When there's no current, there's no problem with this.
There was, however, abundant current. The granny line was flat against the boat
(this should have been a clue to the boat staff there was a pretty stiff current).
Noel & I queued up to be second & third into the water
after Dave T, our dive guide got in. Noel went first, then I.
I did my normal entry which had worked just fine
the previous 20-some times I left the boat
(the entire week in April I never had happen what happened next).
In the time my body was below the level of the hull of the boat,
I was swept beneath it. (Of course I had no warning or any way to stop to this).
As my BCD brought me back up,
I struck the bottom of the boat with my head, HARD.
I knew I had to get out from under the boat and
that the shortest distance was behind me.
I started swimming backwards,
but my BCD had me pressed up tight against the bottom of the boat.
As I cleared the outside edge of the boat, I naturally kept rising.
There is a projection along the hull (a stabilizer or streamlining device?)
and it struck the top of my mask and then my nose before I popped up clear.
This all happened probably In less time than it takes to write or read about it.
I knew I had hit the boat,
but I didn't know I was bleeding from the bang on the nose.
(I hit the boat so hard with my mask that blue bottom paint transferred to it)
and the skin on my nose, but not the mask, was torn.
I attempted to continue my dive - retrieving my camera
and pulling myself up the granny line
(the current was too strong to swim against) to the bow of the boat
so I could descend holding the mooring line to the wall (about 100' below).
At the bow of the boat, Noel waited until he saw I was there,
signaled to me he was starting the dive
(we always descend at the same time - buddy system),
and then he swam for the mooring line.
I started to descend swimming into the current.
I know, as an experienced diver/seafarer,
that often currents are strong on the surface,
but weaken with depth, so I started angling down and
kicking for all I was worth to reach the mooring line.
I was huffing & puffing & kicking like mad.
I checked my dive computer/depth gauge and at 33',
the current was still strong and
I was rapidly running out of steam AND breath.
Hyperventilating while diving is not a good idea,
so I decided to end the dive.
I turned to look for the boat and just that quickly I was even with it,
half way down its 115' length!
I swam diagonally for the drop lines that are always down
to assist divers doing deco at the back of the boat by the ladders.
I caught a line. Didn't bother with a safety stop,
came up to the ladder, hung on and hollered for help.
One of the crew heard me and came back to assist me back on the boat.
I estimate that the current was close to, or just over, two knots [2.3mph].
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