New Diver: Drift Diving Dives 5-15 & Nitrox Cert

[SeaBunny88]

Hi All,

I was planning on going to Curacao for my next trip, but flights actually aren't working out. We've decided to pivot to Cozumel. I almost posted there, but my topic more so has to do with being a new diver and tackling drift dives. I feel pretty confident in choosing Scuba Tony with a private dive guide for most of my dives and Scuba with Mario.

I know there are beginner sites in Cozumel, and I will talk with Scuba Tony directly this week, but generally I have some fear around the unknown with drift diving.

1. Descending: I had to go slow down a mooring line for my OW dives in Key Largo. Will there be a mooring line and the ability to descend slowly without losing the group? Do I have to worry a lot about the group with a private dive guide?
2. What if I can't equalize that day? I was able to equalize on all of my OW dives, but I have heard that sometimes equalizing can be a challenge, and as stated above I had to go slow in Key Largo.
3. Biggest question: How does the boat know where to pick us up? I will have an inReach with a dive case.
4. As a new diver, I don't have (and am not trained to use) an SMB. Is this a concern? Is renting one an option?

I plan on doing 5 days of diving, two tanks a day, maybe an extra tank or two with Scuba with Mario on one or two days. Should I pursue Nitrox certification? Will that add a lot of complexity to my diving? I was not task loaded during OW and am a technically-minded person.

Thank you!

 

[arew+4]

Hi All,

I was planning on going to Curacao for my next trip, but flights actually aren't working out. We've decided to pivot to Cozumel. I almost posted there, but my topic more so has to do with being a new diver and tackling drift dives. I feel pretty confident in choosing Scuba Tony with a private dive guide for most of my dives and Scuba with Mario.

I know there are beginner sites in Cozumel, and I will talk with Scuba Tony directly this week, but generally I have some fear around the unknown with drift diving.

1. Descending: I had to go slow down a mooring line for my OW dives in Key Largo. Will there be a mooring line and the ability to descend slowly without losing the group? Do I have to worry a lot about the group with a private dive guide?
2. What if I can't equalize that day? I was able to equalize on all of my OW dives, but I have heard that sometimes equalizing can be a challenge, and as stated above I had to go slow in Key Largo.
3. Biggest question: How does the boat know where to pick us up? I will have an inReach with a dive case.
4. As a new diver, I don't have (and am not trained to use) an SMB. Is this a concern? Is renting one an option?

I plan on doing 5 days of diving, two tanks a day, maybe an extra tank or two with Scuba with Mario on one or two days. Should I pursue Nitrox certification? Will that add a lot of complexity to my diving? I was not task loaded during OW and am a technically-minded person.

Thank you!

Honestly, I would recommend another location. Not just for you, but for anyone just out of class.
No lines for descent or ascent, current speed can vary with depth you could get separated, guide will launch SMB at end of dive, if your ooa early you go up and hang out with the buoy The boat follows the divers more or less.

 

[boulderjohn]

Descending: You will be descending in open water, without a line. It isn't that hard. Many thousands of brand new divers have done it in Cozumel before you. The DMs are used to it. Let them know you might be slow about it.

Equalizing: Many new divers have trouble equalizing. One diver who had a whole lot of trouble as a new diver is typing this post right now. I did all my early diving in Cozumel. I learned that it was easier and easier for me as time went on. I therefore would go snorkeling the day I arrived and do breath hold dives deeper and deeper. It helped a lot. I also learned to equalize early and often. Here is what i mean by early and often, I learned that two weeks before the trip, while sitting on the sofa watching TV, was a good time to start. I equalized on the flights to Cozumel. I equalized in the hotel room. I equalized on the boat heading to the dive site. I equalized sitting on the edge of the boat before my back roll entry. Today I have no issues--it just took a while for my eustachian tubes to get the hang of it.

Pickup: The boat follows your groups bubbles, and it is easier than you would expect. At the end of the dive, the DM will shoot a DSMB.

SMB: Buy one now. Use it for all such dives or the rest of your life.

