This Mar Guides Roatan Dive Guide shows a common approach to drifting the West End Wall. Another approach is to start at the the boat mooring nearer the mid-point, swim down the channel, ride the intensifying current, and drift even further south and west. Yeehaw!
I love drift dives! Why? Most of the time, it is lazy diving! Just drop in, relax, and go with the flow! Let’s review some key ideas that keep drift diving both fun and safe.
You need good buoyancy for safe drift dives!
I’ll never forget the first drift dive briefing given by Chris, a very fit instructor guiding our dive on the West End Wall in Roatán, Honduras: “We are going to be moving faster than I can jog, and so control your buoyancy and try not to get slammed in to anything. Stay above 60 feet, and forget trying to take pictures. Do you see that boat way over there? We will finish our dive near them. Any questions?” What a dive! I left my camera on the boat. We played with the speed and made super hero poses as we flew along! There was much to see, even if we saw it briefly. It was fun! I have since repeated that dive a couple of times with a milder current. These were fun too!
Dive with an experienced local guide!
Many dives in Indonesia are known for their strong currents. The “Tepekong” dive site, just off Padang Bai, Bali, is famous for its complex currents. I waited until my friend Coyak was leading a dive there. I knew he had lots of experience in what some locals call “the washing machine.” He is a great dive master and his careful briefing and clear signals kept us out of trouble. Nice!
Here is a take-away thought from that dive: If you watch the vegetation, you can see the current before you feel it.
Don’t swim against a strong current!
A recent dive on 40 Foot Point (near the CoCo View Resort on Roatán) illustrates how true this is. The wind was howling from the east almost all night. The wind had calmed down somewhat, and although there were a few white caps around us, it didn’t look like we were dropping into a strong current. Serving as a safety diver, I was one of the last ones in. I dropped in and started swimming—hard. Everyone was struggling. I reminded a couple of divers to stay close to the bottom of the sand chute. Just reaching the wall was an effort. Once over the wall, the current was even stronger. Four divers in our group of twelve couldn’t make any progress against it. Their eyes were getting wider and wider! Exhaustion and panic were not far away… Our divemaster turned the dive a couple of minutes later. Our safety stop was on the mooring line. Everyone was horizontal. Our bubbles were leaving us at a 45 degree angle. We cheered our divemaster after he had helped us all get on the boat. Several of our group were exhausted. My dive was 28 minutes and I used more than 2,000 psi. It wasn’t fun—even if it was memorable!
What should you do if you surface on the side of the boat in a strong current?
Hopefully your captain and divemaster briefed you on your exit from the water. Typically, they will ask you to swim perpendicular to the line of the boat. A good boat operator has planned for the current and is trailing a line behind the boat. Don’t panic if you miss the trailing line. Inflate your safety sausage, hang on to your buddy, and wait for the boat to pick you up.
What should you do if you have to dive against a strong current?
Stay close to the bottom where the current isn’t as strong. One of my friends on the east coast of the USA dives in the mouth of rivers looking for megalodon teeth. He and his buddies pull themselves against the current with spikes on the bottom! When possible, hide behind features on the reef to rest. Stay horizontal and sleek, because vertical divers and sea-horsing divers drift faster—like expanding kites! If you think the current is localized (an upwelling, a downwelling, or a tidal current in the mouth of a harbor), swim perpendicular to the current until you are past its grip. Consider this helpful quote from the PADI AOW discussion of Deep Diving: “If a current begins to push you down the wall (downwelling), put air into your BCD and swim directly away from the wall until free of the current, then readjust your buoyancy.”
Here is a final thought drawn from Simon Pridmore’s chapter on “The Art of Ascending “in Scuba Exceptional: Pay attention to your bubbles and the bubbles of other divers. This can tell you about changes in the current above you and ahead of you. Plan ahead and make wise choices!