KIRSTYANDREWS
High energy hotspots
Diving in current or tide is not for the faint hearted or inexperienced , but it has its advantages , says Kirsty Andrews
As divers we are lucky enough to be able to explore a hidden world which very few have experienced ; we visit the ocean realm . Even we , though , see only a fraction of what is below the surface . We generally stick close to shore and are limited to diveable depths . More than that , we choose our moments to descend , when the sea is at its most placid and welcoming ; when the currents and tides have
“ Only the hardiest seabed hangers-on survive ” slackened to their calmest and diving is safest .
Have you ever wondered what your favourite dive sites look like beneath a turbulent storm , or at peak water movement ? I wonder if we ’ d recognise our favourite spots when they are thrown about by surge and current . How do the bottom dwelling animals manage to cling on , and what mid-water schools fly by in the fast-moving waters , that we will never see ?
Increasingly I find myself drawn to challenging locations : areas where due to some natural phenomenon such as funnellike topography , a lot of water is squeezed into a small space ; where divers dare not enter the water , white water kayakers or surfers might better enjoy themselves . These spots take careful planning and safety precautions ; dives here are at the mercy of moon and tide and the vagaries of weather conditions . They may not be as long as my usual meanders , but they will be worth it nonetheless . Because in these ‘ high energy ’ locations , different life proliferates . Only the hardiest seabed hangerson survive , but if they can persevere , they prosper in great volume and diversity , with so many nutrients flowing by . Colourful sponges , sea squirts and filter-feeding barnacles cover every inch of sea walls that have been moulded into dramatic shapes by strong currents . Big ticket wildlife such as seals or sharks are unperturbed and even attracted by the feeding possibilities presented by pelagic life passing by . The ever-increasing current holds no fear for them .
If working from a boat , surface marker buoys and eagle-eyed boat cover are needed to monitor us as we drift by . Clear communication and a firm commitment to a pre-agreed dive plan are also essential . Shore dives in tidal hotspots are also possible , but require just as much careful planning to ensure that we can enter and exit safely as planned during the brief dive windows the tides allow . If we overstay our welcome down there , it ’ s definitely better to be drifting past an alternative exit point than out to sea , for example , so we must be clear which way the tide will run .
Further afield , in places such as the Maldives or the Galapagos , drift diving is a key part of the dive itinerary . In these hotspots , where it is safe to do so I have deployed a ‘ reef hook ’ to anchor myself in place while incredible wildlife drifts effortlessly past me . I have yet to attempt this in a UK reef which is not laid out quite as conveniently for this tactic - but maybe one day . From select English gems on the South Coast to the Menai Strait in Wales to the Falls of Lora in Scotland ’ s West or the blockships in Scapa Flow to its North-East , opportunities abound and I urge you to seek them out . These dives are worth the endeavour . �
A spurdog patrols the Falls of Lora in Loch Etive - a notoriously high energy site
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