Snuba in Cozumel?

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DavidNDC

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Location
Washington, DC
Hello Everyone,

I'm leaving for my 1st trip to Cozumel this weekend, staying at the Sunscape Sabor. My daughter and I are both divers and my 8 year old son really wants to try Snuba. He's a great swimmer who absolutely loves to snorkel and is really looking forward to going diving with his sister and I once he is a bit older.

A colleague of mine who was staying on the mainland seemed to enjoy his visit to Xel-Ha Park. Chankanaab is another one we are considering and obviously a lot closer.

Any other locations that I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

-David

(Now off to read all the recent threads on Scuba charters.. :wink: )
 
Hello Everyone,

I'm leaving for my 1st trip to Cozumel this weekend, staying at the Sunscape Sabor. My daughter and I are both divers and my 8 year old son really wants to try Snuba. He's a great swimmer who absolutely loves to snorkel and is really looking forward to going diving with his sister and I once he is a bit older.

A colleague of mine who was staying on the mainland seemed to enjoy his visit to Xel-Ha Park. Chankanaab is another one we are considering and obviously a lot closer.

Any other locations that I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance!

-David

(Now off to read all the recent threads on Scuba charters.. :wink:)
Sorry to pee on your parade, but IMHO 8 is much too young. PADI (in their infinite money extraction wisdom) even limits a Discover session to 10 YO. I've watched instructors take kids that young out, and they never let them out of their grasp.

Are you really 100% confident that your youngest won't panic (or forget) and shoot to the surface?
 
Thanks John,

My understanding from speaking with my colleague who's 8 year old did Snuba at Xwl-Ha is that they only take you down 15 feet or so. He goes down further than that at times when snorkeling.

I'll research more to make sure, as you're exactly right -- 8 is much too young for any real depths in my opinion.

Thanks again for the input, much appreciated.

-David
 
Thanks John,

My understanding from speaking with my colleague who's 8 year old did Snuba at Xwl-Ha is that they only take you down 15 feet or so. He goes down further than that at times when snorkeling.

I'll research more to make sure, as you're exactly right -- 8 is much too young for any real depths in my opinion.

Thanks again for the input, much appreciated.

-David
As you (should) remember breathing compressed gas at 15' and then ascending to the surface while holding your breath will result in lung overexpansion (AGE) with potentially fatal results.

It isn't the depth, its is breathing compressed gas at depth
 
My understanding from speaking with my colleague who's 8 year old did Snuba at Xwl-Ha is that they only take you down 15 feet or so. He goes down further than that at times when snorkeling.

The significant difference being that, when snorkeling, the air in his lungs was taken in at the surface, gets compressed at 12 or 15 or 20 feet, however deep he goes while snorkeling, and when it expands upon him going back to the surface, cannot expand beyond the capacity of his lungs to hold it. On Snuba, however, if he takes in a full lungfull of air at even 12 or 15 feet, there is more than adequate pressure differential between that depth and the surface to expand that air enough to give him a pulmonary embolism if he foolishly tries to hold his breath and shoot to the surface. You simply cannot assume that Snuba is safe at "only" 15 feet merely because your son goes deeper than that while snorkeling. Snorkeling = air always taken in at surface pressure; Scuba or Snuba = air always taken in at ambient pressure. See the difference?
 
Yes, of course. Perhaps I should have worded that last reply a little differently. That said, I agree with both of you and you have certainly given me more to think about.

Thanks!
 
To help make the point I have been searching for & hopefully repairing a leak in my pool, which has an 11 foot deep end. At the end of the repair process yesterday I surfaced holding my breath (I was on Scuba gear) & noticed the expanding air in my lungs (first time ever) so exhaled long before it would have become a problem but I did feel it trying to expand.
Just as importantly unless there's something special to see at Chankanaab where they do SNUBA snorkeling is a far better value in water that's less than 20 feet deep in any of the decent snorkeling spots.
 
While not the same as snorkeling on a reef, you can see a bit of marine life snorkeling from the beach at the Sabor. Head over toward the "Shark". I've seen a variety of fish there and even a lobster. Further toward the concrete dock they've discarded concrete and other building materials which make for small areas where fish gather. I found myself entertained searching the shallows.

For large schools of sergeant majors or grunts head over to the Secrets dock.

Have fun!
 
While not the same as snorkeling on a reef, you can see a bit of marine life snorkeling from the beach at the Sabor. Head over toward the "Shark". I've seen a variety of fish there and even a lobster. Further toward the concrete dock they've discarded concrete and other building materials which make for small areas where fish gather. I found myself entertained searching the shallows.

For large schools of sergeant majors or grunts head over to the Secrets dock.

Have fun!

Thanks! Much appreciated!
 
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