Coz Drift Diving Question

[bcampy1]

I'll be making my first trip to Coz in late Oct. I've read that Coz is known for it's drift diving, and wanted to understand that a bit better. I've only made a few dives with current, and was wondering how the entry and exit work at most sites in Coz. As for entry, I'm used to dropping down and then waiting at the bottom for all of the group's divers to make it down. Then the group proceeds on the dive. Does the Coz current change this? (e.g. if this model was used, then the first divers down would need to swim against the current until the remainder of the group descended)? At all sites or just some? Is a rope used? Same thought on the exit. I'm used to having a dive finish at some point near the boat, where in the absence of current, every one just swims around in relatively shallow depth until they are ready to go up or run out of air. Once again, does the Coz current change this (e.g., does the current eseentially make everyone go up at the same time)? Thanks for your responses.

 

[DiveExtreme22]

I'll be making my first trip to Coz in late Oct. I've read that Coz is known for it's drift diving, and wanted to understand that a bit better. I've only made a few dives with current, and was wondering how the entry and exit work at most sites in Coz. As for entry, I'm used to dropping down and then waiting at the bottom for all of the group's divers to make it down. Then the group proceeds on the dive. Does the Coz current change this? (e.g. if this model was used, then the first divers down would need to swim against the current until the remainder of the group descended)? At all sites or just some? Is a rope used? Same thought on the exit. I'm used to having a dive finish at some point near the boat, where in the absence of current, every one just swims around in relatively shallow depth until they are ready to go up or run out of air. Once again, does the Coz current change this (e.g., does the current eseentially make everyone go up at the same time)? Thanks for your responses.

the boat drops the group off at the entry point, then follows the groups bubbles and is waiting for the group when they surface...you dont have to surface together, but you do ascend together....but not everyone surface at the same time.

 

[LChan]

The lead DM will organize the groups (max = 8) on the boat. The group including DM will get in the water. Once the whole group is in the water, the DM will signal to submerge. The whole group meets up at the bottom and follows the DM with the dive.

Depending on the DM, when you run low on air (700 psi), you and your buddy can ascend together after notifying the DM, or the whole group will ascend together.

the dive boats will follow the bubbles as well as they now the course you are diving so they will be close by. the DM raised flags during the safety stop to notify the boats where we were and that we were coming up. They are constantly on the lookout if you pop up unexpectedly.

 

[HammerNoMore]

I'm used to dropping down and then waiting at the bottom for all of the group's divers to make it down. Then the group proceeds on the dive. Does the Coz current change this? (e.g. if this model was used, then the first divers down would need to swim against the current until the remainder of the group descended)?

You will wait on the surface until all divers are in and ready then descend as a group. The boat is drifting along with you so it's not difficult to stay together. However, they do try to get all the divers in the water quickly so make sure you're ready to go.

At all sites or just some?

Above is a pretty typical entry for all boat dives.

Is a rope used?

Nope.

Same thought on the exit. I'm used to having a dive finish at some point near the boat, where in the absence of current, every one just swims around in relatively shallow depth until they are ready to go up or run out of air. Once again, does the Coz current change this (e.g., does the current eseentially make everyone go up at the same time)? Thanks for your responses.

The DM's typically send people up in buddy teams based on air consumption. This is a matter of opinion but a good op will split & reform up buddy teams for surfacing if there is enough of a difference in air consumption. I've never had them try to split my wife and I as we are similar on air, but I have had this happen when I was down alone and randomly paired and I appreciated greatly. If you want to stick with your buddy there will be no problem if you indicate you want to surface togehter.

The boat will be following the bubbles and will come to you when you surface. Make sure you get a look at the boat from the water before you descend so you know which one is yours as there will usually be several boats picking up divers. If the boat is picking up another group it may be a few minutes. Just wait, don't try to swim to the boat, it will come to you.

I've never needed one in Coz but you should always carry a safety sausage and whistle, just in case. Next stop is Cuba...

If you do the wreck the group will stay together and ascend on the marker buoy line. Currents generally run south to north, and vary day to day in intensity. I've been to Yukab one day with a current slow enough you don't finish it, and a couple of days later fly by both Yukab and Tormentos, surfacing only because we ran out of reef. The wreck sits in a depression and the current can change direction there, sometimes during the dive...

