Lost At Sea In Cozumel

[steeliejim]

Sorry Catherine, I don't agree that divers ought to get used to the idea of drifting for 45 minutes on the surface if they are on a drift dive. I've been diving Cozumel for 11 years, and just got back last weekend. Wonderful. Yes, some of the reefs were really affected by Wilma, but others were not, and as many cool critters as ever.

I've never have waited on the surface anywhere near that long, maybe 15 min. max, and even then not because the boat captain couldn't find us. If divers thoiught that drifting 45 min. on the surface was a strong probability when diving in Cozumel there wouldn't be many divers going there.

Jim

Having said that, Roberta's side of the story makes a lot more sense than jimmynaz's.

 

[DBailey]

Hmmm, given jimmynaz's account and Roberta's account of the situation, I am finding Roberta's more believable.

Arguing between 35 minutes vs. 45 minutes is just silly, and Roberta's account actually explained why it happened (unusual currents). Jimmynaz's account just had some wild exaggerations of the conditions (6 knots, 140 feet, DM stealing weights).

For others reading this thread that are concerned about Cozumel...

1. Some of the conditions have been wildly exaggerated.
2. The dive sites in question are advanced dive sites.
3. At the other dive sites, a strong current means that if you want to hover over something to get a picture then you have to kick to maintain your position.
4. The currents run parrallel with shore, you can alawys kick to shore.
5. Drift diving is nice and relaxing. It truely is the feeling of flying.
6. Remember the name of your dive boat. If another boat comes near, just shout out your boat name and they will radio for it.

Now if you want to a stiff current, lets talk about "The Banana" on the north side of Wolf Island in the Galapagos. That is the look sideways and your mask floods and auto-purge on your regulator when you look into the current. Most of the dive is spent planning your kicks to avoid splattering on the rocks.

 

[DandyDon]

4. The currents run parrallel with shore, you can alawys kick to shore

Yes, well - I got seperated from my group once there, came alone toward the south end of the island, in a rare south current, no one in sight, and I did not think swimming for the island was a good possibility. I was gonna try, rather than just wait to arrive in Belize, but it was unnerving. Blew my Dive Alert and got picked up by a six pack of Okies - who voted me off the boat, but the captain took me to my boat quckly enough.

6. Remember the name of your dive boat. If another boat comes near, just shout out your boat name and they will radio for it.

:cheering:

 

[Ayisha]

Why would a group of experienced divers take a newbie (2 days since open water) down on a 140' drift dive? I can only assume that it was a basic certification, so again, why would any experienced diver allow that to happen? Not only is it irresponsible of the new diver but even more so of his 'experienced' dive friends, that should truly know better.

The advanced dive in question is even MORE risky than a 140' drift dive. The dive he is referring to, Punta Sur (Devil's Throat), is essentially bottomless, and is a long somewhat narrow tunnel. The current can be swift, and you have to descend to 80 feet quickly, where you enter the opening of the tunnel. If you miss it, dive over - can't swim back. You wind up and down through the tunnel and passageways from 80 feet down to 120 feet. When you exit the tunnel, it is apparently a 1200 foot drop. With a light, there is a lot of colour and decoration in the tunnel.

If you need major assistance in Punta Sur, good luck. Other than the diver in front or behind, no one's getting near you. You should have excellent buoyancy, excellent gas consumption, and be an experienced, advanced diver for this dive, but it wouldn't be the first time newer divers have been allowed to do it. And pretty much everybody does it without redundant anything.

Please note that since I did Punta Sur 2 years ago, I have heard that Hurricane Wilma changed it, so not sure what current conditions are like - but likely still completely inappropriate for newbies.

 

[Jim Kerr]

The fact that Roberta's operation even concidered taking a newly certified diver to that dive site was irresponsibile. The fact that his "so called" buddies talked him into diving it was even more irresponsible.

 

[Brules]

You should have excellent buoyancy, excellent gas consumption, and be an experienced, advanced diver for this dive, but it wouldn't be the first time newer divers have been allowed to do it. And pretty much everybody does it without redundant anything.

Well I guess I shouldnt have done it (Punta Sur) on my very first open water dive trip back in 96!!!! I was as green as you can get and I did it (131') on my 5th ocean dive ever. BUT, the groups I was with had 6 others who were either DM's or instructors and the dive op dive master said I had the abilities to do it.....so we did it......twice that week hehehe.



