Slow moving dive operator for photos

[MMM]

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.

I'm usually at the back of the bus so you won't be seeing what I do.

 

[deepsea21]

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.

My wife has become an UW photo nut. We've been diving coz the past 14 or 15 years and have been using Tres Pelicanos the past 3 years since finding them. Based on your checklist I'd suggest you take a look at 3P's. One day on our December trip Steve noticed 8 of the 10 divers had some fancy cameras and video rigs on the boat so we headed to Columbia Shallows for the 2nd dive so all could spend an hour and 1/2 searching and snapping away to their heart's content in 25-30' of water.

Want to spread out from the DM/group and hunt for photo ops on your own? No problem. Want to dive shallower (where the light is better) and dive longer while others head deep? No problem. Want to dive your own tank and DC? No Problem. You should carry your own SMB and be proficient at deploying it if you're one who ventures far from the group or end up being the last to surface because you stayed shallower for photography. Other than that, 3P's rules are pretty simple for experienced divers... Your Tank, Your DC, or 70 minutes - whichever comes first.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Jesus Zetina at Scuba Club Cozumel receives very high marks from my friends who go to Cozumel every year. He doesn't seem to mind tucking his groups out of the current to work on getting photos.

 

[MMM]

Your Tank, Your DC, or 70 minutes - whichever comes first.]

Nice pics. We did 85 minutes on our first dive today and 90 on our second.

 

[Zman96]

Pedro from Blue XTsea does dive very slowly. The only time he speeds up is if there are a couple of divers that are staying high and drifting much faster than the group.

 

[jlyle]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned shore diving. We stay at Scuba Club Cozumel. You can take a tank and shore dive in front of the hotel as often and as long as you want. Yes, it isn't the beautiful coral/sponge reef you find in the marine park, but there's lots of little stuff to photograph if you look for it. No group to keep up with, no need to share a subject with anyone else, photographers' heaven. Click on the link below for lots of images.

 

[sharky60]

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.

Don't have to worry about that with me ... I don't do swim-thrus anymore

 

[sharky60]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned shore diving. We stay at Scuba Club Cozumel. You can take a tank and shore dive in front of the hotel as often and as long as you want. Yes, it isn't the beautiful coral/sponge reef you find in the marine park, but there's lots of little stuff to photograph if you look for it. No group to keep up with, no need to share a subject with anyone else, photographers' heaven. Click on the link below for lots of images.

read my mind bro! exactly what I was thinking. Blue Angel/Villablanca Shallows (stingray enclosure) is a nice shore dive with lots of critters.

also, just south of Villablanca on towards La Ceiba (el cid) is a very nice shore dive, very pretty, the sea fans have made a good comeback there from Wilma.

 

[mmmbelows]

N 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.

Not sure how successful you are going to be with any dive operator since all the dives are drift dives, you're always a slave to keeping up with the group, no matter how slow that group is it is still always slowly moving so there is no such thing as spending 3-4 minutes photographing something, even with super viz on a dive of 150 ft, the group will be out of sight as even going super slow they will cover 150 ft in a minute or two, no matter how slow the DM is, in that time they will be out of sight. Do some shore dives to dial in your new camera, hire a private DM so you can avoid having to follow the group

 

[AZTinman]

There are a lot of dive ops in Cozumel that will be happy to provide you with a private DM if you want to concentrate on photography rather than keeping up with a group. I did the private DM thing with Tres Pelicanos in December. It was a good experience and I'll do it again when I make a return trip.

-AZTinman