Shore Dive recommendations

[1KWIK_69]

You will not be in the park so wear gloves in case you get pushed into the pen as it does grow fire coral and other owies.

Don, I know this fire coral you speak of. Found out the hard way playing near the pen! :shocked2:

I'll be taking my gloves on all future shore dives, or any other dives that aren't in the park from now on.

 

[firstdive2005]

Don, I know this fire coral you speak of. Found out the hard way playing near the pen! :shocked2:

I'll be taking my gloves on all future shore dives, or any other dives that aren't in the park from now on.

I'm not bashing you bud, but this is why the gloves are not allowed in the park. Outside the park I see damage because of people hanging to close and then pushing off coral/etc. There should be no need for gloves unless your hunting.
A diver does not need to get close to the pen. I have been there tons of times(pen) and never needed to.
When I was diving the little tugs off the downtown area I got stung on my forearm by fire coral as I looked in the cargo loading opening. I didnt have gloves and I was pushed by the current, it would have been prudent to wear gloves then.
I believe we need to promote the same type of diving conscientiousness as we do in the park , or outside the park will be trashed like most out of bounds areas of parks.
kevin
S

 

[Texas Torpedo]

While this dive isn't for those who aren't in fairly decent shape and know the area well, there are a couple of small wrecks nearly straight out from the public boat ramp, which is located just a little ways past the airport road. There is also a large debris field made up of large chunks of concrete just due north of the wrecks.

For an easy shore dive, you can go to Del Mar Aquatics. There is a mini-reef that runs from just off the end of the pier up northward. This area is where they drop a lot of snorkelers off..

 

[1KWIK_69]

I'm not bashing you bud, but this is why the gloves are not allowed in the park. Outside the park I see damage because of people hanging to close and then pushing off coral/etc. There should be no need for gloves unless your hunting.
A diver does not need to get close to the pen. I have been there tons of times(pen) and never needed to.
When I was diving the little tugs off the downtown area I got stung on my forearm by fire coral as I looked in the cargo loading opening. I didnt have gloves and I was pushed by the current, it would have been prudent to wear gloves then.
I believe we need to promote the same type of diving conscientiousness as we do in the park , or outside the park will be trashed like most out of bounds areas of parks.
kevin
S

I never touch or push off of anything unless absolutely neccessary, but unfortunately a lot of divers do feel the need to touch everything in sight when wearing gloves. Not long after they built the pen, I was trying to see what was inside of it and grabbed the fence, never expecting there to be any stingers attached to it so soon. It's just a man made fence, so I saw no harm in it. As far as using gloves other times, I had a nasty hydroid sting on the back of my hand from having a loose floater bump into me. I don't see a problem with divers wearing protection, just in case, but the dive masters have better things to be doing than deciding who is responsible enough to wear gloves, and who is not. So the park rules should apply to everyone. I for one will still be wearing mine when not in the park.

 

[DandyDon]

Outside the park I see damage because of people hanging to close and then pushing off coral/etc. There should be no need for gloves unless your hunting.
A diver does not need to get close to the pen. I have been there tons of times(pen) and never needed to.

I never had a problem at the pen as I just swim around it low to the bottom, but I have read of others getting stung here - so maybe it's those who peer into it more, perhaps more upright and more likely to get pushed by eddies? I never touch anything really, not even pieces of junk on the floor there - just hover to see what comes out in time.

The only time I really wished I had gloves on was when I goofed and had to crawl out over iron stone in the dark.

 

[Jewls]

Does anyone know if shore diving is allowed from Fiesta Americana? I know Dive House is on site, but I'm not sure if they offer tanks and rental gear for shore diving.

Also, anyone staying at FA from April 4-18th interested in a shore dive at FA (If it's allowed)?

 

[1KWIK_69]

Does anyone know if shore diving is allowed from Fiesta Americana? I know Dive House is on site, but I'm not sure if they offer tanks and rental gear for shore diving.

Also, anyone staying at FA from April 4-18th interested in a shore dive at FA (If it's allowed)?

Fiesta Americana is actually in the park, so shore diving isn't legal. Before I understood this, and before Hurricain Wilma, we found some fantasic coral heads just south of there on a shore dive, but that was all washed away in 2005 by H.W.

 

[redacted]

Does anyone know if shore diving is allowed from Fiesta Americana? I know Dive House is on site, but I'm not sure if they offer tanks and rental gear for shore diving.

Also, anyone staying at FA from April 4-18th interested in a shore dive at FA (If it's allowed)?

They do (or did at least up to 2 years ago) offer shore tanks. When you get tired of their roped in area, you can walk about 400 meters north and enter from th4e playa there and drift back. Check the current first as it almost always is in a north to south flowing eddy in that area - ALMOST ALWAYS.

 

[Jewls]

Just emailed Dive House to ask, but assuming 1KWIK 69 is right about it being restricted from shore diving I may have to look elsewhere. Just need a buddy to shore dive with, willing to travel North of FA if anyone is interested.

Another quick question, anyone shore dive the Mayatlantis near Blue Angel? It's hard to find any info about it and I'd really like to snorkel or dive the site. Any info is appreciated....like how to find the site

 

[DandyDon]

Check the current first as it almost always is in a north to south flowing eddy in that area - ALMOST ALWAYS.

Haha, I have had them change on me during the dive. I told my bud to shoot a compass heading for the outside of the pen but he'd dive Cozumel only so long he'd forgotten how to work his compass, so we headed for the sandbags and walked home.