Major Freak Out - What should I have done differently?

[BRT]

A reputable dive shop gave you a 32% Nitrox bottle and took you to the Devil's throat? The MOD at 32% is only 107' at 1.4 PO2 on my Cobra; so this is so unwise i almost think you must be mistaken and could be a recipe for disaster. You were very smart not to attempt this.

I've done this dive twice, with experienced divers only, and I am TDI Cavern certified. It is far from the best dive on the island, but remains popular and is considered iconic, which is unfortunate. It can be done safely without deco obligation on an AL80, even on my Suunto Cobra, as the swim-throughs get progressively deeper and you are not at 130' for an extended period. Nearly all shops use AL 80's for this dive unless otherwise requested, with a few notable exceptions. You may get very close or go into a 4 or 6 minute deco on a Suunto that will evaporate as you slowly ascend, leaving you with just a safety stop. I personally do not consider it to be a full cave dive, and I do not recall any sections that are completely dark, although some are pretty dim. I do consider it to be a cavern dive, and while overhead training may not be a requirement for this dive maybe it should be and it is certainly helpful. I always carry a light and DSMB, along with a storm whistle (that thing HURTS if you blow it too hard without dipping your ears in the water) and signal mirror everywhere, but many of these are especially important for drift diving in Cozumel or similar drift diving locations with significant current. This was taught to me in OW, but I had a particularly attentive instructor, and I had made it clear we were planning our first dive trip to Cozumel. We took several practice dives and completed AOW before that first trip due to the nature of the dives we would be making. I did not do (and would not have attempted even if offered) Devils throat on that trip - not until a trip a few years and about 150 dives later. I will say that the dive shop I use will not bring anyone there with whom they do not have extensive experience, and make both that and the deep, dark, and overhead nature of the dive extremely clear up front to anyone who requests it. Needless to say, NITROX is not on the menu. To answer the OP's basic question, yes, I think recreational divers can be brought here, but only with the specific conditions of the dive clearly known up front and only if they are properly equipped and experienced.

That said, based upon the OP's report and responses, he did pretty well to manage a difficult situation, and has realized he needs to modify his kit for drift dives. As others have said, an DSMB or SMB at minimum is required and it does not hurt to carry a light on all dives (I use one at least a few times on most). Adding surface signalling options is a must for all drift dive locations, most especially deep sites like Devil's Throat or even more so for the more remote, less frequented northern fast current sites in Cozumel like Barracuda. If you can't signal your boat there you have a slow one way ticket to Cuba.

I'm not mistaken. I don't dive nitrox without checking the bottle myself. Probably should check the 21% bottles too! The 1.4 PP MOD on 32% is 111 feet and the 1.6 PP MOD is 132. If I ever have a real reason to pop down below 111 on 32% I probably will but have chosen not to so far. Most of our dives are not done under supervision of a nanny and I appreciate dive shops that help us without making our decisions. The shop we were with has seen us dive and doesn't watch us too close. So far as nitrox goes a bottle of 28% would be perfect for DT and we would have gone through if that was what we had.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

While many will disagree with me, I am not a fan of spools if you are already task loaded with a camera or speargun, as those are entanglement hazards. A good spool, such as those by Manta Ray, will serve you much better. Entanglements are not fun.

What task loading? Unless you're trying to shoot a selfie while you're shooting your bag, there's no task loading. Clip it off. Let it dangle. There's no more task loading with a camera than there is with your SPG. As for spearguns... I've never used one, nor dove with anybody using one. I do carry around a Foldspear, in places where killing the damned Lionfish is legal. Again, no task loading, since I'm not going to shoot a Lionfish while I'm shooting my bag.

And I don't understand what you mean by "not a fan of spools [...] a good spool [...] will serve you much better." You don't like spools, because a spool is better? #headscratch

I recently dove in Bonaire with no guide, and I did feel like it made me a better diver (no dark swim throughs there though!). Perhaps I rely a bit too much on my dive computer. Interestingly, my bf was certified OW a few months ago and HE had to teach the instructors how to use dive tables. They basically said, just use your computer! (I'm not condoning this btw)

In this day and age, the vast majority of divers use computers. Using tables is, for most, an optional skill. Frankly, I've never used tables except in a class. For recreational dives, I use my computers and gas supply. For technical, I use a calculator or V-Planner.
I'd rather see someone diving with a computer, and understanding what the stuff on the screen means, than learning to use tables that'll be stuffed in a drawer after class anyway.

I'm very interested to learn about various tank sizes and how they differ. Am I completely alone in that I never learned anything about this in OW, AOW or Enriched Air training?? I've never rented tanks or dove with an operation that used anything different than (I suppose) AL80's or even asked me if I wanted anything different. Obviously, it's something I need to learn, but Is it safe to assume that most recreational divers don't know much about this?

I think you're pretty much alone... I don't have the PADI OW texts in front of me (they're probably stuffed in a drawer, next to the dive tables...) but I do recall that there is a fair bit of information about gear in there, including how to read the tank markings.

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
I'm very interested to learn about various tank sizes and how they differ. Am I completely alone in that I never learned anything about this in OW, AOW or Enriched Air training?? I've never rented tanks or dove with an operation that used anything different than (I suppose) AL80's or even asked me if I wanted anything different. Obviously, it's something I need to learn, but Is it safe to assume that most recreational divers don't know much about this?

You're not alone. I was clueless about tank sizes before I joined SB and don't think I had seen anything in my several years of tropical resort diving except what I now recognize as the good ol' Aluminum 80. I doubt we're alone.

. . .
[Devil's Throat] is far from the best dive on the island, but remains popular and is considered iconic, which is unfortunate. . . .

