Question of limited availablity of dive locations

[ckharlan66]

OK,

I'm sure that my inexperience is no surprise to you folks but I have to ask a total newbie question.

I have been diving about a year now but have not been able to take any trips because I am just too valuable at work for them to allow me to take off (HA).

OK, here goes, you can start calling me a stroke now for asking such a dumb question but........WHAT IS A DRIFT DIVE.....I keep hearing about them but since all I ever get to dive is quarries I don't know what they are.

Chad...hiding his face in shame

 

[GP]

There are no dumb questions here. A drift dive is a dive where there is a current and you just let the current take you along your merry way. Sounds fun, I've never done a drift dive myself. Only heard about them in training. I'm sure some of the blue water ocean people can give you more details cuz I'm just a plain old lake diver.

 

[Dee]

GP is basically correct. All of the drift diving I've done out of the country is live boat drift diving...which means as you 'go with the flow' the dive boat follows your bubbles and picks you up when you surface.

In Florida, and probably other places, you leave the boat in groups of 4 to 6 divers. One diver is handed a dive flag float marker that she/he tows along with the group. The dive boat follows the various flags and picks you up.

Other than the obvious differences, live drifting is a bit more dangerous because the diver needs to be aware of boat traffic on the surface...both your dive boat and others. The diver is also expected to have their own safety sausage to mark their position once on the surface. It's very hard to see just a divers head, even in calm seas.

If you are towing a dive flag, boats can tell where you are and avoid you and your flag. This also raises the comments that some nimrods on jet skis and speed boats will use the dive flag as a target!

Whether you are towing a flag or using a surface marker, NEVER attach either to your person. Keep it in your hand, not wrapped around it, so in case it does get snagged by some fast moving object on the surface you will not go flying with it!

Drift diving is an amazing thing. You are swept along with the speed of the current with no effort on your part. Just a shifting of your body position and you'll go around corals heads, a small inhale of breath and you'll sail over them....too cool!

Raise you head in pride....you're smart enough to ask questions!

 

[The Chairman]

There is some awesome drift diving in rivers and springs as well. I especially love the latter during manatee season. You can really see them (vis is 300ft+) and they will usually come to hang out with you as you drift along. As was said before, there is NO effort, just a bigger breath now and then to rise above an obstacle. Of course, there are a few "obstacle courses" out there as well, due to a large number of fallen trees that you have to negotiate, and often you are in quite shallow water. I still love it!!!

:tease:

 

[ckharlan66]

Thanks guys,

Once again I am enlightened by the vast knowledge and the tolerance of temperary ingornance of members of this board, but thanks to this board all scuba ingorance is temporary.

There really is alot of knowledge here, even if you have to tolerate (and occationly contribute to) the bad humor.

Thank for your help and enlightenment.

Chad

 

[The Chairman]

wait until my post to talk about the "bad humor"... thats OK. -I- get the hint.

:tease:

BTW, now accepting donations for my continuing therapy...

 

[ckharlan66]

hey I said I contribute to it.....what more do you want....

another song parody maybe?

Chad

 

[TAM Dive]

Every spring, usually on the Mothers day weekend, much to the chegrin of one's spouse. We do a really cool drift dive. You have heard of Niagara Falls??? Well we jump in up stream of the falls near the Peace Bridge, usually do a 5 km run..............heeee haaaaa what a ride, the river runs pretty good with the spring thaw...........we just make sure we're out before the falls (nudge nudge wink wink)..................hmmmmm got to be some kind of extreme sport there???.....

john

 

[Hawk]

Hey that sounds like a barrell of fun!





Later, Hawk.

 

[TAM Dive]

hee hee NO barrels required...................

john