Posted by northcoast diver on March 06, 2005 at 01:47:07:
In Reply to: Re: Some discussion, and a bit more info posted by DaveJ on March 05, 2005 at 11:05:07:
I have heard divers speak of the down-currents at the Cordell Banks NMS. I have not dived there yet, although a group of friends and I are planning a trip there once the seas calm down this year.
I have to wonder if Farnsworth Banks has them as well.
If caught in a down-current, I suppose all you can do is drop your weights and fully inflate your B/C and kick up furiously, on an NDL dive.
In deco diving, you cannot drop your weights, at least not without risking a major case of DCI.
In either case it would help to have a really large wing.
Of course, these days, many divers try to minimize the size of their wing by carefully tuning their buoyancy and trim, for imagined reasons of decreased "resistance" in the water.
There are some major advantages to a large wing, when you truly need it.
When diving around down-currents, I think I would stay on the anchor line, until I have ascertained that the current is manageable. I know a lot of divers who make straight drops under a boat, rather than staying on the anchor line.
Another thought is to run a 1/4 inch downline from your boat, when around down-currents, and hang onto that. Cave line would not do you any good reeling out from the anchor in a strong current.
For Cordell we have spoken about using a 1/4 inch downline, and not anchoring the boat, but letting it drift with the current, while holding onto the downline. There is also a nondiver in our group who can stay with the boat while we go diving.
My condolences to the family and friends of Raymond. Hopefully we can all learn from his accident.