True, and it's rarely an option I would promote or choose - again, it's better to be alive on the surface than dead under water! There are worse things in the world than having someone come pick you up.CaptnJack wrote:This happens periodically at keystone and often ends badly. A number of heart attacks there have been precipitated by the urge to fight the flow. I'm sure a number of our younger members would and could succeed, but may of us are older and potentially at higher risk than we think we are.Penopolypants wrote:fight it
Strongest currents
- Penopolypants
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Re: Strongest currents
Come to the nerd side, we have pi!
Re: Strongest currents
Yea the ferry at keystone scares people (rightly so) but they will stop and help you. You can also stay down and low and transit under the dredged ferry channel and get out on the beach to the north. That is the safest option if you get "swept away" but there's a strong instinctual urge to claw your way up current - which has definitely killed a few divers with previously undisclosed heart disease.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Strongest currents
Pen, Bradmond and I had the same experience at FIWW a few years back. We dropped in approximately right above the wall, and immediately were reduced to clawing our way upslope. Unfortunately, during this, Brads zipper came apart, flooding his suit. We made it up to about 20' and the current slacked enough for us to kick up and get the heck out of there! For a non current sensitive site, that was really a suprisePenopolypants wrote:My worst (non-drift) current experience was at Fox Island West Wall of all places. Absolutely no current in the beginning, and then whoosh! Think the Redondo River on steroids, pushing us aggressively away from shore. No rocks to help so we dug our hands in the bottom and tried pulling - no dice.
- Penopolypants
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Re: Strongest currents
Poor Brad! I am sorry y'all had that happen too. Currents are weird.Gdog wrote:Pen, Bradmond and I had the same experience at FIWW a few years back. We dropped in approximately right above the wall, and immediately were reduced to clawing our way upslope. Unfortunately, during this, Brads zipper came apart, flooding his suit. We made it up to about 20' and the current slacked enough for us to kick up and get the heck out of there! For a non current sensitive site, that was really a suprise
Come to the nerd side, we have pi!
Re: Strongest currents
Sunrise Beach shore dive. I correctly calculated the predicted time of slack current, but failed to notice the huge tidal range that day (Nearly 18 ft. at the Narrows). The current didn't really have a period of slack, but just turned. I should have known better.
-Curt
-Curt
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- Grateful Diver
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Re: Strongest currents
Agree with Richard ... if you can't pull & glide, then float & ride ... you're priority at that point is to get to the surface, not necessarily your point of entry ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Threats and ultimatums are never the best answer. Public humiliation via Photoshop is always better - airsix
Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
Come visit me at http://www.nwgratefuldiver.com/
Re: Strongest currents
Worst unplanned for current was a bad day at Deception Pass. Highest current was probably a planned Agate Pass drift dive.
- Waynne Fowler
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Re: Strongest currents
Swipe!Jeremy wrote:Ripper of drysuits, mocker of divers...there are no atheist divers in a mistimed Deception Pass dive.
Ripper of drysuits, mocker of divers...there are no atheist divers in a mistimed Deception Pass dive. Jeremy
Re: Strongest currents
Haha. I was sending Jeremy a pm asking to use that for my tagline. Quick moving Wayne!
Re: Strongest currents
Second dive of the day at Netarts Bay. Became separated from buddy immediately and had to hold on to the rocks to stay in place. It took about 10 minutes to cover about the same amount of area as the first five which took 30. I learned that you can only get about one good dive in at Netarts and I learned what my comfort zone limit was on current.
Also got into some bad current/surge in the channel islands. The liveaboard had to send two chase boats to pick up seven divers that got blown away, including myself. I learned that you should never feel ashamed to not find your way back to the boat and that if the going gets tough to simply ascend. And to have good SMB skills.
Also got into some bad current/surge in the channel islands. The liveaboard had to send two chase boats to pick up seven divers that got blown away, including myself. I learned that you should never feel ashamed to not find your way back to the boat and that if the going gets tough to simply ascend. And to have good SMB skills.
Re: Strongest currents
Warren Ave bridge is a great dive. has my vote. its also the spot where i encountered the hardest current, even on slack tide. Lots of fun hitting eddy currents behind boulders.Jeremy wrote:I was skeptical of the dive initially but have to say it was one of the best dives in Puget Sound that I have done. Definitely up there with Deception Pass! I liked it better than DIW, Watermans Wall, Dalco...personally. Highly recommended!fmerkel wrote:Outside that, how is that dive?Jeremy wrote:Warren Avenue Bridge receives my honorable mention for number two