How do I stop the current sweeping my past my DM?

[CapnBloodbeard]

Hi all,
Another post regarding my Komodo dive holiday (probably the lost one until I get around to processing my gopro footage!). 35ish dives in, OW.

I've done a few drift dives at Sipadan and Komodo.

Often, as you know, you turn a corner and suddenly, current.

In one area we spent the first part of the dive exploring underneath a rocky overhang. Then we left it by going up and along a coral wall, and (they warned us about this beforehand), as soon as we moved into that part of the dive we're moving immediately into a fairly strong current. No finning - the current is pushing us in the right direction.

My problem? How the heck do I stay behind my DM? I found that the current was pushing me along a lot faster (I'm an average build/height male.....in all fairness, the DM was a tiny Asian girl so I know that's going to have an effect!) - not anticipating just how much more I'd get caught I actually crashed straight into the DM as soon as I swam into the stream.....WHOOSH!!!

Now, I know that the current is much weaker closer to the reef, so I was utilising that. I didn't have big bits and pieces hanging off me and I (think) I was horizontal.....so what else do I need to be doing here to stay behind the DM and be able to enjoy the dive and look at things?

It was probably the current situation I handled worst and I did find myself in some awkward body positions finning against the current to slow down and generally looking very amateurish!

(also, even though I have a few drift dives under my belt, would the 'drift dive' component of an AOW still be beneficial? I'm expecting that being the AOW they should take the time for a bit more education and skill building, or is that not how it works?)

Is it also just the difference in body sizes going to propel me along faster here?

I'm probably making this dive sound a lot more chaotic than it actually was

 

[aviator8]

Flare. As you pop into it you can flare against it to let the DM get in front. Once you are all in it a flare probably wont do much. You could always turn and face backward and fin against it until she catches up.

 

[Diving Dubai]

Just being more streamlined, and yes making use of topography. Depending where the currents are and the shape of the site (say a pinnacle - the flow next to the reef can be faster than being a little way off.

Try to follow your guides line in the water with regard to position you can try turning side on especially if you're not horizontal as you'll expose less surface area

Regarding AOW drift - basically you should have only been exposed to baby currents at this stage anyway. The important factors with current, is having the stamina (and fins) to kick your way out, accross or round a point as required. The second, probably the hardest, is to get experience, because currents can be a sensory overload. Even a simple drift, people start to get anxious because they feel out of control.

Gas management becomes an issue because of elevated breathing, and then teh self imposed pressure of eating through your air

My wife and I love currents. In Dec we were in Komodo at full moon with big tides and big currents hitting all the main sites at the optimum time for big sea life.

This meant we were skirting the edges of down currents - move sideways by as little as 1m and you'd be going down. We can do this and be happy in this environment because we're not getting sensory overload which task loads our brain.

We're comfortable in those situations (and breathing and buoyancy is automatic) so our mental bandwidth is free to process all the other information - but we've had many 100's of dives in currents, and yes had a few heartbeating moments - you just need to build slowly and don't be in a rush to exceed your comfort level, because when it goes wrong in a current it goes wrong big time, running out of bandwidth to solve the issues is very bad - and mother nature is unforgiving

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

Flare. As you pop into it you can flare against it to let the DM get in front. Once you are all in it a flare probably wont do much. You could always turn and face backward and fin against it until she catches up.

forgive my ignorance....isn't the flare the opposite of being more streamlined?

 

[Angelo Farina]

forgive my ignorance....isn't the flare the opposite of being more streamlined?

In reality, body size, weight, being more or less streamlined are relevant only when you want to move your body relative to the water surrounding you. If you stay steady and allow your body to have zero relative speed with the water, as it should be in drift diving, all these factors become entirely irrelevant. The water speed is your speed.
And you are faster than the DM only because she knows where the current is weaker, and stays there. You instead do not understand flow dynamics, and stay where the current is stronger, pushing you faster...
I do not think the dive master holds a doctorate in fluid dynamics. Most probably she learned by experience. So you will do. When you will have, say, 200 dives, with a number of them in drift conditions, the problem will disappear automatically.

 

[rongoodman]

Learn to back kick. Even if you can't actually back up because of the strong current, you can slow down relative to it.

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

Learn to back kick. Even if you can't actually back up because of the strong current, you can slow down relative to it.

never even heard of it....I'll do some research, thanks

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

In addition to all the other comments, make sure you're not kicking, many new divers are unaware sometimes that they are indeed kicking when they're not meaning to (e.g., some have difficulty descending because they're kicking up). Also some people, if their trim is not dialed in, tend to kick as they struggle to maintain it. Work on your trim, body position, and small movements to feel more comfortable. Not saying these are your issues necessarily, just a few I've seen over the years and something to consider

 

[BlueTrin]

never even heard of it....I'll do some research, thanks

It’s not easy to learn to backkick but being able to move backwards helps a lot to position yourself in water where you want (not particularly in currents, but in general).

(I have never been in that strong currents)

 

[JohnRom]

You can also turn into the current and do a slow fin stoke. You will still travel with the current (yes traveling backwards) however will be slower.