In Coz: You, Your Buddy, Your Group and Your DM. Who should do what?
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ScubaSteve1962
Contributor
from another post has anyone dove with them lately, and if so, do they follow these standards
Aldora Divers “Only the Best of Cozumel”
Overview
It is the responsibility of Aldora Divemasters to safelyprovide guided tours of the reefs of Cozumel. Safely was written first because that is always the first priority. Any activity that cannot be done with safetywill not be engaged in. After safety isassured then it is our job to make each dive be the most enjoyable it can, foreach client.
Safety
Basic safety rules are as found in the PADI Divemastermanual, especially the section on Drift Diving. In particular:
1. Those in the divegroup must descend together, dive together, and come up together. Frequently it is difficult to keep the grouptogether but that should be part of the dive briefing, and vigorously enforcedunderwater.
2. Never let anyone enter the water until it has beendetermined that they have the ability to maintain positive buoyancy. That means putting some air in the BC and verifying that it stays there.
3. Never take diversto aggressive dive sites like Punta Sur, Maricaibo, or Barracuda until we havepersonal knowledge of their ability to maintain neutral buoyancy and makesafety stops at 15 feet. Each dive siteselected must not exceed the skills of the weakest diver in the group. If any diver has objections to the dive planthen a suitable alternate must be selected.
4. New, Junior orapprehensive divers should be taken no deeper than 60 feet until they becomecomfortable. Palancar Gardens is anideal first dive for these divers.
5. Do not let diversdescend lower than 130 feet on a first dive and 80 feet on a second dive.
6. Do not let “nodeco” times get lower than 5 minutes on a first dive, and 10 minutes on asecond dive.
7. Check the airsupply and condition of each diver at the first convenient time after thedescent. Check buoyancy and remind thedivers to make adjustments if needed.
8. Check air supplyevery 10 minutes and determine if any one is consuming at a much higher ratethan the others. If so, the divemasteris encouraged (but not required) to share his air with the client before hereaches 1000 psi. Once the divemasterreaches the same psi as the client or another diver reaches 1000psi,then theyshould resume independent breathing, and ascend to the safety stop.
9. At 45 minutes intothe dive the divemaster should deploy his safety weenie. If further activities are required of thedivemaster the weenie can be given to a client to hold temporarily. For shallow dives which are expected to bemuch more than 1 hour, the time for weenie deployment may be extended to 1 hourbut must be coordinated with the captain.
10. The divemastershould help each client improve their buoyancy and remove weight. In the dive briefing proper weighting proceduresshould be explained, and then implemented at the safety stop. It is not possible to always work on theweight for multiple divers on each dive but in the course of several dayseveryone should be worked with to reduce the weight and to improve their buoyancy.
11. The divemastershould carry 4 lbs over his own requirements so that weight can be given to anyclient struggling with positive buoyancy.
Dive Quality
As we all know it is entirely possible to be a ****ty guideand still produce “satisfied” clients. But we must go beyond that and make ever dive the best one the clienthas ever had. That means a dedication toquality of the dive.
Dive Quality General Requirements
1. DiveBriefing
A thorough dive briefing must be made prior to every dive. That briefing must include all PADIrequirements but in addition, it should include a review of our specialprocedures such as air sharing, etc.
2. Lengthof the dives
Given that we have big tanks and use dive computers it ispossible to give our divers extraordinarily long dives. Indeed, that is part of what they are payingfor with Aldora Divers. We well knowthat a divemaster can artificially shorten dives by staying too deep, swimmingtoo hard, etc.-- Aldora Divemasters do not. It is expected that dives, over all, should average at least 1hour. Punta Sur may be just 45 minutesbut Cedral should be well over 1 hour. Periodic downloading of dive computers will be made and checked to seethat these standards are being met.
3. Dive SiteSelection
The dive site should be agreed on by the clients, but it isthe divemaster’s responsibility to see that the site selected must be withinthe skill levels of the group. Paradisereef for experienced divers is an obvious mistake, as is the Devil’s Throat forbeginners, but more subtle nuances are important. Given the lack of complete“weenies”, Columbia, all three Palancar sites, or Santa Rosa Wall are goodchoices for the first dive of most groups. Second dives at Paso Del Cedral, or Tormentos are also goodchoices.
