Looking For a Buddy To Dive With

[R'lyeh_Diver]

Are any of you guys still diving in the East Texas area? I live in Longview and have gone out to the Scuba Ranch and few times and have been looking for some local dive buddies to coordinate with.

I've mostly tried to line up my dives with Scuba Steves diver checkout classes, but I'd love to have some local dives buddies as well. I'm fairly new to diving (~30 dives), and have only dove the Scuba Ranch a few times.

I've also only ever dove with a DM, etc, so I'm new to the whole concept of diving with "just" a dive buddy.

In fact, I'm planning on meeting up with the folks from Buoyant Life at the Scuba Ranch this Sunday, July 14, if anyone would like to come out as well.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I'd come out if I could but my weekend is already booked up.

And if you dive with me you'd still be diving w/ a DM lol. But as such, I'm out at SR a lot helping with OW classes and such. Was out two weekends ago with a class of 19. Not sure when I'll get back out there. Next weekend my wife is going out of town (Sunday I think) and then the following weekend I have a party to take my kiddo to. Weekend after that maybe just to do a gear check before I leave for Cozumel on 8/8-8/11. Need to check my ffm after I get it back from service. Gotta make sure I don't have an o-ring in my omni swivel give up like it did last month in Cozumel.

 

[teonchagi]

...before I leave for Cozumel on 8/8-8/11.

I switched tabs to come search the board for where to stay in Cozumel and checked this thread first. I’m thinking of going there for the first time over thanksgiving. Any recommendations?

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I switched tabs to come search the board for where to stay in Cozumel and checked this thread first. I’m thinking of going there for the first time over thanksgiving. Any recommendations?

I guess it depends on what you're looking for. May be going there myself around that time. I've only stayed at the Grand Park Royal in Cozumel but it's a nice hotel and has its own little beachy alcove area but it's not right at the hotel. It's connected to the hotel but you go through a short tunnel under the road to get to it. Then they have a hot tub and bar area right there at the beach and a dive shop right there also, which I can't honestly recommend using. If you want details as to why shoot me a PM and I'll fill you in.

As for dive ops, I've done dives with Deep Blue (Based in Conroe) and they were a pretty good operator with go fast boats to get you to your sites quick. I've also done dives with Dimi Scuba Tours, which is who I'll be diving with in a few weeks when I go back. They have bigger boats that are a bit slower but personally I like having more room to move around and a head should nature decide to run its course. I've heard Aldora and Blue XTSea are great ops, as well as Tres Pelicanos and Dive With Martin, but I don't have any experience with any of them. I'm sure I"ll try them out at some point but for this trip I'll be on a Dimi boat.

One site I can recommend diving if you only ever do it once is the C-53 Felipe Xicotencatl wreck. 184 ft long, 33 ft wide and 40 ft mast to hull sunk in about 70-75 ft of water. Lots of smaller sea life around the perimeter of the ship and some inside as well. Last time I dove it there was a spotted eel taking up residence in a hole on the main deck that leads to the interior. If you watch the 2nd part of the video I posted on youtube near the end you can see it for a moment. I tried to post it right at the time you need to watch but you can see it around the 8:48 mark.

 

[horn34]

I switched tabs to come search the board for where to stay in Cozumel and checked this thread first. I’m thinking of going there for the first time over thanksgiving. Any recommendations?

Me and a buddy will be there in November and go all the time. What kind of place are you looking for? AI? Hotel?Airbnb?

For dive ops, we always use Aldora for the steel 120 tanks and long dives. I've also used Tres Pelicanos, they just weren't my thing.

 

[teonchagi]

Me and a buddy will be there in November and go all the time. What kind of place are you looking for? AI? Hotel?Airbnb?

For dive ops, we always use Aldora for the steel 120 tanks and long dives. I've also used Tres Pelicanos, they just weren't my thing.

We look at both hotels and Airbnb. Doesn’t matter really. We did decide to hold off though, sadly. We already went to Hawaii last month and are planning a Korea trip for December. I was really hoping for a good dive trip!! Argh!