Dressel Cozumel Alternative

[stuartv]

Another reason I like Tres Pelicanos. The DM shoots up his SMB (if you don't have your own) and then pulls it back down when he sees that diver surface. Everyone stays their air, not the lowest common denominator.

It is good that they do that - especially since it was Tres Pelicanos that gave me those short fills. I would have felt bad if everyone else had had to go up when I got low on air! Almost everyone else on my boats stayed down it seemed like anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes longer than I managed. They were mostly women, so I'm sure they had much better SAC rates than I do. Plus, I think a lot of them did a much better job of staying a bit more shallow throughout the dive. I tend to want to go right to the bottom and have a close look at everything as I drift by. I have air integration and my SAC was not BAD. It just wasn't great....

 

[Snoweman]

It is good that they do that - especially since it was Tres Pelicanos that gave me those short fills. I would have felt bad if everyone else had had to go up when I got low on air! Almost everyone else on my boats stayed down it seemed like anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes longer than I managed. They were mostly women, so I'm sure they had much better SAC rates than I do. Plus, I think a lot of them did a much better job of staying a bit more shallow throughout the dive. I tend to want to go right to the bottom and have a close look at everything as I drift by. I have air integration and my SAC was not BAD. It just wasn't great....

Wow. I think the lowest fill on the 100's I request is about 3200.

 

[Christi]

Meridiano fills those tanks and it's very difficult if not impossible to get them filled over 3000psi

 

[stuartv]

Wow. I think the lowest fill on the 100's I request is about 3200.

I use AI on my computer, which logs them all. Looking at my log, I had 3 tanks that were over 2900 (one of which was 2905) and all the rest (5 other tanks) were between 2750 and 2900. All 8 tanks were AL100s. I have checked my AI periodically against other gauges and I believe it to be pretty accurate.

 

[Snoweman]

I use AI on my computer, which logs them all. Looking at my log, I had 3 tanks that were over 2900 (one of which was 2905) and all the rest (5 other tanks) were between 2750 and 2900. All 8 tanks were AL100s. I have checked my AI periodically against other gauges and I believe it to be pretty accurate.

I don't doubt you. I just haven't had the same experience. I will be returning this November and will definitely be checking my fills. I am getting Nitrox certified, so I am planning on diving air 100's on the first dive and Nitrox 80's on the second dive. TP says they have both 36% & 40% fills, so I will see if I can get the 40% for the shallower dive.

 

[stuartv]

I don't doubt you. I just haven't had the same experience. I will be returning this November and will definitely be checking my fills. I am getting Nitrox certified, so I am planning on diving air 100's on the first dive and Nitrox 80's on the second dive. TP says they have both 36% & 40% fills, so I will see if I can get the 40% for the shallower dive.

Getting your Nitrox card is definitely the way to go!

As for AL100s, just remember, the working pressures is 3300. So, if they are only filled to 3000, that means you are only getting 91 cu-ft of gas. Only you can decide if that is worth the extra money they charge for it.

As for Nitrox itself, I would, and always do, dive Nitrox for both dives. And, if I were going to only dive Nitrox for one, I would use Nitrox for the first dive, which is generally going to be deeper. Deeper dives are more likely to be limited by NDL (so you'll get real benefit from Nitrox). Shallower dives are more likely to be limited by gas supply (which you will consume at the same rate, whether it's air or Nitrox). Note that that is a generalization and not necessarily true for every specific scenario.

What is always true is that you will on-gas less with Nitrox than with air. That is beneficial almost* all the time. And especially if you are diving multiple days in a row. The less nitrogen that gradually accumulates in your slow tissue compartments, over multiple days, the better.


* I say "almost" because there are cases where it just doesn't matter. For example, if you dive one day and then take a few days off. Or if you're doing shallow dives that are always limited by gas supply (e.g. 40 - 50 feet or less). Etc.. Never say never.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

Thanks for the replies. We're set at Iberostar - at least for this trip - so these are our priorities:
> smaller boat, fewer divers (6 per DM max preferred)
> pick up at Iberostar (pier preferred, but beach okay)
> pick up after 8:30am or later
> the valet is a really attractive option (never had that before)
> competitive price (for 5 or 6 double dive days for 2 people)

All the following will be small boat dive ops. I believe all will pick up at...or near... Iberostar (you may be wet). All are valet ops except DWM, and they are a maybe. As far as pick up time is concerned, contact them, but I would think they would not make it to the Iberostar until at least 8:00 am. Check with them. The other differences will be in my list posted earlier, ask those questions and make your call. There really is no wrong answer.