4. Dive Timing
It is always irritating to see other dive groups on thedive. Since we have fast boats weusually never see other divers for the first dive. Also since we take long surface intervals wefrequently avoid crowds on the second dive. But sometimes at popular spots like Cedral and Tormentos they cannot beavoided. It may be best to chooseanother site or delay the drop until the crowds thin out. If the dive is undertaken anyway, make surethat the group understands the need to stay in close contact.
Aldora Divers “Only the Best of Cozumel”
DivemasterStandards
Established July 1,1998
It is the responsibility of Aldora Divemasters to safelyprovide guided tours of the reefs of Cozumel. Safely was written first because that is always the first priority. Any activity that cannot be done with safetywill not be engaged in. After safety isassured then it is our job to make each dive be the most enjoyable it can, foreach client.
Safety
Basic safety rules are as found in the PADI Divemastermanual, especially the section on Drift Diving. In particular:
1. Those in the divegroup must descend together, dive together, and come up together. Frequently it is difficult to keep the grouptogether but that should be part of the dive briefing, and vigorously enforcedunderwater.
2. Never let anyone enter the water until it has beendetermined that they have the ability to maintain positive buoyancy. That means putting some air in the BC and verifying that it stays there.
3. Never take diversto aggressive dive sites like Punta Sur, Maricaibo, or Barracuda until we havepersonal knowledge of their ability to maintain neutral buoyancy and makesafety stops at 15 feet. Each dive siteselected must not exceed the skills of the weakest diver in the group. If any diver has objections to the dive planthen a suitable alternate must be selected.
4. New, Junior orapprehensive divers should be taken no deeper than 60 feet until they becomecomfortable. Palancar Gardens is anideal first dive for these divers.
5. Do not let diversdescend lower than 130 feet on a first dive and 80 feet on a second dive.
6. Do not let “nodeco” times get lower than 5 minutes on a first dive, and 10 minutes on asecond dive.
7. Check the airsupply and condition of each diver at the first convenient time after thedescent. Check buoyancy and remind thedivers to make adjustments if needed.
8. Check air supplyevery 10 minutes and determine if any one is consuming at a much higher ratethan the others. If so, the divemasteris encouraged (but not required) to share his air with the client before hereaches 1000 psi. Once the divemasterreaches the same psi as the client or another diver reaches 1000psi,then theyshould resume independent breathing, and ascend to the safety stop.
9. At 45 minutes intothe dive the divemaster should deploy his safety weenie. If further activities are required of thedivemaster the weenie can be given to a client to hold temporarily. For shallow dives which are expected to bemuch more than 1 hour, the time for weenie deployment may be extended to 1 hourbut must be coordinated with the captain.
10. The divemastershould help each client improve their buoyancy and remove weight. In the dive briefing proper weighting proceduresshould be explained, and then implemented at the safety stop. It is not possible to always work on theweight for multiple divers on each dive but in the course of several dayseveryone should be worked with to reduce the weight and to improve their buoyancy.
11. The divemastershould carry 4 lbs over his own requirements so that weight can be given to anyclient struggling with positive buoyancy.
Dive Quality
As we all know it is entirely possible to be a ****ty guideand still produce “satisfied” clients. But we must go beyond that and make ever dive the best one the clienthas ever had. That means a dedication toquality of the dive.
Dive Quality General Requirements
1. DiveBriefing
A thorough dive briefing must be made prior to every dive. That briefing must include all PADIrequirements but in addition, it should include a review of our specialprocedures such as air sharing, etc.
2. Lengthof the dives
Given that we have big tanks and use dive computers it ispossible to give our divers extraordinarily long dives. Indeed, that is part of what they are payingfor with Aldora Divers. We well knowthat a divemaster can artificially shorten dives by staying too deep, swimmingtoo hard, etc.-- Aldora Divemasters do not. It is expected that dives, over all, should average at least 1hour. Punta Sur may be just 45 minutesbut Cedral should be well over 1 hour. Periodic downloading of dive computers will be made and checked to seethat these standards are being met.
3. Dive SiteSelection
The dive site should be agreed on by the clients, but it isthe divemaster’s responsibility to see that the site selected must be withinthe skill levels of the group. Paradisereef for experienced divers is an obvious mistake, as is the Devil’s Throat forbeginners, but more subtle nuances are important. Given the lack of complete“weenies”, Columbia, all three Palancar sites, or Santa Rosa Wall are goodchoices for the first dive of most groups. Second dives at Paso Del Cedral, or Tormentos are also goodchoices.
