Missing diver

[Nemrod]

How would waterproofness to 5 meters help at the end of a dive to 30 meters? Wouldn't it be flooded? Does it come in a more waterproof case?

Garmin makes a water proof diver case for the InReach Mini-2. The unit is very small and uses a subscription plan that can be turned on and off.

I do not think there is any report that the gentleman had any such devices so not sure why this comes up. I do hope he will be found well. Currents in Cozumel can be enough in places to separate groups and including down currents that can be significant. This does not sound good.

Having a DM in Cozumel does not mean every diver must be within arms reach of the DM. It just does not work that way. These dives often turn into loose buddy group dives and even when there is a dedicated buddy teams, well, excrement happens, certainly possible anywhere.

 

[tursiops]

I do not think there is any report that the gentleman had any such devices so not sure why this comes up.

Because it was mentioned in post #13 and some misinformation got corrected.

 

[ibj40]

Not sure anything new here.

American diver lost at sea off Cozumel remains missing - Riviera Maya News

Cozumel, Q.R. -- The search for a missing American diver continues off the island of Cozumel after he failed to return to the boat Saturday.

riviera-maya-news.com

 

[ChrisM]

going on the third day... ugh

 

[cozcharlie]

While the discussion about emergency devices is interesting , I have not actually seen anything that indicates he actually made it to the surface. The one secondhand account indicated the group got separated by strong currents. The other divers made it to the surface but they did not see him there as far as I can tell.

San Juan is not far from the open ocean (Barracuda reef north of San Juan basically is open ocean ) so people can and do get lost up at the surface for varying lengths of time (minutes, hours, forever… ) However I would also like to note that the north is mostly platform reefs and walls with few places to hide from the current if it is trying to take you somewhere you don’t want to go . Where most shops come north to dive is also fairly deep, so air tends to go fast if currents don’t cooperate. Bottom line is my air consumption swings wildly in the north depending upon the day . Last time I was there we were trying to hang with eagle rays that were circling in one spot around 80-90 feet —another local and I had to head up after 40 minutes where on the southern reefs we usually do around 65-70 minutes (sometimes 80+). I was pushing a big camera as always but the other local had nothing other than tank/bcd etc. If a diver is swimming super hard trying to stay with a group it is possible even an experienced diver could have lost track of air consumption if it was way different than normal. Please note that swimming that hard also increases the chance of some sort of cardiovascular event (clearly if your air consumption skyrockets your body is working harder than normal )

What I mentioned above may have nothing to do with this incident , I am just flagging other things to be aware of for those who head north. Much of this thread has been devoted to what might have gone wrong at the surface but very little other than maybe @cicopo has talked about other issues.

Just as an aside , not all places in the north are particularly tricky. For those who use the few shops based in the north (usually at hotels ), they often dive some shallow reefs close to shore that are much safer than the walls and ridges further from shore —but few shops would bother coming up from the south up to the north to dive these sites . I am not even sure they have names.

 

[cicopo]

Age & fading lung capacity are exactly why I decided it was time to retire from diving last year. I don't feel I could fight a strong current without having to suck air way to fast to last long doing it.

 

[ggunn]

Age & fading lung capacity are exactly why I decided it was time to retire from diving last year. I don't feel I could fight a strong current without having to suck air way to fast to last long doing it.

I am getting up there as well. I still dive, but as I said in another thread, I don't dive deep anymore (80' is plenty) and I don't go into deco or get anywhere near it. If I must fight the current for any length of time, I signal my wifebuddy and the DM, deploy my SMB, head for the surface and live to dive another day.

 

[GameChanger]

I am getting up there as well. I still dive, but as I said in another thread, I don't dive deep anymore (80' is plenty) and I don't go into deco or get anywhere near it. If I must fight the current for any length of time, I signal my wifebuddy and the DM, deploy my SMB, head for the surface and live to dive another day.

I am 70, and in June 2023, I went through some unexpected debilitating spinal/nerve medical issues that required 3 surgeries, for which I am still recovering. I haven't been in the water since then, and I have come to the realization that my scuba days just may be
over. It was a great run though! Certified in San Diego at age 16 and I have been diving ever since. I miss Coz and the local friends I have made there.

Back on Topic: I always go over a pre-dive awareness "plan" with my dive buddy on how to handle getting caught in a down surge or an out surge. Gas awareness is key IMHO. There was a thread a few years ago about one of my favorite Dive Op owners, Jeremy Anschel, of Living Underwater, literally saving someone caught in a bad down surge. I asked him for advice on preparing, and he told me that being attentive to the surroundings is essential. (fish, current changes, bubbles, drifting sand, etc). San Juan and Barracudu have inherent risks, but just about any wall-dive will also. (e.g. Santa Rosa).