After living in Fiji and diving professionally in a lot of current here, here are a few basic tips to ease your mind, increase your comfort, and decrease your air consumption! Don't regard currents as a threat As with most diving, attitude is everything.
The currents here are what make the diving so exceptional, learn to use them and enjoy them, and have great dives! Use a little more weight Add one extra to your belt when diving in surge or strong current; it helps you to stay on the bottom when moving against the water, and counters the upwards movement of surge.
Use the drift and descent lines Hold onto the drift line until you are ready to descend; and while waiting to board the boat.
Use the descent line for your descent, ascent and safety stop.
Watch your air consumption You may use your air supply much faster than normal when swimming against a current.
Sometimes drift diving is possible This kind of diving is often done along the walls in Fiji.
Points to watch are good buoyancy and depth control, and the speed of your drift.
You can control speed by streamlining yourself to travel slowly, and, putting your feet down, head up, with open arms and legs, to catch the current to move more quickly.
If you have good buoyancy control, it can be fun to assume a cross-legged, yoga-style position to float along the reef Moving against current The currents are always at their strongest above the reef.
If swimming against the water is too strenuous, go down to the bottom, or hug the wall.
If you are still having trouble, use your hands.
Gloves can be useful, and can be carried in a BC pocket in case of need.
The important rule is TWO FINGERS maximum contact with the coral, and LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING to ensure you don't grip a stinging coral or fish.
Also minimise damage to the reef by selecting dead areas for your hand-holds.
Diving in Surge Surge can be felt in the top 20 feet (7 meters) or so, and may affect you on your safety stop.
Relax and go with it; the water flows up and over obstacles, and by 'going with the flow' so will you; steer by angling your body to stay in the wave, and letting the water do the rest.
To move against surge, don't fight it while it's flowing against you; fin enough (or hang onto a piece of dead coral) to hold your position; when it relaxes, fin faster to make headway.
If you get Lost If you're being taken away from where you want to go, do the simplest thing; COME UP slowly and sensibly, don't neglect your safety stop.
On the surface, inflate your BC, locate the boat, and wave.
As soon as all the divers are up, the boat will come and get you.
Stuart Gow
The currents here are what make the diving so exceptional, learn to use them and enjoy them, and have great dives! Use a little more weight Add one extra to your belt when diving in surge or strong current; it helps you to stay on the bottom when moving against the water, and counters the upwards movement of surge.
Use the drift and descent lines Hold onto the drift line until you are ready to descend; and while waiting to board the boat.
Use the descent line for your descent, ascent and safety stop.
Watch your air consumption You may use your air supply much faster than normal when swimming against a current.
Sometimes drift diving is possible This kind of diving is often done along the walls in Fiji.
Points to watch are good buoyancy and depth control, and the speed of your drift.
You can control speed by streamlining yourself to travel slowly, and, putting your feet down, head up, with open arms and legs, to catch the current to move more quickly.
If you have good buoyancy control, it can be fun to assume a cross-legged, yoga-style position to float along the reef Moving against current The currents are always at their strongest above the reef.
If swimming against the water is too strenuous, go down to the bottom, or hug the wall.
If you are still having trouble, use your hands.
Gloves can be useful, and can be carried in a BC pocket in case of need.
The important rule is TWO FINGERS maximum contact with the coral, and LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING to ensure you don't grip a stinging coral or fish.
Also minimise damage to the reef by selecting dead areas for your hand-holds.
Diving in Surge Surge can be felt in the top 20 feet (7 meters) or so, and may affect you on your safety stop.
Relax and go with it; the water flows up and over obstacles, and by 'going with the flow' so will you; steer by angling your body to stay in the wave, and letting the water do the rest.
To move against surge, don't fight it while it's flowing against you; fin enough (or hang onto a piece of dead coral) to hold your position; when it relaxes, fin faster to make headway.
If you get Lost If you're being taken away from where you want to go, do the simplest thing; COME UP slowly and sensibly, don't neglect your safety stop.
On the surface, inflate your BC, locate the boat, and wave.
As soon as all the divers are up, the boat will come and get you.
Stuart Gow
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