Bad experience on my first dive with strong current

[Photo Girl]

I have never dived the Duane, but I have made lots of wreck dives in the Gulf Stream off Riviera Beach (i.e. Governor's Riverwalk, Mizpah, etc). To me, drift dives are the least exerting dives of all. Almost no swimming, and the boat is right there to pick you up when you surface.

I don't understand why the boat anchored in this case, forcing everybody to swim in the current.

 

[scubadada]

I have never dived the Duane, but I have made lots of wreck dives in the Gulf Stream off Riviera Beach (i.e. Governor's Riverwalk, Mizpah, etc). To me, drift dives are the least exerting dives of all. Almost no swimming, and the boat is right there to pick you up when you surface.

I don't understand why the boat anchored in this case, forcing everybody to swim in the current.

Governor's River Walk and the Mitzpah Corridor are both series of wrecks and rubble, ideal for the drift diving conditions in West Palm. The Duane is isolated by itself and makes up the entire dive.

 

[Photo Girl]

Governor's River Walk and the Mitzpah Corridor are both series of wrecks and rubble, ideal for the drift diving conditions in West Palm. The Duane is isolated by itself and makes up the entire dive.

So why couldn't the boat just drop them a sufficient distance upstream of the wreck?

 

[scubadada]

Hi @Photo Girl

See my posts #s 3 and 8.

It is beyond the experience level and/or ability for some/many of the divers on the Duane to do a hot drop upstream and swim down to the wreck. If they missed the wreck, it is likely also beyond their experience level and/or ability to do a blue water ascent and safety stop on their SMB. This was the first dive following AOW for the OP and his post describes his difficulty doing a dive moored to a ball. If one or more of the dive groups missed the wreck, the operator would have to chase them down, perhaps over a pretty wide area, if the current was quite brisk. I don't think the operators can really afford to do that for this dive and have to play it safe. A hot drop on one of the balls is the best I've done on the Duane. Perhaps a Key Largo local could make a more informed comment.

After diving in SE Florida for a while, we often take for granted some of the things we do while diving. Many divers have less and/or very different experience.

Good diving, Craig

 

[anchochile]

After diving in SE Florida for a while, we often take for granted some of the things we do while diving. Many divers have less and/or very different experience.

I think this hits the nail on the head. I was trained in Monterey, and that's where most of my diving has been, so I am comfortable navigating a reef in 50F water with 10ft viz and heavy surge, and staying relaxed and neutrally buoyant while doing so in 12mm of neoprene, and doing free ascents and safety stops with no viz.

But Monterey diving has not yet exposed me to any significant current, nor to choppy surface conditions, nor to ascents/descents on a mooring ball (we don't have any!). Clearly there's a learning curve ahead of me when it comes to those factors.

 

[caruso]

So why couldn't the boat just drop them a sufficient distance upstream of the wreck?

It's even easier than that. There are at least 2 mooring balls on the Duane, one at the bow and one at the stern. Current is typically brisk and flows bow to stern, so even a dive in the moderate current requires a steady swim along at least a third of the way along the wreck until the diver reaches the superstructure and can find relief from the current.

On a recent dive trip we were told the Duane was "undivable" due to current, from Brenda at Conch Republic Divers. I said to her in the past (with other dive ops) we've been dropped at the upcurrent mooring ball, we drift dive the wreck (it's perfect for that with all it's large rooms you can zigzag in between to get out of the current), and then end up at the stern. We then simply ascend the line to the bow where the boat has relocated and tied off. She said "not enough crew to do that, sorry".

If a diver is AOW and has the skills to do the wreck in the first place, they can handle a brisk current that is almost always directly in line with the profile of the wreck, that has a mooring ball clearly located at each end. Or at least they should be given the option rather than simply canceled.

Going forward I will always ask if a drift dive is possible if conditions prevent a typical moored boat dive on the wreck and if not, I'll try to find an Op that will do so.

 

[scubadada]

@caruso, see post #3

 

[caruso]

@caruso, see post #3

I see that I basically repeated your post #3 with a few things added such as some Ops refuse to do an upcurrent drop and then relocate the boat, for questionable reasons. Great minds think alike!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I've been on the Duane and Spiegel in 1-2 knots and when it was a drop to the wreck from the stern of the dive boat without needing the mooring line at all. I've also been on the Duane where a slight current was running on the descent and on the ascent was fast enough to spin the neutral prop so that the granny line from the bow was wrapped up in it.
Had a great time on all the dives but some people on the boat with AOW cards really had no business on either.
It also depends on vis. Some days we could see the ships from the surface. Others vis was less than 30 ft. I would not want inexperienced divers attempting a hot drop in that vis.

 

[Photo Girl]

Hi @Photo Girl

See my posts #s 3 and 8.

It is beyond the experience level and/or ability for some/many of the divers on the Duane to do a hot drop upstream and swim down to the wreck. If they missed the wreck, it is likely also beyond their experience level and/or ability to do a blue water ascent and safety stop on their SMB. This was the first dive following AOW for the OP and his post describes his difficulty doing a dive moored to a ball. If one or more of the dive groups missed the wreck, the operator would have to chase them down, perhaps over a pretty wide area, if the current was quite brisk. I don't think the operators can really afford to do that for this dive and have to play it safe. A hot drop on one of the balls is the best I've done on the Duane. Perhaps a Key Largo local could make a more informed comment.

After diving in SE Florida for a while, we often take for granted some of the things we do while diving. Many divers have less and/or very different experience.

Good diving, Craig

I don't disagree with you, but If the divers on board are not skilled enough to make the dive safely and easily in the existing conditions, then it is the dive boat operator's responsibility to take them to another site better suited to their experience level.