Back from Cozumel (Cavern / Intro Cave)

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hydro12

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
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Location
Longview, TX
# of dives
100 - 199
So the wife and I just returned from a week in Cozumel (March 12 - 19) with German Yanez (from www.yucatech.net).

Absolutely amazing in every way. The wife did Cavern with me, and I went on to do Intro Cave as well as Adv. Nitrox / Deco procedures. It was a fantastic learning experience, and German has an impressive resume - made me feel very privileged to dive with him.

Just a few pics are available: http://picasaweb.google.com/mdavis332/CozumelMarch12192007?authkey=uyBo4jReXpE

No underwater pics, as we were very focused on training and didn't have a lot of extra time to "sight see" underwater.

Looking forward to meeting some local cave divers and getting a lot more experience.
 
Congrats. Amazing huh? Did your wife enjoy her cavern class?

Never done the caves on the island, only the mainland. May be doing Cozumel with fixxer this year and the women, have to try the island caves. What are they like (depth, haloclines, viz, cave pretties (aka speleothems), etc)?

Btw, how many times did you kill your team?
 
Congrats. Amazing huh? Never done the caves on the island, only the mainland. May be doing Cozumel with fixxer this year and the women, have to try the island caves. What are they like?

Well, I'll be honest, it was really different than what I expected. I saw many pictures of the caves (Dos Ojos, Sac Aktun), etc. on the mainland of Yucatan and it gave me a mental picture (speleotherms throughout, stalactites, stalagmites, etc.) that was quite different from the caves in Cozumel - at least the few that I saw.

We dived Aerolito first for Cavern, which was a really neat area. There's a pond about 20 ft by 30 ft that's all of about 3 feet deep, and didn't look like it could possibly have a cavern/cave connected to it. It's a coastal cave whose level changes with the tide. The water is Brackish, and halocline was at about 10-12 ft. It was very different from what I am used to (fresh water Texas lakes w/ 3 ft viz). We did get to see some VERY cool stuff there. There's a sea urchin we saw inside a few times that is a newly discovered species (German discovered it, I believe) that is endemic only to that particular cave in the world. We saw millipede-looking worms with hot-pink/orange lines that run around their body (called fire worms) in the cave floor, as well as some much smaller worms with zebra-looking stripes. Deepest I found in this cave was about 37 ft (below the stop sign in the cave). Viz was about 35 ft. During intro to cave we came back, I ended up penetrating about 600 ft into Aerolito. (Btw, watch out for the crocodiles here :wink:)

Chankanaab 1 is the hole in the pictures from that link I posted. It's about 500 ft back off the road into a jungle, and a helluva trek wearing full kit (definitely not a straight path). The viz here was about 40 ft. Very neat, brackish water also, and just different. What I definitely learned is that each cave has its own personality and properties to respect.

Chankanaab 2 is the cave on the opposite side of the road from C1 (also about 500 ft off the road). The water is MUCH darker up top - all tanic water till about 10 ft down. There's no cavern zone here at all b/c sunlight can't penetrate the junk in the water. You actually follow the permanent guideline from a branch protruding from the water at the surface into the cave, as the viz is so bad, you might otherwise not find your way into and out of, the cave. Down below the tanic water, the viz was also about 40 ft.

All the caves were about 77-78F when I was there.

Btw, how many times did you kill your team?

Heh, wow, were you watching me? That question actually makes me feel better - makes me feel like I'm not the only one. I killed my wife and I in the cavern zone once in a eyes closed, no viz line exit drill by taking a T and heading deeper into C1 (T was in cavern zone, which is the only reason he allowed us to dive there since T's are restricted in intro cave - and we didn't actually originally take the turn at the T going in, just kept going straight on the guideline). I got a very stern talking to when we got to the surface, and felt like I had committed some unforgivable sin. Man was I pissed at myself.
 
hydro12:
Well, I'll be honest, it was really different than what I expected. I saw many pictures of the caves (Dos Ojos, Sac Aktun), etc. on the mainland of Yucatan and it gave me a mental picture (speleotherms throughout, stalactites, stalagmites, etc.) that was quite different from the caves in Cozumel - at least the few that I saw.

We dived Aerolito first for Cavern, which was a really neat area. There's a pond about 20 ft by 30 ft that's all of about 3 feet deep, and didn't look like it could possibly have a cavern/cave connected to it. It's a coastal cave whose level changes with the tide. The water is Brackish, and halocline was at about 10-12 ft. It was very different from what I am used to (fresh water Texas lakes w/ 3 ft viz). We did get to see some VERY cool stuff there. There's a sea urchin we saw inside a few times that is a newly discovered species (German discovered it, I believe) that is endemic only to that particular cave in the world. We saw millipede-looking worms with hot-pink/orange lines that run around their body (called fire worms) in the cave floor, as well as some much smaller worms with zebra-looking stripes. Deepest I found in this cave was about 37 ft (below the stop sign in the cave). Viz was about 35 ft. During intro to cave we came back, I ended up penetrating about 600 ft into Aerolito. (Btw, watch out for the crocodiles here :wink:)
Not used to seeing a whole of life in the caves I've been in.. mainly albino crayfish and the occasional catfish. Sounds interesting.

