# Divers and tsunamis **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341 "2004-12-31T00:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/1 "2004-12-31T00:23:08Z")
The latest twist on the story (a good one for the American network news since it involves moderately attractive American English speakers) involves a couple who were S.C.U.B.A. diving something like 7 miles out and “miraculously” survived. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t a tsunami resemble a largish swell at that range from shore? Is it really miraculous, or am I right to think the news outlets are just jerking us around again? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/2 "2004-12-31T00:30:27Z")
It’s not distance from shore that matters as much as the depth of the water. And 7 miles out from eg the Maldives could put them in true deep water, in which case they wouldn’t notice the tsunami. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/3 "2004-12-31T02:16:00Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > It’s not distance from shore that matters as much as the depth of the water. And 7 miles out from eg the Maldives could put them in true deep water, in which case they wouldn’t notice the tsunami. Well, yes I follow that. Unfortunately the reports are predictably not mentioning the facts that actually make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Ragu-leader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Ragu-leader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragu-leader)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/4 "2004-12-31T02:22:28Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > Well, yes I follow that. Unfortunately the reports are predictably not mentioning the facts that actually make a difference. The miracle could be that they decided to swim 7 miles out and not drink pina coladas on the beach. _shrug_ ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/5 "2004-12-31T02:29:42Z")
I saw an interview with a person what was diving at the time of the tsunami (not the American couple) that mentioned that they were ‘buffeted’ and their apparent depth suddenly went from 20 meters to 40 meters as the tsunami passed overhead. That would be a little freaky. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divers-and-tsunamis/282341/6 "2004-12-31T04:37:33Z")
Some of the first reports I heard involved divers in a cave off the coast of Thailand. As others have said, if you are on the upswell side of coral reef then you might expect to bear the full brunt of a tsunami. If you are 30 feet deep in 60 feet of water you might just get tossed around a bit. I still get freaked out about the poor saps caught in a cave, though…