There are a number of dive sites that can only be accessed with the excitement of a drift dive. These dives need to be planned out and everyone involved needs to know the plan and stick to it otherwise there could well be lives at risk. Unfortunately many of the divers and dive operators that participate in mild drift dives feel that this type of dive should not be taken as serious as it actually is and in a number of cases they relax the planning stage that really should be a requirement. Newspaper headlines regarding missing divers are in a number of occasions the result of a lack of planning. Most of these are because the diver had drifted from the spot they were expected to surface and did not have the appropriate scuba equipment to signal the boat.
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.
Some of the nicest dives I have done in the Red Sea were mild drifts and on more than one occasion I have been caught in fast flowing surface currents. It was adequate surface cover and my use of a dive flag that ensured that each time my customers and myself were quickly located and picked up. Even if it is not a life or death situation a few extra minutes drifting away from a small RIB can be disconcerting for even the most experienced diver.
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.
Many more experienced divers have made their own versions of a dive flag but it has always been the fact that they only last a certain length of time and they become a rather cumbersome addition to the divers kit. They were not always the easiest of devices to expand quickly either. There are now devices available on the market that fill this void and are extremely lightweight and highly visible in all conditions.
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.
Some of the nicest dives I have done in the Red Sea were mild drifts and on more than one occasion I have been caught in fast flowing surface currents. It was adequate surface cover and my use of a dive flag that ensured that each time my customers and myself were quickly located and picked up. Even if it is not a life or death situation a few extra minutes drifting away from a small RIB can be disconcerting for even the most experienced diver.
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.
Many more experienced divers have made their own versions of a dive flag but it has always been the fact that they only last a certain length of time and they become a rather cumbersome addition to the divers kit. They were not always the easiest of devices to expand quickly either. There are now devices available on the market that fill this void and are extremely lightweight and highly visible in all conditions.
About the Author:
The Dive Flag is a new lightweight and easy to use device for divers to signal to the boat. Will Kerfoot is a qualified PADI diver with over 20 years diving experience.
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