Diver lost in Cozumel today

[flots am]

If you dive in the marine park in Cozumel you are required to have a dive master who is registered to take you diving in the marine park. This is the marine parks choice to protect the reefs, not a safety requirement.

Unfortunately, this is never communicated to the divers. If the DM said "I'm here to keep you from damaging the reef, but I'm not your buddy and can't keep you safe", diving would take on a whole different flavor in Cozumel.

FWIW, it's more than a little misleading to make someone dive with a "Dive Master" but not tell them that they're really in charge of their own safety.

flots.

 

[AggieDiver]

Kelly,

I just got to reading what I wrote and thought maybe giving a few examples might help explain how expectations can change with the circumstances and location.

In Cozumel, all the dives are drift dives due to the ever-present currents. One of the primary problems faced by dive operators is to keep divers close together during the dive so that the boat can find them when the dive finishes. So one of the primary DM duties is to keep divers close and make sure that if they ascend early, they do so near the group if possible. They are shepherds as much as anything else. In the case of operators serving cruise ship divers, they are going to see those divers for one day only, and have to make a snap determination about their skill levels and decide which sites to take them to. They don't get the option to watch them dive for a few dives and then determine whether to take them to the better, but perhaps more challenging sites.

By way of contrast, in Little Cayman, there is almost never any current and all dives are done with the boat moored to a stationary buoy. The dive operator doesn't have to keep the divers close together, they just need them all to end up back at the boat after the dive is over. So the DMs there give a briefing on the layout of the dive site before the dive, and then act as more as tour guides for the divers who choose to follow them than as shepherds for the group as a whole. The other divers can go any direction they want, and the DM is not seen as "responsible" for what might happen to those divers going their own way. At a location like Little Cayman, people are usually there for a week or more, and will be on the same boat with the same DMs and crew for most of that time. So the DM can get a feel for how the divers are in the water before taking them to more challenging sites and can tailor which locations they pick by the levels on board.

On a liveaboard dive boat, the DMs get intimate knowledge of who the divers are, what their experience levels are, and can tailor their recommended locations to the needs of the divers over the course of the trip. A liveaboard is the one scenario where I would expect to see a DM approach a diver or divers and say "this dive might be too challenging for you". Because liveaboards cater to more experienced divers in general and go to remote places where assistance is often unavailable or at best hours away, they will tend to err on the side of caution when dealing with less experienced divers. In most other cases, telling a diver that would be very rare, but on a liveaboard, it might be slightly more common.

I hope those example maybe help you understand how the DM's responsibilities might change based on a location and might not necessarily match what a new diver or non-diver might expect when they show up for their first few open water dives.

 

[Craig66]

Aggie thanks for your sensitive and helpful posts. I in general I am one of those that feel that when one straps a tank onto ones back and goes into an environment that humans were not meant to be in that we need to take responsibility for all aspects of our safety and I try and avoid any component of trust me diving.

However it does beg the question as to how much responsibility a dive op has in making sure that they are not just filling seats but are taking appropriate divers to sites that are appropriate for them. Your description of various dive master interactions is very accurate however in some ways it should be exactly the inverse and that is the newbie cruise diver with rented gear that should be the one bieng told by the DM "this dive might be too challenging for you". We have no idea what the interactions were in this situation but I do think we should be expecting more from our dive ops when it comes to safety procedures, quality of equipment etc - both for the experienced diver but more so for the newer diver who hasnt yet learned what questions even need answering.

 

[ScubaMom56]

Kelly, I haven't traveled and dove in that many different places, but, I do know where ever I have dove the dive master was the first person there when things went wrong. Technically, Mike is correct, but, dive masters will usually go beyond what is technically required of them. I have yet to dive with a " I'm only here to herd the group, if you've got a problem you're on your own" dive master. When the husband signaled he was going up with her, the dive master figured Ok. There are instances of people getting away from the group and the dive master not being aware of it. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but, when you look at the big picture, odds are against it. Also, this was an early morning dive, believe me, there were discussions and some dives were cancelled or locations changed because of this and the other early morning, first dives of the day experiences. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

 

[Mike]

Unfortunately, this is never communicated to the divers. If the DM said "I'm here to keep you from damaging the reef, but I'm not your buddy and can't keep you safe", diving would take on a whole different flavor in Cozumel.

FWIW, it's more than a little misleading to make someone dive with a "Dive Master" but not tell them that they're really in charge of their own safety.

flots.

It doesn't need to be communicated to a certified diver.

Also a dive master is never your buddy unless you're diving solo and you and he/her specifically discuss buddying up together.

