A split in the current often brings with it a different water temperature and you can see the shimmer of the thermocline. It's easy to get pushed off the island reefs of Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson in the Straits of Tiran, but it's also easy to avoid if you know where to shelter. Local knowledge of a safe exit point is invaluable, as are SMBs. Reef hooks are essential safety gear in some locations, but they must be used with care. Hooks of any kind are hotly disputed among the dive community, but they can be a great aid to safety when called upon.
In mild currents, a lazy fin kick will keep you stationary, but if the current picks up, you will end up swimming backwards. When conditions are right, drift diving is awesome. Sit back, relax and let the ocean take you on tour…. Need inspiration for your next dive trip? Try one of our featured destinations from DIVE's travel partners.
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We never share your data. Almost all of the diving in the area is drift diving and the currents are strong. The currents at Ari Atoll are perfect for small and big marine life encounters alike. There are plenty of dive sites offering nudibranchs, critters, turtles, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, mantas, eagle rays and whale sharks. Divers can see groups of grey reef sharks, whitetip sharks, jacks, tuna and Napoleon wrasse. Those looking for whale sharks and a drift dive should visit Maamigili Beru in the southern part of Ari Atoll.
Juvenile whale sharks can be seen here year-round. The diving at Ari Atoll is best suited to experienced divers, though there are dive sites suitable for less experienced divers. There are numerous Maldives liveaboards to choose from, for all budgets and different safari durations. Komodo is one of the most species-rich locations in Indonesia and has wall dives, pinnacles, sea mounts, shallow reefs and swim-throughs just waiting to be explored.
The currents at Komodo are very strong and offer fantastic drift diving opportunities. Divers are likely to see whales, dolphins, manta rays and sharks, plus plentiful critters and reef fish.
Batu Balong is a huge pinnacle wall dive that has exceptionally fast currents. Divers can see Napoleon wrasse, oceanic whitetip sharks and numerous reef fish at this dive site. Scuba diving at Komodo is best suited to intermediate or advanced divers due to the strong currents in the area. There are numerous Komodo liveaboard diving vessels to choose from. The Tuamotu Archipelago is the prime destination for luxury Polynesia liveaboard diving and offers diving at two well-known areas; Rangiroa and Fakarava atolls.
Some liveaboards spend their entire itinerary at the stunning Fakarava Atoll and this area offers pristine diving. At the south end of the atoll, divers can experience the Tumakohua Pass. This narrow channel leads into the atoll lagoon and the waters in the channel reach speeds of 4 knots on an incoming tide. Divers start in the open ocean and swim to the mouth of the channel to see the Shark Wall. Hundreds of grey, blacktip and whitetip sharks gather at the entrance of the channel. Once in the pass, divers are swept past coral-covered walls and numerous fish before ending their dive in the lagoon.
Numerous other dives can be found at Fakarava, including manta ray cleaning stations and shallow reef dives with healthy hard coral cover. Rangiroa Atoll is one of the largest atolls in the world at square kilometers 65 square miles and the Tiputa Pass is a Polynesia dive highlight there.
This channel is washed by a strong current during the incoming tide, offering the chance to dive with huge schools of grey reef sharks, plus mantas, reef fish, bottlenose dolphins, and occasional tiger sharks. Polynesia liveaboard diving is suitable for a variety of diver experience levels and just a few select liveaboards visit this far-flung paradise.
The French Polynesia Master offers diving throughout the Tuamotu Archipelago and caters for up to 25 people. Scuba diving in Hawaii is diverse, with cave dives, shipwrecks, reef diving, and plenty of large marine life. Molokini Island is a partial volcanic crater known for great drift diving at the Back Wall. Divers are pulled along by a steady current at this dive site and past volcanic landscapes full of marine life.
Divers can see humpback whales, manta rays and sharks at Molokini. Hawaii diving is suitable for all experience levels and there are numerous dive sites to choose from at the different islands.
Hawaii liveaboard diving is offered by the Kona Aggressor II. Bahamas scuba diving is known for tiger shark diving, cave diving, tidal blue holes, healthy coral reefs and the Austin Smith wreck. You should leave some slack in the line so the angle of the line is at around degrees to the surface. In this case each time a swell comes through it will lift you from the bottom.
The trick to a long and enjoyable dive is to conserve your air when scuba diving. You may like to read my 22 pro tips on how to conserve your air when scuba diving. I challenge you to know them all, but if you know others, please comment on the article. The main safety aspect of a drift dive is your SMB. If you lose this the boat skipper will not be able to follow your drift direction. This is why I suggest you attach the SMB reel to you. But if for whatever reason you let go of your SMB and you drift aaway from it you should surface immediately.
Otherwise the skipper will be following your buoy without you being attached to it. It is this speed that makes it very easy to split up from your dive buddy. The faster the current the more this will be. Therefore be aware of the speed of the current and be extra vigilant towards your dive buddy.
The slightest pause to look at something and your buddy will be lost. Especially in low visibility drift dives. Low visibility water adds a further risk to a drift dive. The chances of splitting up with your dive buddy are greater.
In lower vis dives it may take only a second or two for your buddy to be out of sight from you. A buddy link line is a line that attaches between scuba diving buddies. More Reading : What should you and your buddy do if separated during a dive? Adopting the use of a buddy link-line on a drift dive, and especially one in lower visibility, is a good safety precaution to take.
Night diving and drift diving are not a good combination. Not only will it be easier to get separated from your dive buddy unless a link line is used , but it will be virtually impossible for the dive boat to follow you.
To help make the point, this problem can also happen in the day time. For example, back in four divers were lost and never found after being swept away on a current from the Elphinstone Reef. On a drift dive the waters are often more turbulent. This can have an affect on your buoyancy and how you move through the water.
As your buoyancy control can be affected on a drift dive, I suggest you master your buoyancy before you attempt diving on a drift.
You want to read this article about how to achieve neutral buoyancy the easy way. Including to 10 pro-tips. You could be travelling at quite some speed on a drift dive. This includes your fellow scuba divers. You may stop but your dive buddy may not and they may not realise you have stopped. Before you know it, and especially in fast drifts and even more so on low visibility drift dives, your buddy will be out of sight in no time at all.
Not only will you be able to have a break from the currents, you might also see some marine life. They seek solace from the currents there too! Always carry a delayed surface marker buoy DSMB! This is important so that boats and anything overhead knows that there are divers below. Learn how to do this in calm waters first! Getting separated is more likely during a drift dive for obvious reasons. If this happens follow standard dive procedures.
Deploy your SMB and reunite with your group at the surface. Clip a whistle to your BCD. In case of an emergency, it could be a game-changer. Keep a reef hook handy. Check local regulations for the protocol. They also keep you off the reef comfortably without damaging corals when used correctly. Always protect and respect marine life! This way you can attach yourself to the downline from a safe distance, alongside your whole group.
Only take what you need. Big cameras could be a hazard and get in the way! Triple check everything before you get in the water. Make sure your kit is streamlined.
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