Drift diving and passports in Cozumel

[jerrycsr]

Sue,

How did you get out of the vertical current? Inflate your BC and swim horizontally out of it?

Thanks for replying.

 

[Otter]

ScubaJen said ...

I take it that Brisas is a good place to stay since you keep coming back?

We have been happy with it. There is a pier across the main street where boats pick you up and you can get to it via an well-lit, underground tunnel. They have spent some $ to clean things up since 2002. The hotel is very nice, clean. The restaurant is so, so, but we always went into town anyway so it didn't matter.

Someone indicated its within walking distance of town...it is, but its still a bit of a hike, so we took taxis.

The only thing I can add is its the ONLY place I have stayed at in Coz, so I can't compare to others.

Otter

 

[Otter]

and Dive Paradise usually have a package deal as well. One of DP's shop is right across the street and they have the small fast boats (recommended) to get you to the site before the big boats AND they have the big boats if that is more comfortable for you.

There is a good DM, Memo Puff. Ask for him.

Otter

 

[SueJ]

Jerry,
Yes. Inflated and kicked like heck. There was about 8 of us on the dive - only myself and daughter got stuck in the current. My husband actually followed us down and grabbed a hold of our daughter. They got away from the reef and ascended (after going through the washing machine effect), he actually ditched 1/2 of his weights (integrated). The DM helped me make it back over top of the reef with the rest of the group. Once on top of the reef there was no current. The whole dive lasted about 12 minutes and the majority of it was doing deco stops because my computer freaked out. Everyone in our group was fine and nobody got bent.
Sue

 

[9driver]

scubajen once bubbled...

Do you recommend that we get passports, or is a driver's license
and birth certificate ok (even with me having my maiden name on my birth certificate and married name of my license).

Thank you everyone for your help!

My wife and I went to CZM last month. I have a passport, but my wife just had her Texas Drivers Liscence and her Birth Certificate. No one batted an eye at her.

On the back of our funjet paperwork, it discussed ID's, and Birth Certificates were acceptable. Check with your travel agent or paperwork, cuz there were a couple of exceptions based on the "type" of Birth Certificate you are using. But generally speaking, if you just want a passport to have one, fine. But if it was me, I wouldn't hassle with it just for CZM.

 

[jerrycsr]

Sue,

Thanks for the reply. I am going to Cozumel next month and taking some members of my family who are new divers. I will pass along the info.

Last time I was in Grand Cayman I was talking with a dive master about vertical currents when our dive on the North Wall was terminated because of them. He told me a couple of divers had been caught in them without BC's. These were local divers who didn't feel the need to dive with one. One of the divers apparently found the bottom of the Cayman Wall never to be seen again. The other managed to hit an outcropping of rock off the wall at around 250 feet and held on until the vertical downdraft current stopped and he could resurface. Well, that's what the divemaster told me anyway.

Good info to be aware of.

 

[richhagelin]

Just got back from Coz last month with my son. I have passport, he has birth cert. No problems getting into Mexico or back to States. Make sure the Birth Cert is not the hospital one, but the official state/county one with a seal.

Rich