Aldora Divers trip report

[pilot fish]

I just like reading a trip report that tells the truth and does not try to conform to Dive magazine hyperboles, or sound like everyone else's glowing reports, which yours did not.

Why not dive air first dive and nitrox second?

Oh, we didn't think they were boring! The structure is beautiful, and we wound our way in and out of the reef as we dove. Peter has some very dramatic pictures of divers coming through the "canyons". The deeper reefs had a lot of color, too. We had a lot of fun with the swim-throughs, as well, playing "cave diver". (We were diving 32%, which gave us a hard deck of around 111 feet, which is below my personal hard deck for narcosis issues anyway, so that let out the Devil's Throat dive.)

It's like diving DIR or not . . . Different diving appeals to different people. I liked the quiet water and extensive soft life (gorgonians, sea fans, soft coral and sponges) of the BVI, and I liked the grey, mucky bottoms of Lembeh with all the weird and amazing creatures we saw there. But I realized yesterday, with my first dives back in our cold water, that what I like most about diving is the ability to putter about, not covering a lot of ground, but spending a lot of time looking at a small area to find the tiny things that you miss if you're moving fast. That's just me.

 

[TSandM]

Why not dive air first dive and nitrox second?

Since I limit myself to depths of 100 feet or less because of narcosis, I can dive Nitrox all the time, for whatever possible decrease in DCS risk it gives me. I'm not a spring chicken, and I'd just as soon indulge in whatever I can to make this sport safer.

 

[pilot fish]

I'm no Spring rooster either When I know I'm going deep on first dive I do air and use nitrox for second and third dives. On 32% nitrox I limit myself to a 100 ft too.

Since I limit myself to depths of 100 feet or less because of narcosis, I can dive Nitrox all the time, for whatever possible decrease in DCS risk it gives me. I'm not a spring chicken, and I'd just as soon indulge in whatever I can to make this sport safer.

 

[djanni]

I just like reading a trip report that tells the truth and does not try to conform to Dive magazine hyperboles, or sound like everyone else's glowing reports, which yours did not.

I think "Too Much Truth" is "Uncouth." That's how I felt about it.

Even though saying "I'd have to say I doubt I'll ever do another week on Cozumel" was probably truthful, did it really need to be said? All in all it was a bit pretentious and/or egotistic in my opinion.

I've dived places that I'm not too excited about going back to and places I think are better. When Bob posted his "pic's from Coz" thread he didn't say a word about the diving. Go read how I replied to him.

Maybe I was a little uncouth myself by saying what I considered to be the truth.

 

[TSandM]

Don Janni, I'm sorry you were offended. The statement that appears to have annoyed you was a JEST, as evidenced by the big grin following it, and referred to my having fallen in love with diving in the caves. And I fail to see how it would be either egotistical or pretentious, even had it been serious. It would just have been my opinion, which is all anybody gets from trip reports.

 

[djanni]

Don Janni, I'm sorry you were offended. The statement that appears to have annoyed you was a JEST, as evidenced by the big grin following it, and referred to my having fallen in love with diving in the caves. And I fail to see how it would be either egotistical or pretentious, even had it been serious. It would just have been my opinion, which is all anybody gets from trip reports.

Your "big grin" followed "headed underground" not "I doubt I'll ever do another week in Cozumel." In JEST.... linking both sentences together must would mean you were kidding about both?

No need to apologize, I wasn't offened I just thought it was uncalled-for. You're intitled to your opinions and I'll never argue against that. This is our first trip to Coz since Wilma and we're a little anxious about seeing the differences. Your report made us even more anxious.

 

[goatfish]

TSandM,

Thank you for the dive report. I enjoy reading all divers' experiences with a dive destination - great, good, neutral or even not so great. I find these reports a valuable factor and very helpful in planning/picking a trip.
I have written a few dive reports too, and hope people read them for what they are worth, and move on if it is not to their liking. Freewill and clicking the mouse is shared by all.
Cozumel is high on my list of destinations : )
GF

 

[Divedoggie]

I've been reading and posting Coz reports for a few years now, and I must say, I've never seen a thread quite like this!
There were some post-Wilma threads that were quite heated, but in most cases, rightfully so!

