Nitrox

[alcina]

Just wondering about diving Nitrox in Coz. A couple of questions:

1) do I need to bring my own analyser or are they on the boat? I assume that since the op will pick up from the jetty that you don't have to make your way to the shop to do this.
2) do they dive standard mixes or do you need to request a mix (you'd need to know the diving schedule for the day)
3) is there somewhere (or someone) who can give me some depths for the likely dive sites?

 

[mustfajohnson]

I was diving with Liquid Blue 3 (long) weeks ago. Every day I had Nitrox for the second dive. They had the Nitrox tanks on the boat and it was labeled as to content. I think Roberto checks them when they load up in the morning. I had my own O2 stick and rechecked before the dive. His label was correct every time but I still checked. You know that safe and sorry thing.

 

[Christi]

Just wondering about diving Nitrox in Coz. A couple of questions:

1) do I need to bring my own analyser or are they on the boat? I assume that since the op will pick up from the jetty that you don't have to make your way to the shop to do this.


2) do they dive standard mixes or do you need to request a mix (you'd need to know the diving schedule for the day)


3) is there somewhere (or someone) who can give me some depths for the likely dive sites?

The op should have an analyzer on the boat for you to check. If not, I would question why. Although there is only one fill station athat fills nitrox, and they are usually right on, you should have the ability to check your gas yourself prior to the dive.

Standard mixes of 32% and 36% are available, but usually need to be ordered the night before due to demand. If you want any other mix, the fill station does charge more and they need to know no less than 24 hours in advance.

I don't know the policies of all ops, but myself and Liquid Blue and some other reputable shops will typically not allow nitrox for the first dive. The reason is that we decide the dive sites as a group on the boat. Having nitrox for the first dive would eliminate the possibility of some great sites. Also, first dives are typically wall dives where the potential to exceed planned depths is too great a risk OR because the depth is too close to nitrox limits. I have to know the diver and know that they have strong buoyancy skills and can control their depth on a wall before I will allow them nitrox on certain wall dives.

With this said, all of these dives are also multi-level profiles, so you can still get plenty of "legal" bottom time.

Some shops have set schedules for which sites they dive each day, so it really depends on who you are diving with.

I would ask your op these questions.

 

[alcina]

The op should have an analyzer on the boat for you to check. If not, I would question why. Although there is only one fill station athat fills nitrox, and they are usually right on, you should have the ability to check your gas yourself prior to the dive.

Standard mixes of 32% and 36% are available, but usually need to be ordered the night before due to demand. If you want any other mix, the fill station does charge more and they need to know no less than 24 hours in advance.

I don't know the policies of all ops, but myself and Liquid Blue and some other reputable shops will typically not allow nitrox for the first dive. The reason is that we decide the dive sites as a group on the boat. Having nitrox for the first dive would eliminate the possibility of some great sites. Also, first dives are typically wall dives where the potential to exceed planned depths is too great a risk OR because the depth is too close to nitrox limits. I have to know the diver and know that they have strong buoyancy skills and can control their depth on a wall before I will allow them nitrox on certain wall dives.

With this said, all of these dives are also multi-level profiles, so you can still get plenty of "legal" bottom time.

Some shops have set schedules for which sites they dive each day, so it really depends on who you are diving with.

I would ask your op these questions.

Thanks, Christi! As one of the operations we want to dive with I will be asking you if I have more questions

you all get your nitrox fills from the same place? That's pretty nice teamwork

 

[HammerNoMore]

The op should have an analyzer on the boat for you to check. If not, I would question why. Although there is only one fill station athat fills nitrox, and they are usually right on, you should have the ability to check your gas yourself prior to the dive.

It has generally been my experience in Cozumel to check the tank at the shop before you leave and label it yourself so you know you're getting the tank you analized. I've never checked directly on the boat. This may be different for someone being picked up at another pier.

I don't know the policies of all ops, but myself and Liquid Blue and some other reputable shops will typically not allow nitrox for the first dive. The reason is that we decide the dive sites as a group on the boat.

