Can only comment on Gordo Banks from several years ago:
Dive Op (was out of Cabo, forget the name) drove us from downtown Cabo to the beach and then panga'd to the site. This was in early January like January 3rd or something like that. I was a (2) tank dive on AL80's. The dangled carrot was hammerheads, etc. I had just purchased a nice L&M HDV video camera
Both dives were: drop off up current in total open water, drift over the pinnacle, drift back into the open water column and do a deco stop (or two) and safety stop. The visibility wasn't that great but not bad - maybe like 60-90ft. Lots of plankton or other soupy stuff.
On my first dive I was pretty amazed at all the big fish in the water - literally thousands. Spotted a Manta Ray cruising slowly by which was really cool. Then off to the side of the pinnacle I spotted this huge ocean ray (a really big stingray?). With camera in hand and descending down got fairly narked. Wound up at 155ft. I thought I was the only one but the other two people had also gotten below 130ft so it was I think 2 deco stops and a safety stop. That is a lot of time, especially on a AL80, around 40ft and infinite water column in all directions.
This also meant a very long surface interval in a tiny panga, hardly any room to move around. The captain somehow had is parked over the pinnacle top - was there a mooring line?
Anyway about 40 minutes into the safety stop and all of us sleeping I hear this wooshing sound. I pop up my head and humpback and her calf are coming our way right over the pinnacle. Damn. Captain starts up and we pursue for about 5 minutes. He timed it right. I jumped in (just snorkeling) and saw them both going deep. No time for a camera shot. Was quite cool. Had our first dive been later or second been earlier we might have seen them underwater.
Second dive was pretty uneventful. Managed it without any deco.
When my buddy and I got back we started retracing all the dangerous stuff and pretty much decided to ever do that one again would need a entirely different op.
- We should have noticed or asked about everything I am about to list so first really our fault first
- No O2 on board. We noticed only when pulling the panga back out on the beach and helping unloading stuff.
- DM seemed way more interested in finding a hammerheads and I think he went into deco again on the second dive.
- The group didn't really get the vibe that hanging close together would be a really, really good idea.
- Had there been an emergency I think it would have been way over 1hr to any first responder.
- and more little stuff.
would probably be a great semi-CCR or fully CCR dive! Along with a bigger, safer operation.
For that trip I wish we would have just spent the week in La Paz
Dive Op (was out of Cabo, forget the name) drove us from downtown Cabo to the beach and then panga'd to the site. This was in early January like January 3rd or something like that. I was a (2) tank dive on AL80's. The dangled carrot was hammerheads, etc. I had just purchased a nice L&M HDV video camera
Both dives were: drop off up current in total open water, drift over the pinnacle, drift back into the open water column and do a deco stop (or two) and safety stop. The visibility wasn't that great but not bad - maybe like 60-90ft. Lots of plankton or other soupy stuff.
On my first dive I was pretty amazed at all the big fish in the water - literally thousands. Spotted a Manta Ray cruising slowly by which was really cool. Then off to the side of the pinnacle I spotted this huge ocean ray (a really big stingray?). With camera in hand and descending down got fairly narked. Wound up at 155ft. I thought I was the only one but the other two people had also gotten below 130ft so it was I think 2 deco stops and a safety stop. That is a lot of time, especially on a AL80, around 40ft and infinite water column in all directions.
This also meant a very long surface interval in a tiny panga, hardly any room to move around. The captain somehow had is parked over the pinnacle top - was there a mooring line?
Anyway about 40 minutes into the safety stop and all of us sleeping I hear this wooshing sound. I pop up my head and humpback and her calf are coming our way right over the pinnacle. Damn. Captain starts up and we pursue for about 5 minutes. He timed it right. I jumped in (just snorkeling) and saw them both going deep. No time for a camera shot. Was quite cool. Had our first dive been later or second been earlier we might have seen them underwater.
Second dive was pretty uneventful. Managed it without any deco.
When my buddy and I got back we started retracing all the dangerous stuff and pretty much decided to ever do that one again would need a entirely different op.
- We should have noticed or asked about everything I am about to list so first really our fault first
- No O2 on board. We noticed only when pulling the panga back out on the beach and helping unloading stuff.
- DM seemed way more interested in finding a hammerheads and I think he went into deco again on the second dive.
- The group didn't really get the vibe that hanging close together would be a really, really good idea.
- Had there been an emergency I think it would have been way over 1hr to any first responder.
- and more little stuff.
would probably be a great semi-CCR or fully CCR dive! Along with a bigger, safer operation.
For that trip I wish we would have just spent the week in La Paz
Super helpful though because I couldn't find that many in-depth accounts of what that dive was like.