James

 

[HammerNoMore]

The lead DM will organize the groups (max = 8) on the boat. The group including DM will get in the water. Once the whole group is in the water, the DM will signal to submerge. The whole group meets up at the bottom and follows the DM with the dive.

Depending on the DM, when you run low on air (700 psi), you and your buddy can ascend together after notifying the DM, or the whole group will ascend together.

the dive boats will follow the bubbles as well as they now the course you are diving so they will be close by. the DM raised flags during the safety stop to notify the boats where we were and that we were coming up. They are constantly on the lookout if you pop up unexpectedly.

Hmm, let me guess....sand dollar sports, or maybe scuba club cozumel?

 

[ggunn]

I'll be making my first trip to Coz in late Oct. I've read that Coz is known for it's drift diving, and wanted to understand that a bit better.

You've gotten a lot of response, and all of it is to my knowledge correct. The variation on some details reflects the variation between the way some ops do things. Virtually all the diving you will do at Cozumel will be drift diving.

On the entry, most ops will put your group in the water upcurrent a ways from the reef you are diving. That way, you can meet up on the bottom at the beginning of the dive even though you are all drifting, and no one has to kick against the current. It's a moving frame of reference.

The current is in most cases not at all a problem; there are a few techniques to deal with it, like ducking into calm water behind ridges or coral formations to slow down or stop (don't grab anything), but most folks pick up on this stuff pretty quickly. The upshot is that drift diving is very relaxing and good for your air consumption if you don't fight it. Kick to manuever but otherwise relax and go with the flow.

At the end of the dive, when you are ready to surface, first take a good 360 degree look and listen around you; sometimes there will be several boats picking up different groups, and you don't want to come up under one of them. The water is so clear, though, that you won't have a prob spotting any boats that are nearby.

You're gonna love it!

 

[Jerryg]

Yep to what everybody said. The only thing I've ever noticed, that I don't like, is that they don't have a drag line out the back of the boat. When people are getting back onto the boat, ie removing and handing up equipment, the boat is drifting away from you so you constantly are playing catchup. The problem appears to be that the wind blowing on the canopies is blowing the boat away faster than the current will move the divers in the water. Good luck and enjoy Coz is beautiful

 

[DustyDiver]

We were in Coz two years ago and went with Pappa Hogs because we had heard some good things about the operator. Turned out to be the worst dive I'd ever been on. They had one large dive boat that included a platform and dive ladder. The day we went, they sent a group of snorkelers out on it and put the eight divers on a small boat that was definitely not set up for diving. Two people ended up getting pretty bruised trying to get out of the boat and into the water. The exit was worse. The low point was when the driver hit me in the head with the boat as he was trying to position it. (I ended up with nothing more than a scrape, but it wasn't pleasant.) We had planned a two tank dive, but four of us had enough after the first dive. The really scary part of the dive was that instead of leaving us in the boat while the rest of the group took the second dive, the operator dropped them in the water with a DM and then headed back to shore with us (about 15 minutes away from the dive site). A really, really, really bad idea. As far as I know, nothing happened -- but it could have. The dives are great in Coz, just make sure you have the right operator.

 

[alcina]

Blue Angel was really good about making sure everyone was ready at the same time and we had pretty fast entries for a group...I was impressed.

Once on the surface the boat comes to you. We did not need to swim to the boat. Stay very close to your buddy or group on the surface so the skipper can easily position the vessel, then when you get the OK move to the boat (usually a fin stroke or two) & hand up your belt, gear & fins. They are fast getting everyone's gear up (and changed over) so we never had a problem drifing away...I'm sure if some one did drift too far to comfortable kick back the skipper would simply reposition the boat.

It's easy easy entry & exit - have a great time and enjoy the ride!

 

[EricJ]

I think you'll find that wherever and whenever you ascend, there will be at least a couple of dive boats near by. They told us to know your boat's name and the name of the dive company, and I think that's wise advice. We had someone in our group accidently join up with a group of divers from a different boat.

Taking pictures is difficult because you're usually moving with the current. On my first trip I burned my air pretty quickly trying to get in position to snap a picture.