Blue Angel let me get 32 for dive one, but we had a bunch of people who got along real well on the boat and we decided the day before where we were going to do dive one. With a MOD of 130' you can do most first dives in Coz on EAN32, even the Throat if you are real carefull to exit at the top. (I certainly wouldn't, but you'd be legal.) As a dive op I wouldn't take that kind of chance either, but I wouldn't prevent people from using EAN for the other reefs. My personal opinion is that if you want to do Maracebo, Punta Sur or Baracuda you should try to arrange that before you get on the boat.

Also, first dives are typically wall dives where the potential to exceed planned depths is too great a risk OR because the depth is too close to nitrox limits. I have to know the diver and know that they have strong buoyancy skills and can control their depth on a wall before I will allow them nitrox on certain wall dives.

I agree with this and I never ask for EAN on the first day. (Basicly because you need to ask the night before and I'm probably too busy unpacking and trying to get to Casa Denis.) By the second day the op has had the opportunity to see me dive.

James

 

[AggieDiver03]

My nitrox experiences in Cozumel have been similar. You have to tell your Op the dave before to order the tanks (which usually run about $10 per cylinder extra, unless I'm getting ripped off, lol).

I personally don't feel comfortable trusting the guy mixing the gas, unless I'm standing there watching him. I normally dive with Rodolfo of the Anita Divers and I know he has an analyzer. I'm thinking about getting one of my own soon, but an instructor friend of mine says that generally the cheap ones are not reliable enough to bother with. I also haven't found any dive stores (in the Dallas area that is) who will rent one either.

As far as diving nitrox on the first dive, you need to know your limits. And 130ft at 32% is right at 1.6atm, which is more than I like to push (I prefer bottoming out at 1.4atm or closer to 110). But still, you need to be very comfortable with your buoyancy to do that.

True diving nitrox may limit you from seeing "everything" but if you're doing a wall dive 1st you definitely don't have to go to 130 to see stuff, often starts getting darker and losing color down there.

 

[Christi]

It has generally been my experience in Cozumel to check the tank at the shop before you leave and label it yourself so you know you're getting the tank you analized. I've never checked directly on the boat. This may be different for someone being picked up at another pier.

Blue Angel let me get 32 for dive one, but we had a bunch of people who got along real well on the boat and we decided the day before where we were going to do dive one. With a MOD of 130' you can do most first dives in Coz on EAN32, even the Throat if you are real carefull to exit at the top. (I certainly wouldn't, but you'd be legal.) As a dive op I wouldn't take that kind of chance either, but I wouldn't prevent people from using EAN for the other reefs. My personal opinion is that if you want to do Maracebo, Punta Sur or Baracuda you should try to arrange that before you get on the boat.

I agree with this and I never ask for EAN on the first day. (Basicly because you need to ask the night before and I'm probably too busy unpacking and trying to get to Casa Denis.) By the second day the op has had the opportunity to see me dive.

James

I want to respond to questions from several of you. How do I reply to multiple posts with the text from the poster like you did in this post?

 

[ggunn]

I want to respond to questions from several of you. How do I reply to multiple posts with the text from the poster like you did in this post?

You can copy text from different posts and paste it within "quote=username" and "/quote" tags.

I'll do it here:

blah blah blah

Cheers,

 

[Christi]

OK, I am really dumb when it comes to this...I don't get it!

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Blue Angel let me get 32 for dive one, but we had a bunch of people who got along real well on the boat and we decided the day before where we were going to do dive one. With a MOD of 130' you can do most first dives in Coz on EAN32, even the Throat
James

OK, I am really dumb when it comes to this...I don't get it!

If the above worked (my first as well) I had to copy and paste the "tags" and then scroll down the page and copy the 2nd quotes text inbetween the "quote" tags.

As to James's statement above, I'll bet this is exactly what Christi is talking about. As Oxtox risk is a serious situation, you'd do well to steer WELL CLEAR of the limits, and there's no way in hell I'd let someone dive EAN32 on the Throat. It only takes one bad day to pooch a diver for good, and then Christi (or any other Op) would have to live with it forever.

As someone who has dove with Christi, (And I will again as soon as possible) I can tell you IMO, she's a cautious and "smart" operator. There's really no-one else I'd rather dive with on the Island than her. (Yes I've tried a few, but certainly not all, but as long as she's there, I'll not be trying any other!)

Steve