marpacifica
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I've never been diving in Cozumel, but my impression is that there are quite a few diving accidents down there. Where do I get this impression?
One of my former coworkers was paralyzed from the waist down after getting bent in Cozumel. He never talked about the circumstances, but his former girlfriend told me it was from getting bent. I don't know details other than that, and it seemed in bad taste for me to ask more from either of them about the incident without them volunteering more info.
I also have a friend who went diving in Cozumel a few years ago with 3 of her girlfriends, who were all just recently certified OW divers. They all got caught in a down current spilling over the reef ledge. Two made it out, including my friend, but the other two were never seen again.
This won't prevent me from diving Cozumel, though. In fact, my friend was told that it would be good for her to go diving immediately after the accident, otherwise she'd probably never go diving again. She did, and still does, and has become a very proficient and safe diver in the process. The photos I've seen and stories read about Cozumel still intrigue me enough that it's on my must-dive list.
From what I understand, the currents at Cozumel may be a bit to handle for a novice diver and that's where problems may start. Add to the mix some late nights out with a few too many margaritas and Coronas, and you add even more risk to the equation.
Or, is it just the popularity of the place -- with so many visitors there, there just seems to be more dive accidents than usual but in proportion to other dive places in the world Cozumel ranks about average for dive safey? Does anyone have statistics on dive accidents and ratio to number of dives?
One of my former coworkers was paralyzed from the waist down after getting bent in Cozumel. He never talked about the circumstances, but his former girlfriend told me it was from getting bent. I don't know details other than that, and it seemed in bad taste for me to ask more from either of them about the incident without them volunteering more info.
I also have a friend who went diving in Cozumel a few years ago with 3 of her girlfriends, who were all just recently certified OW divers. They all got caught in a down current spilling over the reef ledge. Two made it out, including my friend, but the other two were never seen again.
This won't prevent me from diving Cozumel, though. In fact, my friend was told that it would be good for her to go diving immediately after the accident, otherwise she'd probably never go diving again. She did, and still does, and has become a very proficient and safe diver in the process. The photos I've seen and stories read about Cozumel still intrigue me enough that it's on my must-dive list.
From what I understand, the currents at Cozumel may be a bit to handle for a novice diver and that's where problems may start. Add to the mix some late nights out with a few too many margaritas and Coronas, and you add even more risk to the equation.
Or, is it just the popularity of the place -- with so many visitors there, there just seems to be more dive accidents than usual but in proportion to other dive places in the world Cozumel ranks about average for dive safey? Does anyone have statistics on dive accidents and ratio to number of dives?