Getting separated on a Coz reef dive...

[betsyinczm]

Hi Christi.........welcome home.......yeah--you said it............another little fact that I neglected to mention above is that it is not legal to dive from a boat withOUT a DM in the park here. There is a reason for that obviously and this guy seems to be diving alone..........so I respectfully beg to differ with all the folks who state "you can do what you want........". Not.

It seems to me that he could be not only putting the rest of the group at risk, but also just plain making a mess of the day's dive plan, not to mention giving the captain one big fat headache.

Again, just my two cents....but as Christi says, what do we know.

Betsy

 

[cowboyneal]

Hey Betsy: Did I meet you at the Art Show for the Animals at Casa Mexicana a couple months ago? And I agree, what the hell do [any of us] know? As far as the OP, I have nightmares about people drowning and getting lost when I am out there or getting DCS with their little knots and "tricks" and I am always looking around keeping track of people even when I am diving as a tourist (force of habit)...most people have no clue, and it's scary. I always stay within 'shouting distance' of the DM and I am an instructor with over 2M dives, and this not only in Cozumel, but everywhere: plan the dive and dive the plan. Also, I look at it this way, when I was a DM, I always got extremely nervous when I couldn't see everybody (and get to them with a few quick kicks), and I wouldn't want to make anyone feel that way. If you don't have enough skills to stay with the group, you don't have enough experience to be out there, let alone diving solo off somewhere out of the sight line or relying on knots in a line to tell you how deep you are, regardless of "how many dives" you have or whatever your "air consumption"...IMHO...Finally, TSandM I am really surprised (quoting: "you can do whatever you want" and "dive any way that suits you"): What, did the DIR Kool-Aid wear off? lol....

CN

 

[betsyinczm]

Hi CN.....nope........didn't make that although I certainly meant to!!........was home taking care of an adorable runover dog (crushed pelvis!) that now has a very happy new home!....after six weeks of hand feeding and holding her up to do her business..........wish I had been able to stop by!.........next time for sure.

Betsy

 

[cowboyneal]

I thought I did....maybe it was someone I know talking about you...

 

[betsyinczm]

CN------sorry but just your first sentence showed up when I answered about the Humane Society event.........guess I was too fast.

As for the rest of your post---you said it!!............FINALLY somebody gets it. It is extremely stressful to be in charge of someone's safety and actual life for that matter, but some people just can't see the other side of what we do. And I agree totally that if you can't figure out how to stay with the group then something is very wrong. And before everyone jumps on me for saying that, I will say that I respect all diver speeds and there are many.........some people poke along and check out the little stuff (I love that!)............some are on a kicking mission full speed ahead....(don't love that so much but whatever)..........but when the DM has to make the entire group kick backwards against the current for someone who doesn't have any respect for the group, I just don't think that is fair or safe.

(My cents are adding up!).....Betsy

 

[cowboyneal]

Gawd...I have hundreds of dollars worth of cents on here...Christi has Fort Knox going...hahaaa

 

[Christi]

Gawd...I have hundreds of dollars worth of cents on here...Christi has Fort Knox going...hahaaa

Haha! What is that supposed to mean?

But you guys have hit the points head on!

ANd yeh, there ARE the marine park rules...

 

[BurBunny]

I have a line to mine trimmed to 15 feet and clipped to my BC. I come up to about 20 feet, inflate the buoy, and let it haul me up to 15 feet, where I get myself slightly negative and hang from the line for as long as I need to.

Eeek, Gordon! Am I the only one who sees a problem in this? Too many instances, not necessarily in Cozumel but also not necessarily NOT there, of boats not respecting SMBs--running over them. I'd not want it clipped off to me as that could mean being dragged to the surface and along rather faster than I'd prefer.

 

[cowboyneal]

Haha! What is that supposed to mean?

But you guys have hit the points head on!

ANd yeh, there ARE the marine park rules...

Just playing...you know me by now....ha!

 

[miketsp]

Just would like to point out that a 15 foot marker knot is not really that useful in Cozumel currents since your buoy may be blowing in a surface current and/or wind!. In which case you could end up at 5 feet happily looking at your little knot. The string RARELY goes straight up to the surface!
..snip..

Well in Coz vis I doubt if I'd have a problem looking at my depth gauge, but I've been on quite a few dives where the knot trick would work well - still muddy waters or where at least the first 5m of water is moving at a uniform speed. It's still good to know these tips and also be aware of their possible restrictions.