Slow moving dive operator for photos

[Ill diver 57]

New to scubaboard but have been to Cozumel many times over the past 20 years. Recently updated my camera and system need a lot of bottom time to work {play). I'm looking for a operator that offers this I don't like the big operator that dips the group stay with group type I want to hunt for the things a lot divers just pass by help greatly appreciated. Also is Manuel Z still DM in Cozumel? I haven't been down in a few years and it seems the email I have isn't correct. His uncle has carribean divers. Thanks in advance.

 

[cicopo]

See

Photographer-Oriented Cozumel Diver Operators?

Dive operator for UW Photographer

And maybe

Drift dive photography?

 

[Ron Lee]

I read several posts in the thread right above and yes Jeremy at Living Underwater is slow.

 

[MMM]

One of the reasons I like diving with Jeremy (owner/operator/DM for Living Underwater) is that he goes really, really slowly. Second, he has a nice, big, DIVIDED camera tank, so cameras don't bump one another. Third, his crew is great at handing your camera over into the water to you after you have splashed in and retrieving it from you when you get back out of the water. I'm diving with him tomorrow and if the weather is anything like today, it will be a lovely day diving.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

You might consider hiring a private DM with the operator of your choice. The going rate is around $50 a day. With a private DM, it is absolutely your Dive with no one else to worry about. Jorge with Aldora has the best eye I have ever seen for finding small stuff and loves to point it out.

Good luck,
Jay

 

[mikeycanuk]

Everyone like different speeds. Jorge was too slow for us after a week with Dario. Dario was our favorite DM!

A private DM would be a great option for everyone, I can appreciate photogs, just not in my group

 

[ColoDale]

Jeremy at LU does dive slow which can be good for me and camera. Unless he has changed his methods, he doesn't use any kind of noise maker so there are times when I would have to look at him and he would just be pointing at something. Not necessarily a bad thing but I can be heads down looking on my own and miss his pointing. On the other hand with other divers and other groups it can get noisy. I do like Jeremy's boat with the side door.
Most dive Ops I have used will hand over the camera and take it back. I make sure to ask if the captain or DM will do it though. The divided camera tank is interersting - I've not seen it.

Pedro (Pablo) with BlueXtSea used to dive slow as well but it's been awhile since I've dived with him.

With the dive op I normally use, generally our DM can spot for us and hit his tank. We do spread out in a line then converge if necessary. However if there are newer divers or those he or we don't know then he can't spot.
You will definitely have better luck with a smaller dive op/boat. Since there are no guarantees, maybe a private DM is the answer at least until you find the right fit.

 

[MMM]

Jeremy at LU does dive slow which can be good for me and camera. Unless he has changed his methods, he doesn't use any kind of noise maker so there are times when I would have to look at him and he would just be pointing at something. Not necessarily a bad thing but I can be heads down looking on my own and miss his pointing. On the other hand with other divers and other groups it can get noisy. I do like Jeremy's boat with the side door.
Most dive Ops I have used will hand over the camera and take it back. I make sure to ask if the captain or DM will do it though. The divided camera tank is interersting - I've not seen it.

Nope, no noisemakers still. Occasionally I have heard him shout into his reg if something big is coming up fast. But he is usually pretty good at waiting for all his divers to eventually look up and see what he has found; I am usually at the back of the group so I get there after everyone else has had a boo at it. A couple of weeks ago, I went around a coral head expecting to see him and the rest of the divers on the other side. But then I saw an eagle ray heading the opposite direction and forgot to pay attention to where he would be... So then I looked for bubbles and swam over to them thinking that one of the divers looked like one in our group. Split fins...yup. Oh-oh, wrong colour and wrong tanks. So I looked around and spotted him giving me a WTH signal. Photographers must present a very special kind of hell for DMs (albeit that it has been more than a few years since I have pulled that particular stunt...).

 

[Johnoly]

.... Photographers must present a very special kind of hell for DMs....

Umm us lionfish spearo's are usually hated more than the photog's.

 

[ggunn]

Photographers must present a very special kind of hell for DMs (albeit that it has been more than a few years since I have pulled that particular stunt...).

The only problem I have with photogs is when I am a couple of divers behind them in a swimthrough and they stop to set up a shot right as they exit, blocking the way out. Please don't do that.