4. Dive Timing
It is always irritating to see other dive groups on thedive. Since we have fast boats weusually never see other divers for the first dive. Also since we take long surface intervals wefrequently avoid crowds on the second dive. But sometimes at popular spots like Cedral and Tormentos they cannot beavoided. It may be best to chooseanother site or delay the drop until the crowds thin out. If the dive is undertaken anyway, make surethat the group understands the need to stay in close contact.
ScubaSteve1962
Contributor
5. Drop Site andCurrent Determination
With GPS the drop sites will be almost always very precise,however, consideration of the divers descent ability may dictate having thecapitan drop further south, say when one diver has trouble clearing. The divemaster should always enter the waterfirst to check the current direction and if possible check the accuracy of thecapitan’s drop site.
6. Interests
It is the job of the divemaster to sense the generalinterest of the clients so that he can focus the dive on scenery ornature. Even if there is no consensus,let the clients participate in the choice of focus. In almost all cases everyone will nod in approvalof the choice the divemaster helps them make.
7. Environmental Considerations
The dive briefing must include information about both thelegal and ethical issues in maintaining the health of the reefs. Thorough discussion of National Park rulesare a must and should be augmented by our own, possibly more restrictive. It should be made very clear that we place ahigh priority on protecting the reef and that any violation of the rules willnot be accepted.
8. Naturalist Dives
The Aldora Divemaster must include animal identification andinteraction whenever possible. Erasable Slates are provided so that thosecommunication skills are enhanced.
9. Signature Dive Site Scenarios
The following are suggested scenarios for our best divesites. They are intended to illustrate ahigher quality dive made possible only by our use of big tanks andcomputers. The Aldora Divemaster must,however, use his own judgment in carrying out any dive plan.
a. Punta Sur Devil’s Throat
The dive briefing should explain the importance of thedescent, the need to minimize sand kicked up, and the great importance of thesafety stop. Descend as a group to the entrance of the Devil’s Throat cave thencheck air supply and readiness of all divers. Then proceed slowly into theroom, pause so that all divers can see the hole, then lead the group down.
Depending on how long the descent took, exit either theshallow(120ft) or deep (129ft) holes, and rise to the entrance of theCathedral. When the last of the groupexits the Devil’s Throat enter the Cathedral, waiting on the knees in the sanduntil most others enter. The divemastershould then illuminate the Cross for a few minutes before proceeding out to theentrance of the Plunge. If thedivemaster’s no-deco time is more than 10 minutes the Plunge can be taken butall must quickly rise since the 5 minute barrier is usually encountered at thebottom of the plunge.
Once out of the Plunge the ascent should start, just passingChristmas Tree Coral then winding up around the tops of the coral heads. Checkair supplies at this time. Leaving the last coral head of Punta Sur the groupshould be at about 60 feet which will allow them to cruise the tops of ColumbiaDeep, once the crossing is made. It isabout this time that the heavy breathers may be close to 1000 psi and it isappropriate for the divemaster, or others to share air...in a controlledsituation before any emergency or buoyancy problem could occur. The one offering the air should deplete hisair to a level no lower than the heavy breather. At about 40 minutes into the dive the finalascent to the safety stop should be made. At this point the divemaster should be especially attentive for any signof uncontrolled positive buoyancy. Agood practice is to start the safety stop at 15-20 feet for 5 minutes then riseto 15. That way, even if someone losesit at 15 feet they will at least have had a pretty good stop. After the safety stop exit in the normal way.
b. Punta Sur Sur
The briefing should contain all the elements of any deepdive, like the Devil’s Throat, then explain the sights to be seen. At Punta Sur Sur the current is frequentlyoscillating and it is really important to drop in the right place. If the current is strong to the north then adrop over the sand, somewhat to the south of the first ball works well. But if the current cannot be determined thenit is always safer to drop right on the first ball. Most swimthroughs at Punta Sur Sur can beenjoyed in the 100-120 ft range. If thecurrent is strong and the pace quick it is frequently possible (based onno-deco time left greater than 10 minutes) to go through the Devil’s Throat Cave and cross over to the Cathedraland then up in the normal Devil’s Throat manner. In no case should either the Devil’s Throator the Plunge be attempted on a Punta Sur Sur dive. The ascent is much the same as the Devil’sThroat but much more latitude exists for checking air supplies and status ofthe divers.
c. Columbia Deep
Columbia Deep has many of the same aspects of PuntaSur. The first wall of Coral extendsabout 1 kilometer from north to south. It is best to hit the sand on the south end on descent but if it ismissed just descend over the wall to about 80 feet. The sand side is not very interesting andthere are no swimthroughs, so going over the wall is the only choice. Staying at about 80 feet one encounters theend of the first wall, the northern end of which is one of the more beautifulsights in Cozumel, what we call Cathedral Norte. At that point the best view is from 105 feet,knees down in the sand looking up at sunlight filtering through big cracks inthe coral head, with fans of Black Coral waving in the current. This is a good opportunity to check airsupplies and diver condition. Onceeveryone is o k, then enter the base of the coral head and go through theswimthrough. With good divers you mayturn to the right and circle back into the entrance, but with novices or onesthat would kick up sand just go straight thru.
