caught in a down draft

[lobbolt]

I just got home from a 4 day dive trip to Anilao, Philippines. I learned a lot from one incident during the second day of diving. I was the only occupant in the entire resort for my stay, all my dives being just me and the instructor. It was the third and last dive of the day and the instructor and I headed to the dive site in the small dive boat. The dive was going to be drift dive along a wall with maximum depth of about 20 meters and bottom time of about 40 minutes. The instructor told me that the current was strong in this area because of the moon and I could also see water rush over some exposed rocks at the edge of the cliff where the wall was. Not feeling anything was wrong with this dive site I proceeded to dive. The first half of the dive was easy, I carried my camera and snapped pictures of marine life and drifted close to the wall. The current then carried me and the instructor to a bend in the wall, and I noticed the current was faster than it had been and struggled to keep up with the instructor who was taking another direction. Suddenly I realized I had to kick frantically just to stay at the same spot and pretty soon the current was moving me away from the wall. Taking a glance at my computer I saw that the current had taken me from 20 meters to 30 in a few seconds. I immediatly reached for the inflator button on my BCD and inflated as much as I could, my next thought was to drop my weights. Looking around and seeing myself ascend faster than my biggest bubbles I kept my weights. Luckily the instructor caught up to me and was right under me after I began my ascent. He inflated a surface marker and we made a ascent out in the middle of nowhere. Even a black tip shark checked us out. I was glad nothing happened to me and still had a pretty cool dive. But I know in situations like this it would be very easy for a new diver to freak out and panic. I'm gonna bring my own reel and buoy from now on.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Sounds like that was a scary situation. Good job for keeping your head.

Seems like this provided a pretty inexpensive lesson, and one you'd never otherwise learn in a class. I think you handled it well.

 

[Maya]

I agree! Kudos to you for remaining calm and thinking!

 

[ShakaZulu]

I guess that could be another use for an SMB..........good job.

 

[Hank49]

Good you kept a cool head. I've been in similar situations twice...in the Philippines. Both times it was close to a wall and was, it seemed, a kind of venturi effect as the current passed. One split at a big rock on the side of a wall. part went down and part went up. It ended shortly after we went down another 10 meters or so and the down current died. The other was going down from the top of a wall and the water seemed to be pouring off the top of Tubbataha South on a high tide going low. (I think it was South). This was a bit stronger so we just swam out towards the blue water away from the wall. Same thing. It ended as we got away from the venturi effect. But it is a little spooky when you know it's pushing you down. But like you did, just keep a cool head and think it through. Dropping weights may not be good though as it is temporary and you'll need them when you get out of it. Hank

 

[mrobinson]

Sounds like you did a great job! I'm really glad you remembered you could drop your weight belt if needed.
Thanks for sharing it!

 

[liberato]

Taking a glance at my computer I saw that the current had taken me from 20 meters to 30 in a few seconds. I immediatly reached for the inflator button on my BCD and inflated as much as I could, my next thought was to drop my weights. Looking around and seeing myself ascend faster than my biggest bubbles I kept my weights.

Though scarier, it is usually better to get sucked down than up. It is great that you were with an instructor who could provide an after dive review. What did he say when you told him you almost decided to drop your weights at depth?

 

[Rick Inman]

Glad it all worked out!

Two questions:

What do you think would have happened if you'd dropped your weight belt?

What do you think would have happened if you hadn't inflated your BC?

 

[lobbolt]

Glad it all worked out!

Two questions:

What do you think would have happened if you'd dropped your weight belt?

What do you think would have happened if you hadn't inflated your BC?

I think I would've rocketed to the surface if I dropped my weights, but I didn't because I knew I was already ascending. If I hadn't inflated my BCD I probably would've been taken a little deeper but would stop after the current died. I don't think I told my instructor I thought about dropping my weights. He just said I did a good job and in similar future situations inflate the BCD.

 

[Zero]

First, thanks for sharing the experience. It is this is kind of information which is vital for "newbie" divers, like myself, who will benefit from other's shared experiences. Second, it's comforting to know that keeping one's wits and thinking about options is still the best recourse.