 

[SeaBunny88]

Honestly, I would recommend another location. Not just for you, but for anyone just out of class.
No lines for descent or ascent, current speed can vary with depth you could get separated, guide will launch SMB at end of dive, if your ooa early you go up and hang out with the buoy The boat follows the divers more or less.

I was going to avoid Cozumel as my first location post-cert, but then I've read not to let that deter me... that plenty of new divers get OW certified in Coz and do fine. What do you mean by hang out with the buoy? I'd love it if someone could give me a play-by-play of a standard drift dive. I do have a fear of surfacing and the boat not knowing where we (or I) am. I know they do this every day, but the unknown is hard for me!

Descending: You will be descending in open water, without a line. It isn't that hard. Many thousands of brand new divers have done it in Cozumel before you. The DMs are used to it. Let them know you might be slow about it.

Equalizing: Many new divers have trouble equalizing. One diver who had a whole lot of trouble as a new diver is typing this post right now. I did all my early diving in Cozumel. I learned that it was easier and easier for me as time went on. I therefore would go snorkeling the day I arrived and do breath hold dives deeper and deeper. It helped a lot. I also learned to equalize early and often. Here is what i mean by early and often, I learned that two weeks before the trip, while sitting on the sofa watching TV, was a good time to start. I equalized on the flights to Cozumel. I equalized in the hotel room. I equalized on the boat heading to the dive site. I equalized sitting on the edge of the boat before my back roll entry. Today I have no issues--it just took a while for my eustachian tubes to get the hang of it.

Pickup: The boat follows your groups bubbles, and it is easier than you would expect. At the end of the dive, the DM will shoot a DSMB.

SMB: Buy one now. Use it for all such dives or the rest of your life.'=

I don't feel intimidated about descending without a line if I'm not in a current, but I am a little intimidated in the current. That's one of the big reasons I want to hire a private dive guide. The second main reason is I won't have a dive buddy and, being new, I want to be paired up with someone who will do things thoroughly and by the books. I'm a very by-the-book, detailed-oriented person.

After Key Largo, I started consciously equalizing all the time. I live at high elevations in the mountains and equalize all day now (before I would mostly just let it happen naturally, and only pay attention to equalizing if a mountain pass was particularly pressurized). Hopefully this will help in Cozumel! When I was in Key Largo, I read on a thread here that the more the equalizing muscles get worked the easier it is. I didn't practice before KL but have been diligent since.

I will buy an SMB!

 

[boulderjohn]

I'd love it if someone could give me a play-by-play of a standard drift dive.

1. Divers enter the water. The DM sees that everyone is ready and then signals the descent.
2. Divers descend in a group, with the DM controlling the speed of the descent so that slower descenders are not left behind.
3. On some occasions, especially with newer divers, the group will meet together in a sandy area before truly starting the dive. That is not usual, though.
4. The DM leads the dive, with everyone staying in a loose group. Sometimes people are assigned buddies within the group, but that is not universal.
5. The DM checks divers' air supplies several times.
6. If divers run low quickly, the DM shoots a DSMB, and a buddy team ascends along the line and gets picked up.
7. When the whole group is ready for the safety stop, the DM sends up a DSMB, if one was not sent up earlier.
8. The group does a safety stop together.
9. The DM signals the final ascent.
10. Everyone climbs on the boat.

 

[NauticalNick]

1. Divers enter the water. The DM sees that everyone is ready and then signals the descent.
2. Divers descend in a group, with the DM controlling the speed of the descent so that slower descenders are not left behind.
3. On some occasions, especially with newer divers, the group will meet together in a sandy area before truly starting the dive. That is not usual, though.
4. The DM leads the dive, with everyone staying in a loose group. Sometimes people are assigned buddies within the group, but that is not universal.
5. The DM checks divers' air supplies several times.
6. If divers run low quickly, the DM shoots a DSMB, and a buddy team ascends along the line and gets picked up.
7. When the whole group is ready for the safety stop, the DM sends up a DSMB, if one was not sent up earlier.
8. The group does a safety stop together.
9. The DM signals the final ascent.
10. Everyone climbs on the boat.

