Aldora and 3 P's Reviews

[uncfnp]

Uncfnp, since you got a chance to dive the ops back to back, you might be in a unique position to answer. Did they structure the dives on the sites the same way? I'm generally not air limited when diving off a rec dive boat; just good genes I guess . In Coz, even on nitrox, on many days my computer (not particularly conservative) is "talking to me" by the end of the second dive. I'm not a "go deeper" cowboy, but if I'm diving a reef, I'm down on the reef. I generally get 60 - 70 min. dives with my op of choice. After checking my log, many of my dives have avg. depths of 55'+ which is a bit deeper than you mentioned (maybe yours was an average of averages). I like the idea of longer dives. I'm wondering how others are getting 80 and 90 min. dives on what I assume are the same sites without hanging shallow or somehow structuring the dives toward the shallow end. In my experience, with Coz guide rules & drift diving, the DM/guide has a bit more of an impact than in other locales where you can do more of your "own thing" if you choose. Did it "feel" different? Maybe my guys have been taking me deeper to shorten the dives... (j/k about this) Any of you other guys & gals that have used both "standard" and "big tank" ops in Coz?

Good point and question. As many may know from the dive computer threads I dive a very conservative computer algorithm so with those long dives I often found myself having to ascend to a shallower depth somewhat earlier then others to keep it happy. After the two deepish dives on the second day I asked if I could shoot a bag and ascend earlier then the group so others were not limited by my personal issues. I was told this was not an option so to keep diving I compensated with longer shallow diving at the end of the dives. But some of my dives with Aldora also had air users on board and since it was ascend together those dives also had a fairly long portion of shallow diving. I dive a Shearwater so I have the graphics for all my dives if you like.

But yes, I would say they are structured the same with the initial dive deeper then a shift to shallower section to end. With Aldora the "deep" would be 20 to 35 minutes then a middle section for 25 minutes, then "shallow" until time for the safety stop of 5 minutes. With the second "shallower" dive there was less variation with the majority of the dive at a fairly consistent deep but still ending with a fairly long shallower section followed by the 5 minute stop. This was pretty much the same with Tres Pelicanos except the initial "deep" section was shorter.

I found my conservative settings on my computer was much happier with the Tres Pelicanos dives, even 4 dive days, then the Aldora profile. On no days did I exceed ndl's with Tres and in fact rarely got close.

 

[uncfnp]

3P is in the process of setting up their own compressor for both air and nitrox fills.

Yes, this was mentioned during our trip and it would rock, both for reliable nitrox fills and for full fills! I understand that they are also looking for a third boat so they can pull the Loan Shark and expand the width to match the Skinny. That would be wonderful but I asked them to please not grow to large and lose the family feel it now has.

 

[uncfnp]

Rich, I think you probably have your answer (more or less) at this point. I will just say this from my own experience and setting aside dive ops for the moment. It is absolutely possible to do 4 dives a day in Coz. I have done it-- however, it is definitely a much longer and more exhausting day by comparison to some places like Bonaire, Grand Cayman, CocoView.. and you will give up some of the other cool stuff that we all go to Coz for in exchange.
Factors for this are the lack of quality shore diving, the subsequent boat travel time to and from dive sites and the fact that the vast majority of people you will read on this forum choose to stay closer to downtown for all of the awesome reasons already well documented- which will thus extend your day and travel time and the fact that most of the "signature" dive sites that Coz is known for and your other dive boat participants are going to want to dive are at the far south of the island (although personally, I have yet to meet a dive site on the island that I don't like). I tend to be a bit more like you, I think-- sort of a dive nazi when on a dive vacation. I want to get in as much diving as possible. One solution I have found for me is to have my dive op drop me at one of the restaurants down south between the AM and PM dives. I can chill, get a nice lunch, go to the bathroom and off gas leisurely while they run back to the marina to grab more tanks and the other afternoon divers. That being said, after 3-4 days of that routine, I and my dive buddies are getting fried and dragging our butts. I have since settled into a new routine. Fly in on a Friday and depart the following Sunday on an afternoon flight. This gives me a solid 7.5 days of diving opportunity. I will do the 4 dives a day routine as outlined above for 4 or 5 of those days and space them out to recover in between and I will throw in 1 or 2 night dives on the 2 dive days, so that they become 3 dive days. Night diving in Coz have always been my very best night dives anywhere. So, a bit long winded-- but bottom line, you can make it happen, but it takes way more out of you physically. Either way, one thing you have certainly learned is that there are a lot of passionate lovers of the island and its diving and food and margaritas and.... So much so, that we will always go back and take what we can get. I will be back down there in about 4 weeks and can't wait-- and then I will go back to Bonaire in August and do a very easy and pain free 4-5 dives a day. Cheers! Oh yeah-- another solution to reduce the fatigue and get in the dives would be to stay at one of the AI's down south, like Iberostar-- however, that is not my cup of tea for a host of reasons.

Good summary and pretty much mirrors our experience.

Like others, when we travel we travel to dive. Cozumel is the exception in that eating is a close second. But as Lorenzoid pointed out, the logistics of more then 2 dives a day repeatedly with Aldora was just to taxing at our age. I found the compromise of the 4 shorter dives with the lunch break at the sountern site just as you describe a pefect solution and with a mix of 2 and 4 dive days we could have our cake and eat it too.

