Drift diving can be an exhilarating experience and in many cases it may be the only way to explore certain dive sites. It requires rigorous planning, specialist equipment (such as emergency dive flags) and strict adherence to the dive plan if it is to be conducted safely. Though many divers are aware of this there is a tendency amongst divers and dive operators to downgrade the mild drift dive and forgo much of the planning and safety aspects that are required. In many cases it is during the mild drift that, when things go wrong they do so spectacularly and result in newspaper headlines such as Five divers missing in Komodo National Park near Bali, No hope for 3 missing divers " Red Sea. Almost without exception those involved have not been carrying signal flags and were lost on the surface after a successful dive.
A mild drift dive usually consists, as its name would suggest, of divers drifting with a mild underwater current. They require little effort on the divers part and can easily lull participants into a false sense of security. In many cases it is surface wind that creates the mild current underwater but on the surface the current can be much faster flowing. Without appropriate emergency signaling devices such a folding dive flags divers can find themselves drifting away from boats and other divers at an alarming rate.
There are some amazing locations in the Red Sea that I have dived where a mild drift has often caught me out with the fast flow of the surface currents. A good surface cover and having a scuba flag that ensured my customers and I were quickly spotted by the RIB and picked up. No matter what any diver tells you being caught in a drift and slipping away from a small RIB is a worrying experience no matter what level of diving you are at.
Changing weather conditions and the lack of care and attention that some boat operators is often the issue. Making sure that you are covered by having the appropriate scuba equipment in the likes of a signaling device like a dive flag which is visible in deteriorating conditions and easy to carry and operate. There are few on the market that are easy to use and lightweight so even a tired diver can use it to get attention quickly.
In the past many experienced divers made their own emergency dive flags but they tended to be a rather awkward addition to the kit that was needed (most of us strapped them to our tanks) and they were not always the easiest things to deploy quickly. Fortunately this market niche has been filled by a collapsible dive flag that thought it can extend to over 1.5 meters in length will also fold down to such a small size that it will fit in a BC pocket. With a high visibility yellow flag it is a perfect and vital piece of kit that all divers should carry. - 24585
A mild drift dive usually consists, as its name would suggest, of divers drifting with a mild underwater current. They require little effort on the divers part and can easily lull participants into a false sense of security. In many cases it is surface wind that creates the mild current underwater but on the surface the current can be much faster flowing. Without appropriate emergency signaling devices such a folding dive flags divers can find themselves drifting away from boats and other divers at an alarming rate.
There are some amazing locations in the Red Sea that I have dived where a mild drift has often caught me out with the fast flow of the surface currents. A good surface cover and having a scuba flag that ensured my customers and I were quickly spotted by the RIB and picked up. No matter what any diver tells you being caught in a drift and slipping away from a small RIB is a worrying experience no matter what level of diving you are at.
Changing weather conditions and the lack of care and attention that some boat operators is often the issue. Making sure that you are covered by having the appropriate scuba equipment in the likes of a signaling device like a dive flag which is visible in deteriorating conditions and easy to carry and operate. There are few on the market that are easy to use and lightweight so even a tired diver can use it to get attention quickly.
In the past many experienced divers made their own emergency dive flags but they tended to be a rather awkward addition to the kit that was needed (most of us strapped them to our tanks) and they were not always the easiest things to deploy quickly. Fortunately this market niche has been filled by a collapsible dive flag that thought it can extend to over 1.5 meters in length will also fold down to such a small size that it will fit in a BC pocket. With a high visibility yellow flag it is a perfect and vital piece of kit that all divers should carry. - 24585
About the Author:
The signaling device is a new lightweight and easy to use device for divers to signal from the surface. Will Kerfoot is a qualified PADI diver with over 20 years diving experience.
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