Lost on the Red Sea

[supergaijin]

I'm not surprised that the instructor can't be contacted; he's probably drifting somewhere up by Nuweiba as we speak.

The instructor failed IMO in a few different ways.

1. He chose a bad place for a beginner's first drift dive. IME teaching drift dive technique in strong current is actually not so good. Techniques for drift diving like buddy orientation, entry techniques, and SMB deployment should be practiced first in benign conditions before being done in 'real' drift conditions.

2. He didn't read the conditions. The wind coming across from West-East in Tiran is quite common. Doing the Left Shoulder drift dive at Jackson requires extremely good judgement and experience in knowing exactly where you are in relation to the corner, and knowing where you must ascend otherwise before you're exposed to the waves, knowing that many large Egyptian diving boats cannot make pickups in heavy seas.

3. Now the big ones.... No SMB for a planned drift dive is inexcusable IMO.

4. Splitting the group on the swim to Kormoran Reef is also inexcusable IMO. Staying together is a golden rule for 'survival' scenarios. Drop weights by all means, but keep the weightbelt (if used) as they can be linked together to prevent separation.

Diving Tiran can be challenging and people make mistakes but as an instructor with a specified duty of care, this guy did some things that are down right dangerous IME. It is not uncommon for groups to get pushed by the current around the corners and it can happen on any of the 4 reefs in Tiran. A group diving Right-shoulder at Gordon had to swim across to Ras Nasrani (airport on the mainland) while I was working there- not an easy swim by any means.

 

[mikeynl]

t-mac: it was definitely a lesson learnt. Didn't ask for it, but as they say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Don't think I'll panic quickly now.

emoreira: a rescue course sounds good!! I just don't see myself do it here (in Holland), far too cold. And I haven't any diving planned til I'm off to Mabul/Sipidan (!!) and then Thailand at the end of the year. Tho I have been looking to see if I can squeeze in another trip to Egypt. I would really like to do Jackson Reef again, not just to put this behind me, but also cos it's a stunning reef. Will find a better dive school tho! (I heard Werner Lau is excellent, anyone any ideas?)

sjwhite: you know the site well? When we went in the sea was totally calm, we started the dive at a place where most of the people on the boat - tourists with no or little experience - went snorkeling. 2 other much more experienced divers who went out on their own got lost too and ended up in the waves. They had an SMB tho.

dandydon: Is it really that uncommon to burn yourself on a drift line? The guy I was diving with (not the instructor) actually had a deep cut in one hand, it was bleeding pretty badly. That as from the first try, where all of us tried to hold on. On the second try I managed to pull myself towards the boat, but decided it was too dangerous to get on. On the 3rd try it was just me and the guy, and I made a loop in the rope so it was easier for him to hold onto, but the pull was still too strong, so I made the decision just to let go. I was the only one of the group who didn't need bandages or treatment after the dive. I could post some pix of us after the dive, but I won't cos of privacy.

And about splitting the group: for most of the time we stuck together holding on to each other facing the waves so we could anticipate them. When we saw the reef tho we decided to split up in pairs, as it would be easier to swim. When we got very close to the reef we split up so we could make it onto the reef. That was really scary, as the waves really smashed us onto the reef, but it was also relieving to finally find something to stand on. I snorkeled to a bit of the reef where there were no waves, and stood up, such a great feeling.

Skydiver1: no, we didn't have to pay for the weights. It was the instructor who told us to drop them in the first place, which made me realize the situation was quite serious, cos you don't easily do that I guess.

Afterdark: I might have broken some coral while getting onto the reef, and standing up to finally catch my breath ... sorry, but it was me or the reef. Gloves would have been even better.

supergaijin: sounds like you know the reef pretty well? Is it quite common that there is zero waves on one side and big ones on the other? Cos it seemed like a totally different sea when we ascended. What do you mean with the Left Shoulder? We followed the route as shown on the map, going west first, then turning around, and heading east, and ascending near the beacon. I'm also a bit confused as to why it is that the currents seem to head north (and we ended up on a reef north east of where we came up), but the waves onto Jackson Reef were hitting it FROM the north east (at least that's where they did when we started the dive)? Just trying to learn so I can read the conditions better.

---------- Post added ----------

One more question: how do the currents at Jackson (and Gordon) compare to the currents at Sipadan? Cos that's where I'm going next and I've heard that the currents can be strong there. If it's similar to Jackson it doesn't scare me tho. I'll bring an SMB tho

 

[Panorama-S]

Sounds like you had a really rough ride. I'm really surprised that the boat left you and didn't radio or telephone for a smaller boat to come out and help to get you all safely out of the water. Why did you split into 2 groups too, much safer to all stay together??? The fact that no-one was seriously injured is surprising. Being smashed against the reef is sometimes fatal in big surf. Just last year I read a report of this actually happening in Egypt. Was the dive school you used PADI registered???? I'm sorry to say that they don't sound very professional or safety aware. I'm very happy to hear that you all made it back to shore safely and that this experience hasn't put you off diving.