I am a HUGE Coz fan, but overall TS and M, I really liked your report. Bob's slide show was fantastic!
With a comparatively large annual dive budget and so many places in the world to dive, with probably limited time to travel, its easy to see why you may not go back to Coz. I interpreted your post as pretty dern positive. I chuckled at the thought of diving until you were "cold or bored," vs something a little more Borg - like! It sounded fun and relaxing.

For me, Coz is 3 1/2 hours away. I can dive the afternoon of my arrival, and get more dives in per day than I can handle. My week there with diving, lodging, food, and including airfare is usually less than $1500.
Familiarity and friendships with locals like Christi are invaluable to the experience.

If my budget and the aformentioned factors weren't as important to me, I would probably not go back to Coz as often as I do, simply because I would try other places.

So, I guess I am saying thanks for a good report!

 

[KMD]

Oh goody do I get to wade into this thread?

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Coz. The current diving was a lot of fun and definitely something I really haven't gotten a chance to do much of, but it was the people that I dove with that made things so enjoyable. The dive op was first class as well so there were very little worries in that regard.

Unfortunately, it is very clear that Wilma did a massive amount of damage to the reef structure. While there is clear evidence that the reef system is coming back, there are areas where almost all life has been choked off because of the shifted sand. Some shallower sites have been obliterated. The mid water reef system looked very pretty with its dusting of white sand on top. Almost like swimming through a winter landscape. The deep sites seemed to be untouched and very beautiful. Less life but more structure which appealed to me.

Sometimes it is nice not having to follow a divemaster. Just you and your buddy kibbitzing around looking whats over that next structure.

So I have dove at Belize, Roatan, Caymen & Cozumel in the Caribbean. If I had to rank where I would go back to first, it would be:

Caymen
Roatan
Cozumel
Belize

Of course, my next trip will be down to Playa del Carmen to do caves.

Pilotfish - In regards to diving air... we just don't. Its a diving choice. If that eliminates some diving opportunities, then so be it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Don Janni, I'm sorry you were offended.

I'm not ... some people live to be offended. I don't think anything either of us said warranted being called pretentious and egotistical. Some folks just like to stir up crap. Frankly, Don ... :mooner:

If other folks want to consider Coz the "Everest" of the Caribbean, that's their right. It's mine to feel differently ... WITHOUT being called names because of it. But I guess ya shouldn't expect reasonable responses from unreasonable people.

When Bob posted his "pic's from Coz" thread he didn't say a word about the diving. Go read how I replied to him.

Yeah ... I was wondering about that. Do you consider it a contest or something?

If my budget and the aformentioned factors weren't as important to me, I would probably not go back to Coz as often as I do, simply because I would try other places.

That's pretty much what it boils down to ... I'm lucky enough to have a job that allows me a fair amount of discretionary spending. Unfortunately, the other edge of that sword is that I only get about 3 weeks a year to enjoy it. There's an awful lot of the world I haven't seen yet. Coz was nice. I wouldn't rate it as high as Bonaire, and it doesn't offer either the freedom or the inverterbrate life of Roatan. Haven't been to Cayman yet ... that may be my next Caribbean trip.

I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Coz. The current diving was a lot of fun and definitely something I really haven't gotten a chance to do much of, but it was the people that I dove with that made things so enjoyable. The dive op was first class as well so there were very little worries in that regard.

Unfortunately, it is very clear that Wilma did a massive amount of damage to the reef structure. While there is clear evidence that the reef system is coming back, there are areas where almost all life has been choked off because of the shifted sand. Some shallower sites have been obliterated. The mid water reef system looked very pretty with its dusting of white sand on top. Almost like swimming through a winter landscape. The deep sites seemed to be untouched and very beautiful. Less life but more structure which appealed to me.

Sometimes it is nice not having to follow a divemaster. Just you and your buddy kibbitzing around looking whats over that next structure.

So I have dove at Belize, Roatan, Caymen & Cozumel in the Caribbean. If I had to rank where I would go back to first, it would be:

Caymen
Roatan
Cozumel
Belize

Of course, my next trip will be down to Playa del Carmen to do caves.

Pilotfish - In regards to diving air... we just don't. Its a diving choice. If that eliminates some diving opportunities, then so be it.

Yeah ... all of that ... except in my case I'd substitute Bonaire for Cayman (mostly because I haven't been to Cayman yet) ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)