Cozumel Incident 9/4/11

[Kymcobob]

To the dive operators in Cozumel- one improvement in recreational diving I witnessed on a trip to Fiji. We were on the north end of the main island diving the Blight straits. An hour boat ride each way and divers always anxious to get in the water. Upon arriving at site, no-one entered the water or was given a briefing until a DM went down and perused the site. On three occasions, the site was nixed and we moved to another site. When the DM returned to the boat, he/she gave a dive briefing and those briefings were the best I have attended - they were current! As most of us know, you can dive the same site over and over and have different experiences each time. Keeping to a schedule or timeline may be good for keeping divers happy but not necessarily help in keeping them safe. In Fiji, this approach applied on both static dives while tied to a buoy and drift dives. I talked to the boat captain at length about how this started and he said it was a result of DMs input after an incident occurred.
Food for thought.

 

[Davki]

But it's limited to $5,000 USD on local treatment isn't it?

There are two threads on this in the Cozumel forum.

Yes, you're right. It is limited to $5000 in Mexico. Not great coverage, but our guys, like many others in Mexico, carry private insurance and they have access to Mexican SS coverage. Just like with DAN coverage, the dive insurance is supplemental to any other insurance coverage you have. So, $5000 can go quite a ways in a country with much lower health care costs than the US.

 

[boulderjohn]

Gas usage depends a lot upon your anticipated RMV rate. I suppose that highly experienced Cozumel dive guides counted on RMVs far better than ours.

You're still right, though.

Could someone describe this bounce dive to me?

According to V-planner, VPM-B +1, descent = 50' / min

CNS = 220%, and it would take 105cf of gas -- assuming a deco profile with stops beginning at 70fsw.

That's like way more super aggressive than just "no room whatsoever for error." IM non-experienced O.

 

[cruiser]

See message #133. Short answer: In a "perfect world", yes. In a real world you can see yourself...

I'll pass on "seeing for myself."

 

[boulderjohn]

I've spent more time on this board in the last few days then I have in the last year. Trying to keep up with all these threads and what's been said where and in what context, well, I have to step away, it's sucked away time I don't have.

After day 2, there's really no new information pertaining to the events that occurred that resulted in having 3 divers with serious DCS, and all we know about their condition is that they are all still being treated, 2 in the US now and one still in Cozumel. Other then that, it's a lot of tail chasing and some bickering.

When you say there is no new information pertaining to the events, do you mean there is no new information after this morning's revelation that the dive plan was to go to 300 feet on air on one tank?

I'm not sure anyone is expecting any information beyond that, although more of the smaller details may be forthcoming.

 

[ScubaSteve]

When you say there is no new information pertaining to the events, do you mean there is no new information after this morning's revelation that the dive plan was to go to 300 feet on air on one tank?

I'm not sure anyone is expecting any information beyond that, although more of the smaller details may be forthcoming.

How have you validated that plan as fact? I've asked for the source but only heard crickets thus far. I believe it LONG before the downwelling but it is still not fact IMO.


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[boulderjohn]

How have you validated that plan as fact? I've asked for the source but only heard crickets thus far. I believe it LONG before the downwelling but it is still not fact IMO.

It's a very fair question. If you know me, you know I am naturally a skeptic, but I fully believe it. I won't go into all the reasons I believe it, but I will point out something about those crickets you have been listening to.

Before that, it was noted that a number of Cozumel-based professionals who were in a position to know the truth were giving very strong hints about things. We learned that some dive professionals (hint, hint) do dives they would not take tourists on when they are off the books. We learned that downwellings such as were described do not exist. As was said earlier, all the hints pointed to a dive plan of this sort and really to no other possible conclusion.

And then this dive plan was posted by someone who in an earlier post on the other thread demonstrated inside knowledge.

Since then all the hints have stopped and we have heard nothing but crickets. Notice that not a single person with inside knowledge--and there are many such people--contradicted it in any way.

 

[ianr33]

Could someone describe this bounce dive to me?

According to V-planner, VPM-B +1, descent = 50' / min

CNS = 220%, and it would take 105cf of gas -- assuming a deco profile with stops beginning at 70fsw.

That's like way more super aggressive than just "no room whatsoever for error." IM non-experienced O.

If I were crazy enough to do this dive I would be aiming more at 100'/minute descent rate and an ascent rate of 60'/minute up to 150 or so.

Using ideco on 30/85 ,descent rate 60'/minute,ascent rate 30'/minute and a SAC of 0.55 it needs 77 Cu ft

 

[Sophie Diver]

When you say there is no new information pertaining to the events, do you mean there is no new information after this morning's revelation that the dive plan was to go to 300 feet on air on one tank?

I'm not sure anyone is expecting any information beyond that, although more of the smaller details may be forthcoming.

Alleged revelation- not from any of the 3 injured divers. Chosing who to believe here in this forum is an individual decision.

 

[scubawife]

When you say there is no new information pertaining to the events, do you mean there is no new information after this morning's revelation that the dive plan was to go to 300 feet on air on one tank?

I'm not sure anyone is expecting any information beyond that, although more of the smaller details may be forthcoming.

Nobody that was actually on the dive has provided any new details. People who are not one of the 3 injured divers have said... or eluded... that this was a planned dive to that depth, yet one of the victims said they got stuck in a down current. Who to believe? Me, well I'd bet that like all dicey situations with less than favorable outcomes, the truth is going to fall out to be somewhere in the middle. Somewhere between what Heath said and what others are saying they know.

And they know how exactly? All of them have lined up and heard Gabi tell his take on to each of them? Heath spoke with each of them personally? We know Opal hasn't been talking since she's been on a ventilator. While I'm sure the people posting or expecting us to read between the lines of what they've posted, are all credible, it's still second hand, and not knowing where they got their info - from the source or once or twice removed - until stated otherwise, that's just more secondhand conjecture.

IF in fact they were doing a safe, within rec limits, dive and did get caught in a rogue down current that took them to 300 ft, then this is a freak accident and nothing anyone could have done in the planning could have prevented it.

IF this was cowboy diving and they went to that depth, planned, with just a single AL 80 or 100 each, then it was bad judgement. You choose to take that kind of risk, deal with the consequences. What's to learn in that case? Don't be stupid.

IF this was a dive where they planned to go to 150-160, whatever, and got a current, then the lesson is to have more air then you think you might need so you can deal with emergencies if they happen, and don't dive beyond your training.

I'll check back in and see if anyone with first hand info posts, or if those who claim to know details decide to divulge how they know, assuming they weren't actually on the dive. Otherwise, I don't really see much point. There doesn't seem to be any valuable new lessons to learn based on what's been said so far.