Cozumel seems an odd destination choice to take a group of new divers for their first ocean dives, particularly when already expressing concern for their safety. <-- addressed to Beaver Diver
Lost Diver in Cozumel, Mexico, February 2016
- Thread starter lionfish-eater
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Whenever someone suggests Cozumel as the perfect destination for new divers I feel a bit surprised. The rationale is that you don't have to worry about navigation and you just have to stick with your group. That's true of course, but when I was a new diver, drift drives were difficult for me because I had issues with proper weighting and buoyancy control. I was crashing around all over the place and feeling helpless and completely at the mercy of the current. After I gained skill with buoyancy control I really began to enjoy drift dives - but I am still not convinced that it is a good choice for some new divers.
I feel the same way about Bonaire but for different reasons. Diving and navigation are so easy on Bonaire but I don't know if it is wise to send new divers off to dive by themselves at remote locations without a divemaster present. I know that each diver has to be responsible for his/her safety but I think it can be helpful to have a professional nearby when you are still developing your skills and getting comfortable.
I guess a lot depends on the individual. We did our first dives in Florida and the Keys and I think that was a good choice for us. We were in the US so that added to feeling comfortable and we went out with small groups, stayed fairly shallow, and followed the divemaster so it was pretty easy. And we saw loads of beautiful sea life. But I know that Florida can mean long boat rides and sometimes the waves can get pretty rough, but we were lucky and it was great experience.
I've taken new divers to Cozumel for years and there are a few things we do to prepare them.
We tupically stay at SCC so everyone does a weight check and a shore dive, or two, beforehand.
Since we usually fill the boat, or two, we have a say in the dive sites.
First days dives are shallow with little current and fairly flat bottom. Second day is based on my and the DM's assessment of the new divers.
Needless to say, sites line Palancar are not first day dives.
jbishop.rwc
Registered
Started as a new diver in CZ. First OW dives were Columbia Shallows and Palancar Gardens during OW certification.
Maybe we were lucky, but found these to be very easy dives. Warm water, almost no current, and great visibility. Can't imagine an easier dive for novices. Are there easier dives in CZ?
Maybe we were lucky, but found these to be very easy dives. Warm water, almost no current, and great visibility. Can't imagine an easier dive for novices. Are there easier dives in CZ?
DjDiverDan
Contributor
My very first ocean dives were in Cozumel, many years ago (1989), and I didn't have any trouble at all. There were 4 new divers on that trip, and we all got a thorough briefing on drift diving, and the rules to follow - stay behind the DM, how to minimize your cross-section in the current, staying trimmed and controlling buoyancy, getting flat on the bottom, hiding behind a coral head, etc. I personally think Cozumel is a great location for new divers. I wouldn't recommend taking then to Punta Sur, or Santa Rosa Wall, or Barracuda or Maracaibo until they had at least 25-50 dives in and you were pretty certain of their skills and ability to handle themselves. But there are plenty of places, starting with Columbia Shallows, Palancar Gardens, even Paradise (which I find kind of boring unless it's a night dive) where you can take newbies on safe dives to get them acclimated to drift diving.
Interesting take on it. I went to coz last summer with the scubaboard group. I took my girlfriend, and our first dive in Coz was her first dive since certification. No significant issues at all. Many of the dives we did were super easy. There are dives in coz that are shallow reef dives, we did a few. By the end of the week we had done Santa Rosa (I think, are there other huge walls in coz? I've got to check my log).
She might have had more trouble if she were a new diver with no DM and an insta-buddy. I don't think coz is a bad place for a new diver, with an appropriate level of support - good buddy and a dm or perhaps DM is the buddy.
Just my take on that. I'm certainly no expert diver, but I'd like to think I'm no longer a beginner.
