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.
As the name would suggest a mild drift is an underwater current that can easily lure divers into areas unknown. The reason they are so dangerous is due to the fact that they require very little effort on the part of the diver to move a fair distance from where they should be. Mostly caused by surface wind the mild current can be the main cause for a diver to require a form of signaling device to get seen by the dive boat.
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 dive 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.
A change in the weather conditions or a careless boat operator can be the cause of the problem. Having a device which is lightweight, easy to carry and highly visible in all conditions is one of the best ways that a diver can ensure that they make it back to the RIB safely and quickly. In a moment of an emergency a dive flag is one of the better ways of getting the attention you need when you need it.
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. - 16887
As the name would suggest a mild drift is an underwater current that can easily lure divers into areas unknown. The reason they are so dangerous is due to the fact that they require very little effort on the part of the diver to move a fair distance from where they should be. Mostly caused by surface wind the mild current can be the main cause for a diver to require a form of signaling device to get seen by the dive boat.
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 dive 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.
A change in the weather conditions or a careless boat operator can be the cause of the problem. Having a device which is lightweight, easy to carry and highly visible in all conditions is one of the best ways that a diver can ensure that they make it back to the RIB safely and quickly. In a moment of an emergency a dive flag is one of the better ways of getting the attention you need when you need it.
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. - 16887
About the Author:
The Dive Flag 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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