SCUBA's Blog
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Is there a difficulty rating of dive sites?
In terms of difficulty, there is only one contributing factor: a new situation, heretofore and not previously experienced by the diver.
"Is there a comprehensive web site that sorta ranks dive locations, easiest to hardest? Not best to worst because that's subjective, but easiest to hardest? Or is that not possible since maybe all locations have easy and difficult dives?"
No, and it's way more than an issue of subjectivity.
The more you acquire knowledge about the fairly limited list of what these possible situations are, the sooner you can start planning your next dives to familiarize and train yourself for these situations.
Look for things such as: Shore entries and exits; backrolls off of inflatables; negative entry with quick descents; lateral and vertical currents; night diving (and other AOW modules); how to inflate an SMB from depth while doing safety stop and awaiting pickup; how to approach a RIB, inflatable or small boat and be recovered; etc.
If you just want to continue slipping easily into the water (ala Sandals), that's not a bad thing, just know that you'll forever be locked into having this question in the back of your mind. Depending upon the dive-op's boat, equipment, and process- almost any dive site can have complications that another dive-op might not present you with. So- there is no way to point at a specific dive site and categorically say that it will be this-or-that way... then factor in the weather (which also includes currents at that particular moment).
There was a well intentioned group of guys two years ago that took satellite images of the islands and pinpointed various dive sites. Each one of them had a quick description, a notation of somebody or the other's depth, plus a rating, beginner thru advanced. Their main rating criteria involved depth and if it involved a "wreck". After hundreds of my own dives on these wrecks, I couldn't see how all of them were lumped into the same category... but then again, I wasn't selling dive maps.
Go, absorb knowledge, understand what potential situations may arise- seek them out... one at a time. It is when you start Task Loading, that is- having all these new experiences tossed at you in rapid succession... that's where prior experience brings you through it. -
Diving and Vacationing... maybe different things?
A note from a friend said....I know everyone has their ideas of where to stay etc.... I remember when posting about the ala-carte operation on the North Side of Roatan called Las Rocas last year- I got a lot of replies pretty much saying that I wasnt going to dive seriously if I stayed there. We really liked it there alot... small,,great people,,,,great DM,, and felt at home. I think we did about 15 dives and also the shark dive...the only downside was that we got 2 dives aday plus 1 night dive included in pkg so the others we did added up.. times 4 as we took our son and daughter. I would definatley recommend it from our experience. You have brought up a very important point... when people use the reference "a lot of diving". It means different things, and for different reasons. Some folks really feel they have been cheated with anything less than 4x a day plus a night dive. I would fall in that category. I prefer not to dive in Chicago, so when I spend $$ and more importantly time to travel, I want to be wet. On my last trip to Red Sea, all of my British buddies (once again) were drinking right after dinner, I was solo diving under the boat looking at any number of odd critters. They were there for Sharks, but I was looking at other stuff. Sometimes newer divers can only see bigger stuff. And saying that honks people off just as much as the true distinction between North/West Roatan versus the South. There is no polite way to say why people can achieve satisfaction by diving the South, there is no polite way to explain why people might not like diving the South side. Either their observational abilities are not yet fine tuned or they chartered with a marginal DM. Nobody likes to hear or think that. An additional reason crops up- many people like to believe (for whatever need) that they are a big-tough diver... or the opposite... that they "don't need to prove anything". True enough, but this usually ties in together with what one decides a vacation should be. Most people do not like to admit that for whichever reason, not all they do on vacation is dive. The greatest non-dive component is drinking, but a non-diving spouse, kids, or the desire to be lazy and just sleep-in takes over. You can either take time at an AI to do this, or you can instead go to an ala-carte dive op where this would make more sense financially. This, then, is where you edge back into the realm of admitting you have non-diving interests and being okay with it- versus fighting this "non macho" image of being a less than "hondo diver". The first key I suggest to anyone... honestly state and admit what kind of vacation experience that you want- a dive vacation or a vacation with some diving. For those who seek out a vacation with some diving, they are likely to give advice that isn't relevant to my standards. In that this is a written medium, whether message board or blog, I can only write to one target audience... the SCUBA Diver in search of their sport.Most important? Know what you want and get it. -
Currents and your awareness of them
Water is hard to see, at least "how it is moving". So concentrate instead on being aware of it's effects. Look for what moving water does to its environment.Quote:Originally Posted by Big fish63
...the big thing is how do i spot a area of current up ahead wheather its lateral or vertical?? the way the ocean works baffles me...
Things we should learn in AOW: As we enter on a shore dive and go out, we note which way the sea grasses and soft Corals are bending in the prevailing flow of the water. On a shore dive, this is so that we can make a determination as to which way to begin our dive... always into the current, right?