The comparison to Bonaire is a good one and maybe a thread comparing/contrasting the two destinations, since we are fanatics about both, my be my next project. I honestly felt less fatigue with 4 dives in Cozumel compared to 4 shore dives in Bonaire since there was no carrying and loading of gear, no driving, no tricky shore entries, no gear cleaning and if I was tired by the last dives, I just removed the gear in water and let the crew load it!

 

[Trailboss123]

Good summary and pretty much mirrors our experience.

Like others, when we travel we travel to dive. Cozumel is the exception in that eating is a close second. But as Lorenzoid pointed out, the logistics of more then 2 dives a day repeatedly with Aldora was just to taxing at our age. I found the compromise of the 4 shorter dives with the lunch break at the sountern site just as you describe a pefect solution and with a mix of 2 and 4 dive days we could have our cake and eat it too.

The comparison to Bonaire is a good one and maybe a thread comparing/contrasting the two destinations, since we are fanatics about both, my be my next project. I honestly felt less fatigue with 4 dives in Cozumel compared to 4 shore dives in Bonaire since there was no carrying and loading of gear, no driving, no tricky shore entries, no gear cleaning and if I was tired by the last dives, I just removed the gear in water and let the crew load it!

You make a great point regarding the hauling around of your gear and driving while in Bonaire. I have made it a priority when in Bonaire to always stay at a waterfront location with a good house reef and easy entry/exit and that I enjoy diving multiple times to help offset that very thing. It's amazing how many more dives I will end up doing as a result. That dawn dive or night dive is a whole lot more appealing and easy to talk myself into when I can just walk a few feet, strap on a tank and giant stride into the water.

 

[uncfnp]

You make a great point regarding the hauling around of your gear and driving while in Bonaire. I have made it a priority when in Bonaire to always stay at a waterfront location with a good house reef and easy entry/exit and that I enjoy diving multiple times to help offset that very thing. It's amazing how many more dives I will end up doing as a result. That dawn dive or night dive is a whole lot more appealing and easy to talk myself into when I can just walk a few feet, strap on a tank and giant stride into the water.

Point to you. Our first trip to Bonaire had a good house reef and it did make a difference in the ease of the dive count. Since then we have been oceanfront but either a few doors down from entry or not such a good dive site.

 

[blue steal]

3P is in the process of setting up their own compressor for both air and nitrox fills.

Great, but will the price of Nitrox come down?

I found my conservative settings on my computer was much happier with the Tres Pelicanos dives, even 4 dive days, then the Aldora profile. On no days did I exceed ndl's with Tres and in fact rarely got close.

Were you diving on Air, Nitrox, or a combo?

 

[BRT]

Great, but will the price of Nitrox come down?


Were you diving on Air, Nitrox, or a combo?

My bet would be yes!

 

[uncfnp]

Were you diving on Air, Nitrox, or a combo?

All dives were nitrox. With Aldora it was the 32/36 combo. With Tres Pelicanos it was a mix. I asked for 36 both dives, but some days were the 32/36 combo and I think once or twice I had 32 for both dives.

 

[AdivingBel]

I guess this is a place to vent this. I'm glad to see 3P and/or any of the other quality ops, of which there are many (I say quality ops because I think they care enough to be safe), get their own compressors (nitrox). To me it's a plus for Aldora. I'm not terribly comfy with the Meridiano, centrally supplied nitrox. Not so much because of Meridiano as much as the lack of control by the shops. It's probably a 1st world whine, but nitrox is more of a hassle in Coz than some of the other Caribbean destinations. You generally have to remember to ask for it in advance; then the shop has to get the order right; then Meridiano has to deliver the correct number of tanks w/the correct mix; your opportunity to analyze is on the boat with an analyzer that probably lives on the boat (hope the battery is good or there aren't missing parts or you have to bring your own); if the mix isn't right or the analyzer doesn't work you're already on the boat now what; etc. etc. Sometimes I forget to request it or don't even mess with it for two dives a day then my computer REALLY screams at the end of dive two. I write it off as a "you're in Mexico" thing so suck it up and think of all the good inexpensive food, but that's probably not fair. The situation has improved as more divers request nitrox. At least the analyzers seem to be better maintained on my last couple of visits. Just sayin' glad to see it happening. All IMHO. YMMV.

 

[BRT]

I guess this is a place to vent this. I'm glad to see 3P and/or any of the other quality ops, of which there are many (I say quality ops because I think they care enough to be safe), get their own compressors (nitrox). To me it's a plus for Aldora. I'm not terribly comfy with the Meridiano, centrally supplied nitrox. Not so much because of Meridiano as much as the lack of control by the shops. It's probably a 1st world whine, but nitrox is more of a hassle in Coz than some of the other Caribbean destinations. You generally have to remember to ask for it in advance; then the shop has to get the order right; then Meridiano has to deliver the correct number of tanks w/the correct mix; your opportunity to analyze is on the boat with an analyzer that probably lives on the boat (hope the battery is good or there aren't missing parts or have to bring your own); if the mix isn't right or the analyzer doesn't work you're already on the boat now what; etc. etc. Sometimes I don't even mess with it for two dives a day then my computer REALLY screams at the end of dive two. I write it off as a "you're in Mexico" thing so suck it up and think of all the good inexpensive food, but that's probably not fair. The situation has improved as more divers request nitrox. At least the analyzers seem to be better maintained on my last couple of visits. Just sayin' glad to see it happening. All IMHO. YMMV.

I always bring my own analyzer to Mexico but never carry it on 3P's boats because they always have one and it works. I'm glad to see Steve get his own compressor system but Meridiano's tanks have always been very close to what was marked on the tag.