Comments About Cozumel?

[redacted]

I heard they did short surface intervals, but WOW, that is really short at 19 minutes. Is it safe for me to assume that you did a true multi-level profile for the first dive at least? I personally wouldn't feel comfortable getting back in the water that quick, let alone pushing my divers back into the water that quick...

I guess the important thing now is that you are safe and you had a good time

As you well know, the big boats out of the central hotels don't usually hit the more southern shallow reefs for a 2nd dive. So the short SI allowed them to do that. I use an Oceanic data + and pay more attention to the graphics than the NDL numbers until I get in the yellow. First dive was multilevel as most are and a good bit shorter than usual. I do recall picking up less than the normal 1st wall dive ticks. Don't have my log book here but something on the order of 8 or 9 green ticks (out of 12) rather than the usual 10 or 11. I did check the NDL at 30 ft on the way up and it showed well over an hour and the dive planner prior to going in for the 2nd dive showed lots of time a 30 ft. I do record the nitrogen loading from each dive so I'll take a look tonight. As I recall, the total loading for that day was not as high as more typical days of 80 ft for 50 minutes (multilevel), 1 hr SI, and 60 feet for 50 minutes. That often gets me to the rest stop with 1 tick into the yellow (out of 3) which will usually drop to 11 or 12 ticks into the green at the end of the RS.

 

[originaljonathan]

smallboat, experienced divers' packages, Dive Paradise sucks. I have dived with them on several occasions when my duty was to put together cheap dive trips for my dive club and once on my own, and you can expect rigid bottom time restrictions, crowded boats, inadequate surface intervals and limited dive site choices. If you do not pay to switch to their premium, small boat deal, you will get "lowest common denominator" diving with your diving experience dumbed down to the skill level of the least experienced divers on the boat. The small boat deals are better, but not exceptional. Dive Paradise has the cheapest dive packages on the island, and they make sure you get no more than you pay for.

Hotel Cozumel is a nice facility. I have stayed there under three of its 6 or 8 names (Fiesta Inn, Costa Club and Brisas). The food has always sucked, except the breakfast buffet, which was pretty good but way overpriced if you didn't get it in a package. There are so many splendid restaurants, including some real bargains, in Cozumel that going AI in a hotel that close to town borders on idiotic.

Of course, there isn't much sense in asking for reviews and recommendations after you've already booked the package, is there? But whatever. Nice hotel, mediocre food and, unless you pony up some more bucks, mediocre diving.

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[Christi]

In no way was I intending to question your personal diving ability, computer use or responsibility in general, I was just very shocked to hear that the surface interval was in fact that short, regardless of the profiles. It was a simple observation and not intended to be a slam or anything more towards anyone. Sorry if I came across the wrong way.

Have a great day!

 

[redacted]

In no way was I intending to question your personal diving ability, computer use or responsibility in general, I was just very shocked to hear that the surface interval was in fact that short, regardless of the profiles. It was a simple observation and not intended to be a slam or anything more towards anyone. Sorry if I came across the wrong way.

Have a great day!

I didn't take it as anything other than your surprise at the short SI. I got to admit, when the divemaster briefed us on what he had planned, it took me back a bit. And, unless all the grey cells are just getting too old, it's probably the briefing that I recalled the 10 minute SI from. But I did realize from watching the computer that even when an 80 ft dive took me close to the caution zone, the ascent would bring rapidly increasing NDLs. So I knew that NDL was not going to be a problem any more than some of the longer dives folks report with LU where most of the dive is on one of the shallower reefs.

So I guess I decided that this was a very workable plan. I may play around with this profile on tables a bit (so we all have a common baseline) and see what Dr. DECO has to say about the short SI involved.