Heh, wow, were you watching me? That question actually makes me feel better - makes me feel like I'm not the only one. I killed my wife and I in the cavern zone once in a eyes closed, no viz line exit drill by taking a T and heading deeper into C1 (T was in cavern zone, which is the only reason he allowed us to dive there since T's are restricted in intro cave - and we didn't actually originally take the turn at the T going in, just kept going straight on the guideline). I got a very stern talking to when we got to the surface, and felt like I had committed some unforgivable sin. Man was I pissed at myself.
Someone always dies in training. I take it you didn't mark the T with a cookie/arrow?

So, when are you planning on making the pilgrimage to Florida? Very different from what you've described.. colder, deeper and often high flow but some caves have incredible 100 - 300' viz (JB and Devils come to mind).
 
Someone always dies in training. I take it you didn't mark the T with a cookie/arrow?

Actually, German marked it with a cookie (didn't want us getting involved with that b/c it's supposed to be outside the jurisidiction of Intro Cave). The problem I had was that the T wasn't a T in the sense that all 3 lines connected together. Rather, there was a large rock - about 2 ft in diameter - where the main guideline was tied, and the turn deeper into the cave was the closest line on the rock tied next to the permanent guideline. The exit side guideline was tied off on the other side of this rock - 2 ft away - and I didn't feel completely around the rock when looking for the T - I only felt those two guidelines so close together. If you ask me, I think they all should be tied closer together to make no viz exiting easier, but then again, I wasn't asked =P


.................................._______
.................................{Big Rock}====>=====Exit side
Main tunnel side =>====| Two ft |
.................................{_______}
..................................\
....................................\
......................................\ Nasty "T" going down a side tunnel


I had gone down about 100 ft on the "nasty T" line before he put an arrow pointing back towards the rock on it and i felt it when i came to it, then opened my eyes and looked at him.

So, when are you planning on making the pilgrimage to Florida? Very different from what you've described.. colder, deeper and often high flow but some caves have incredible 100 - 300' viz (JB and Devils come to mind).

I actually met a fellow down there from Austin who was doing some guided cave dives with Yucatech. He's on DecoStop as dwyatt, I think. He said he tries to make the drive to FL about once a month, so I may try to get in touch with him and we can split gas/drive time. As long as he doesn't mind putting on the training wheels a bit for me (he's full cave), I'd love to get more experience. Apparently I've got 6 months to get cave dives in and get my Full Cave before my nacd and nss certs expire.
 
Hey, CONGRATS on the certs!!!
 
Sounds like it was hard work but fun- good to hear.
Reach for your valves… 8)

Chankanaab- has a direct cave entrance from the ocean however I am not sure if that is open for cave diving. It was shown in the deep sea detective’s episode.

Aerolite does have some interesting formations but they are considerably deeper into the system.

I had a great mess up’s- fouled the reel just inside the cavern at Peacock and then running the line caught the line in my fins straps while descending and trying to wrap the line- looked like a hooked bass. Exiting with the reel at Little River was a lot of fun too.

Again congrats.
Regards, Andrew
 
hydro12:
Actually, German marked it with a cookie (didn't want us getting involved with that b/c it's supposed to be outside the jurisidiction of Intro Cave). The problem I had was that the T wasn't a T in the sense that all 3 lines connected together. Rather, there was a large rock - about 2 ft in diameter - where the main guideline was tied, and the turn deeper into the cave was the closest line on the rock tied next to the permanent guideline. The exit side guideline was tied off on the other side of this rock - 2 ft away - and I didn't feel completely around the rock when looking for the T - I only felt those two guidelines so close together. If you ask me, I think they all should be tied closer together to make no viz exiting easier, but then again, I wasn't asked =P


.................................._______
.................................{Big Rock}====>=====Exit side
Main tunnel side =>====| Two ft |
.................................{_______}
..................................\
....................................\
......................................\ Nasty "T" going down a side tunnel


I had gone down about 100 ft on the "nasty T" line before he put an arrow pointing back towards the rock on it and i felt it when i came to it, then opened my eyes and looked at him.



I actually met a fellow down there from Austin who was doing some guided cave dives with Yucatech. He's on DecoStop as dwyatt, I think. He said he tries to make the drive to FL about once a month, so I may try to get in touch with him and we can split gas/drive time. As long as he doesn't mind putting on the training wheels a bit for me (he's full cave), I'd love to get more experience. Apparently I've got 6 months to get cave dives in and get my Full Cave before my nacd and nss certs expire.
Expire? You were carded NACD Intro and CDS Basic? Unless something recently changed, these certs shouldn't expire. I was diving at the intro level for over a year before I went on. Now perhaps you got a NACD doubles waiver and perhaps that expires but the CDS recently changed their intro/basic cert to allow the use of doubles at the intro level without such a waiver. Didn't think there was a expiration on it. Don't think there would be any reason to rush to go to apprentice and full as long as you are happy with sixths (there's a lot of cave to see on sixths). Might want to double check on Deco Stop but AFAIK the only expiring certification is apprentice.

Andrew, fouled a reel in Peacock huh? Man, really have to have your head up your &ss to do that (I know, I've done it :D) - looking around enjoying the sites (obviously not a training dive) and before I know it the damn thing is fouled. I tried desperately to fix it on the safety stop; didn't want anyone to know I fouled a reel in Peacock of all places. Finally gave up. Once on the surface I tried it again until I heard some people coming then it was a race to cut it free and hide the line before they saw it.

Btw, you're not the guy Bruce always talks about who while bringing out a fouled reel ended up wrapping the line around his hand so many times he couldn't get his hand free and ended up on the safety stop feet in the air and hands tied into the primary tieoff?
 
Btw, will your wife be joining you on a FL trip or was cavern not really her thing?
 

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