Lateral curents you should notice as you begin to accelerate. I don't recall any that just started out of the blue... there's usually a warning speed-up as you are going along. Many folks don't even sense a mild current, which can be bad on a shore dive where you have to get back to your entry point! Is it a true flowing current, or is it a "surge" back and forth? Different techniques for each.
On a drift dive, we always go with the current, but the crossover technique and application is pretty obvious. Watch the plants and soft Corals- see not only that they are bending a certain way, but note the relative degree in various currents. Yes, this takes time and experience, but if you have in mind what to do in terms of "working the current"*, you'll be relaxed and have plenty of time to make observations as you glide along.
*("Working the current" is an entirely different topic which entails how to expend the least amount of energy dealing with the effects of the current. Remember- it is all but impossible to sustain your position in 1/4mph current for any period of time, and that isn't much when compared to the "real" Ocean. You have to learn to play the reef structure and the flow, seeking out the calmer layers or hidey-holes)
Vertical upwellings and downwellings? The same exact way. Look for obvious physical signs. Look for fish, as well. Are they all pointed straight up, swimming, and not moving a lot? That's a pretty good clue. They might not be in a school, observe individuals. Look for crud or bubbles in the water... hard to see for many, but if you adjust your focus and perceptions, the clues are there. Remember- these vertical currents occur because of a vertical or sharply sloping nearby wall, usually visible.
The most apparent? Watch the divers in front of you. What are they doing? How are they reacting? Do not stare at any one potential tell-tale sign too long- keep scanning your environment.
Be aware of your surroundings. A tall order as we Humans seem to be hard-wired to look at such situations ineffectively. Prepare yourself in advance by thinking about these visual stimuli. Pre-visualize your observation techniques and your required response. -
Advanced Diving, the Catch 22 Question
Plan your dive education in stages.Quote:Originally Posted by Big fish63.. my question is how can you learn about downcurrents etc and become this 'advanced' diver without putting yourself in the situations mentioned here....
It may seem hard to detour from immediately jumping on the once-in-a-lifetime dive destination that your local dive group has planned, but learning to walk before you run is a good plan.
My wife wanted to dive the Galapogos from "day 1", so I started her out with the correct instructor and had her become an Ace Swimming Pool Diver.
We then went to a place that had simple and easy access perfect boats, warm water and pretty fish, simple shore dive, no current. It was CoCoView in Roatan. There are other places that will do.
We learned proper entries, including backrolls on command from 3' gunnels~ nbot just mastery of the giant stride. We did very quickdescents. We practiced exits by always using the tag line, as well as drilling on rough water ladder work, even when it was flat calm. We practiced moving back to our seats as if the boat was rocking.
We practiced SMB shoots from 15', hanging on the line, then proper ways to approach the boat as if it were in 4' seas... even though it was flat calm.
Establishing buoyancy immediately and adjusting it throughout the dive became second nature to her.
From there, we went to a place where she could learn currents, both lateral and vertical. Many folks go to Cozumel, but the real location for this exercise is Tobago. It makes Coz look like a walk in the park. We also could opt to dive from less than state-of-the art dive boats, more like long rowboats (pangas) and inflatable RIBs (like Zodiacs).
It was there, with proper coaching and pre-dive briefings involving charts of the planned dive site, explanations of hand signals to warn what was coming, she learned how to deal with lateral currents first. Soon we started playing with underwater waterfalls, the downwellings.
Taking it step-by-step, with proper coaching from an instructor, from site interpretation through an experienced local dive guide, she felt comfortable after mastering each step in a progression.
If something new is just thrown at you without advanced warning and instruction as to how to deal with it, now... imagine if five new things are presented to you on one dive.
As my wife once asked our buddies after a particularly E-Ticket dive, "Was I supposed to be scared?" No one laughed at her.
This is what nightmares are made of. I understand what you went through.
Now she's at dive 300+ or so, been around the world, and she does solo night dives. She does what she is comfortable with, however. She looks back at her training, and when asked about it, she calls it "Dive Boot Camp". We crammed a lot of education into one year.
As I said in the initial response, the character and abilities of vacationing divers that are presenting themselves at heretofore exotic "advanced" dive locations has been dramatically altered when compared to visitors from prior years. It is easier to "get there", and as such, a lot of divers with very little experience in the multitude of advanced skills show up and want to go see the sights.
This runs the gamut from the guy that just got certified in Ohio that won a prize of a 10 day Galapogos liveaboard trip that he had to claim within the next three months.... to the Certified Advanced OW Diver who had done 250 dives in the midwest and had drysuit experience... and a VISA Card.
Take your time, set a course that makes sense in your training, understand the needed skills, make it lead towards the goal you have set.