Places with minimal current

[Darnold9999]

Lembeh and Anilo would be my top two for no current locations. Ambon is another. I did a trip to Raja Ampat from a resort and pretty much every day you could choose no current dives. If all else failed I believe the house reef was a no current dive spot (There were two) You would be missing the very best dive spots but it would still be excellent diving. Papua Paradise was the resort.

 

[Cali_diver]

One of the strongest currents I have ever experienced was in Ambon at Laha (and that includes Komodo and Alor). We didn't swim against it but we went for a hell of a ride. I have also experienced current in Lembeh many times and on every trip I have made there.

One thing to focus on is the tide/moon cycle when you book a trip. If it is new or full moon you might be in for currents stronger than normal.

 

[Darnold9999]

Yes you can experience currents at all of the places recommended - I remember crawling across the sand in Lembeh trying to follow a guide against current on my first visit. However all of the mentioned places have lots of sites where even in full flood or ebb tides you can avoid currents. Good advice to check the state of the moon to minimize currents.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Isla Mujeres.

 

[OTF]

Has he considered getting a dive scooter? A proper one not one of the cheap toys.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Cenote Diving. Fresh water. no current. Super vis. !!!

 

[Doc]

Best advice you have already. Embrace the current, it beats using flippers.

Any decent dive op or liveaboard will place a pickup boat exactly above your head.

Fall in. Get neutral. Relax and take the ride.

If you’re swimming against it, you’re doing it wrong.

 

[Damselfish]

If you’re swimming against it, you’re doing it wrong.

If it’s totally up to the diver, yeah maybe just don’t swim against a current. And a slow drift might mean less swimming. But it’s not always that simple. Even if you are with an op that always does drift dives as you describe and executes perfectly, any kind of drift may require maneuvering during the dive and while coming up and getting on the boat. Places where you have to go against a current for at least a little bit to get where you need to be, or perhaps slow down or stop for a bit by ducking into shelter. Sometimes things just change during the dive.

And maybe just going with the current and surfacing and waiting for pickup works, but for someone with limited mobility I can see where that or a lot of situations might be uncomfortable and they’d want to avoid them. It really depends on the level limitations and how much of a risk of things going pear shaped someone can accept.

I will say I was on a liveaboard once with a diver with pretty limited mobility and it did not end well. Good op doing their part well, fairly mellow currents, really a pretty benign situation, the sort of thing you are talking about. Diver in question was fine, but their buddy trying to deal with the situation got bent. Really the diver did not belong there and the buddy was not qualified to handle this. (The LOB offered a private DM which was refused.).

 

[Doc]

And maybe just going with the current and surfacing and waiting for pickup works, but for someone with limited mobility I can see where that or a lot of situations might be uncomfortable and they’d want to avoid them. It really depends on the level limitations and how much of a risk of things going pear shaped someone can accept.

The OP did not reference inadequate skill sets nor lack of experience. Physical disabilities were the focus. I’ve taken paraplegic and quads off into the current. They knew their stuff, we had a plan.

We lived to tell the tale.

 

[Damselfish]

Nor did I. My point is that saying “don’t swim into the current” is a gross oversimplification. It also pretty much implies someone doesn’t have the common sense to figure that out, which is just kind of rude.