drrich2
Contributor
I haven't done a live-aboard yet. From what I've read, the advantages are:
1.) Efficient high dive life-style, like ScubaFanatic described. Gear stays set up, put on, dive, crawl out, take off, eat, nap, repeat. I've noticed other live-aboard threads talk about 4 or 5 dives per day, the 5'th a night dive. Seems like you guys are max. 4. Any night dives? (Note: I'm aware Cozumel is famous for drift diving - which I'm guessing might be a problem at night?). It's because of this 'high frequency diving' that people like nitrox to keep NDL's at bay. To me (not everybody), live-aboards and (for me) Bonaire are the 2 main reasons for nitrox!
2.) Exotic dive sites - hitting less dove, more pristine reefs better populated with larger fish & other life forms, because the sites aren't practical to reach from shore. I think some Bahamas live-aboards draw on this. Are the sites you hit significantly superior to the those the boat charter people hit?
If I were planning a Cozumel trip (actually hope to do 2 or 3 dives one day visiting early 2011), I'd consider a land resort & boat charter combo. so I'd have the option to see the island, eat at a variety of places, & see some Mayan ruins & maybe jungle. If I'd dove Cozumel a few times before, I might be indifferent to much of that, but not as a newcomer.
Your live-aboard option would intrigue me, but would the added convenience/simplicity &, if it applies, more exotic dive sites make up for the loss of the land-based advantages? Especially with no nitrox & a max. of 4 dives per day? Not knocking the idea; just exploring it.
Richard.
1.) Efficient high dive life-style, like ScubaFanatic described. Gear stays set up, put on, dive, crawl out, take off, eat, nap, repeat. I've noticed other live-aboard threads talk about 4 or 5 dives per day, the 5'th a night dive. Seems like you guys are max. 4. Any night dives? (Note: I'm aware Cozumel is famous for drift diving - which I'm guessing might be a problem at night?). It's because of this 'high frequency diving' that people like nitrox to keep NDL's at bay. To me (not everybody), live-aboards and (for me) Bonaire are the 2 main reasons for nitrox!
2.) Exotic dive sites - hitting less dove, more pristine reefs better populated with larger fish & other life forms, because the sites aren't practical to reach from shore. I think some Bahamas live-aboards draw on this. Are the sites you hit significantly superior to the those the boat charter people hit?
If I were planning a Cozumel trip (actually hope to do 2 or 3 dives one day visiting early 2011), I'd consider a land resort & boat charter combo. so I'd have the option to see the island, eat at a variety of places, & see some Mayan ruins & maybe jungle. If I'd dove Cozumel a few times before, I might be indifferent to much of that, but not as a newcomer.
Your live-aboard option would intrigue me, but would the added convenience/simplicity &, if it applies, more exotic dive sites make up for the loss of the land-based advantages? Especially with no nitrox & a max. of 4 dives per day? Not knocking the idea; just exploring it.
Richard.
