAT windy outside.

After checking my Navionics app for wind speed/direction and forecast and seeing that the winds were ranging from 17 ->34knots (with seas to match) I figured that any charter company would be canceling today. However, thankfully, we have our own boat- therefore, the decision to cancel landed on me.
At what point do you cancel a dive (weather wise)?

 

[TMHeimer]

With almost all of my dives being shore dives, I will cancel if it appears that wind/waves/surge means very poor viz. I'll wait a day or 2.

 

[CuzzA]

It depends on how big your vessel is. I generally would not head out in anything greater than buoy data registering 2-4's and winds sustained at more than 15.

 

[rivers]

anything more than a force 6 or 7 generally means we get blown out. Although some skippers have gone out in pretty questionable weather, so I won't dive with them again.

 

[lowviz]

3 - 4 foot seas and crappy viz are pretty much the norm where I dive.

I do all my gear "sorting out" in back bays because I'm not allowed in the local quarry when diving alone. So I can be found on most any spring tide in some desolate back bay in the middle of the night. I've come to really love the P&Q.

To the point. Boats. I fight seasickness. A scopolamine patch is a given, promethazine 12.5 mg is always at the ready and Sudafed (the real stuff) is available to keep me from becoming a zombie.

I'd dive with them...

 

[dbulmer]

My view:

1) Can you get all the divers back safely and quickly in the event of an emergency?

2) Will you sustain damage to the boat in any way? Mooring in particular.

3) Will the divers enjoy the dive or will they be heaving over the side in abject misery?(I get seasick easy BTW)

4) For me, windforce 4 and below is ok for the majority of divers 5 is marginal and anything above is madness

 

[Steve_C]

Wind direction has a big impact. Wind coming across a large expanse of open water can have a very different affect than a wind coming off the land depending on how far offshore you are diving/fishing.

 

[TMHeimer]

Wind direction has a big impact. Wind coming across a large expanse of open water can have a very different affect than a wind coming off the land depending on how far offshore you are diving/fishing.

Yeah. For shore dives--offshore (coming from the sea) wind= warmer water & lousy viz. Wind coming from the land=calm seas and cold.

 

[Wijbrandus]

I took a boat out of Key Largo to the Spiegel once in 10' seas. Had a hell of a ride on the granny line and then down to the wreck. The current and vis were so bad, we didn't wander more than a few feet from the mooring line before my wife thumbed the dive. The waves were so bad on the return, preparing to board, one moment we are looking up at the prop, the next we are looking down onto the deck. Getting back on board was far more excitement than I want to experience ever again. Fed the fish all the way home, and did not do the second dive.

There had better be something out there I can't see anywhere else for me to go out like that again.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

My threshold is 3-5' seas. Even then I might not go unless something really exceptional is going on. I prefer 2-4 seas. However, I live here in Florida so can wait for any calm spell for my trips. For people traveling, might be a different story.