Boat dives in Roatan?

[Hawk]

The vast majority of dives I have been on at CoCoView have had a surface interval between 45 min and an hour. The shortest I have ever experienced was 21 minutes. The only reason for the short one was that my buddy at the time and I agreed to that. The occasion was the last dives that we were doing for the week and everyone else on board was cold as it was in Dec. and raining with quite a good wind going. We were doing a long dropoff on the way back planned for a max depth of no more than 25 feet. Most of it was in the 10 - 15 foot range. Everyone else was riding the boat back in.

The unwritten rule there is 60 minutes on any given dive as others may come up earlier and don't want to wait forever. The shortest boat dive I have ever done there was 51 minutes. Most of the time I surface at 60 minutes on the nose with about 1000 - 1200 psi left in the tank.

As was mentioned above, the Divemaster will give a briefing before departure. When you arrive at the dive site the boat will tie off to a buoy and usually the DM will once again go over the meeting place, tell everyone that whenever the first one to reach 1500 psi happens that the dive will turn. You cruise back along the top of the wall (usually the best part of the dive) and end up near the boat with plenty of time and gas to do some exploring for the best stuff that that area has to offer.

At any time you can alter from this procedure. If you want to go deeper, just let him know that you intend to as a precaution. If you want to stay shallow the entire time and explore on your own, have fun. I have done this many times.

Overall this operation is the easiest I have ever seen. No baby sitting if you want to be on your own. I will add that especially when in the shallows you may want to shaddow the Divemaster. They will make you wonder just what kind of super human eyesight they have!

Have fun, no worries about cutting intervals short, diving strange profiles, or any other kind of risk. The guys are there to serve you and show you a good time. They do a damn fine job of it!

Later, Hawk.

 

[robint]

thanks Princess, hubby took me and daughter out to dinner last night.

And thanks everybody! I had read so many threads here and on Cocochat regarding the dropoffs and the front yard, but no one ever really discussed the boat dive procedures! Sounds great!

K8brandt - I wish we could come to some decision about the trip right now and join you. If only it were that simple. But the fact is, my hubby's job determines everything. Currently he is working 60+ hrs a week for salary and that will continue for another month or so as the company is working on the re-compete contract with Gov't. So that all gets submitted in Sept, then work will slow down for him Oct-Dec. The contract gets awarded to a winning company then - so either he stays right where he is at, or he has to shop his resume with the winning company. (honestly, 2 of the competing companies have already told him they will hire him if they win. ) So in Jan he may be unemployed or he will be busy like crazy until Mid-April without any days off again most likely to get that satellite up in the air. And who knows what other contract or satellite might come up in the meantime. It is crazy business and we have a hard time planning anything at all. :11:

We are thinking that we can maybe get the Cocoview trip in Nov, before the doo hits the fan. But .... that is still up in the air. I know it may not be best time of year, but otherwise it may be May. :11: He is also teaching DM class of 5 students right now, meaning he works 10 hours today and goes straight to Dive Shop to teach for 3 more hours. He will crawl in the house tonight around 10pm. We haven't had very much time to discuss the trip at all. I can only push so far.

On the bright side - he does let me plan all trips and go wherever I pick. I have picked Cocoview, he says cool. So we just have to pick a date.

robin

 

[herman]

The only thing I can think to add the all the above is to spend the first few dives following the DM and chatting with them DM during the SI's. Let him/her get a feel for your diving skill, after that if you want to do a different dive tell him and get his buyin. I usually have a camera with me so I tend to disappear from the group once they head off and reappear under the boat as they arrive back. They know that is what I intend to do and know me so they are fine with it.
I am also diving with a Suunto computer, so far it has never gotten upset with my dive profiles or SI's but I am usually diving nitrox and I most often "disappear" to shallower depths than the rest of the group.

 

[k8brandt]

Currently he is working 60+ hrs a week for salary and that will continue for another month or so as the company is working on the re-compete contract with Gov't. So that all gets submitted in Sept, then work will slow down for him Oct-Dec. The contract gets awarded to a winning company then - so either he stays right where he is at, or he has to shop his resume with the winning company.

Gov't contracting? That sounds more like DC than NM. Just let us know when you know, I am sure there will be at least one room left over, or one cancellation.


Wait a sec, I thought you were retired? You, not your sweetie?

 

[robint]

Gov't contracting? That sounds more like DC than NM. Just let us know when you know, I am sure there will be at least one room left over, or one cancellation.


Wait a sec, I thought you were retired? You, not your sweetie?

Hubby is retired AirForce and now works in the same field as he did before, only now he gets paid. He is now working for a company which is under contract to fly multiple satellites (both military and research type) from the center here at Kirtland AFB. As for me, I am just a trophy wife right now. With his insane job responsibilities and long hours, plus having to fly out to Calif or up to CO for meetings, it just seemed better for us right now.