Reef difficulty

[Moodiejeff]

So there.

Wow... you really do need a babysitter :shakehead An Instructor might be considered a babysitter (in the loosest terms possible), but a DM... No. Scubawife is correct, they are a guide and a helping hand but your life ultimately lies in your hands.

As to the original poster: Take it slow, no safe dive ops going to take a newbie to those sites anyway. Explain your concern to the DM about your buoyancy and I'm sure they will help you work on it. Once you do your first swimthrough you'll realize it's not that big of a deal. Just keep conscious of your breathing

Another great option is to do your AOW while there, you'll have a private DM to yourself and you can work on your buoyancy issues.

Remember to go with the flow in the current, no need for kicking, just sit back and enjoy the ride. You want to slow down? Get closer to the bottom or hide behind a coral formation.

 

[Garrobo]

Moodijeff: OK, OK, I meant an instructor not a DM. Got my terminology mixed up. I told you I was new at this stuff. Anyway, like I said, I didn't feel that I knew enough to be going out by myself after only 4 dives in a stagnant quarry in Ohio and only 15 feet down and in a group of ten newbies. I was just tryng to stay alive at the time. Gimmee a break. Huh?

 

[Bratface]

OK, here's your break:fruit:

It's the DM doing his happy dance because you came back safely.

 

[Garrobo]

Bratface: Very cute, Mr."Senior Member"

 

[Nevis Diver]

I have 120 something dives and have been to Coz for a week at a time, 4 times in 2.5 years. (This by the way makes me a newbie compared to some) The first time I went I had less than 50 dives, almost all in a lake with very low vis and cold temps. I was excited, as you are, about doing all of the "notable" dives and had the same concerns as you.

As I look back, the shallower dives (80' and less) are beautiful and are as great as most of the deeper divers (my opinion only), except for the "happy place". Just do shallower dives and let the DM know your situation. He or she may be able to watch you and assess your skills and suggest to you whether or not you should do these other dives. Many dive ops won't take you to the deeper sites until they watch you dive anyway. Of course, no one can tell you if you are comfortable or not...you must decide that.

When deciding what dive operation to use, you may want to look at some of the smaller "boutique" shops as they usually have smaller groups and the DM may be able to pay more attention to you. The only boutique operation I have dove with is "Blue XT Sea Diving", but there are others here such as "Scuba with Alison" and "Dive with Martin".

I am going for a week in September and will be taking my newly certified gf with me. She may or may not have some ocean dives under her weight belt by that time but either way, I plan on hooking up with at least a DM for a shore dive or two and plan to dive only as deep as she is comfortable because I want her safe and in Coz there simply is no such thing as a bad dive as long as you are safe.

 

[thomjinx]

Another thing to consider about Coz it that most of your safety stops must be done with nothing to hold onto, drifting with the current, just hanging there. Good buoyancy control is essential, IMHO. ...especially after a deeper dive where the need for a safety stop may be greater.

There are also walls where the current can take you down over the edge if you aren't careful.....and in Coz, 'down' can be a very long way indeed! Something like 3000 feet deep in places, I think. You don't want to go there.

Not trying to shoot you down or be a wet blanket. These are just things I have seen other divers have trouble with.

Be safe and enjoy Cozumel. Like others have said, even the shallower dives are wonderful and well worth the trip!

Cheers,
Thomjinx

 

[Garrobo]

If you are worried about doing drifting deco stops get a sausage with a 15 foot string on it and hang a weight on the string so that it stays upright. Do your stop there. I've been to Coz twice this year and did 16 dives on various reefs. Most of these dives did not require a deco stop as per my computer. I did the stops anyway just for practice. I checked with other divers and they said their computers said the same thing at the same times just in case mine was not working correctly.

 

[halocline]

Can a newbie with <40 dives, who's well streamlined, properly trimmed, used to cold water/low-vis diving, but with mediocre buoyancy control and probably lacking in finer skills, dive any of the following (assuming the DM is ok with it of course):

Colombia Deep
Devil's Throat
Santa Rosa Wall
Punta Sur - The Chapel
El Paso Del Cedral
Punta Tunich

This exact scenario happens every day, 365 days/year(minus days the harbor's closed) so the answer to your question is YES. Whether it's wise or safe is a different story, and is going to depend on the particular diver and dive....your list contains a wide range of "difficulty" IMO.

 

[scubawife]

If you are worried about doing drifting deco stops get a sausage with a 15 foot string on it and hang a weight on the string so that it stays upright. Do your stop there. I've been to Coz twice this year and did 16 dives on various reefs. Most of these dives did not require a deco stop as per my computer. I did the stops anyway just for practice. I checked with other divers and they said their computers said the same thing at the same times just in case mine was not working correctly.

If you're diving within NDL then your dives won't require a "deco stop" but all dives should include a 3-5 minute "safety stop" at about 15ft (a few ft deeper is ok and often easier to maintain in current or surge). On every dive you are nitrogen loading and the safety stop is a just that, a safety measure to allow you to off-gas during your already slow and safe ascent. Not all computers are designed to actually go into a "safety stop" countdown mode but basic training teaches us the protocol and the reasons why it's important. I dive with 2 computers. One will go into a 3min countdown when I reach 18ft if I've had a dive longer then 15 minutes and/or gone deeper then 25ft. The other computer will only indicate deco obligations if they occur but doesn't have a safety stop timer mode.

Also be careful with the 15ft marker. It's often not a good measure when you factor in the bobbing you do with the current, surge a waves. Better to watch your computer for your depth.

 

[quietstorm]

Hello:
Coincidentally, I just returned from Cozumel and dove many of the sites you mentioned. You will have no problems. In fact, having dived in cold water conditions, you will love Cozumel and those sites are exceptional.
Occasionally, on some swim-throughs, you need decent bouyancy control, but I would not worry about it.
Of course, as others have mentioned, you do not want to lose your control and fall off the wall into the abyss....
All in all, though, Cozumel diving is great. You do need to be prepared for drifts and have good dive plans with your dive master. I also suggest making sure your dive buddy has the same plan (I seem to be rare in my quests on dives to always get with a buddy, but that was how I was trained).
Hope this helps.