Dangerous Crossing

[DandyDon]

Thanks, Tom. Hope you have a great trip to Coz. Good planning.

Don re your point number 4. I would be ASTONISHED to learn that life vests are anything BUT a required item on any seafaring vessel in Cozumel regardless of its size but maybe Christi or Dave could confirm. I have seen them on any panga I have ever been on in Cozumel. I know exactly where they are to be found on the Jewfish. They are in plain sight in the overhead net. Within easy reach if needed.

Yeah, I guess they are required - just usually stored out of the way so I never noticed, or asked. I wear my own, and I kinda prefer it anyway as I can deflate and inflate as needed. Honduras didn't used to require them and I got onto a boat briefly once that had none.

And maybe some of the Ops are doing safety briefings, but I don't remember seeing one. I pretty much try to look out for myself and hope that if caca does hit fan, the crew will be of some help.

 

[cicopo]

I think I'll make it SOP from here on to inflate my BCD after the tank pressure test. I am air integrated so we normally install my BCD to a tank just after I board to check my tank. From now on I think I'll inflate too. That way I've got step 1 of having a PFD done & just need to get the tank turned on once I've got a grip on it. No way to know if I'll ever need to use it in this way but it's an easy start to better safety.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

This is so crazy. You have a much better chance of being hit by lightning in Southern California than having a boat sink on you while diving the nearby reefs of Cozumel. The whole point of all this is that crossing the channel in an ill prepared boat is a bad idea! It should not take a rocket scientist or even an Advanced Open Water Diver to understand that. That you need multiple back up systems and BC on the ready for most Cozumel reef dives, is in my opinion just plain paranoid. Do ask for a boat that has two engines, and is not overloaded, but relax and enjoy.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[cvchief]

This is so crazy. You have a much better chance of being hit by lightning in Southern California than having a boat sink on you while diving the nearby reefs of Cozumel. The whole point of all this is that crossing the channel in an ill prepared boat is a bad idea! It should not take a rocket scientist or even an Advanced Open Water Diver to understand that. That you need multiple back up systems and BC on the ready for most Cozumel reef dives, is in my opinion just plain paranoid. Do ask for a boat that has two engines, and is not overloaded, but relax and enjoy.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

Crap. Seriously? Now I need a lightning rod for the boat???

 

[Ron Lee]

I read in an earlier post an unconfirmed statement that the boat "sunk" in less than a minute.

In another post on Trip Advisor there was a comment about worry over a gas tank in the water (fear of another boat hitting it).

Did the boat sink as in continue to descend to the ocean bottom in that minute or so or did it stay near the surface for some extended period of time?

Is it normal for gas tanks to be marginally attached or did the event that caused the structural failure also cause the gas tank to come lose?

 

[Magnolia3]

Crap. Seriously? Now I need a lightning rod for the boat???

and a pair of water wings apparently..

 

[fishi]

Mau is still operating. I chatted with him yesterday, and he told me he had a trip going out today. I'm assuming he is renting a boat on an as needed basis.

Did you read this WSOPFAN? Mau is still diving and because he makes his living from the sea Darol wants to buy him a new boat! So everything is going to work out ok after all....... Karma?

 

[Diver Kat]

Crap. Seriously? Now I need a lightning rod for the boat???

I think we can get Alison to let you stand up top on the bridge with a metal hat .... no need for an actual rod!

 

[cvchief]

I think we can get Alison to let you stand up top on the bridge with a metal hat .... no need for an actual rod!

You mean the wires and electrodes weren't part of the plan to attract seahorses to our dive sites like they told me???? Looking back it does seem odd that that wooden 'fishing chair' had all those leather straps and I thought "sparky" was a term of endearment.....

 

[WSOPFAN]

Did you read this WSOPFAN? Mau is still diving and because he makes his living from the sea Darol wants to buy him a new boat! So everything is going to work out ok after all....... Karma?

Yea I read it ....... I know I will never dive with this op or recommend them but what others do is their choice.
I see you are all enjoying yourselves laughing it up........how funny would it be if 1 or more of those divers never came back? I could see defending a person's dive business after an accident but negligence was involved here. The article stated someone said they should have removed the glass prior to launching the boat. That is an admission of negligence and instantly opened them up to being sued. If you or anyone else wishes to continue to dive with a repeatedly dangerous dive op have at it.