When finished with the major swimthroughs go out to the wallagain and under the big arch. At the bottomof the arch is Dave’s Throat which empties out at 130 feet. There is a beautiful green coral there thatis unique. Novice divers may wait at thetop of Dave’s Throat. The best way fordivers to descend Dave’s Throat is to dump air and go down head first. The dive master should wait at the bottom ofDave’s Throat to make sure that all divers fill their BCs and ascend onexiting.
Once leaving Dave’s Throat the group should all rise to thecoral head tops at 50 feet. Two smallgaps will be encountered but on this dive it is possible to stay in nearconstant contact with the coral heads, all the way up to 30 Ft. at the start ofnormal Columbia. Over all dive time should be more than 1 hour.
With GPS the drop sites will be almost always very precise,however, consideration of the divers descent ability may dictate having thecapitan drop further south, say when one diver has trouble clearing. The divemaster should always enter the waterfirst to check the current direction and if possible check the accuracy of thecapitan’s drop site.
6. Interests
It is the job of the divemaster to sense the generalinterest of the clients so that he can focus the dive on scenery ornature. Even if there is no consensus,let the clients participate in the choice of focus. In almost all cases everyone will nod in approvalof the choice the divemaster helps them make.
7. Environmental Considerations
The dive briefing must include information about both thelegal and ethical issues in maintaining the health of the reefs. Thorough discussion of National Park rulesare a must and should be augmented by our own, possibly more restrictive. It should be made very clear that we place ahigh priority on protecting the reef and that any violation of the rules willnot be accepted.
8. Naturalist Dives
The Aldora Divemaster must include animal identification andinteraction whenever possible. Erasable Slates are provided so that thosecommunication skills are enhanced.
9. Signature Dive Site Scenarios
The following are suggested scenarios for our best divesites. They are intended to illustrate ahigher quality dive made possible only by our use of big tanks andcomputers. The Aldora Divemaster must,however, use his own judgment in carrying out any dive plan.
a. Punta Sur Devil’s Throat
The dive briefing should explain the importance of thedescent, the need to minimize sand kicked up, and the great importance of thesafety stop. Descend as a group to the entrance of the Devil’s Throat cave thencheck air supply and readiness of all divers. Then proceed slowly into theroom, pause so that all divers can see the hole, then lead the group down.
Depending on how long the descent took, exit either theshallow(120ft) or deep (129ft) holes, and rise to the entrance of theCathedral. When the last of the groupexits the Devil’s Throat enter the Cathedral, waiting on the knees in the sanduntil most others enter. The divemastershould then illuminate the Cross for a few minutes before proceeding out to theentrance of the Plunge. If thedivemaster’s no-deco time is more than 10 minutes the Plunge can be taken butall must quickly rise since the 5 minute barrier is usually encountered at thebottom of the plunge.
Once out of the Plunge the ascent should start, just passingChristmas Tree Coral then winding up around the tops of the coral heads. Checkair supplies at this time. Leaving the last coral head of Punta Sur the groupshould be at about 60 feet which will allow them to cruise the tops of ColumbiaDeep, once the crossing is made. It isabout this time that the heavy breathers may be close to 1000 psi and it isappropriate for the divemaster, or others to share air...in a controlledsituation before any emergency or buoyancy problem could occur. The one offering the air should deplete hisair to a level no lower than the heavy breather. At about 40 minutes into the dive the finalascent to the safety stop should be made. At this point the divemaster should be especially attentive for any signof uncontrolled positive buoyancy. Agood practice is to start the safety stop at 15-20 feet for 5 minutes then riseto 15. That way, even if someone losesit at 15 feet they will at least have had a pretty good stop. After the safety stop exit in the normal way.