This is literally it. I wouldn't be too intimidated as there will be others of a similar skill level and of the times I have been to Cozumel I have never found the current to be too much of an issue. They're going to drop you in together and then you'll all be relaxing while you ride the same drift. It's just diving on a conveyor so can be the easiest dive of your life. Typically in the operations there will be ratio of 4:1 divers per DM or better if there are a lot of new divers and they will just send you up with one of the staff if you happen to be OOA early. As mentioned though everyone will be grouped together with the dive guide out front.

 

[tursiops]

OP, I'll bet you equalize with Valsalva (pinch and blow). Many think this is possibly the worst method...dangerous even, if you blow too hard. Check this out:

6 Methods to Equalize Your Ears

All methods for equalizing your ears are simply ways to open the lower ends of your Eustachian tubes, so air can enter.

dan.org

 

[arkstorm]

I plan on doing 5 days of diving, two tanks a day, maybe an extra tank or two with Scuba with Mario on one or two days. Should I pursue Nitrox certification? Will that add a lot of complexity to my diving? I was not task loaded during OW and am a technically-minded person.

Its never too early in your diving career to get Enriched Air (Nitrox) certified. It does not add any task loading to your dives. The only additional tasks are done above water prior to the dive. I.e., you analyze the contents of your tank, label your tank and change your dive computer setting to match the contents of the tank.

Very easy and adds a margin of safety, especially on repetitive dive profiles.

The certification does not even require any dives, its all e-learning and/or classroom.

 

[NorCalDM]

Drift diving is fun and the only way to get experience in current is to dive in current. Just be upfront with the guides about your experience and they will help you along they are used to dealing with new divers. Equalizing gets easier the more you do it and at some point you will do it without thinking about it. Buy an SMB/spool and learn how to use many dive ops require you have one. You can use the structure to hide from the current if you want to slow down. If you are staying to high off the bottom or to far from the wall the current can catch you and speed you up. I watch the fish or particles in the water at the corner of walls or at a drop off to see what they are doing it can give you a hint to what the current maybe doing.

 

[nighthawk91]

1. Divers enter the water. The DM sees that everyone is ready and then signals the descent.
2. Divers descend in a group, with the DM controlling the speed of the descent so that slower descenders are not left behind.
3. On some occasions, especially with newer divers, the group will meet together in a sandy area before truly starting the dive. That is not usual, though.
4. The DM leads the dive, with everyone staying in a loose group. Sometimes people are assigned buddies within the group, but that is not universal.
5. The DM checks divers' air supplies several times.
6. If divers run low quickly, the DM shoots a DSMB, and a buddy team ascends along the line and gets picked up.
7. When the whole group is ready for the safety stop, the DM sends up a DSMB, if one was not sent up earlier.
8. The group does a safety stop together.
9. The DM signals the final ascent.
10. Everyone climbs on the boat.

I also agree with this post.

I was certified in Cozumel, by my LDS last Feb. It was a group trip. For us, we have 8-10 divers on the boat. A DM and an instructor from my LDS. We have our buddy pairs. The DM will do a head count 5-6 time during the 50-60 min dive. And remind everyone to check their air supply a couple of times, maybe after 30 minutes.

The boat captain knows the current, and watches the bubbles. Even with all the dive groups in the area, theybknow where you will be.. The captain knows the DM's SMB, so can see where the group will surface.

You should be instructed to not swim to the boat, they will come to you. If for some strange reason you do get "lost". Another boat will be near by. You can flag them down, they can radio Tony to pick you up. I've been on the surface for over 5 minutes, and the boat seems to find us just fine.

The only bad current I experienced this year Jan 28-Feb 3, was the C53 shipwreck. We had to use the line to go down and up. Last year, we drifed in and out.

Try your best to stay behind the DM. They have great eyes and may find tiny things like a seahorse. If you get ahead, you won't be able to swim back to look a it. If you get ahead of the group, tuck in behind the coral to get out of the current and wait for them to pass. Or find a sandy patch to stick your finger in your anchor yourself.

Have fun!!