DOWN CURRENTS -Any with true real-life experience?

[John Bantin]

Read these articles (free for non-subscribers to read now): Part I: The Ups and Downs of Ocean Currents: Undercurrent 10/2018 and Part II: The Ups and Downs of Ocean Currents: Undercurrent 11/2018 They might save your life!

 

[Doc]

The

There’s a dive site here in Puerto Galera (actually it’s at Verde Island, but same difference)… I guess I should read the comments and see what other people have to say about it.

See Post #8

Is that cable anchored in a cement filled barrel still part of the fun? It ran horizontally through the underwater waterfall.

 

[SaraPedrioli]

There are people saying to swim in the blue and away from the wall but you can be sure of it... If you do that and it takes you down (some trenches like Indonesia it goes to 200m+) you won't come out alive...
The best is of course always play attention to the fishes who will give you the signal that it is coming, if you don't have time to turn back in the bay or where you would be protected from the current, grab the reef and, if you can, try to crawl (not your way up) away to get out of the flow, otherwise you need to wait that it calms down a bit. I hope this will help some of you on how to react to down current. Safe diving everyone!

 

[Guitarcrazy]

I experienced a very nasty downcurrent in February 2022 diving at Punta Tunich wall. The thread is below.

Current currents

We went to San Clemente and Paradise yesterday, and La Francesca and Tormentos today. Current at San Clemente and Paradise was moderate and kept changing. Current at Tormentos was practically nothing, but at La Francesca it was an E ticket ride. Strong wind from NNE both days.

scubaboard.com

 

[Stoo]

Reading the latest thread about the witnessed down current fatality in Cozumel, (Tourist lost - Cozumel) I was wondering if anyone here has actually experienced a true DOWN CURRENT incident, and more importantly, how did you survive it? I have experienced "out currents" in Cozumel, but never a true uncontrollable down current.

I've read that article three times and nowhere does it mention it was "witnessed" or that it was a "down" current. Is there another source you're referring too? Currents in Coz are standard fare, as are divers being swept away.

As for your question about down currents, yes. I've run into them a handful of times in British Columbia. In one case, I hit bottom in about 140' but pretty had to climb up the wall. In another, the water was much deeper (300+) so I juts added some air to my drysuit... Like many things in diving, they're generally manageable with a minimum amount of fuss if you don't over-react.l

 

[Doc]

Currents in Coz are standard fare, as are divers being swept away.

I think that a lot of things that occur in Coz are due to the character and inexperience level of divers that wind-up going to Coz expecting warm, water, pretty fish… which it 99.5% is just that.

it’s truly not the most difficult diving in the Caribbean in terms of currents (for that go to Tobago or the craziness of NE Grenada) however, I think the experience level of diver creates a lot of what we read about- as so very many people write trip reports- it’s a popular noob destination and elicits much awe. Many people are scared…this is a new situation. This is their big adventure in currents. Currents that are really NBD comparatively. (Dunning-Krueger at play)

The rare ones to get swept away? I see that it’s just a low percentage of a huge number- but perceived and grows into nerve rattling experience- this is where you read about “successfully finning into a 5mph” current. Sure you did, Skippy, them split fins saved your ass.

And recurring threads such as this.

Fear can exacerbate an otherwise manageable challenge. Fly the plane.

 

[johndiver999]

I think it is interesting how we get credible stories of very intense and dangerous down currents and others seem to dismiss that possibility out of hand. Perhaps because they have never seen one, or they survived mild ones.

I have no experience with one myself, but was caught in an intense whirlpool located about 1000 feet down stream of a wreck that scared the heck out of me (one time). Having the ability to ride an smb or lift bag would seem to be good insurance if someone knew they were reasonably likely to get caught in one. I would think that you could safely ride it up for a while and then just release it to the surface if it is no longer needed and/or the ascent rate became too fast. Of course deployment and inflation in an emergency is, easier said than done.

 

[Doc]

Of course deployment and inflation in an emergency is, easier said than done.

Yup

 

[bradlw]

this ever happened on the North wall of Grand Cayman? That's the only wall I've ever dove... well the only wall I've ever seen. I did end a drift dive with safety stop West of Bimini way out into the very blue water. Have no idea how deep that was.

 

[Doc]

this ever happened on the North wall of Grand Cayman? That's the only wall I've ever dove... well the only wall I've ever seen. I did end a drift dive with safety stop West of Bimini way out into the very blue water. Have no idea how deep that was.

The north Cayman wall doesn’t fit the physical profile of the down current zones that I’ve ever witnessed in my experience.

Their notable flow is E>W iirc, and presents usually as a lateral current. It’s been 30 yrs since my last visit, but after many North (and East end) dives, i don’t recall much current, but damn there (used to be) some big ass fish!

Those downwellings that i have noted: The current has to be coming from the shallows, over the top of the wall and it cascades down. It can invisibly appear, even after a considerable distance of stand-off traveling from a wall, or bam- right next to it.

That’s just my experience.