First Coz trip - need help planning

[DandyDon]

The one thing the Dr. says over and over again is the majority of people who take a hit it happens the day they arrived or the 1st day after arrival and it is usually an undeserved hit. They have been stressed from the travel, usually lack regular sleep (depending on where they coming from), are dehydrated from flying, haven't eaten well, etc. etc. and the majority of the cases are considered "undeserved" as the diver was well withing safe diving limits per their profiles and dive computer.

I've noticed that in the reports. I've seen four divers hauled off in ambulances on my Cozumel trips, two others elsewhere. It's almost always a surprise.

 

[ChuckP]

August 8th, arrival time 12:30, wife who was already there, picked me up, dropped a suitcase at the condo and grabbed gear, was at the marina by 2 and wet at 2:57. Very unique situation and add the fact a very good friend driving the boat.

Landing any later than that and especially if you're checking in and taxi riding, there's just no way you'll make it but for a night dive. The night dives are fantastic, highly recommended!

If you're diving with Aldora - let Denise know you want to dive as often as possible, give her that sad look and she'll take care of you. Four dives a day with them and Nitrox will definetly be your friend - they use both 32 and 36. It's not uncommon doing 60-80 minute dives with them. If you aren't nitrox certed, get it or have them train you - your body will thank you. Elearning online and take the test the day you get there......

 

[DandyDon]

have nitrox cert

If you aren't nitrox certed, get it or have them train you

 

[gopbroek]

I've noticed that in the reports. I've seen four divers hauled off in ambulances on my Cozumel trips, two others elsewhere. It's almost always a surprise.

I was at an event at the convention center during ‘Scuba week’, a few years back and got to talking with Dr. Gomez (Costa Med) and he told me the same basic info that most of his chambers patients were travel stressed divers who took the proverbial ‘undeserved hit’, typically on their first dive. The ‘undeserved hit’ would be a hit that occurred were due to reasons other than violating the tables (designed for a fit 20 something) and in most case were due to dehydration and stress. Tables, written or electronic, are based upon a typical ‘fit’ diver under normal conditions and any other factors will shift the probabilities.

 

[npole]

A shallow shore afternoon dive with the complimentary tank to check your weight to prepare for the next days is the ideal the day of arrival. Calm, relaxing, you have all the time you want... and after it some tacos con gambas y un margarita.. and there you go.

 

[nodakdive]

All good advise. Much appreciated.

here is what I'm thinking:

Hotel Cozumel - easy enough to walk into town when I want & has a easy shore dive

However, from my research, it seems Villa Blanca & Casa del Mar are better places to stay...

What do you guys think? (By the way, I'm a 25 year old guy that doesn't mind loud places and partying.... I will happily join)

Reading this, if you can get a room at the Barracuda, that's probably going to work nicely for you. You'll be right there in the action, so to speak. The many restaurants downtown will be your oyster. Unless you've found out differently, Aldora will pick you up off the dock. You can shore dive there. All the rooms are ocean view, which is what drives a friend of mine to stay there almost exclusively. If one day you want to, you could take a taxi to Papa Hogs beach, or whatever it's called across from VB, and shore dive, and/or taxi to Tikila across from CDM and shore dive.

The rooms are kind of spartan and they don't have phones in the rooms but I think they do have tvs. Based on 25 years old, willing to walk and night life being a draw, I think Hotel Coz would be my second choice. CDM is much smaller and though there's a little mix, it's mostly divers staying there. It's pretty quiet at night.

 

[Ghosty]

The one thing the Dr. says over and over again is the majority of people who take a hit it happens the day they arrived or the 1st day after arrival and it is usually an undeserved hit. They have been stressed from the travel, usually lack regular sleep (depending on where they coming from), are dehydrated from flying, haven't eaten well, etc. etc. and the majority of the cases are considered "undeserved" as the diver was well withing safe diving limits per their profiles and dive computer.

Wow, good to know! I never heard that, in fact quite the contrary, even from a dive guide with Rainbow Reef in the Keys, and someone in Cozumel (forgot which outfit, so will remain nameless). They both said you're totally fine to dive the day after you arrive, but maybe they meant like 99.9% of the time you're fine, heh. And obviously depends on personal physical health.

Regardless I only do shallow "beginner" type dives the first day and last day on vacations.

 

[deepsea21]

Regardless I only do shallow "beginner" type dives the first day and last day on vacations.

I actually have been diving shallower for years now the primary reasons being I like more light, more color, more critters to see and photograph and more time. I personally have no interest in hanging out in the dark at 80-100' when I can hang shallower so much longer and not push my DC to the absolute limit. I know plenty of divers who ignore those green, yellow and red bars on their DC's and only focus on the count-down clock to their NDL (and they certainly aren't 20-something Navy divers). Sure, some DC's are more conservative and some are more aggressive and all of them provide a safety cushion in their algorithms but 100's of dives like that to the limit without incident can provide a false sense of security because they've never had a problem... Until the dive they do. Then hopefully they only ruin their trip and everyone else's day.

 

[Streydog]

A long time DM in Cozumel told me that back in the 80's when many divers didn't have computers more divers wanted to dive deeper than they do now on average. I wonder if there was more chambers rides back then. A different DM told me that the local fisherman use the chambers more often than the rec divers, no idea if that is true.

 

[justwannadivenow3]

for those that have used Aldora in the past - do you use nitrox on both tanks or only the second tank?