Socorro Islands (For Newly Certified Divers)

[Diver.Jason]

Hello -

Question. I am an experienced diver, but our friends recently got certified. We have always talked about a dive trip, and I am hooked on diving Socorro. I am a bit worried that this might be a bit much for my friends. Looking for opinions on this trip, and if anyone has an alternative suggestion for a Socorro-like experience, but better suited for us as a group. The last thing I want is for someone (new to diving) to have a bad experience and be turned off to diving afterwards because they were diving above their skill/comfort level. Also - friends get seasick very easily

Regards,

Jason

 

[scrane]

Not a good idea. Long, potentially rough crossing. Deep bottoms. Unpredictable currents.

 

[dlofting]

Most of the dives are deeper, 80 to 100 feet, if I recall correctly. Roca Partida, in particular, can have some currents. Everyone in the group should be able to deploy a DSMB and surface on their own, as a buddy team. I don't think I'd recommend the trip for newly certified divers.

 

[davehicks]

Nope. Currents, deep dives, rough water is not a good mix for new divers. Poor air consumption will make it a bummer for them as well.

 

[D.Co]

Hello -

Question. I am an experienced diver, but our friends recently got certified. We have always talked about a dive trip, and I am hooked on diving Socorro. I am a bit worried that this might be a bit much for my friends. Looking for opinions on this trip, and if anyone has an alternative suggestion for a Socorro-like experience, but better suited for us as a group. The last thing I want is for someone (new to diving) to have a bad experience and be turned off to diving afterwards because they were diving above their skill/comfort level. Also - friends get seasick very easily

Regards,

Jason

I’d say no. Even though I’m an experienced diver with more than 350 dives all over the world, Socorro was my most challenging trip. I don’t get seasick, but the 36–hour trip there and back in 7-foot seas didn’t help those who do. You have to be comfortable walking quickly across a dive platform completely geared up with fins in hand, then straddle-mount the Zodiac in bouncing seas. We had a couple of divers go overboard. Depths are 80-100 feet, so good air consumption is vital. You do a lot of hanging in the blue, too, which can be disorienting even to experienced divers. And it’s cold, especially if you go in Feb-march to see the whales. Temps in the 68-72° range meant you had to wear so much rubber to stay warm it was hard to get weighted enough for the negative entries most sites demanded. Try the Sea of Cortez instead, then see if your friends want to tackle Socorro.

 

[peeweediver]

Dove Socorro 3 years ago and there was a new diver ( OW and then directly to AOW and then only 3 dives after that). His first two days he ran low on air in 20 minutes due to poor buoyancy control and just being overwhelmed due to all blue with no bottom on some dives. His buddy that he was assigned to was quite upset that he had to surface for 2 straight days after 20 minutes. So, the boat assigned the new diver his own DM. On day three he freaked out at 80 feet because he thought he had gone into Deco and shot to the surface inflating his BCD. He did not die because he did breathe on the way up but threw up upon breaking the surface and then had a severe headache for 12 hours. No DCS symptoms after that. He sat with us at dinner the next night and acknowledged that he could have died and never should have been allowed to come on that trip. The website for the boat said a minimum of 50 dives but because they were just coming back from Covid shut-down and greed, the company staff told him he'd be ok with 12 dives total, including training dives. He was kept out of the water for 36 hours, then we all spent some time with him talking about buoyancy control and worked with him when we could underwater. By the last dive day he had much better trim and stayed down for 60 minutes. After the trip I wrote the company and said they were completely negligent letting this person on the boat for this type of trip.
Sorry to have gone on and on, but I write all this to say consider D.Co's advice to try Cabo Pulmo, La Paz or somewhere like that.
Rob

 

[The Chairman]

I am a bit worried that this might be a bit much for my friends.

They really need good depth control for such a trip.

 

[rongoodman]

I have to say that this discussion is getting me really excited about my trip out there in June!

 

[Living4Experiences]

I agree with all the others. Even 50 dives is not enough. In my opinion, 100 dives minimum is needed. It's also not fair to all the other experienced divers on board if there is a disruption in the diving due to their inexperience.

If there is an incident and medical attention is needed, help is a very long way away, and the whole trip is canceled for everyone. This is an advanced diver trip..

 

[also_anon_dc]

His buddy that he was assigned to was quite upset that he had to surface for 2 straight days after 20 minutes.

Wow I can't believe someone put up with that for 2 days! I would honestly say something to the Cruise Director after 1 dive. Socorro is expensive and I wouldn't want to ruin my dives babysitting a new diver.