Diving at a reef wall with no bottom in sight

[Guba]

Much like diving an oil platform. These things often stand in over 400 feet of water, and the legs just extend down into the blue and out of sight. While diving close to the legs and supports, the feeling is like being close to a wall. However, if you move just a bit away, you get that "suspended" feeling that some find disconcerting. Same rules apply, though...just watch your trim and buoyancy, and there aren't any problems.

 

[TSandM]

No, you generally dive close to the wall, because that's where the fun stuff to see is! But you do have to pay attention to your depth, and what the water is doing. Like so much else, diving walls that fall off below recreational depths requires good buoyancy control and a high degree of situational awareness. Awareness is where a lot of divers get into trouble!

 

[don Francisco]

Generally down currents occur when the current is running out over the wall out towards the open sea. You would therefore know what to expect before you dive the wall, though there may always be surprises.

Hugging closer to the wall shelters you from the current somewhat, but it's really more of a matter of bouyancy control and awareness of what's going on around you that keeps you at depth. If you have a computer with an audible alarm you might set it to alarm at 10-15 feet below your planned depth.

Overall, wall diving is no different froam any other diving - except for the view - in that you need to keep your wits about you to be safe.

 

[24940]

You can relieve a great deal of stress about depth by using the wall as a reference. Once you are at the desired depth, pick something on the wall that is in your path. It's easier to maintain your depth in relation to an object than using your depth gauge. Once you overtake your reference object, locate another.

 

[ianr33]

I love walls.

One of my best dive experiences ever was on the last day of a course I did with Divetech in Cayman. A few minutes before we were due to ascend the instructor asked if I was O.K. After confirming that I was he took a sharp left turn off the wall and we swam into the blue for a couple of minutes .

We just hung there with huge grins.Blue everywhere.Light blue above and 6000 feet of very dark blue below . I was hooked.

 

[diver 85]

In the old days(before computers) it was more risky if you had poor buoyancy etc & didn't keep your mind on the task @ hand ie busting the tables....Now days, not a problem----if you keep up with the computer......

 

[captain]

Much like diving an oil platform. These things often stand in over 400 feet of water, and the legs just extend down into the blue and out of sight. While diving close to the legs and supports, the feeling is like being close to a wall. However, if you move just a bit away, you get that "suspended" feeling that some find disconcerting. Same rules apply, though...just watch your trim and buoyancy, and there aren't any problems.

Good description, I like walls and deep water rigs.

 

[Peter Guy]

If diving without a bottom (wall, oil rig, etc.) yes, you need good buoyancy control. I'd also add you need to be able to control yourself when somewhat stressed so it would be a very good thing to practice a few things prior to doing this diving.

Mask kicked off -- If diving in a group, you may find your face in someone's fins -- either because they've ascended into you, or, more likely, descended into you. Since everyone is looking at the wall, it is quite easy NOT to see the person below you and just "fall" into them. On a bottomless wall dive a couple of years ago I talked with one of my companions who said, "I just don't know what I would do if my mask got kicked off." Well, finding out THEN is NOT the time to find out.

There isn't a need for the GUE 3-foot window, but you should be able to maintain a reasonably stable depth when task loaded if you are going to dive a bottomless wall.

 

[Charles21093]

Bloody Bay wall in Little Cayman is heaven on earth.

Second that! Our dive boat captains, Ron and Dottie, said that one thing to try at Bloody Bay Wall was the Superman. Swim out 100' past the wall, empty your BCD and using your arms and fins execute a shallow spiral descent to 100'.

 

[huge]

Biggest problem that you might have with the wall dive is down currents but those are usually associated with tides so they can be predicted to some extent.

At least for me walls are the best place to fine tune buoyancy control. There you have good reference so that you can see exactly how much you ascend or descend when you inflate/deflate your BCD without having to worry about touching the bottom. As always with any dive, make sure that you know how deep you are, but also make sure that you pay attention to any overhangs, whips or fans when ascending.

Losing a mask or something can definitely be a problem, but then again nothing beats the learning experience that you will get by losing the mask at 70'. Been there, done that