Anyways I think this thread should serve as a reminder to everyone that since it IS coz, and there can be currents and you can easily get seperated from your group, dont get in the water without a sasuage JIC you come up by yourself or away from your DM!!!!!!!!

 

[SubNavigator]

Was diving COZ last week, put in with two goups of six on one of the gardens just north of the Marine Park beach, I was with the first group. Note: this was my least enjoyable dive of the week. At 40 ft, we had to swim against the current (~.25 knots) for 75yards to the west south west to reach the sloping drop off (poor boat placement), swam south against the current (which dropped off to ~0.1Kt). We swam for about 10 min and recognized that the current had reversed directions. So, we turned around and swam north just below the drop off for about 8 minutes. My computer started complaining that I was within 10 min of reaching 500psi; so I started my ascent over the DM, keeping him in view as we went back over the flat sand bottom at 40ft. By then the current had dropped to nothing. After a 37 minute dive (I was the first to the surface--AIR HOG- got out of a leg cast 4 weeks before) The six divers in my group got back in the boat.

Then we started looking for the second group. We waited in place for another 10 minutes. Then we got a call on the radio and after a full throttle run of about 10 minutes the second group was picked up about 1500 yds to the north (3/4 mile).

They had performed a drift dive with thier DM, after entering the water less than 5 minutes later and a meer 100yds from where the first group entered the water.

What a difference in experience.

My other experience of the week of safety note:
* experienced diver (dove with him the day before) brings a friend (who sat out the day before)
* during a swim through at the Plancanar Bricks, friend swims over the top of me and kicks me in the head with his knees--completely oblivious.
* after the dive, he looks at his computer and boasts they went to 105ft.
* my computer max depth was 88 ft- dive plan was 90 ft.
* The following day I found out this was his SECOND OW dive.

General note: I know my current speeds and nautical distances; the highest current I saw during the week was about a 3kt burst for about 5 minutes (lucky the baracuda got out of my way)

 

[smclean]

Just read you post about Ecodivers in Cozumel. Same situation happened to us last Feb! Our Ecodiver captain left us in five foot swells, none of us had large enough signaling devices and lucky us (sarcasm), it was a late afternoon dive so we had an opportunity to watch the sun set and see all the lights twinkling on the island over a mile away. I was the only diver who had NOT seen Open Water so I was less freaked than others in our group. Seems our boat captain was new and tracked another group's bubbles then realized his mistake and headed back to find us. The wind increased and we couldn't make it back to the dock, had to stop at the first one, wait an hour for a truck, offload our gear in a gail, by the way we were now wet AND cold, had to sit in an open truck bed for a ride back to Ecodivers. I like the laid back attitute on the island but not when it comes to safety. Glad you were found and are fine. Wish I would have posted this sooner, maybe could have saved some divers the same fate.

 

[Ayisha]

Please note that this thread was not about EcoDivers - it was about Eco-Cozumel/Blue Bubble.
Perhaps the original poster should correct his first post to not cast a shadow on a dive op that was not involved.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Just read you post about Ecodivers in Cozumel. Same situation happened to us last Feb! Our Ecodiver captain left us in five foot swells, none of us had large enough signaling devices and lucky us (sarcasm), it was a late afternoon dive so we had an opportunity to watch the sun set and see all the lights twinkling on the island over a mile away. I was the only diver who had NOT seen Open Water so I was less freaked than others in our group. Seems our boat captain was new and tracked another group's bubbles then realized his mistake and headed back to find us. The wind increased and we couldn't make it back to the dock, had to stop at the first one, wait an hour for a truck, offload our gear in a gail, by the way we were now wet AND cold, had to sit in an open truck bed for a ride back to Ecodivers. I like the laid back attitute on the island but not when it comes to safety. Glad you were found and are fine. Wish I would have posted this sooner, maybe could have saved some divers the same fate.

Just out of curiosity how big of signaling devices were you carrying and did no one have a dive alert or similar?:06: I ask because we plan to go to Mexico next year(doing the keys this year ) and just ordered the new DAN signal tube. I have a neon yellow 6 footer and also carry a dive alert on my lp hose and just added a Hammerhead to my drysuit inflator/spare lp hose( I do alot of work with students and the hammerhead really gets their attention underwater). If this is not sufficient for Cozumel I'd like to know.