I just got back from a week of diving in Cozumel with the dive operation: Dive Paradise. We did not have a good experience with this operation, for several reasons. One of which I will report here.
The final day of our trip, we did three dives with Dive Paradise - the final dive tallied 14 dives total for the trip. The boat left dock at about 3:00 pm and took us to Paradise Reef: our dive plan was to dive Paradise Wall for half the dive, then Paradise Shallows for the second half. Paradise Wall is deeper and further from shore. Paradise Shallow tracks directly into the cruise ship lane.
When we jumped into the water, the current was extremely strong, but the dive proceeded as planned. About 30 minutes into the dive, we arrived at what appeared to be a mooring line - a chain extended to the surface on a buoy: we had obviously come close to the cruise ship docks, though none of the divers realized this at the time. The guide had the perfectly safe option of ascending for our planned 3 to 5 minute safety stop on the mooring line, but instead chose to direct the group of six into the current (an impossible feat... and at least one of the divers had less than 1000psi remaining in his tank at the time), then rapidly ascended from approximately 60' to 20' at a rate far too fast for safety. All six divers chose to ascend more slowly not realizing the danger because we were not briefed on procedures if we came near the cruise ship lane. The guide continued to the surface with his SMB deployed. All divers initially attempted to complete a safety stop. It wasn't until another diver realized how near we were to the cruise ship lane (by the sound of the ship) that the group understood the danger and surfaced. Upon surfacing, the group was approximately 100-150m from a cruise ship that was powering up to leave port. The current was pulling the group directly and quickly toward the ship.
Three divers and the guide were permitted to climb on board the dive boat (one of the small 'fast' boats). The remaining three divers were asked to hang onto the side of the boat as the captain powered up the twin engines and drove quickly away from the cruise ship area. During this ride, at least one of the divers' head was underwater, though he fortunately had the presence of mind to keep his regulator in his mouth.
When all remaining divers were on board, the guide never once asked if the group was ok. He was more worried about receiving a fine for being too close to the cruise ship area, and indicated this by asking: "Did anyone hear them call harbour patrol". Nobody on the boat was able to complete a safety stop: each diver had between 1 - 2 minutes remaining on their 3 minute safety stop when we were forced to the surface.
So the questions are:
- When the guide realized the speed of the current, why did he choose still to take the group to the shallower area of the site that would take us into the cruise ship lane?
- Or, why did he take us to this site at all - being an experienced guide he should know the approximate cruise ship schedule and know to avoid the area.
- When we reached the mooring line, why did he not choose to ascend along the line instead of cutting back against the current and being pulled closer to the cruise ship
- Finally: the cruise ship will not leave until the pilot ship gives permission: why was the decision made to make 3 divers hang off the side of the boat while under power? This only adds to the potential of injury if someone lost grip and fell into the twin motors.
We were extremely unhappy with the service and experience we were subjected to at Dive Paradise in Cozumel, and will not recommend this operation to anyone in the future. The staff with few exceptions are unfriendly, arrogant, and extremely poor decision makers. Avoid this shop if possible.
