I was going to write a critique of the video but I feel that my input will be more valuable if I provided a little more information about the dive site.
I dove Santa Rosa exactly 6 times and every experience have been favorable. You are dropped on a huge patch of sand at depth of 45 feet. Once every diver is down DM usually leads the way through one of many swim throughs in the reef. From initial drop off reef looks no more than 15 feet tall but once you get around the other side you are overwhelmed with how drastically different everything looks. Reef starts at about 50-55 feet (where it goes about 15 feet up) and there is a 60 degree slope with very menacing looking dark blue water as far as eyes can see. Once you get to the other side of swim through... you have about 10-15 horizontal feet of clearance that very suddenly becomes a 60-70 degree slope down to about 130 feet or so. That ledge down below looks like its within arm's reach but because of how clear waters are... many new divers and divers that dive once in 25 years or so... very very very quickly lose track of how deep they really are. Last time I got down to 90 feet and was filming a parrot fish who nibbled on the reef. Out of corner of my eye I saw the 130ft ledge and thought to myself that it was not far. So fish does a twirly thing and then poops and I watch poop go down and down and down and down and down.. could not believe my eyes. I saw poop sink for about 40 feet in perfect clarity as if it was right next to me. Amazingly at 130ft ledge extends for probably 100ft horizontally after which there is a sheer drop off to (from what I heard 6000ft).
Dive site lasts for about 30 minutes as far as I am concerned so with current we usually lingered towards the very last reef patch passing the time. I do very vividly remember that on days when current was particularly strong it was very difficult swimming in open areas between coral patches.
Another thing is that Santa Rosa IS NOT a good place for beginning divers. It looks very doable on "inside" of the reef but not at all doable on outside. You have to be able to read the landscape and not overshoot into deep areas.
Looking at your video... if it was me... I would have descended to the reef and continued from there. Looking at the video you were at the edge of 130ft ledge... or about 120ft away from where reef begins at 55ft.
If I was in that situation I would have made the mistake of trying to cling to the reef. When I would have failed at that... I would have tried to swim out. But all and all.. my first thought would be to drop weights and get out of dodge. weight belt is not worth more to me than my life. I also carry a bag with me at all times so I can always use sand for weight in case I need more weight or if I ever have to ditch weight.
Most importantly... I never ever ever ever ever descend by myself. Every time I go scuba diving I see divers time and again drop to 60ft and wait for group. I descend at my pace, check the gauges, twiddle with camera, check if buddies are ok, check compass and all that stuff.
Thankfully in your situation nobody got hurt so do use this unfortunate event to modify your diving behavior. For better or for worse you know what can happen on dives that you are not trained for. In my case I had to sit out a 135 punta sur dive swim through because I knew I was not trained to dive deeper than 90ft and objected to diving. My dive crew, however did the dive and along and behold there were problems ranging from buoyancy to air consumption.
I dove Santa Rosa exactly 6 times and every experience have been favorable. You are dropped on a huge patch of sand at depth of 45 feet. Once every diver is down DM usually leads the way through one of many swim throughs in the reef. From initial drop off reef looks no more than 15 feet tall but once you get around the other side you are overwhelmed with how drastically different everything looks. Reef starts at about 50-55 feet (where it goes about 15 feet up) and there is a 60 degree slope with very menacing looking dark blue water as far as eyes can see. Once you get to the other side of swim through... you have about 10-15 horizontal feet of clearance that very suddenly becomes a 60-70 degree slope down to about 130 feet or so. That ledge down below looks like its within arm's reach but because of how clear waters are... many new divers and divers that dive once in 25 years or so... very very very quickly lose track of how deep they really are. Last time I got down to 90 feet and was filming a parrot fish who nibbled on the reef. Out of corner of my eye I saw the 130ft ledge and thought to myself that it was not far. So fish does a twirly thing and then poops and I watch poop go down and down and down and down and down.. could not believe my eyes. I saw poop sink for about 40 feet in perfect clarity as if it was right next to me. Amazingly at 130ft ledge extends for probably 100ft horizontally after which there is a sheer drop off to (from what I heard 6000ft).
Dive site lasts for about 30 minutes as far as I am concerned so with current we usually lingered towards the very last reef patch passing the time. I do very vividly remember that on days when current was particularly strong it was very difficult swimming in open areas between coral patches.
Another thing is that Santa Rosa IS NOT a good place for beginning divers. It looks very doable on "inside" of the reef but not at all doable on outside. You have to be able to read the landscape and not overshoot into deep areas.
Looking at your video... if it was me... I would have descended to the reef and continued from there. Looking at the video you were at the edge of 130ft ledge... or about 120ft away from where reef begins at 55ft.
If I was in that situation I would have made the mistake of trying to cling to the reef. When I would have failed at that... I would have tried to swim out. But all and all.. my first thought would be to drop weights and get out of dodge. weight belt is not worth more to me than my life. I also carry a bag with me at all times so I can always use sand for weight in case I need more weight or if I ever have to ditch weight.
Most importantly... I never ever ever ever ever descend by myself. Every time I go scuba diving I see divers time and again drop to 60ft and wait for group. I descend at my pace, check the gauges, twiddle with camera, check if buddies are ok, check compass and all that stuff.
Thankfully in your situation nobody got hurt so do use this unfortunate event to modify your diving behavior. For better or for worse you know what can happen on dives that you are not trained for. In my case I had to sit out a 135 punta sur dive swim through because I knew I was not trained to dive deeper than 90ft and objected to diving. My dive crew, however did the dive and along and behold there were problems ranging from buoyancy to air consumption.
