Had 2 scary experiences: How to avoid in future?

[HowardE]

Even clearing your ears on a regular basis (on land) the week leading up to a dive trip can help make it easier to clear when it really matters (on the dive that is)

 

[DandyDon]

It's kinda odd that I don't have problems, with my allergies - especially if I skip the sudafed while diving nitrox. I think it may all those years of hay fever and nose blowing - got those tubes stretched.

Anyway, yeah - practice clearing over the week in advance, few more times on the way to the dive.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If they want me to pay them, they are going to have to give a bit more than a rats behind. If they aren't equiped to cater to non-spanish speaking clients, all they have to do is say so.

Many of them do as soon as you get on the boat. While not having dove there we did do a cruise and took a snorkel trip with an op that the cruise line recommended. Several of the crew spoke little to no english and they were easy to figure out. I just stuck with the ones that did and even one of them thought very good was an answer to how deep is it here? Again it all boils down to being responsible for yourself. If your friend has less experience than you it begs the question based on your experience, Why are you going there? Do you think the currents will be different? And have you learned a valuable lesson and gotten your own gear or rented from a local shop you trust? If not then it would be reasonable to expect a similar outcome.

 

[heliflyer]

Also I hope I do not have to dive with you either. You seem to put the blame on everyone but yourself. You should be the one asking questions about the site and explaining any special needs you have. You need to be the one responsible for yourself. If you do not feel comfortable with the dive then don't.

Bingo!!
I think this has been stated on numerous threads and post, you are,in the end, responsible for yourself. Ask questions. Don't expect for DM's or anyone to be mind readers. Ask questions if you are diving in new locations form the locals or people that have been there before. If you don't inform folks of your problems or lack of experiance they won't know. Take responsibility for yourself. Dive safe

 

[breckgirl5]

Again it all boils down to being responsible for yourself. If your friend has less experience than you it begs the question based on your experience, Why are you going there? Do you think the currents will be different? And have you learned a valuable lesson and gotten your own gear or rented from a local shop you trust? If not then it would be reasonable to expect a similar outcome.

Jim -- Obviously, I don't think the currents will be different. Contrary to what many of you seem to believe in this thread... I'm not an idiot. Just a novice (as all of you once were.)

I'm going to Coz because a girlfriend offered me a free plane ticket if I would go with her (She had a free voucher for Cancun). She is new to diving and and has lots of friends who have done their OW in Coz and loved it. Here in CO, everyone goes to Coz. It's considered a great place for all levels of divers. I rarely hear anything negative... so these posts have really opened my eyes. I've been telling her about my "interesting" experiences in Coz (and I've been telling her about all of this board's advice), and she and I have agreed to work with what we've "heard" to be a reputable dive shop. We've agreed to hire a private DM, and I hope that will be possible.

I have not purchased my own equip yet, but will rent a reg from my local dive shop before going.

 

[DandyDon]

Sounds good Breck - to be totally comfy with your rented gear, it'd be good to pool test it well before packing. When do you leave?

 

[HowardE]

Contrary to what many of you seem to believe in this thread... I'm not an idiot. Just a novice (as all of you once were.)

It seems that many of the DM's and Instructors here on SB seem to think that novice diver is synonymous with idiot. Don't take it personally, they do it all the time. :shakehead

 

[aquakiwi]

I recall a few years back a visiting couple complained to the shop I was currently working at about bad advice they'd been given by staff. The had had a bad experience with a local beach dive resulting in a little loss of skin and a lot of dignity.
I had just returned from an Open water training dive with some students. There was
a small shorebreak, about a 1/4 meter but otherwise great conditions. I just got on the tail end of the discussion as the staff member was telling them what an easy dive it was. I endorsed this mentioning we had just returned from said beach. Any way they
had entry and exit problems and wrote a pretty damming letter to our employer. The point is, what was easy/commonplace to us, was a major to them. They were both experienced but had not dived recently. In hindsight we could have asked more about
where they had been diving and pointed out differences to where they intended to dive. Breckgirl put your bad experience down as just that................experience. I'm
sure you are wiser for it. As for all the rude comments ignore them. As you said we
were all novices once.

 

[ams511]

Actually the PADI standards don't require much in the way of buddy skills and gas management isn't taught at all...they tell you to watch your gauge...but don't tell you what to watch for.

I've seen this lots of times. When I owned a dive shop Cozumel was an honest to goodness nightmare for me. Lots of new divers go there and immediately end up too deep, in too much current and have trouble. I devoted a lot of time to trying to send new divers someplace else or trying to find them oporators who were set up to handle new divers. Unfortunately many already had their trips set up before comming in to get certified so I got to say "I told you so" a lot. Put a bare bones PADI OW course and a cozumel trip together and you have a perfect mix for trouble.

Mike, I take your word for it, but I was PADI certified in the 90's and I remember buddy training and simple gas management. But I took a 4 or 6 week course (1 day in class and 1 in the pool each week) not a quickie weekend deal. I even did buddy breathing and emergency breath hold ascents.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Mike, I take your word for it, but I was PADI certified in the 90's and I remember buddy training and simple gas management. But I took a 4 or 6 week course (1 day in class and 1 in the pool each week) not a quickie weekend deal. I even did buddy breathing and emergency breath hold ascents.

I hope that you don't actually hold your breath on any ascent but aside from that my comment was aimed at what training standards require. There are instructors who teach a good deal more than they are required to teach and a good deal better than they are required to teach it.

Lets look at what is taught as far as gas management. The text says to watch your gauge. It says that air limits are amoung the things that buddies should discuss before the dive. It does not outline how to derive those air limits or mention the fact that what's needed is to start your return/ascent with enough gas left to get you and a buddy back to the surface. Standards also don't require a student to demonstrate that they can actually do it. So, though the material hints at the fact that something should be done, it never says what that something is or how to do it.