Had 2 scary experiences: How to avoid in future?

[MikeFerrara]

"troll" is not synonymous with imposter or fraud.

 

[fisherdvm]

"troll" is not synonymous with imposter or fraud.

What is a better definition for a troll except for a Wikipedia definition:

In Internet terminology, a troll is a person who enters an established community such as an online discussion forum and intentionally tries to cause disruption, often in the form of posting messages that are inflammatory, insulting, incorrect, inaccurate, absurd, or off-topic, with the intent of provoking a reaction from others.

Of course, as they are frequently member of the community, it is easy to assume a new identity to see the reactions of others.

 

[redacted]

You know, this thread makes me frown a little . . . It seems as though Cozumel is a common destination for new divers, but it sounds as though the diving there can be pretty challenging. I have a personal interest in this, because a group of us are headed down there next month, and the group includes two novice divers, and I don't want to see them have bad experiences. Hot drops and current strong enough that you can't keep a group together seem like an awful lot to ask of beginners?

Cozumel has very simple dives and dives that can be rather challenging. Select a dive op that will cater to your diverse needs and then select sites that will accomodate the skills of the new divers. I suggest a first day of 2 shallow dives starting with Columbia Shallows. It is one of the more southerly sites so it is a good run down. But depth is 20 to 30 max with the top of the reef often within 10 ft of the surface. Currents are light. And life is plentiful. For a 2nd dive choose any one of the other shallow options (50 to 60 ft max). La Francesa or Delila would be good on the south end or, if you are staying up north, one of the northern shallow dives should do. If your new divers do OK you should be able to go to the more common profiles of 80 ft deep wall followed by 50 - 60 ft shallow.

 

[HowardE]

A troll is usually a smart person. And a regular personality in the forum. For all we know, Danny, I might be one, and so might you, he, he, he...

Maybe you should start a poll?

 

[letterboy]

Maybe you should start a poll?

Silly one liners will not be tolerated out here. . .

 

[lmorin]

The initial post in this thread raises some real issues, regardless of whether some folks think it's a troll. I have had some similar experiences. Wife and I went to Cozumel last Aug. with ~50 dives under our belts and 1 Bonaire drift dive. It was a true drift, to be sure, but I could swim upstream with no real problem, at least for a min or 2. Needless to say, we were totally unprepared for our first Coz drift. We had no particular problems, but let's say it was an "experience" because the current was so strong. Two of our 15 dives were that way--current way too strong for us to have fun. (We like to poke along and investigate things). The second strong dive had us pulled down to 95 ft then whirled up to 60 between and around coral pillars, trying to keep from being clobbered. We managed our gas pretty well and, all things considered, put those two dives in the "experience" column and not in the "particularly fun" column. I will also say that a friend who was with us had been to Cozumel twice before and not encountered anything so brisk as those two "freeway" drifts.

The remaining 13 dives were all drifts also, although at a much slower pace. On one, I was unable to clear my left ear. Multiple ups and downs did not do the trick and I had taken a decongestant. I was lagging further and further behind the group and finally decided to bag it. Signalled my wife that I was having difficulty and ascended having never gotten below 20 ft. Hoped that the boat would still be there. It was and we had no further problem and ear cleared 5 min later, but the DM for the group had no clue I had difficulties and did not know wife and I had aborted. This aspect of drift diving was never discussed in the pre-dive plan.

Should novices do these dives? Probably depends on the individual, but anyone who has not done them before should be verbally prepared for the range of currents that might be expected. And, there should be discussion of an abort plan, in case one is needed.

I will also say that on the "most vigorous" dive that alternately sucked us down then spewed us up, there were two guys diving AL100's who were rather more out of control than we were. They got sucked to about 110-120 ft, blew through their air in 2/3's the time that we did, and were locked out of the second dive by their computers.

 

[RonFrank]

Cozumel is a common destination for new divers, but it sounds as though the diving there can be pretty challenging. Hot drops and current strong enough that you can't keep a group together seem like an awful lot to ask of beginners?

In general the currents are not so strong that the group is separated. In addition everyone is in the same current. I dive with a camera, and I was able to hang by the boat, retrieve my camera, and easily descend with the group even if I was often the last in the water, and there was a small delay while I finned to the boat to get my rig.

I've only been there once, but I did a lot of diving on a lot of different reefs including the more advanced sites like Devil's Throat. Overall the current was mild enough on most sites that making headway against it was possible. There were a couple of exceptions, but the DM's put us on those sites at our request, and we flew!

A good DiveOp will choose the sites based on the divers in the group. In our case, we were all more advanced divers, and we did aggressive profiles. However BlueXT has two boats (and sometimes rents a third) and they did a good job of keeping like divers together.

I'd not worry about this too much TSandM. I would not put the descends we were doing in the *hot drop* category with a couple of exceptions where we needed to hit the reef in exactly the right position in stronger current, and those were the more advanced dives.

 

[Colliam7]

Thanks for publicly sharing what is probably a more common experience than some like to admit. Putting aside the fascinating turns the thread has taken, and some of the more ‘animated’ discussion and language, currents can be daunting. Even on drift dives where the ideas is to relax and ‘go with the flow’ they can affect your psyche, and you can use a lot of air quickly if anxiety creeps in AND you struggle with trying to stay with a group. I agree, that it is not a PADI training issue per se (or NAUI or SSI or whatever). It actually could have been an inattentive DM issue. But, the reality is that you and your buddy should stay together first and foremost. The group is not obligated to wait, unless everyone agrees in advance or the DM directs them to do so at the start. On a drift dive the boat will / should follow your bubbles (and everyone else’s) and generally be ready to pick you up in a reasonable time after you surface anyway. So, you should not have to add the anxiety of an ‘Open Water’ scenario. This time, you might consider hiring a DM to dive with you on the first dive or two, to see how well you can handle the descent and the current that may be present.

 

[HowardE]

I also don't think the OP is trolling, and I think it's a little lame of everyone to jump on the OP for being a troll.

As for drift diving. It is easy and fun. 90% of my diving is drift diving. I can't imagine that it is so much more difficult in Cozumel as it is in Florida?

1) Go with the flow. Don't swim against the current. You will burn your air more quickly.
- Going with the current is like flying... it's a great feeling. Just stay horizontal, and fly like superman. Relax, and take advantage of the lack of effort and exertion, and you'll find that your SAC will be great.

2) Carry an SMB (safety sausage) and spool, or at least 15' of line, so you can shoot it from your safety stop, if you should become separated from your group.

-- If you find that the DM (on a guided tour) is swimming with the current... ask them to mellow out, and go slowly (as possible with the current) - if they swim, then you go really fast, and can miss a lot of good stuff.

 

[DandyDon]

I also don't think the OP is trolling, and I think it's a little lame of everyone to jump on the OP for being a troll.

Pretty rude, the post is certainly typical of a vacation diver's possible experience if on an inappropriate boat. Calling her a troll is trolling in itself.

Most of my Coz dives of 6 trips have had gentle currents, but some were strong enough that there was no finning back for anything, a few have been wild rides. If you're shooting pics, you often have one fast shot and gone.

We do not discuss Coz down currents enough, either. Yeah, they're rare - and then usually not that severe, but do happen - some are severe. A newbie should be carrying the console in his/her left hand anyway watching air closely - also watch depth. Caught in one, some say to swim into the wall, while I like to swim away from it - but do not try to swim back up into the current. Get out of it, then slow ascent.