Ambient Diver Cozumel welcomes Martin

[Carlos Danger]

There is another new company - Gato's Reef - it's Chino, Gato and Jorgito - they have a really nice boat in the north marina and they do northern diving. Chino and Gato know that shoreline area probably better than anyone - there's a small island in the lagoons with a Mayan house on it, there's a pearl farm, the light house etc..... If you've been here a bunch and want to spend a day or two seeing something different - they'll show you something different! Message me and I'll get you Jorgito's number.....

I was aware Gato and Chino were working on their boat together, but didn't know the name of their new operation or that Jorgito was with them now - that's awesome!!!

My friend Mark shot this drone footage of the little Mayan ruin in the northern lagoon during an SI when we were diving the shark caves and other northern sites. Nice that you can see the submerged causeway leading to the site, which is almost impossible to spot when you're walking through the lagoon.

 

[Redfoot]

I know you know the federal marine park, the braclets you get - the southern park is the area everyone dives in 99% of the time. There is a northern park also, past Barracuda around the northern edge of the island - there are dive sites up there as well. Just more paperwork to be entirely legal.

The green slashed area is the southern, the blue slashed area is the northern.

View attachment 745221

This is very interesting- we dove Barracuda last time I was down, and I noticed a TON of fishing line and hooks on the top of the reef. Is Barracuda technically in the marine park? I seem to remember one DM saying it was 1/2 out and 1/2 in the park. Of all the sites, I will say Barracuda was a little underwhelming, but the ripping current made for a fun ride.

 

[ChuckP]

This is very interesting- we dove Barracuda last time I was down, and I noticed a TON of fishing line and hooks on the top of the reef. Is Barracuda technically in the marine park? I seem to remember one DM saying it was 1/2 out and 1/2 in the park. Of all the sites, I will say Barracuda was a little underwhelming, but the ripping current made for a fun ride.

Baracudda is half and half park wise really. There is a tremendous amount of debris on the bottom from Punta Maya going North - farther North you get it seems to get worse.

I'm not downtown in the morning as much anymore but it seems that there are fewer fishermen but I might be wrong - we see the odd boat everytime we dive North but it will be only one or two maybe.

 

[lairdb]

@ChuckP, planning a first-time-in-Cozumel January trip, and a few questions:
- Looks like no head on board?
- How do you handle boats with some experienced and some inexperienced or even DSD?
- Do you have rental wetsuits?

 

[ChuckP]

@ChuckP, planning a first-time-in-Cozumel January trip, and a few questions:
- Looks like no head on board?
- How do you handle boats with some experienced and some inexperienced or even DSD?
- Do you have rental wetsuits?

You are correct - no head on board, you pretty much need a much larger boat for that. We do tend to surface interval at Playa Palancar or Paradise that have bathroom facilities

There is plenty of places that we can do DSD's close to shore and drop divers on the reef - it's done a lot. One tank shore DSD's are available also, done from the Tiki bar. You talk with a client, if there's worries or concerns, then let's try a shore dive first - safety is priority.

Rental wetsuits, yes we have or purchase as needed - we have a local (playa) supplier for virtually everything so we don't worry about shipping

 

[lairdb]

You are correct - no head on board, you pretty much need a much larger boat for that. We do tend to surface interval at Playa Palancar or Paradise that have bathroom facilities

There is plenty of places that we can do DSD's close to shore and drop divers on the reef - it's done a lot. One tank shore DSD's are available also, done from the Tiki bar. You talk with a client, if there's worries or concerns, then let's try a shore dive first - safety is priority.

Rental wetsuits, yes we have or purchase as needed - we have a local (playa) supplier for virtually everything so we don't worry about shipping

Thanks (we're both 300-dive-ish, but have been trapped with DSD's (20 feet, 20 minutes) once or twice.

 

[ggunn]

Thanks (we're both 300-dive-ish, but have been trapped with DSD's (20 feet, 20 minutes) once or twice.

What's a DSD?

 

[Marie13]

What's a DSD?

Discover Scuba Dive aka try dive

 

[ChuckP]

Thanks (we're both 300-dive-ish, but have been trapped with DSD's (20 feet, 20 minutes) once or twice.

I am with you 100% on that - I am a diver just like anyone else here. I hope that no one ever has that thought that they were trapped into a dive with anything I am ever involved in..... I have way more respect for others than that!!!! We're going to go dive and have fun, nothing less than that>

 

[ggunn]

Thanks (we're both 300-dive-ish, but have been trapped with DSD's (20 feet, 20 minutes) once or twice.

If the DSD group didn't have their own DM and it forced me to dive their profile, that would pretty much end my diving with the op that made that happen.