Great Liveaboard for the Galapagos

[scubawife]

I've been interested in the Galapagos. It sounds like the most amazing trip. My only concern is with the current. I have experience and no problem diving up to about 3 knots. I've had a couple less then great deep dives with 4 - 4.5 knots. Most of the info I've found says currents are 1-5 knots. Do they tend to lean more toward the 1 or the 5? Is there a time of year that they are strongest?

 

[jasondcrawford]

I too have the Galapagos on my 'to do' list, but am a new diver and know I lack the experience necessary. What kind of experience do I need to get before I can cross this off my list?

 

[Doc]

I too have the Galapagos on my 'to do' list, but am a new diver and know I lack the experience necessary. What kind of experience do I need to get before I can cross this off my list?

The Galapagos is a littany of new skills for most of us.

When you combine that many new skill sets at once, you get some fairly disoriented divers.

- Lateral currents, the kind that blows you along. You'll see some that are 2.5-4 mph, most slower, and for very short spurts- some as fast as 5mph. If you have handled .25 mph currents, this is really no different. Wear leather gloves, you might have to grab the frozen lava flows just to hang on. If you understand how glider pilots and eagles work the air current, you'll understtand how to "duck behind" rocks to gain a respite from the blow.

- Downwellings, aka Vertical Currents, can suck you down deep. Do you know how to recognize the effects instantly, know how to react appropriately. What to do if you screw up?

- Surface signalling skills... this goes beyond knowing how to deploy your safety sausage from 25' then hang off of it on your 15' stop awaiting the boat pick up... under the swells, below the mal de mer?

- Surface rescue skills.... not a likely thing, but have you worked through how you might prepare yourself to spend the night afloat?

- Backrolling entries, "upon command". Can you do a 3' down to the sea backroll on the count of 3-2-1-Go? This is a necessary skill for current diving.

- Can you efficiently doff your gear and safely hand it up to a waiting boatman? Can you negotiate a vertical ladder? Do you know how to "get small" or be of some assistance to others coming aboard? Ever belly flop into a Zodiac?

- If a liveaboard, do youunderstand that sheerly from being on a rolling ship, your body will be subject to greater effects of heat loss and longer recoveries. Watch your core temps. Do you know the signs? What about that water temperature... Have you tested out your weighting, and I mean... have you tested your buoyancy trim, your physical attitude inthe water column with all that rubber and lead?

Stuff like that.

The Galloping Pogos are the toughest dive destination that most North American get to on a regular basis. You can find more and crazier situations elsewhere, but here in Ecuador they understand who's getting on board.

Tell them your concerns and fears ahead of time when you meet the DM. Before you do that, however, read and study what you'll be confronting, you owe them that! Understand what it means to "pre-visualize" and obtain other requisite learning skills before you try to confront such a great number of new challenges.