Canadian woman presumed dead - Roatan, Honduras

[archer1960]

Bravo. Many people read SB to assuage their dread of some particular (supposedly) challenging dive site. All dive sites have their potential for a new set of challenges. In the case of Mary's Place, there's nothing that the majority of divers on their first after-cert dives would find very difficult.

The mystical "Advanced Dive", what is it?

Advanced dives are ones that present a new environment or challenge. Such simple elements can multiply geometrically when they are lumped one-on-top of the next (psychological task loading). One challenge, not so much, multiples can amount to a sum greater than the parts.

...

That place sounds like it has a lot in common with The Devil's Throat in Cozumel.

 

[scubadada]

That place sounds like it has a lot in common with The Devil's Throat in Cozumel.

I don't get that

 

[tridacna]

That place sounds like it has a lot in common with The Devil's Throat in Cozumel.

Not even close. I've done both many times. Nothing in common.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I "get that." Mary's Place, like Devil's Throat, is one of those dives that has gained notoriety by having been labeled (rightly or wrongly) "advanced." Dive ops don't take "just anyone" there--if they take you there, you feel like you have been vetted as a good diver. Once you've been there, you're in the club. I remember before my first trip to Roatan someone advising me "Roatan, oh you've GOT to dive Mary's Place."

 

[archer1960]

Not even close. I've done both many times. Nothing in common.

I haven't done Mary's place, but that description of an entrance ~70-80', cave/cavern/swim through, easy to take wrong turns, and exiting on the blue side sound pretty familiar.

 

[Doc]

I haven't done Mary's place, but that description of an entrance ~70-80', cave/cavern/swim through, easy to take wrong turns, and exiting on the blue side sound pretty familiar.

That's the proof right there.

It's all about "the legend", the "from what I've heard", and the absolute misinformation.

No, Mary's Place features NO cave or cavern environment.

But that does make it rather enticing, no?

 

[archer1960]

That's the proof right there.

It's all about "the legend", the "from what I've heard", and the absolute misinformation.

No, Mary's Place features NO cave or cavern environment.

But that does make it rather enticing, no?

Actually, I had never heard of it before this thread; I was just going by the description posted a few posts above, which made me think of the Throat, which I HAVE done.

 

[redacted]

Mary's place is a true OW dive. There is no overhead, always direct access to the surface.

 

[FinnMom]

Jumping in the water with my tank valve shut is one of my worst fears. I check my bcd inflation, regs, and spg multiple times before jumping in.

Checking is good, but you can also practise opening your own tank valve. It took maybe 2 yrs before it ever even crossed my mind to try, but it's actually not hard at all. Just shrug the valve as high upand to one side on your back as possible, then reach back. I bet that at the very least you can do it after a little practise.

 

[mmmbelows]

I "get that." Mary's Place, like Devil's Throat, is one of those dives that has gained notoriety by having been labeled (rightly or wrongly) "advanced." Dive ops don't take "just anyone" there--if they take you there, you feel like you have been vetted as a good diver. Once you've been there, you're in the club. I remember before my first trip to Roatan someone advising me "Roatan, oh you've GOT to dive Mary's Place."

Devil's throat is definitely an advanced dive in every way. It's easy to even categorize it as unsafe dived with aluminum 80s, with a very thin safety margin. Mary's Place has nothing in common in regard to 'advanced' other than it exceeds 60 feet depth. There is no current, it's not pushing recreational dive depths like Devil's throat, and most importantly there is no overhead environment. The only thing they have in common is the fame factor, but even with that, most divers dive devil's throat and once is enough, Mary's Place I'd dive over and over again.