Escaping Down Drafts

[PeterNBiddle]

I am wrong. According to this Natgeo video going with the flow will kill me.
Their recommendation is to swim out to open water. Looks like a fun dive site.

How to Escape if Suddenly Caught in a Down Current

We had people go from 20 to 120 feet in a well under a minute. That down current didn't stop at 120 feet.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I use my pull dump pretty frequently. I find I can stay compact and better manage movement and trim without having to lift my arm over my head. When I get air bubbles I just wiggle a little bit or I use another dump valve.

I've torn it down to check on it more than once and at least in mine it's pretty robust. In my BC there's a steel cable that runs from the fitting at the BC through the hose down to the valve and it's connected at both ends via the steel pins. It would take a lot of force to break those.

I'm not familiar with the insides of other BCs - do they not use robust internals designed for pulling?

People can and do use them successfully. What I'm pointing out is that there's a big difference between how you react during the normal course of a dive and how you'll react during a moment of extreme stress ... and I've watched people literally yank the thing off. Now, consider the consequences if you do so while fighting a downcurrent .... you'll have just removed your ability to inflate your BCD. How do you suppose that's going to work out for ya?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[CuzzA]

My BC came with what I believe are inferior screw clamps on the hose. I removed them and put two zip ties at each connection. Much more secure and I would have to work really hard to rip it off, if I could at all. But I understand the concern of yanking the hose off.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

My BC came with what I believe are inferior screw clamps on the hose. I removed them and put two zip ties at each connection. Much more secure and I would have to work really hard to rip it off, if I could at all. But I understand the concern of yanking the hose off.

Yeah, mine are zipped as well - but that's not what actually takes the force in a pull on mine. All the pull force is managed via the internal cable. That would have to break before the zip ties are even loaded.

People can and do use them successfully. What I'm pointing out is that there's a big difference between how you react during the normal course of a dive and how you'll react during a moment of extreme stress ... and I've watched people literally yank the thing off. Now, consider the consequences if you do so while fighting a downcurrent .... you'll have just removed your ability to inflate your BCD. How do you suppose that's going to work out for ya?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

And what I'm point out is I'm not sure it's possible to yank mine off in a moment of extreme stress because it's held together with stainless aircraft cable. However having been in a moment of stress, I can say that I didn't yank it off.

Also in the event that it does happen, you can always invert and fill the BC with your second via the new hole in the shoulder. Voila. :

 

[vincent54]

If my crap is falling apart and I'm going down the abyss, I am done. Hopefully they can retrieve my camera to see the last panic filled selfie. Cheers

 

[TMHeimer]

These downwelling posts seriously scare the crap out of me. And I definitely don't want to yank my hose off.

 

[mmmbelows]

These downwelling posts seriously scare the crap out of me. And I definitely don't want to yank my hose off.

I wouldn't get too worked up about it. First if you have any sort of situation awareness on a dive you aren't likely to be surprised by a down current. It's not like you're teleported into the middle of one, with any sort of visibility you're going to notice things don't look right up ahead, down currents aren't invisible there are always visible clues, you can see fish moving strangely, bubbles moving strangely, soft corals and fans moving strangely, you will probably even see sand spilling down the wall, you should not be surprised by a down current, if you're not seeing all these signs you're not paying any attention at all, they should be very obvious, you'll also start feeling it as you get closer. Just start filling that BCD up with air as you get into it and start finning and watch your depth gauge. I don't care what type of worries anyone has about a run away ascent, that isn't going to happen again if you have just the vaguest situation awareness and keep calm, filling that BCD is your greatest weapon in this situation and you should take full advantage of it, as you start to recover out of it you'll slowly start ascending more and more, plenty of time to start dumping and using your fins to maintain your position in the water.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... they can be kinda fun sometimes ...


... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[TMHeimer]

I wouldn't get too worked up about it. First if you have any sort of situation awareness on a dive you aren't likely to be surprised by a down current. It's not like you're teleported into the middle of one, with any sort of visibility you're going to notice things don't look right up ahead, down currents aren't invisible there are always visible clues, you can see fish moving strangely, bubbles moving strangely, soft corals and fans moving strangely, you will probably even see sand spilling down the wall, you should not be surprised by a down current, if you're not seeing all these signs you're not paying any attention at all, they should be very obvious, you'll also start feeling it as you get closer. Just start filling that BCD up with air as you get into it and start finning and watch your depth gauge. I don't care what type of worries anyone has about a run away ascent, that isn't going to happen again if you have just the vaguest situation awareness and keep calm, filling that BCD is your greatest weapon in this situation and you should take full advantage of it, as you start to recover out of it you'll slowly start ascending more and more, plenty of time to start dumping and using your fins to maintain your position in the water.

Makes sense to me. Am I correct in assuming most downwelling incidents/accidents happen to those with little or no experience with them or the area where they're diving? I've dived in quite a few varied locales, but would be very much on the lookout if told one of these currents may occur in a place new to me.