Packing for Cozumel?

[WhizKid21]

Hello all,

I'm making my first dive pilgrimage to Cozumel and had some questions… I figured I’d come to the experts!

1. What to dive in? I have both a shorty 3mm and fullsuit 3mm… Based on some other threads sounds like like the shorty folks tend to get a little banged up?
   
2. Aren’t there things you can’t dive with there? Like gloves or dive tools/ knives?
   
3. I hear boat ladders can get crusty and cut up hands… Can I wear those fingerless gloves?

That’s all I can think of right now… But please feel free to volunteer any info you think might help!

Thanks!

 

[Doc Harry]

Just got back from Coz last week.

Water temps 78-80 degrees. No thermocline to speak of.

I got cold in a 5mm suit with hood after repetitive dives. A jacket for the windy ride home was nice. Night dives were a bit chilly.

They say no gloves or knives but I was the only without gloves and knives. (Gloves are okay during wreck dives.) You should have some kind of cutting device like EMT shears.

 

[Moodiejeff]

If you're there in the winter or spring I'd bring the full suit, If you're diving more than a few days in a row you'll probably need it (if you have room bring the shorty too, just in case)

Never had a "crusty" ladder there... most dive ops keep their stuff in good shape.

When and where are you staying? and who are you diving with? Sometimes that info can help :14:

 

[Christi]

What to dive in? I have both a shorty 3mm and fullsuit 3mm… Based on some other threads sounds like like the shorty folks tend to get a little banged up?

This question is better asked: "What is the water temperature?" Every person has their own idea of what's cold and what's not, as well as their tendency to get chilled on a dive. Other factors to consider are WHEN you will be here, how many days of diving will you be doing, and how many dives per day you will be doing. No one can truthfully tell you what wetsuit you need...particularly without knowing the above information.

Water temperatures in Cozumel range:
Nov - Feb - 76 to 80 F
March - May - 80 - 82 F
June - September - 82 - 85
October - 80ish

There is no reason at all to get banged up if you have proper buoyancy control. You should be touching nothing. If you are getting banged up, you should consider taking a buoyancy course.

Aren’t there things you can’t dive with there? Like gloves or dive tools/ knives? Dive knives and gloves are prohibited within the marine park, especially now. Divemasters are supposed to be enforcing this rule strictly. However, if it is a thermal issue, we allow gloves. The very first time you touch something, the gloves come off. There is no real need for a dive knife here or even cutting shears (also prohibited). There is nothing to get entangled with (no kep, fishing line, etc) Only dive guides are permitted to carry knives for emergency purposes.

I hear boat ladders can get crusty and cut up hands… Can I wear those fingerless gloves? That's a new one...I've never heard or experienced this one, anywhere. If you are on a boat with a crusty ladder, you need to be diving with someone else...that is NOT the norm.

That’s all I can think of right now… But please feel free to volunteer any info you think might help! Depending on who you are diving with and when you will be here, there are some other things I suggest.
If traveling here during the winter months (Dec - Feb) bring some sort of windbreaker or sweatshirt for the surface intervals. The air temperature is most often cooler than the water. You need to be able to warm up between dives.

BIODEGRADABLE sunscreen

I hope this helps.

 

[ggunn]

Hello all,

I'm making my first dive pilgrimage to Cozumel and had some questions… I figured I’d come to the experts!

[3]I hear boat ladders can get crusty and cut up hands… Can I wear those fingerless gloves?

I've never run into a crusty ladder there. Most are wooden and kept out of the water until needed, and barnacles are rare (the only ones I have seen there have been on the shells of turtles).

 

[diveborg]

I know that Christi gave a very through answer, but I feel like typing right a the moment, so here goes.

What to dive in? I have both a shorty 3mm and fullsuit 3mm… Based on some other threads sounds like like the shorty folks tend to get a little banged up?

Bring them both. Wear the full suit on the first dive. If you are warm enough, you're good to go. If you were a bit cool, add a hood. If you were cold add the shorty and the hood. Be sure to add weight as you add insulation, or you will either not get down at the beginning of the dive, or you won't be able to stay down during the safety stop. Another reason to wear the full suit is UV protection.

Last week I encounted temps between 77f and 80f I was wearing a Bare 5/4mm full suit (no hood) and was comfortable during all the dives. Last year with a similar temp range, I got cold, especially at the end of the second dive wearing a 3mm full suit and a hood.

Aren’t there things you can’t dive with there? Like gloves or dive tools/ knives?

You aren't supposed to have either, with the exception of gloves being allowed if you dive the wreck. I've seen divers with knives, but I've never seen one out of its sheath underwater. Like Christi said, it is very unlikely you will need a knife in the marine park.

One thing you really should have on every dive is a light. Many of the dive sites have swim thrus and a light will bring out the detail and colors. It is also helpful to see into holes and under ledges. I really like the Ikelite PCa light.

I hear boat ladders can get crusty and cut up hands… Can I wear those fingerless gloves?

All the boat ladders I've encounter have been aluminum or painted steel and no problem on the hands.

 

[Nevis Diver]

My trip in November was my first to Cozumel (It blew me away) I learned a lot some of which is already metioned here:

Absolutely bring a fleece or sweatshirt (hood optional) to stay warm during the interval. A lot of times the SI is on the boat while going to another dive site. A t-shirt won't do; polartec will wick away the moisture better than cotton.

Bring a dry bag that is just small enough to hold things like glasses, lib balm,
camera,and your pull over to keep dry and warm. I found that a medium sized on is good.

If you have an integrated weight system, don't put the weights in the front pockets until you are ready to don your BC. The foward weight will probably cause your BC and rig to fall out of the holder while the boat is moving. All sorts of your gear can and probably will get crushed under the weight of your tank.

Bring a small bottle of water until you find out if your dive op has good water to drink.

Put your initials or personal mark on your gear, especially fins. When you exit the water the DM's take your fins and put them in a pile with the others. They all can look the same, especially if you are with a group from the same LDS where most of the group has purchased their fins.

Have fun.

Chris

 

[MMM]

I've seen a lot of it when diving north of town. This is outside the marine park and fishing is allowed. I would want some kind of cutting tool with me for those dives.

In winter I wear a Bare 5/4 full suit plus a hooded vest...doing 2-3 dives per day. In summer I wear a 3mm suit and a hood...and sometimes a vest. I'm a wimp.

Marg

 

[diveborg]

In winter I wear a Bare 5/4 full suit plus a hooded vest...doing 2-3 dives per day. In summer I wear a 3mm suit and a hood...and sometimes a vest. I'm a wimp.

A wimp you may be (then I'm one too), but I'll bet you didn't get cold. That Bare suit is pretty nice, isn't it? I got one just before my trip to Cozumel and I really, really liked it, way more than my old 3 mm henderson.

 

[MMM]

Yeah it's a nice suit. And no, I didn't get cold, even on dives of well over an hour in length. Then then I also have my heavy windbreaker that I wear on the surface.... ;^)