How fast are the currents in Cozumel?

[mjh]

I dove Cozumel over 10yrs ago, on a cattle boat, at the standard sites. There was a current but I don’t recall it being THAT fast. By Pacific Northwest standards, +6knots common, it was very pleasant.

End of Feb we are going for 12 days and diving with Blue XT. This will be my wife’s first time in Mexico and she is a good intermediate diver. Does anyone actually know the current speed? I don’t recall needing a reef hook, which I assume they don’t allow anyways. I also had hoped to dive some of the more advanced sites. Is the current there 40%, 10%.... faster than the more typical sites?

 

[DeepScuba]

I can't judge current speed to save my life, but to say it ain't that fast. It's a leisure stroll I'd say. The sites in the North are noticeably faster, from my very limitted experience up there.

You're gonna have a great time with BLUE XT Sea.

 

[Charlie99]

I can't judge current speed to save my life, ....

The easiest way to judge the current at a dive site is to take a poll of divers guesses after the dive, and then divide it by 2.

I have seen a true 2kt current on Paseo del Cedral, but much more often, the currents on the popular spots such as Santa Rosa Wall are only a fraction of 1 knot.

1 knot is about 10 feet of drift every 6 seconds.

1 knot is about 1/2 meter per second.

 

[DocVikingo]

Currents at both intermediate & advanced, and occasionally even novice sites vary considerably over time. They can change daily, and even within the course of a dive. Sometimes the advanced sites are rather quiet (I've seen Maracaibo Deep at <1/2 knot), and sometimes the more routine sites are ripping (A group diving San Francisco a couple of years back got caught in a sudden roller coaster current of >2 1/2 knots & 5 ended up in the chamber). The DM will let you know when you get to a site what the conditions appear to be.

The expectation at the more advanced sites is around a knot, but I've seen 2 1/2 on occassion and you do cover some reef at that speed. For the more routine sites the expectation is around 1/2 to 1 knot. But again, you never know for certain.

As one doesn't just show up & get taken to the most challenging sites, I'd suggest that you read the following thread & let your selected dive op know in advance of your plans:

http://www.scubaboard.com/t44589.html

Have fun.

DocVikingo

 

[redacted]

Less than 1 knot is the norm. And it can get so light that you have to kick the drift. A few sites are known for stronger currents often approaching 2 knots. But current happens, so to speak. We were doing a pm dive on paradise (one of the easiest sites) last summer. Very light current heading south (an eady in this area can result in currents in either direction). Halfway thru the dive, the current stopped, switched direction, and headed north at over 2 knots. Backed-up in 5 minutes what had taken a half hour to cover. Some divers ended up pushing off and intermingled with cruise ships. A real mess but no casualties.

Use the current, don't fight it.

 

[bwerb]

By Pacific Northwest standards, +6knots common,

Sorry, I don't think you'd be anywhere underwater if the current was 6+ knots. Yeah we get that kinda current here but you sure aren't in the water at the time.

 

[DocVikingo]

The mask & fins would long have disappeared before the current hit 6+knots, not to mention the diver.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[mjh]

Without a doubt anything over 3 knots is flying but on several occasions we have done boat dives in Agate Pass, Whytecliff Park, Strongtide Island, etc... where the current has been well over 4 knots and I love it.

 

[bwerb]

Without a doubt anything over 3 knots is flying but on several occasions we have done boat dives in Agate Pass, Whytecliff Park, Strongtide Island, etc... where the current has been well over 4 knots and I love it.

No way in the world you were diving at Whitecliff Park with 4 knot currents. The currents don't get anywhere near this high at this specific area number one and number two it's illegal to boat dive at Whitecliffe as it is a marine preserve with a 200 foot minimum approach distance (and I don't think you'd be "dropping in" beyond the daymarker as it's over 750 feet deep and totally pointless). I think you may well THINK you dove in plus 4 current but the reality is that it wasn't that strong...

 

[mjh]

You could be right but the boat we dive off is a 35ft inland cruiser max cruise about 8knots. I know at Agate the owner said he was at RPMs for 8knots and only doing 4. But I did not mean this to a become a debate, I was just trying to give a point to compare against for Coz. My wife is a good diver but I have to remeber what I am comfortable with is not always right for her.