Dealing with surge

[twinpop]

Hello,

I am new to diving, did my first open water dives yesterday out at Emerald Bay off of Catalina. The diving was great - saw some huge garibaldis and some wrasses, but I had a problem staying in one spot during "training" the surge just kept pushing me all over the place -crashed into the instructor once. when we were moving i was fine, only we tried to stop did i have problems. any help would be most appreciated. i have a drysuit with a 100 steel tank and was using 10lbs in each side and 3lbs in the each back pocket?

Kevin :hoondidi:

 

[simbrooks]

So you are saying the instructor wasnt moving around with the surge? Did the instructor want you to hold the exact position or one relative to them (ie 5ft away or so)?

Were you kicking at any point and so moving around on top of the movement of the surge? Newer divers often arent balanced and so kick to maintain a balance (be it head up/down, rolling to the side) and with each kick not only do you give some counteraction to the unbalanced force/moment but also propel yourself forward, up, down etc.

As for surge, on both coasts i have found it is usually easier to just hang in the surge, to move with it rather than fight it - unless i want to get somewhere, then you kick to hold position when the surge is pushing you back and kick with the surge to move forward (kind of fun zooming feeling ). Side to side surge can make folks a little sick, but apart from keeping an eye out for things you are moving towards it doesnt impede your progress. IMO It is almost impossible to counteract the forces of the water in surge, you can kick in one direction to stop it yourself moving with the surge, but you cant kick backwards at the same rate or turn around quick enough when the flow reverses (cycles every few seconds it feels like around here).

 

[MissyP]

So you are saying the instructor wasnt moving around with the surge? Did the instructor want you to hold the exact position or one relative to them (ie 5ft away or so)?

Were you kicking at any point and so moving around on top of the movement of the surge? Newer divers often arent balanced and so kick to maintain a balance (be it head up/down, rolling to the side)

When it's surgy, the only thing you can really do is put some space between each other (and the reef, wreck, or whatever is around) and "go with the flow". Don't try to fight it because you'll tire yourself out and burn up your air.. Just relax and remember that if you're moving, everyone else is moving too- so you're not going to be swept away from the group...

The same thing happened during my 1st OW dive in the Coronados- trying to do skills (the fin pivot was the worst one) in a 4-5 ft surge with urchins all around .. Comical, I'm sure

 

[pete340]

Hello,

I am new to diving, did my first open water dives yesterday out at Emerald Bay off of Catalina. The diving was great - saw some huge garibaldis and some wrasses, but I had a problem staying in one spot during "training" the surge just kept pushing me all over the place -crashed into the instructor once. when we were moving i was fine, only we tried to stop did i have problems. any help would be most appreciated. i have a drysuit with a 100 steel tank and was using 10lbs in each side and 3lbs in the each back pocket?

Kevin :hoondidi:

Unless you're hanging on to something stationary, you're going to move with the surge. You're in the water, and you go where it goes. When you kick you move relative to the water around you. If the surge is moving you backwards, kicking at the right pace can make you stand still relative to the bottom. Then when the surge reverses, you shoot ahead. I love surge!

Bottom line, though, is that you're not going to run into anyone else just because there's surge -- everyone's affected by it. You will run into things that aren't moving, because the surge is moving you into them. If the surge is pushing you into someone else it's because they're fighting it. They need to relax and go with the flow.

 

[Iruka]

I agree with what's been posted so far...you can't effectively fight surge, so learn to adapt to it. It just takes a little forethought....if the surge is side to side, determine how much ground it covers (5 feet, 10 feet, etc) and if there's something in your path in that "surge zone" ascend a bit before you get there, so you'll go above it...or alter your course a little if that's not possible. If the surge is "front to back" (for example, as you're heading back to the beach) you can either swim normally, (don't get upset when you go backwards at times) or hang onto something (rock, pipeline, that sort of thing...not live coral, of course) when the surge is against you, and then let go and basically "fly" towards the beach when the surge is with you. Actually, I kind of like side to side surge...it lets me see more of the reef without having to do any extra swimming. Just not so much fun when you want to take a photo of a stationary object when YOU are not stationary...try to time the shot to that slight moment when the surge changes, ha ha.

 

[isurus]

I agree with what's been posted so far...you can't effectively fight surge, so learn to adapt to it. It just takes a little forethought....if the surge is side to side, determine how much ground it covers (5 feet, 10 feet, etc) and if there's something in your path in that "surge zone" ascend a bit before you get there, so you'll go above it...or alter your course a little if that's not possible. If the surge is "front to back" (for example, as you're heading back to the beach) you can either swim normally, (don't get upset when you go backwards at times) or hang onto something (rock, pipeline, that sort of thing...not live coral, of course) when the surge is against you, and then let go and basically "fly" towards the beach when the surge is with you. Actually, I kind of like side to side surge...it lets me see more of the reef without having to do any extra swimming. Just not so much fun when you want to take a photo of a stationary object when YOU are not stationary...try to time the shot to that slight moment when the surge changes, ha ha.

when trying to move in surge, I kick when the surge is pushing me forward and do nothing when its pulling me back. this lets you progress without fighting the surge. When staying still I find the motion quite relaxing, bit like being in a hammock

 

[ICY ICE]

First, congrats on your certification. And as everyone has posted, if there is a surge just go with it or go to deeper waters, you cannot fight it unless you want to burn through your air.

You do need more space between your buddies, the surge will have all of you bumping into each other.

 

[Spoon]

just keep your distance and go with the flow. you can also time your movement and sort of coordinate it so you have ample time to react properly