 Currents
To enhance the enjoyment and safety of a dive, consideration of the
direction and strength of currents is extremely important, wherever you
are diving; whether it is in the 'kandu', a pass between the atoll reefs
or 'thila' a shoal, inside the atolls.The success of a dive almost
always depends on these variables. The Maldivian archipelago is swept by
ceaseless currents caused by the monsoons; generally east to west during
the northeast monsoon, from December to April and west to east during
the southwest monsoon, from May to November. However this is not a hard
and fast rule, as changes in wind directions and tides can offset the
influence of the oceanic currents - especially so during the
transitional period between the two seasons.
Further, the location of islands reefs and 'thilas' cause great
irregularity in the flow of current streams inside atoll passes. Many
local boat captains show great skill in telling the direction of the
current by observing tiny ripples or wave patterns on the surface.
However, the dive guide often jumps into the water to determine the
exact strength and direction.
Strong currents often make a dive site livelier, and that makes the
additional effort worthwhile. |
