Should rain delay a planned dive?

[mattwood2000]

Hey everybody, my dive buddy and I have a dive planned but it is expected to rain that day. Will the rainy conditions be something that should delay the dive? For instance, would ocean currents and rip tides become dangerous due to the rain/wind? Or is rain usually just a surface annoyance when gearing up on shore? Thanks. Matt.

 

[spectrum]

It depends on the overall situation. Scattered showers and placid seas coud be concurrent. Then again a windy rainy storm will likey be accompanied by high seas. Find you local marine forecast online and follow it to understand what normal is and isn't. Lighting is usually considered a show stopper.

Also consider the effect of rainfall on potential rescuers and that conditions can escalate during a dive.

When in doubt make a decision at the divesite. It is NEVER too late to call a dive. My experience in general regarding outdoor activities is not to fret the weather too much but to know when enough is enough.

Pete

 

[JeffG]

I hate getting wet when I dive.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Welcome Matt....I have dove in the rain not in the ocean however. The actual rain part you won't even notice. The other factors you mention are good questions though.

 

[Darnold9999]

Rain by itself is no problem where I dive. If we didn't dive in the rain we would rarely get to dive in the winter and would miss some of the best diving.

If the rain comes with wind then you need to know your local waters and divesite and your ability to deal with what the wind brings with it to that site.

 

[jonnythan]

If it's an ocean dive and a storm is rolling in, obviously I'd call the dive.

If it's a lake dive and they're predicting scattered showers, obviously I'll dive.

Ultimately, you have to look at the situation at the water. If the conditions make entry or exit dangerous, then call the dive.

 

[Cacia]

I have a rule that if it is raining, I reserve the option to not get out of bed. People adjust if you just stick to it.

 

[Jedderkoppen]

in some cases you also have to consider the effect the rain runoff will have on visibility. Whether it is still worth making a dive at that particular site if the vis is going to be degraded.
as to the sea itself, i would consider the winds effect on it more than the rain.

Cheers,

JE

 

[rawls]

Went diving just yesterday with rain and wind and seas were picking up. Gray, cloudy, windy, cool day. Visibility U/W...60 ft Trust your boat captain or DM. They will probably have a good handle on whether to can the dive or not. But I have had some of my most spectacular dives with great visibility on blustery, rainy days.

 

[ChrisA]

Hey everybody, my dive buddy and I have a dive planned but it is expected to rain that day. Will the rainy conditions be something that should delay the dive?

Rain can affect the waters near shore. The rain itself is not the issue. It's the run-off. Rain lands of streets, parking lots, grass and roofs and washes whatever is on those surfaces into the ocean. The water goes through storm drains and causes localized pollution near where the storm drains dump out in to the ocean. This does not effect boat diving but can mess up the near shore waters

Also the wind associated with a storm causes waves and these sre up silt and sand.

Rain might help too, washes the salt off your gear.