The Down Current Killer

[Oldbear]

...visibility on the day was just about 2-3 meters...

With visibility of about 2-3 meters (6½ to 10 ft) it would not take long for the poor diver to be out of sight and lost once caught in the current. It sounds like since he was diving solo that he was out of sight most of the dive.


I think for my "personal" confort level I might have abandoned the dive from the beginning...but since I was not present that is easier said from my office chair.


Extremely Low Vis + Strong Currents ≠ Fun Rec Dive


My heart goes out to his family...


~Oldbear~

 

[projekts]

This is a very sad case which we should all try to learn some lesson from.
From my personal experience, why would the local DM still continue with a dive since the beginning? Maybe some of the guys here can explain what we can see in a strong current drift with 2-3m visibility. I seriously think they will not be able to see anything much giving that kind of current and visibility, so the wisest choice at that time was to abort the dive and head to somewhere with less current and/or better visibility. I will just classified this as another case of bad decision by the local DM/dive operator.
And maybe the OP can share with us where did the accident take place and who is the dive operator
And may his soul rest in peace...

 

[Jan Kruger]

The question i would like to ask is :if you are the diver that is taken down by such a strong current how do you get out of it ? Are there any guidelines as to what to do if you are taken down deeper by such a strong current ? We are fortunate to not have had this experience before. I would still like to know how to get out of it though.

 

[flots am]

The question i would like to ask is :if you are the diver that is taken down by such a strong current how do you get out of it ? Are there any guidelines as to what to do if you are taken down deeper by such a strong current ? We are fortunate to not have had this experience before. I would still like to know how to get out of it though.

The same way you get out of a rip-current when returning to shore: swim perpendicular to the unwanted flow.

They're not generally very wide, so if you're by the edge of a wall and being dragged down, for example, just swim away from the wall.

flots.

 

[peterbj7]

The question i would like to ask is :if you are the diver that is taken down by such a strong current how do you get out of it ? Are there any guidelines as to what to do if you are taken down deeper by such a strong current ? We are fortunate to not have had this experience before. I would still like to know how to get out of it though.

That should have been part of your basic training..! I learned it in mine, and I teach it at OW level.

 

[DandyDon]

That should have been part of your basic training..! I learned it in mine, and I teach it at OW level.

Nope. I can see it in a Boat Diving specialty maybe.

In the Cozumel forum, it seems that some of us would swim away from the wall, some would get close to the wall to avoid a blue water ascent and hang on - but I'd think you'd still have to deal with it at the top, and some just swim along the wall to cross it.

Like a rip current, fighting it will often go badly. Inflating BC can be dangerous, as would be weight dropping, but better than vanishing.

 

[Tigerman]

That should have been part of your basic training..! I learned it in mine, and I teach it at OW level.

It was covered in my OW training, but how to deal with the (possible) currents has also been covered in all the dive briefs Ive sat in on in areas where currents is an issue.
Thing is that much of what you hear in OW might be forgotten, especially if they dont apply to your usual dive spots or its long between your chances to dive..

 

[peterbj7]

It was covered in my OW training, but how to deal with the (possible) currents has also been covered in all the dive briefs Ive sat in on in areas where currents is an issue.
Thing is that much of what you hear in OW might be forgotten, especially if they dont apply to your usual dive spots or its long between your chances to dive..

Yes. It IS part of the OW course but only of course in general terms, as is everything in that course. At any new dive site you should get a briefing on special considerations needed there, which obviously includes telling you about down currents, their extent, and how to get out of them. That's along with any other special considerations for that site.

---------- Post added January 7th, 2013 at 11:52 AM ----------

Nope. I can see it in a Boat Diving specialty maybe

Don, you need to reread your OW manual.

 

[flots am]

In the Cozumel forum, it seems that some of us would swim away from the wall, some would get close to the wall to avoid a blue water ascent and hang on - but I'd think you'd still have to deal with it at the top

Hanging on is generally non-productive since there's a really good chance that the current will last longer than you want to be there.

Climbing up the wall to get to the top would be a horrifying ecological disaster for everything in your path.

flots.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, you need to reread your OW manual.

I'm sure there were many things mentioned in the manual that were not covered in water instruction. I do wonder what Padi says to do, but I'm happy with my plan - it's worked for me well.