Aldora Divers port closure survey

[cozcharlie]

Off island right now , but it seems there have been some more east wind closures lately. A couple of weeks ago I had 11am dives cancelled when port closed at 10 am. Went to money bar for lunch and water was almost glass until you got a mile off shore.

They do need some more targeted port closures for east winds. Just close Palancar and south and north of town but leave Francesa/Dalilia to Paradise open. Palancar and south is a mess with strong east wind since you are far enough from shore that you don’t get much protection from the island. San Juan up north isn’t that bad but still might want to close since you are too close to open ocean where it would be almost impossible to find a lost diver in 20 knot winds and the resulting waves

Also think there is a “sheriff in town “ aspect to some of the closures as someone alluded to. The day they opened it at 9 and closed it 10 someone from port captain office was at mouth of the marina with a clipboard taking boat names of anyone that dared to go out (evidently people had threatened to ignore the port captain the prior week ).

 

[ggunn]

They do need some more targeted port closures for east winds. Just close Palancar and south and north of town but leave Francesa/Dalilia to Paradise open. Palancar and south is a mess with strong east wind since you are far enough from shore that you don’t get much protection from the island. San Juan up north isn’t that bad but still might want to close since you are too close to open ocean where it would be almost impossible to find a lost diver in 20 knot winds and the resulting waves

I may be wrong but I don't think a partial closure for location is possible. I have only heard "closed" and "closed for vessels less that 40' in length". I have gone diving when there was a strong east wind blowing, though, and the DM's knew that going south of Palancar wasn't safe. One CZM trip that east wind blew like a banshee pretty much the whole two weeks we were there and we never got to Colombia.

 

[hilljo88]

Would be great if there was a “Plan B” when there’s a port closure. An organized effort to develop shore diving or an East coast alternative. I’ve heard all the reasons why this isn’t possible or there’s one shop that will do this on a very limited basis. But I think it’s a great opportunity for a creative, ambitious solution.

 

[gopbroek]

Would be great if there was a “Plan B” when there’s a port closure. An organized effort to develop shore diving or an East coast alternative. I’ve heard all the reasons why this isn’t possible or there’s one shop that will do this on a very limited basis. But I think it’s a great opportunity for a creative, ambitious solution.

As I understand it when the port captain closes the 'port' it is for all waters around Cozumel. It is a federal closure that can be enforced by the navy (sporadically). I agree that a system that allowed restrictions on specific zones would be a much better system.

 

[ggunn]

Would be great if there was a “Plan B” when there’s a port closure. An organized effort to develop shore diving or an East coast alternative. I’ve heard all the reasons why this isn’t possible or there’s one shop that will do this on a very limited basis. But I think it’s a great opportunity for a creative, ambitious solution.

If you have been to the easy coast of Cozumel, you know that there is no infrastructure over there. Supporting any sort of large scale diving over there would be very challenging. Also, with the prevailing east wind conditions are not conducive to diving most of the time.

 

[hilljo88]

If you have been to the easy coast of Cozumel, you know that there is no infrastructure over there.

Exactly. That's what I would like to see improved enough to allow at least some diving when conditions allow. Either I have been very unlucky, or Nortes shut the western coast a very high percentage of days in the winter.

 

[ReefHound]

If you have been to the easy coast of Cozumel, you know that there is no infrastructure over there. Supporting any sort of large scale diving over there would be very challenging. Also, with the prevailing east wind conditions are not conducive to diving most of the time.

Does no one go diving over there because there is no infrastructure or is there no infrastructure because no one goes diving over there?

 

[ggunn]

Exactly. That's what I would like to see improved enough to allow at least some diving when conditions allow. Either I have been very unlucky, or Nortes shut the western coast a very high percentage of days in the winter.

I disagree; I really like the rustic aspect of the east coast, and besides, as I also said, most of the time conditions on the east side are not conducive to diving.