b. Punta Sur Sur
The briefing should contain all the elements of any deepdive, like the Devil’s Throat, then explain the sights to be seen. At Punta Sur Sur the current is frequentlyoscillating and it is really important to drop in the right place. If the current is strong to the north then adrop over the sand, somewhat to the south of the first ball works well. But if the current cannot be determined thenit is always safer to drop right on the first ball. Most swimthroughs at Punta Sur Sur can beenjoyed in the 100-120 ft range. If thecurrent is strong and the pace quick it is frequently possible (based onno-deco time left greater than 10 minutes) to go through the Devil’s Throat Cave and cross over to the Cathedraland then up in the normal Devil’s Throat manner. In no case should either the Devil’s Throator the Plunge be attempted on a Punta Sur Sur dive. The ascent is much the same as the Devil’sThroat but much more latitude exists for checking air supplies and status ofthe divers.
c. Columbia Deep
Columbia Deep has many of the same aspects of PuntaSur. The first wall of Coral extendsabout 1 kilometer from north to south. It is best to hit the sand on the south end on descent but if it ismissed just descend over the wall to about 80 feet. The sand side is not very interesting andthere are no swimthroughs, so going over the wall is the only choice. Staying at about 80 feet one encounters theend of the first wall, the northern end of which is one of the more beautifulsights in Cozumel, what we call Cathedral Norte. At that point the best view is from 105 feet,knees down in the sand looking up at sunlight filtering through big cracks inthe coral head, with fans of Black Coral waving in the current. This is a good opportunity to check airsupplies and diver condition. Onceeveryone is o k, then enter the base of the coral head and go through theswimthrough. With good divers you mayturn to the right and circle back into the entrance, but with novices or onesthat would kick up sand just go straight thru.
When finished with the major swimthroughs go out to the wallagain and under the big arch. At the bottomof the arch is Dave’s Throat which empties out at 130 feet. There is a beautiful green coral there thatis unique. Novice divers may wait at thetop of Dave’s Throat. The best way fordivers to descend Dave’s Throat is to dump air and go down head first. The dive master should wait at the bottom ofDave’s Throat to make sure that all divers fill their BCs and ascend onexiting.
Once leaving Dave’s Throat the group should all rise to thecoral head tops at 50 feet. Two smallgaps will be encountered but on this dive it is possible to stay in nearconstant contact with the coral heads, all the way up to 30 Ft. at the start ofnormal Columbia. Over all dive time should be more than 1 hour.
mstevens
Toadfish. Splendid is implied but not guaranteed.
Ok, so there's no way on earth you're ascending to 15 feet in those pools.
---------- Post added April 6th, 2012 at 09:47 PM ----------
Actually, no. My assumption is that people tend to say what they mean, sometimes without realizing it.
Based on your statements earlier about old or overweight divers, I had the impression that you make a lot of assumptions.
Prop Joe
Contributor
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Yes!
We were just there March 10th thru 20th. We had a week of diving with Liang at Aldora. Fantastic! This is why I chose them 12 years ago and continue to dive with them. I have never had a reason to dive with anyone else on the island. Add to that better/more boats and unequaled infrastructure and now their own fill station with state of the art equipment. The home away from home Villa. Great DM's, Captains and employee's/Aldorian's, they are all top notch. This tends to make for happy people on the boats and thus a great time for all. They have always taken great care of me, my friends and family. I really cannot see diving with anyone else.
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Plus one to joes reply. The only deviation to the policy that I have experienced in over 100 dives with aldora is that if a diver has a very conservative computer they can get closer to nodeco limit as long as they stay out of deco and are clean when they surface. I have brought two new divers to coz to do their open water dives with aldora. Both were very safe and very personal attention was given. Aldora set a standard for me that I compare other dive shops to. I can.t wait to return.
ScubaSteve1962
Contributor
Are you saying that since these pools aren't over 15ft deep that you can't practice these skills?? If I can inflate my smb at 12, hold a horizontal safety stop and 9 or 6ft as boulderjohn stated, why wouldn't I be able to do it at 30 and 15ft? You practice things in a controlled environment so that when you have to do them it's second nature, no panicking?
mstevens
Toadfish. Splendid is implied but not guaranteed.
No. I'm saying what I said: that one cannot ascend to 15 feet in a 12-foot pool.
I pretty much thought it was something JDC does on their own.
I took my second PADI AOW in 1999 as a refresher. My instructor taught me after I completed the class and we would dive together.
---------- Post added April 7th, 2012 at 12:44 PM ----------
And of course it's easier the deeper you are.
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