One more thing to note. At least with the operator I used (dive paradise) they carefully considered each diver's qualifications and skill levels. Boats were grouped according to diver ability, and dives planned accordingly. I went on a fast boat one day without my GF and did a more challenging dive. Same operator, but they tailored the dives to the skill and ability of the divers on the boat that day. I assume (maybe in error?) that most or all of the operations down there do this. They do earn a living selling dives, so I doubt any of them are carelessly throwing people in over their head so to speak.
Why is the reporter blaming the port guy for the accident? Is that just bad translation? I don't understand what he would have to do with the accident at all?
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I just checked the log book and my very first dive in Cozumel was dive number 36, so we were new divers but not brand new, but Cozumel was our first experience with drift diving. By dive 36 you would think that I would have weighting and buoyancy figured out but apparently not! We were at a resort and using the on-site dive op and there was no check out dives or special instructions given about drift diving. By dive number 37 we were on Palancar Reef and deeper than 100 feet.
I remember those early Cozumel dives as "not much fun" and eventually I banged into a coral head with my tank and broke off a small piece of coral. I didn't even realize that I had damaged the reef but the divemaster escorted me back to the scene of the crime and balled me out underwater and continued to lecture me when we got back on the boat.
That was embarrassing and uncomfortable, but the next time we went out the same divemaster took me under his wing and helped me with weighting, buoyancy, and drift diving - and I was very grateful. After that drift diving started to become enjoyable!
So I guess Cozumel would be fine for new divers as long as they are with professionals that recognize their skill levels and give them good instruction about drift diving, pick out appropriate dive sites, and keep a close eye on them.
But for novices that are sort of on their own, it may not be the best choice.
I remember those early Cozumel dives as "not much fun" and eventually I banged into a coral head with my tank and broke off a small piece of coral. I didn't even realize that I had damaged the reef but the divemaster escorted me back to the scene of the crime and balled me out underwater and continued to lecture me when we got back on the boat.
That was embarrassing and uncomfortable, but the next time we went out the same divemaster took me under his wing and helped me with weighting, buoyancy, and drift diving - and I was very grateful. After that drift diving started to become enjoyable!
So I guess Cozumel would be fine for new divers as long as they are with professionals that recognize their skill levels and give them good instruction about drift diving, pick out appropriate dive sites, and keep a close eye on them.
But for novices that are sort of on their own, it may not be the best choice.
Cozumel like a lot of places could be a great first dive experience, but that's with planning:
1) follow through with the dive trip leader
2) follow through with the dive operation
3) follow through with the dive masters
4) matching the weather to the dive sites
5) avoiding any sites with temporary harsh currents.
That is a long list of things that have to be addressed to ensure a super safe, very easy dive experience. Anybody drops the ball on any of them and the train can go off the rails very quickly.
I've witnessed
1) follow through with the dive trip leader - dive trip leader not making sure the dive operator was taking them to the right milder dive sites
2) follow through with the dive operation - dive operation not working with the dive trip leader to go to the right milder dive sites
3) follow through with the dive masters - dive masters not understanding their clientele and pushing the thresholds too much
4) matching the weather to the dive sites - one time in Cozumel squall came up just after lunch time, 1 dive boat sank others barely made it back into the harbor, the Cozumel dive fleet ranges from very sea worthy craft to stuff that is going to be in big trouble if a couple of bad conditions coincide at the same time
5) avoiding any sites with temporary harsh currents. - seasonally the currents can change and get squirrely santa rosa wall can go from a beginners dive to an advanced dive over the course of one day
In short Cozumel can be managed very well and everyone remains safe and has a great time, but anybody drops the ball and things can get bad quickly. The fact that beaverdivers already said they are avoiding santa rosa wall shows me he is being proactive and knows all of the above already.
1) follow through with the dive trip leader
2) follow through with the dive operation
3) follow through with the dive masters
4) matching the weather to the dive sites
5) avoiding any sites with temporary harsh currents.
That is a long list of things that have to be addressed to ensure a super safe, very easy dive experience. Anybody drops the ball on any of them and the train can go off the rails very quickly.