Price wise, its hard to beat Dive with Martin. 5 days of 2 tank diving for $305 is a great deal by anyone's standards. When they throw in basic rental equipment for free and a night dive for $30 (and you want a night dive!!!) They are probably the best deal on the island. They are one of the oldest operators on the island and their website says they will pick you up at your resort. David Carbajal is a divemaster and is well respected by several popular diveshops in Oklahoma. I don't know if they are a full valet shop, but if you are using their gear, it really does not matter. They charge $4 for an Al100 which is cheaper than everyone I know of if you like your air and it is filled to capacity. We dove with Walter several years ago and had a great experience for our first Cozumel dives.

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We like Aldora for a lot of reasons, and admittedly not every dive has been 80 to 90 minutes. They do their own fills and it is very rare that a tank is not 3400 psi or better. We dive nitrox and the fills are always within 1%. If we have ever felt shorted on a dive, we have addressed it with shop manager Jorge and our fee has been adjusted with a smile. Aldora does offer a 10% cash discount which helps bring the cost down to the range everyone else is charging for al80 dives. Big tanks, lots of boats, convenient pick up, and cash discount are out primary draws to Aldora. As of now, that works great for us. October will be our 8th or 9th trip with them.

ALDORA DIVERS

If I were throwing a quick getaway because I caught stupid cheap airfare from OKC, staying at Suites Bahia for $40 a night, and not wanting to lug my own gear, DWM would be my choice, even though we would have to take a cab to their shop by the international pier.

The only thing I did not like about Bluemagic was we had to walk, or cab, to their shop where they loaded us in a van for the trip to the marina. The only exercise I want in the morning is my backroll into the blue, then float like a turd in the current. The staff, service, and diving were absolutely top notch by any standard.

Cost and rates for scuba diving in Cozumel!

Tres Pelicanos and Blue XTSea have absolutely rabid fans for a reason. I am positive they provide a level of service that warrants such admiration. Christy is a frequent contributor to this board with relevant, accurate, and up to the minute information. She deserves a shot at your business just for that. Her contributions to this site can not be appreciated enough. their website is also one of the best scuba op sites I have seen along with great restaurant information too. (In fairness...Dave with aldora makes regular appearances as well)

Afforable Cozumel Scuba Diving | Dive with Tres Pelicanos

Cozumel Diving Packages - Blue XT~Sea Diving

There you go!!! I have procrastinated at work long enough. ((m the boss so its ok...) The operators I've listed here will provide excellent service that will leave you smiling and counting the minutes until you can get back to the island. The hard part is picking out which one is best for you. You could literally pull a name out of a hat and not make a wrong choice. These operators have survived in a low profit margin, highly competitive business where many others have not. They are still here for a reason.

Drink a Bohemia Obscura for me...or 14. October 29th cant get here fast enough. Roughly 6,048,000 seconds, but who's counting!

Jay

 

[kmarks]

I don't doubt you. I just haven't had the same experience. I will be returning this November and will definitely be checking my fills. I am getting Nitrox certified, so I am planning on diving air 100's on the first dive and Nitrox 80's on the second dive. TP says they have both 36% & 40% fills, so I will see if I can get the 40% for the shallower dive.

I was offered 32 or 36 when I was in Cozumel (Scuba with Alison) in June. Unless you like to go really deep, why not do 32 or 36 for both dives? The MOD of EAN40 is about 82 feet (PPO2 1.4), which is probably deeper than you'll go on a second dive, but I find that anything shallower than 50 feet tends to be air time limited, so EANx isn't as beneficial for my second dive as it is for my first/deeper dive.

Of course, by my second dive of day two in a trip, I'm NDL limited on air on just about any dive deeper than 50 feet, so I switch to EANx full time at that point. Even on EAN36, I don't think I would get much extended bottom time out of a steel 120. If I kept it shallow enough to avoid deco, I'd be bored and freezing by the time I exhausted the tank at 2 hours.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I
For a fraction of the cost of an AI, you could stay in a vacation rental home or condo, with a large balcony to relax on and hang your dive gear, with much more room to spread out than a hotel room. With the money you save you could eat out all the time, and eat much better and have a lot more variety and enjoyment during your vacation. And you'd have a lot more diving options.

Please don't say that too loudly--the VRBO and AirBnB prices might go up

 

[stuartv]

I was offered 32 or 36 when I was in Cozumel (Scuba with Alison) in June. Unless you like to go really deep, why not do 32 or 36 for both dives? The MOD of EAN40 is about 82 feet (PPO2 1.4), which is probably deeper than you'll go on a second dive, but I find that anything shallower than 50 feet tends to be air time limited, so EANx isn't as beneficial for my second dive as it is for my first/deeper dive.

Of course, by my second dive of day two in a trip, I'm NDL limited on air on just about any dive deeper than 50 feet, so I switch to EANx full time at that point. Even on EAN36, I don't think I would get much extended bottom time out of a steel 120. If I kept it shallow enough to avoid deco, I'd be bored and freezing by the time I exhausted the tank at 2 hours.

You wouldn't get to that point as quickly if you dived Nitrox on every dive, from the beginning.