Drift dive issues in Cozumel?

[Ms. Ann Thrope]

I think you just have to follow your own heart and desires on this one. Like the others say, the current is variable. Compared to Bonaire and the Caymans (and I'd say the same for Roatan had we stayed somewhere with a house reef), the one thing I sometimes miss when I'm in Cozumel is the chance to just hunker down by a coral head for 10-15 minutes to wait and observe. Between the currents and the fact that all but shore dives are led dives, that kind of wait-and-watch diving just doesn't happen much (which is why I treasure our shore dives in Coz, even though they're not all that pretty at first glance). But on the plus side, the Cozumel reef coral structure is grander, the fish/creature life is good, and the moving-sidewalk effect of a gentle current can make for a very relaxed dive. Swifter currents may leave you working harder to maintain position, or looking for a spot in which to duck into the calm. On a typical Cozumel trip, you'll experience a bit of both.

 

[ggunn]

I think you just have to follow your own heart and desires on this one. Like the others say, the current is variable. Compared to Bonaire and the Caymans (and I'd say the same for Roatan had we stayed somewhere with a house reef), the one thing I sometimes miss when I'm in Cozumel is the chance to just hunker down by a coral head for 10-15 minutes to wait and observe.

You can dive like that virtually every time at Colombia Shallows.

 

[Sideways]

I have mixed feelings about drift diving. Like others mention, sometimes a good current is insane FUN!!! Just terrain flowing across the reef can be exhilerating:cool2: Being the Photog nerd that I am, sometimes I do wish I could slow/stop too get shots. In particular, while wall diving, I have to look way ahead, and have a limited amount of time to position myself for the angle/shot I want. The one benefit I have, with my good size rig, is that it does create some drag and slows me compared to others in the group. Although that in itself, can present a problem. Like someone mentioned though, when drift diving, always have a safety sausage, whistle, and awareness when surfacing.

Overall drift diving, especially in a slow current, that you can control your position, is quite awesome. I call it lazy-persons diving

 

[Ms. Ann Thrope]

ggun--that's why I loved Columbia Shallows. And it's gorgeous to boot. And two trips ago, someone went there on an afternoon dive we skipped, and they saw dolphins. Wish I could just get a DM to just drop us there and let us stay as long as we want. A tank of air can last a long, long time at that depth.

 

[mstevens]

The current is that good.

We went to Barracuda, Canterel, and San Juan last week in part because we wanted the experience of flying along in very fast currents. San Juan was definitely the winner here since it was shallow enough to that the dive was over an hour, there was tons to see (albeit briefly), and we got to fly like Superman.

No eagle rays at all at Canterel when we went, nor for that matter did we see a single one all week anywhere else.

 

[ggunn]

The current is that good.

We went to Barracuda, Canterel, and San Juan last week in part because we wanted the experience of flying along in very fast currents. San Juan was definitely the winner here since it was shallow enough to that the dive was over an hour, there was tons to see (albeit briefly), and we got to fly like Superman.

Agreed, though diving Barracuda can be a little scary because there is frequently a current running at a bit of an angle to the reef which will try to drag you down the face of the wall.

 

[gypsyjim]

We were on Coz @ 2 weeks ago. Our first real trip there, as a quick one day, 2 tank pass thru 10 years ago did not give me a real feel for Coz.

As a camera happy diver, with years of experience on Bonaire, the strong currents of Cozumel were a shock at first. I aborted 2 shore dives because of ripping strong currents, ALTHOUGH I returned to this same site 2 other times, and had fabulous, slow, photo friendly, and long easy dives.

I had to adjust my attitude, and adopt a different approach to taking pics. On dives with strong currents, I switched to the wide angle, and shot some great vistas. Really spectacular topography, those walls and reefs of Coz!!

On other dives, when I was in less current, I had the time to take my time and get in close to small sealife.

Every dive was different, and currents could quickly come, or go during a dive. Only one time, did I find the current carrying me away from the reef, and force me to work hard to maintain contact with my buddy group.

I will be back to Coz. I like it now about as much as I do diving Bonaire. The dives on these two islands are simply very different, and yet both are fun and very satisfying, even camera in hand, if you adapt to the dive style of each.

 

[heydn62]

Just spent a week there in February and I did have to adjust my expectations for photography. I dive with my son and already feel guilty about cutting his dives short because I use more air than he does. The first day we dove, I didn't take my camera since I hadn't been in the water in about 4 months. We were getting bottom time around 50 minutes on Cedral Pass. The 2nd day I took my camera and was coming up at 35 min on the same dive. I found I was using a lot of energy fighting the current to swim over to take a picture of something and trying to stay in position to get a good shot was difficult. The next day I switched from steel 80 tanks to 100s, but was still bringing my son up with 1000 psi or more. I finally decided to just enjoy the dive, take a picture of something if it was nearby and not fight the current. I didn't get a lot of good photos on this trip, but thoroughly enjoyed the dives.

 

[geokr]

You didn't mention what type of rig you'd be using and that might affect your experience in high currents. If you have a big, dual strobe or light setup on long arms then high currents might be a bit of a problem if you're trying to move around. If you're shooting something more compact it shouldn't be a problem at all, in fact, some of the best shots I've taken were of flying along the reefs and walls. The best way to enjoy the current is to just relax into a good Zen and fly (fly - everyone uses that word for a reason). I think the current in Coz gets more attention than it deserves. Certainly there are places and times where it can be real strong but there are equally places and times when it's absolutely no factor. I wouldn't pass up the experience of Cozumel based on what I've heard - most people here would agree that it's worth the trip. Don't pass up the opportunity to experience it yourself.

 

[oregondiver]

Thanks so much everyone. As I told my husband last night (he has only been diving 1 year), if it was unsafe, you wouldn't have all the tourists (ie 1x year divers) there enjoying it. :mooner:

I am not a picture taker...but I did take my underwater camera to Bonaire (ie almost a relic, Canon Digital Elph and I think 2.3 megapixel?) and took a bunch of photos and found a few actually turned out awesome!

Now we just need to decide between Cozumel, Roatan or Caymans for our next trip. But hey, we have 10 months to figure that out. So be prepared for relentless questions this summer haha