I've witnessed
1) follow through with the dive trip leader - dive trip leader not making sure the dive operator was taking them to the right milder dive sites
2) follow through with the dive operation - dive operation not working with the dive trip leader to go to the right milder dive sites
3) follow through with the dive masters - dive masters not understanding their clientele and pushing the thresholds too much
4) matching the weather to the dive sites - one time in Cozumel squall came up just after lunch time, 1 dive boat sank others barely made it back into the harbor, the Cozumel dive fleet ranges from very sea worthy craft to stuff that is going to be in big trouble if a couple of bad conditions coincide at the same time
5) avoiding any sites with temporary harsh currents. - seasonally the currents can change and get squirrely santa rosa wall can go from a beginners dive to an advanced dive over the course of one day
In short Cozumel can be managed very well and everyone remains safe and has a great time, but anybody drops the ball and things can get bad quickly. The fact that beaverdivers already said they are avoiding santa rosa wall shows me he is being proactive and knows all of the above already.
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Most recent press release:
Waiting for results
COZUMEL, 14 February.- The ministry officials are awaiting the results of forensic analysis, although at present has not been established that a skull found by divers in the deep sea, located on the reefs called "Tunich" could be the American tourist Connie Greilak, who disappeared last Tuesday at sea.
according to data provided by the Naval Sector, about 09:45 pm last Saturday 13 of this month, a group of divers performed a tour of the reef area "Tunich Wall" located off the beaches of Secret Aura Cozumel Resort hotel, but great was his surprise to the dive instructor AN J, 51 years old, having seen the skull, with few signs of skin and hair, about 16 meters deep.
as he notified the municipal and ministerial authorities, however, being a federal area who came was another group of divers, but the Naval Rescue Station who took part, being taken to the same premises of the Ministry of the Navy of Mexico, and then make a report to the ministerial authorities, who are responsible for due diligence.
Meanwhile the commander of the State Judicial Police, Alejandro Rodríguez Ojeda, in this regard, said that investigations carried out by the department staff seconded experts to the Attorney General del Estado (PJE), be coordinated with the Attorney General's Office and the Navy.
they will expect the consulate United States send an American expert, in coordination with Cozumel (through the teeth) able to identify the now deceased, according accurate data, since the bones and skull of a woman, even at the moment it could not be precise question of American Connie Greilak, 65 years old, who missed Tuesday 10 of this month.
Waiting for results
COZUMEL, 14 February.- The ministry officials are awaiting the results of forensic analysis, although at present has not been established that a skull found by divers in the deep sea, located on the reefs called "Tunich" could be the American tourist Connie Greilak, who disappeared last Tuesday at sea.
according to data provided by the Naval Sector, about 09:45 pm last Saturday 13 of this month, a group of divers performed a tour of the reef area "Tunich Wall" located off the beaches of Secret Aura Cozumel Resort hotel, but great was his surprise to the dive instructor AN J, 51 years old, having seen the skull, with few signs of skin and hair, about 16 meters deep.
as he notified the municipal and ministerial authorities, however, being a federal area who came was another group of divers, but the Naval Rescue Station who took part, being taken to the same premises of the Ministry of the Navy of Mexico, and then make a report to the ministerial authorities, who are responsible for due diligence.
Meanwhile the commander of the State Judicial Police, Alejandro Rodríguez Ojeda, in this regard, said that investigations carried out by the department staff seconded experts to the Attorney General del Estado (PJE), be coordinated with the Attorney General's Office and the Navy.
they will expect the consulate United States send an American expert, in coordination with Cozumel (through the teeth) able to identify the now deceased, according accurate data, since the bones and skull of a woman, even at the moment it could not be precise question of American Connie Greilak, 65 years old, who missed Tuesday 10 of this month.
Do bodies decompose that quickly in the ocean such that they should be finding a skull?
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