Eleuthera · Bahamas · Drift · Channel & pass
Current Cut
A 10-knot tidal drift through a channel more than 1 km long
A high-speed drift through the channel between North Eleuthera and Current Island, where the tidal flow can reach 10 knots. The channel is over 1 km long but the ride lasts 10 to 12 minutes, over a bottom of hard rock, sea fans and sponges at 18 m (60 ft), with eagle rays and blacktip reef sharks passing through.
Where it is and how deep
25.4005° N, 76.7895° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is timed to the tide: there is a 20 minute window when conditions are right, and an incoming tide gives better visibility than an outgoing one. It is about the only dive in Eleuthera where visibility is poor, because the rushing water stirs up sediment from the bottom. Divers stay with the guide as the flow carries the group down the channel over a bottom at 18 m (60 ft) of hard rock, sea fans, sponges and hardy corals, mixed with debris from a hotel destroyed by a hurricane.
Potholes in the bed give divers with good buoyancy control a place to rest out of the flow, and lobsters, stingrays, angelfish and parrotfish shelter in them too, while eagle rays and blacktip reef sharks pass by. Once through the narrowest section of the channel the current slackens and the dive ends; most boats then pick divers up and run them back to the drop point for a second pass.
Marine life and season
- Eagle rays
- Reef sharks
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Eleuthera: Diveable all year. Rain falls May to October in storms of a day or two, and sharks are seen most in the cooler winter months.
Know before you go
- The flow can reach 10 knots; divers stay with the guide and keep buoyancy under control for the whole run.
- Hard rock and hotel debris on the bottom at 18 m (60 ft) are hard on new gear; the potholes are the places to rest.
- The current stirs up sediment and cuts visibility; an incoming tide gives clearer water than an outgoing one.
Dive videos
Current Cut Dive Site Current Island,Bahamas · George Gross on YouTube
Sharks and Jacks-Current Cut Dive · George Gross on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How fast is the current at Current Cut?+
The tidal flow through the channel can reach 10 knots, and the run of more than 1 km takes 10 to 12 minutes. Dives are timed to a 20 minute window of tide.
Sources
- Diving in Eleuthera: wrecks, reefs, walls and drifts — Dive The World
- Current Island — Wikipedia
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