FT
Contributor
Just curious -- do many Cozumel divers carry their own deployable surface markers? Deploy them on many/most dives for the safety stop?
DSMB norms in Cozumel?
- Thread starter FT
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I carry one and recommend anybody diving in Cozumel to carry one, even though far too many don't. Most people do no have to deploy on their dives unless they get separated, the DM shoots his buoy and you surface and do your safety stop near it.
across
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I shudder to think where this may lead us but........ I carry and deploy mine each and every dive. Makes it easy for our captain to pick me up and the other captains to miss me. $30 for a good one, $30 for a reel and a double ended clip. Please get one, sometimes you WILL be surfacing amongst a lot of traffic. Even thought about getting one for the wife but then she'd probably want a seatbelt or an airbag on her side of the car too.
Skittl1321
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I carried an SMB for surface use in an emergency (never touched it) but do not have the skills to use a DSMB yet.
However, the op I dove with individual divers did NOT deploy their own DSMB. Deploying your own, the captain wouldn't be looking for it. He looked for the DM's. For each diver (or buddy pair if they went up together) who was ready to go up, the DM deployed hers, stayed with the diver on their safety stop, watched that the boat picked them up, rolled the DSMB back up and continued on with the dive with the rest of the group who still had air.
However, the op I dove with individual divers did NOT deploy their own DSMB. Deploying your own, the captain wouldn't be looking for it. He looked for the DM's. For each diver (or buddy pair if they went up together) who was ready to go up, the DM deployed hers, stayed with the diver on their safety stop, watched that the boat picked them up, rolled the DSMB back up and continued on with the dive with the rest of the group who still had air.
gopbroek
Contributor
If you are with an operator that allows you to ‘dive your tank’ you really should carry one as a group can get scattered in a current. I carry one and deploy it regularly to keep in practice; it is also nice for safety stops and tailing out a bottle. When you really need it is helpful to have the deployment procedure as second nature so as to not be fumbling around and entangling yourself. Even with an ‘everyone goes up as a group’ operator it still good practice to carry one. If nothing else it takes some of the task loading off the DM.
Recently I was watching a DM experiment with tying the line to the top end of the buoy and with a piece of Velcro attached 6’ down the line. He then used the Velcro to attach the line to the bottom end of the buoy. This allowed him to deploy the SMB in a normal fashion and send up low air divers. After the pickup he could pull down sharply on the line, which separated the Velcro and up-ended the buoy and allowed it to dump and retrieve it while at depth. I thought it was a pretty neat trick and plan to try it.
Recently I was watching a DM experiment with tying the line to the top end of the buoy and with a piece of Velcro attached 6’ down the line. He then used the Velcro to attach the line to the bottom end of the buoy. This allowed him to deploy the SMB in a normal fashion and send up low air divers. After the pickup he could pull down sharply on the line, which separated the Velcro and up-ended the buoy and allowed it to dump and retrieve it while at depth. I thought it was a pretty neat trick and plan to try it.
across
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If you don't have the skills to deploy it you don't have the experience to comment on it. You might just get someone killed with your advice. What are your thoughts on rebreathers?
Skittl1321
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The question was "Just curious -- do many Cozumel divers carry their own deployable surface markers? Deploy them on many/most dives for the safety stop?"
My answer was: I don't carry a DSMB (but do carry an SMB). And no one in any of the groups I dove with over 5 days deployed their own DSMB.
Why would I get someone killed with my advice? I didn't actually offer advice, I merely relayed my own experience diving in Cozumel. The norm -for the op I dove with- was that the DM deployed the SMB, individuals did NOT. If I was going to offer advice- I'd say ask your op what they do.
If someone asked "Do most Cozumel divers use rebreathers?" My answer would be "I didn't see anyone diving with a rebreather." Though I probably wouldn't answer the question at all, since I don't really care about rebreathers.
Brules
Contributor
Huh? ^ What are you saying exactly? I carry an SMB. I don't have a reel or the skills/desire to deploy it like a DM, but I darn sure have one on me for when I surface in case I am separated from my group.....everyone who dives cozumel really should have one for on the surface....and that is speaking from experience and might just help someone NOT get killed.
Really? What was wrong with what they said, they shared their experience which is what most people experience, except I have never seen the DM pull the buoy back down nor accompany said diver to the surface interval.
Most dive plans that I have been apart of on Cozumel have included letting the DM know if you are low on air and the DM will deploy his buoy. You ascend following close to the line and surface right by the buoy and wait for the boat. While I am not saying you cannot deploy your own buoy, but you should clear that with the DM and captain before doing under normal circumstances.
Skittl1321
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I will say- she only did that on dives when someone ran out way earlier than the rest of the group; but multiple times I saw her roll it back up and carry on with the dive. On other dives, it just stayed up, because people seemed to go up in regular intervals, so there was no time to bring it down.
I think Alison has ears of steel though. Not only did she go up and down to each safety stop and back to the group, at one point when Carlos took more than like 10 seconds to pick us up, she surfaced to yell at him, and then went back down to the group. If you were new and scared, she would surface with you after your SS, but I think she only did that for one person.
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