ScubaBoard Invasion Central 2022 Cozumel

[cardzard]

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[Drip Dry]

Drift diving has been somewhat of a rarity for me, and the drift diving I have done hasn't been in strong currents. Something tells me this may not always be the case diving in Cozumel.

Can someone with Cozumel drift diving experience describe a typical dive profile.

I can imagine divers at different depths getting separated during a drift dive if the current varies significantly with depth, if so do separated divers just go on by themselves - and their partner(s) - until reaching the dive time limit, or try to catch up with / slow down for the rest of the group?

How are surface intervals handled if the current is ripping near the surface? Just keep moving along at 15 feet for a while then surface?

Do divers launch their own DSMB before surfacing?

Do the boats drag a grab line?

 

[cardzard]

Drift diving has been somewhat of a rarity for me, and the drift diving I have done hasn't been in strong currents. Something tells me this may not always be the case diving in Cozumel.

Can someone with Cozumel drift diving experience describe a typical dive profile.

I can imagine divers at different depths getting separated during a drift dive if the current varies significantly with depth, if so do separated divers just go on by themselves - and their partner(s) - until reaching the dive time limit, or try to catch up with / slow down for the rest of the group?

How are surface intervals handled if the current is ripping near the surface? Just keep moving along at 15 feet for a while then surface?

Do divers launch their own DSMB before surfacing?

Do the boats drag a grab line?

Ken, while there could be strong current most times it is like riding an escalator in the airport.
You are just drifting.

Dive teams will all jump off the boat and descend together

All crew members will be diving with their same DM all week and they do all the surface marker launching unless their was some reason you need to surface early.
The boat will follow the dive teams and come to you, they understand where the groups should end up.
Remembers they do this all day every day.

Typical dive profile
dive 1 60-80 45 mins to 1 hour
dive 2 30-50 45 mins to 1 hour

Remember viz in Cozumel is rarely under 75'

I will post a video shortly to show a drift dive in Cozumel.

 

[cardzard]

Here is a drift dive from Cozumel

 

[gypsyjim]

My experience with Coz drift diving led me to learn to use my own SMB from depth, and practice doing so on each dive. Practicing skills on every dive is always wise.
We have never drifted so far apart on any Coz dive that we could not regroup, but I prefer to be prepared, just in case. Currents do change at various depths, and I enjoy dropping into crevices and behind coral heads to slow down and look around, so I have to pay attention and sometimes work to rejoin a group.
There is no reason multiple divers cannot release their SMBs simultaneously, and then recover them as the boat is approaching.
Practice, practice, practice.
I also learned from Coz diving that releasing the SMB from depth really helps do a safety stop in blue water, because you can "hang" on your own line, and know your position is marked in the relatively heavy Coz boat traffic above you.

 

[gypsyjim]

It looks like I may be able to dive after all on this trip. We certainly cut it close.
I can now get the foot wet, and I have been cleared for full weight bearing on my leg by the 10th, having gotten my cast removed, and been fitted for my new "walking boot" today.

TSA is gonna love me!

 

[WarrenZ]

Sounds good Ill buy you a pool beer.

 

[scubadada]

It looks like I may be able to dive after all on this trip. We certainly cut it close.
I can now get the foot wet, and I have been cleared for full weight bearing on my leg by the 10th, having gotten my cast removed, and been fitted for my new "walking boot" today.

View attachment 723378View attachment 723380View attachment 723379
TSA is gonna live me!

I've got two hips and a large plate in my left arm. I've set off every metal detector since 9/11, except for the one in Bonaire that was still on test mode. I use the scanners when I can, pat down if there aren't any. TSA precheck helps quite a bit. You may not have enough metal, you'll find out

 

[Drip Dry]

Ken, while there could be strong current most times it is like riding an escalator in the airport.
You are just drifting.

... cut ...

I will post a video shortly to show a drift dive in Cozumel.

Thank you for the reply Dennis, and for posting the video which gave me a better idea of what to expect drift diving in Cozumel, especially the safety stop (which I erroneously referred to a 'surface interval' in my post).

It was interesting to see a diver still with a functional Orca Phoenix dive computer, I had one 25 years ago.

 

[Drip Dry]

... cut ...
We have never drifted so far apart on any Coz dive that we could not regroup, but I prefer to be prepared, just in case. ... cut ...

Thank you for the reply gypsyjim, especially for mentioning that dive groups drifting apart is not a major concern.

Hope your foot continues to mend and you're able to join the Invasion.