I witness solo divers continuously no buddying up with anybody on dives. I've been in dive groups with 4 solo divers and not one of them buddyed up with anyone. If they think there is an 'implied' buddy their going to pay with their life if things go wrong. Good samaritans are one thing, helping out somebody you just happen to notice is in trouble, having a dive buddy who you've talked to, committed to each other, talked about signals, lost buddy procedure, how close you will stay to each other.. etc... is very different.

The usual buddying if there is any, I have seen with a solo diver and dm is about 1 minute before splash in a dive master might look around and make sure everybody is buddied up with someone, find someone not and he motions to them by putting two fingers together side by side and the solo diver nods and the dm nods, and that's the total commitment and communication.

Also please read the liability waiver more clearly whenever you dive with a dive op.

 

[AggieDiver]

Craig66, without necessarily throwing this thread way off target, that is precisely why I have always quietly tried to caution new divers when I see people talking about what a great place Cozumel is for beginners. Don't get me wrong, it CAN be a great place for new divers. But there are strong currents at times, there are downwellings on a not terribly infrequent basis, there is a language barrier with many of the DMs, there is many times a "don't worry...relax" attitude taken when questions are asked or concerns are raised, and by and large, dive briefings are fairly short and minimalist...with most consisting of not a whole lot more than "follow me and signal when you are low on air".

If beginner divers are aware of all of that, have been well trained, and were coached by experienced divers in how drift diving in Coz works, that can be a total non-issue. If you get divers who aren't aware of the potential hazards, are expecting more detailed instructions and in the water assistance/supervision, and who have no experience or knowledge about drift diving, it can be a really bad situation when an unexpected event happens. I think unfortunately, the problem is compounded with cruise ship divers, because there is the urge to quickly get them off the ship, onto the boat, and into the water...perhaps without the time to really adequately discuss what to expect with new divers and learn their potential weak spots.

 

[kellyturco]

You are exactly right Craig66.... Just doing spring dives in Gainesville where I have observed classes being given, I have witnessed the rush and push of new divers just so instructers can make the next buck... Open water for a beginner should start off with baby steps (even if its boring)... A diver must know how to bring themselves out of a panic and be confident with themselves. Several sites tell that this is the most dangerous time of the year for currents at those reefs.... A newcomer can only rely on their DM or who ever leading the dive to know the local terrane... This was as worse a situation as it could be for a new diver, but I know Christina is strong and is probly sitting somewhere fuming over why they havnt found her yet.... Keep praying without cease... Wish I were there to help in some way... love
kelly, drew & boys

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:47 PM ----------

Just a quick note to add as well. The only reason her husband left her was to follow instruction and to make it safe for all (when one goes up, you all go up). He tried to help her and not put anyone else in danger... I commend him for that... A tuff call if you ask me.
kelly, drew & boys

 

[gypsyjim]

I am glad that I am not the only one who feels that diving Cozumel is not exactly the easiest/safest dive site for the beginner, or relatively inexperienced diver. Between the fairly aggressive currents you may encounter, and the relatively deep dives and drop offs of a great many of the dive sites here, it pays to have some experience under your belt, or at the very least have a very competent Instructor, DM, or very experienced buddy with you till you do, when diving here. Some of the DM's I have dived with here I would trust with newbies, as they pay attention to every diver and watch for trouble, while I have seen quite a few others who you really do need to be able to completely take care of yourself, and your buddy, in order to dive with safely.

Not having a lot of experience with really strong currents, or with deploying my own SMB and reel, I found my very first dives on Coz a bit intimidating.

It made me glad that I took my two kids to Culebra and Bonaire, instead of Coz, when they first certified. I would rather see divers get a bit of experience before tackling strong, and sometimes wacky, unpredictable currents.

---------- Post added at 07:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:33 PM ----------

Having said that, we still do not know many of the facts behind this incident, and until we do, the best we can do is hope and pray for the diver, and her family.

 

[Ron Lee]

My opinion is that these two divers did not have the experience to go to the surface as a buddy team. Each had ten dives or less. I was a green, wet behind the ears diver even when I had more dives than they had. Sure I could get to the surface but I hardly had the skills and experience to cope with new hazards like I do now.

Opinion again: divers at this stage need to be watched. A C-card is just a document to allow you to learn and gain experience.

As I stated in the other thread on this (Cozumel forum), if I encounter a solo or possibly newbie buddy team going to the surface or at the surface, I will check on them. Apparently there have been three reported cases in the last year or so of divers going to the surface alone and ended up missing or dead. There may be more that we never heard about.

So I will do my part, if the situation occurs, to make sure that this type event is not repeated and I have an opportunity to help.

For new divers, when ready, take a rescue diver course.

 

[rkfatheree]

Missing Diver March 28, 2012 in Cozumel UPDATE | Divetalking