Yep. Eating the worm that's supposedly in the mezcal bottle is unfortunately iconic, too, but one is allowed to "just say no." Only a jerk would reply to your dive trip report by saying "I can't believe you didn't do Devil's Throat!" Believe it--plenty of people choose not to do it. I haven't been on a dive boat in Cozumel where the DM didn't either ask if we had preferences or at least say something like "How about Devil's Throat?--it's an advanced dive, a long, deep swim-through ...." Sometimes, the DM will take a show-of-hands vote. If you haven't done that sort of dive before and/or aren't familiar with the ramifications or it just plain doesn't sound appealing to you, I don't recommend using your vacation in Cozumel as a learning experience. Freaking out in a swim-through could endanger others. Diving is the only way to gain experience, but consider saving the major leaps for a more appropriate learning environment.

Surviving a dive you know is beyond what you've done before and for which you are not truly prepared is not going to earn you a notch in your belt, experience points, or whatever. If you really do want to learn about caverns, take a Cavern course (as mentioned by Qnape, whose comment I quoted). If I'm on your boat, I'm going to vote against Devil's Throat.

 

[diving4ever]

Worrying about what the DM may have done wrong or whether or not this is a recreational dive won't help you become a better, safer diver.

Understanding what one can/should expect from a professional DM does help you become a better/safer diver. Divers who know what consitutes a good DM dive with better/safer ops and are more likely to develop sound independent judgement.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

A camera can easily be clipped off to a D-ring and forgotten. If you can't do that, you've no business to carry a camera while diving. If you can't shoot a dSMB while carrying a camera, you'd better get in the water at a benign site and start training.

Good luck clipping this camera onto a D-ring and forgetting about it.

 

[jbomb001]

I'm going to tell a story from a recent dive and I'd like to hear some various feedback. I'm pretty aware now of what I should have done differently, but I'd also like to know if you think the DM should have done anything differently?


I'm AOW with about 100 dives (mostly vacation). I recently went out with a dive op that I know and trust implicitly, although with a new DM I had only dove with once the day before. On the boat were myself and two other customers (one of which was very advanced and one who had been certified OW a few days earlier but picked up on diving easily-

Main thing I see wrong here is that they took this newly certified diver who you state got certified that week onto this site.. for you and the more advanced diver this site should have been a possibility but for a new diver to be taken to 130 feet in any type of overhead is careless to me. I know the other diver was not the one that ran into an issue and I realize that you handled your issue as best you could and the fact you are ok tells me you did right by you. But had that week long diver ran into that same near panic situation it is likely they would not have dealt with it well at all. This could have ended way worse...

Sent from my galaxy S5 Active.

 

[Storker]

Good luck clipping this camera onto a D-ring and forgetting about it.

What is it?

I carry an OM-D E-M5 with two strobes and a GoPro. I routinely fold the strobe arms and clip it to my left chest D-ring on ascent. It's about as obtrusive as a stage bottle or a slung pony. Leaves both my hands and 95+ % of my mental bandwidth avaiable for shooting my dSMB and otherwise ensuring a safe ascent. I don't consciosuly think about my rig until I feel it dangling a little when I climb ashore.



--
Sent from my Android phone
Typos are a feature, not a bug

 

[Qnape]

I'm not mistaken. I don't dive nitrox without checking the bottle myself. Probably should check the 21% bottles too! The 1.4 PP MOD on 32% is 111 feet and the 1.6 PP MOD is 132. If I ever have a real reason to pop down below 111 on 32% I probably will but have chosen not to so far. Most of our dives are not done under supervision of a nanny and I appreciate dive shops that help us without making our decisions. The shop we were with has seen us dive and doesn't watch us too close. So far as nitrox goes a bottle of 28% would be perfect for DT and we would have gone through if that was what we had.

I was certainly not suggesting that you did not check your gas, but I was surprised since it is so tight up on limits. I did not think a dive shop would even suggest or offer a 32% tank for that dive - mine certainly suggested only air. The shops I know on the island do not custom mix their gas and offer only a 32% or 36% mix from Meridiano. I should probably have said "32% Nitrox is not on the menu" but did not think to specify due to the prevalence of the standard 32% mix there (in my limited experience - perhaps 150 dives on the island). I do know that some shops do mix their own fills - but I have not used those shops. As I stated, Suunto uses a particularly conservative algorithm, although many consider it more realistic; I checked the MOD for 32% at 1.4 PP before I posted. I did not check it at 1.6pp but I know it is below 130'. I would not dive it at DT as it would exceed the limit on my computer even if I set it to 1.6 pp which I do not do (personal, conservative choice). I agree that 28% works and recently used a 26% mix for a 130' wreck penetration dive myself (not on Cozumel). My point is, I guess that while it may work depending on your tolerance for risk (OxTox does not set in instantly upon exceeding tolerances and individuals will certainly vary in their response to exposure) and the algorithm employed this does not leave much room for error. Those conditions (deep, dark, and in an overhead environment) are far from ideal for pushing tolerances to the limit.

 

[Dhboner]

I'm not a fan of Nitrox on any dive that close to the MOD with the potential to go WAY deeper with any kind of wing failure. But that's just me.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

What is it?I carry an OM-D E-M5 with two strobes and a GoPro. I routinely fold the strobe arms and clip it to my left chest D-ring on ascent. It's about as obtrusive as a stage bottle or a slung pony. Leaves both my hands and 95+ % of my mental bandwidth avaiable for shooting my dSMB and otherwise ensuring a safe ascent. I don't consciosuly think about my rig until I feel it dangling a little when I climb ashore.-- Sent from my Android phoneTypos are a feature, not a bug

You have a small camera. You are not going to have a Canon 5D Mark III in Aquatica housing with Sea&Sea YS-D1 strobes dangling from your harness. If you have an entanglement issue, you must unclip this camera and set it on the sea floor, because that setup is a magnet for line.