Almost got lost in the Current - long read

[DiverBizz]

I must work on diving with mild currents and get prepared. I have not had to deal with currents on any dive yet and most of my dives are at and around Catalina.

 

[Jim Kerr]

I must work on diving with mild currents and get prepared. I have not had to deal with currents on any dive yet and most of my dives are at and around Catalina.

They can come up or change direction at any time. You can be tooling along thinking your doing a nice easy dive and then when you turn around find you've been traveling with a subtle current the entire time and now you have to fight it going back. That is why you should always save plenty of air for your return. Diving in it on a wreck in Key Largo is relatively easy compared to diving in it out here having to navigate and find your way back in low visibility.

If the current is strong and you have to pop up to get a bearing on the boat do not do a safety stop first or you can find yourself a loooong way from the boat. Instead, surface and get a compass reading, then go back down to 15 - 20 feet and swim at that level back to the boat. In essence you will be doing your safety stop while making your way back plus you will not be using much air so your stress level will stay at a minimum. Of course the current may still be too strong even at that level so you may have to go deeper where it"s not as bad. After all that exertion, be sure to do a nice long Safety Stop on the anchor chain followed by >1 hour SI before your next dive. See you there!

 

[hudson]

I think fitness is the key. Much of diving and even SAC doesn't depend so much on your aerobic fitness, but fighting currents on the surface certainly does.

 

[Windwalker]

I think fitness is the key. Much of diving and even SAC doesn't depend so much on your aerobic fitness, but fighting currents on the surface certainly does.

No Kidding! I'm in real good shape, I train for endurance and it kicked by Bootay big time.

 

[dkatchalov]

Interesting conversation. I am pretty fit and do at least 1 hour of high intensity cardio 5 days a week.... I had similar issues where I struggled with currents topside after surfacing, which surprised me given how strong my legs are, etc.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

...The captain chose the crew because they were Nubile females who looked good, not because they knew a darn thing about diving or how to crew a boat.

Well maybe it wasn't THAT bad of an operation.

 

[pilot fish]

Thanks for sharing this incident. It was a learning experience for you, and it is now to those of us on the Board. I can't imagine doing dives on 1700 psi. I really think I would have balked at that. I know I would have. Since you are a big guy, a 1700 psi fill is just not near right for you. You are not a 5 ft 2" lady.

I also am amazed at the dive crew not being more alert and throwing out lines? What did they say about that? Wasn't anybody watching bubbles? I'll bet they had their greedy hands out for tips though, didn't they? I hope your tip reflected the poor job this crew did you divers? Never dive with them again!

A similar thing happend to me on the Spiegel Grove. I came up the wrong line and reached the wrong boat - my boat was 100 yrds or so away. I put my head down and used my snorkel and began to fight the current to my boat. I swam hard for several minutes but made no headway to the baot. I got a good case of hypoxia from working so hard and ONLY breathing through my snorkel. You just don't get enough oxygen to compensate for the hard work you are doing on the surface so using your snorkel might not have helped you a lot. Anyway, you are here to tell us of your great adventure against the current so we can all learn from it. Thank God you are OK.

Semper Fi Marine.

 

[pilot fish]

[[[...The captain chose the crew because they were Nubile females who looked good, not because they knew a darn thing about diving or how to crew a boat.]]]]]windwalker

That is a CRIME! That's not even funny. Lives could be lost due to that kind of crap!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

.... I swam hard for several minutes but made no headway to the baot. I got a good case of hypoxia from working so hard and ONLY breathing through my snorkel. You just don't get enough oxygen to compensate for the hard work you are doing on the surface so using your snorkel might not have helped you a lot.

Semper Fi Marine.

I don't seem to have much trouble with surface swimming with a snorkel? What do you suggest?

 

[Windwalker]

I don't seem to have much trouble with surface swimming with a snorkel? What do you suggest?

I for one, would suggest Gills!!

I wonder if they make 3 barrel Metal snorkels for us heavy breathers