 

[supergaijin]

supergaijin: sounds like you know the reef pretty well? Is it quite common that there is zero waves on one side and big ones on the other? Cos it seemed like a totally different sea when we ascended. What do you mean with the Left Shoulder? We followed the route as shown on the map, going west first, then turning around, and heading east, and ascending near the beacon. I'm also a bit confused as to why it is that the currents seem to head north (and we ended up on a reef north east of where we came up), but the waves onto Jackson Reef were hitting it FROM the north east (at least that's where they did when we started the dive)? Just trying to learn so I can read the conditions better.

The reef acts as a barrier to the waves, and the boat can approach very closely to the lee side of the reef as it is so vertical- there is little danger of running aground. Some captains can drop you off within a meter from the reef- the wind is usually pushing the boat away from the reef so for an experienced Cappy, it's not too hard.

Left-shoulder to the reef is a way of describing the direction of the drift dive. If I understood your post well, and using the map you posted, you started the dive where the boat is drawn, and turned to the right and were diving with the reef on your left hand side, thus left-shoulder to the reef.

The current runs North and South as this is the basic direction of the Tiran Strait. The wind often blows from a westerly direction, thus you were blown east. The main body of water beneath you was going northwards, but as you were at the surface, the wind has more effect than the deeper current. Notice that the 4 reefs of Tiran are on an angle- this makes for some nice washing machine action between the reefs- especially between Thomas and Jackson. The water is deflected by the reef and then squeezed through the gaps- in your case the gap between Jackson and the Komoran reef.

One more question: how do the currents at Jackson (and Gordon) compare to the currents at Sipadan? Cos that's where I'm going next and I've heard that the currents can be strong there. If it's similar to Jackson it doesn't scare me tho. I'll bring an SMB tho

I have dived only once at Sipadan and it's tough to have a real idea of potential current strength from just a few dives. The amount of water squeezed through Tiran however, makes the currents potentially stronger than at Sipadan which is a large pinnacle rising from the ocean floor. That point is moot however because currents don't have to be that strong, to be stronger than us puny divers.

 

[DandyDon]

dandydon: Is it really that uncommon to burn yourself on a drift line? The guy I was diving with (not the instructor) actually had a deep cut in one hand, it was bleeding pretty badly. That as from the first try, where all of us tried to hold on. On the second try I managed to pull myself towards the boat, but decided it was too dangerous to get on. On the 3rd try it was just me and the guy, and I made a loop in the rope so it was easier for him to hold onto, but the pull was still too strong, so I made the decision just to let go.

Yep - never seen it before, and it shouldn't happen. Drift lines are usually behind boats not moving tho, while drift dive boats usually maneuver close to the diver then cut power - preferably cut engine, but you were in a mess. I think the boat should have followed you 4, radioed for help, and stayed with you until help could pick you up. He may have had a sound reason for leaving but I don't know.

 

[TSandM]

It can be truly amazing how much water conditions can change, just by changing where you are on one of those circular reefs. I can remember having a nice, calm lunch on our boat, and then motoring a couple of hundred yards to where the wreck we wanted to dive was, and being hard put to it to stand on the swim step, because of the pitching. We were also warned on one or two dives that, if we went too far to the corner of the reef, they would have problems picking us up.

This is one of the rare occasions where I might be willing to fault the dive professional. The biggest reason for having a guide in the water with divers should be the guide's familiarity with the site and local conditions. If the current was too strong for that site, perhaps the guide should have aborted the dive early, before the surface changed enough to make a pickup impossible.

This story has made me value my Red Sea boat even more, though. Between the boat and the RIBs it carries, they're going to be able to pick up divers, or at the very least, track them closely until they can get to somewhere where they CAN pick them up.

 

[Skydiver1]

It can be truly amazing how much water conditions can change, just by changing where you are on one of those circular reefs. I can remember having a nice, calm lunch on our boat, and then motoring a couple of hundred yards to where the wreck we wanted to dive was, and being hard put to it to stand on the swim step, because of the pitching. We were also warned on one or two dives that, if we went too far to the corner of the reef, they would have problems picking us up.

This is one of the rare occasions where I might be willing to fault the dive professional. The biggest reason for having a guide in the water with divers should be the guide's familiarity with the site and local conditions. If the current was too strong for that site, perhaps the guide should have aborted the dive early, before the surface changed enough to make a pickup impossible.

This story has made me value my Red Sea boat even more, though. Between the boat and the RIBs it carries, they're going to be able to pick up divers, or at the very least, track them closely until they can get to somewhere where they CAN pick them up.

The MV Tala? I think I saw them at the Thistlegorm.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, the Tala. Those guys have taken good care of us on both trips we've made with them.

 

[AfterDark]

Afterdark: I might have broken some coral while getting onto the reef, and standing up to finally catch my breath ... sorry, but it was me or the reef. Gloves would have been even better.

You don't need to apologize to me or anyone for what small damage you may have done to some coral. I'm with you. Today you and the reef are alive to grow and thrive.

 

[eternaljonah]

If that would have been me there would be one more wreck to dive at the red sea. there is no excuse for leaving divers alone in the water unless someone's life is at risk. they could have town you a rope with a lope that you then put around you and pulled or at least town you some floatation device, any way alls well that ends well but still: if it was me there would be another ship wreck to dive