Socorro with a teen

[Craig66]

My daughter has been diving since she was 10. She is currently 17 and has 150 dives under her belt. She has amazing form and is very safety conscious paying almost obsessive attention to her depth, NDL, equipment etc.
To date she has dived only in the Caribbean however about 50 of her dives have been in Cozumel at times with ripping current. She has never had to deal with major surge, cold water or downward currents.

She really want to do this trip but I hear such varying things. On the one hand I hear that yes the currents etc can be an issue but as long as you are not a total newbie they can be easily handled and the boats are divided into groups to tailor to all levels. On the other hand I have read of significant currents both vertical and horizontal, major surges, every dive being obligatory deep and I am just worried that even at 150 dives that this might just be significantly more than she is ready for.

I know conditions will vary but I do not want to get out there with her and find we are either sitting out dives or just not enjoying them as they are so physically demanding.

Opinions appreciated.

Craig

 

[Nirvana]

I went there in July 2015. The current during the dives varied from barely noticeable to moderate (everyone was able to swim against it, but it took some effort). There was no downcurrent. I cannot tell whether my experience was the norm or the exception.

Regarding the depth, most sites offered a range of depths available. Often the best experience was closer to the surface, where the mantas were. In a few of the dives, we swam along a wall, with the bottom much deeper than we would go (over 70m).

From your description of your daughter, I think she would have been very comfortable doing the dives I did there.

 

[dlofting]

We just returned from Socorro. Experience range on our boat was 30 dives to 2000 dives. Ages ranged from around 20 to 74. Currents were there at some sites but no stronger than what we've experienced in Cozumel. If you do end up out in the "blue" just go up and the panga drivers will find you. They're very good at their jobs and extremely safety conscious. If you can shoot an SMB so much the better.

Water temps ranged from about 74 to 78 F. I was comfortable in a 3 mil shorty with a long sleeve rash guard....others wore full length 5 mil suits. Some dives can go deep. The two best sites are basically what is left of old volcanoes, so it's kind of like swimming around a small mountain that has its base at about 130 or 140 ft. No need to go that deep to see things, so just stay within your comfort zone.

Collectively we saw mantas, dolphins, tuna, wahoos, hammerheads, silky sharks, galapagos sharks, silvertips, whitetips, one whale shark and one tiger shark (as well as numerous other fish, lobsters, eels and at least one turtle). We also saw humpbacks off the main boat.

From what you've written about your daughter I'm sure she'll be fine and probably have the time of her life. Enjoy yourself, it's a great diving experience.

 

[Craig66]

Thank you both for your reply.

I have decided at this point that I am going to hold off on the trip.

My reasoning is as follows:
While Murphys law is such that the week we were planning to go will turn out to be a current free week with water temps of 78 and sitings of schooling Hammerheads multiple whale sharks and a host of other new sitings it is also possible that the alternative could happen and that the water is on the colder end, the currents are strong and the swells whipping.

She is is 17 and while she has 150 dives and is an amazing diver I have restricted our diving largely to warm water, shallow diving with mostly a hard bottom and endless visibility. We have done a lot of Cozumel diving but only recently ventured over the walls Furthermore diving with current in Cozumel where one is drifting and mostly not fighting the current is a little different from fighting the current.

I was concerned that cold water, trussed up for the first time in a 5mm wet suit, fighting current and swell and landing up in the blue could just be too much task loading at one time.

Hopefully she has many many years of diving ahead of her and as she matures she will go on to do the rescue course and gain experiences with deep diving, cold water diving, currents and blue water diving and when she is ready she and I will make the trip. At that point I will have the confidence that she is ready for anything that might come her way.

There is no doubt that she would have loved the trip but I personally would have spent the trip in anxious trepidation as to whether the next dive is the one that tests her beyond her limits. I discussed this decision with her and while she was disappointed she understood why I made the decision I did and being the responsible diver she is she accepted that it is possible those dives might have been just a little too much.

I am often amazed at some of the people I have dived with and know that it is nothing but pure luck that allows them not to become a statistic. She and I have made sure that we never rely on luck to return safely from a dive and to me this trip at her current level would have led to a higher dependence on luck than either of us were prepared for.

Thanks all - Craig

 

[Manuel Sam]

I've been to Socorros 8 times, the last time having been 4 weeks ago. All my trips there have been in November and January-February. I'm going again in Nov. 2019.

In November, the water is still warm (78-80) and it is a good time for whaleshark sightings.

In January/February, it gets into the lo to mid 70s and sometimes humpback whales show up altho seeing them underwater is rather unlikely. On this last trip in April, I saw 75-77, but did run into a thermocline of 73.

As far as currents, yes there is current, and briefings at certain sites even cover the possibility of downcurrents; but the only type I have ever experienced here is lateral, never down or up or washing machine. They range from mild to can't make headway no matter how strong a kicker you are.

As far as depths, 60-80 is usually where I hang at - unless there is something worth going deeper for. 110 is probably the deepest I went on this last trip. Just as in Cozumel, there are divesites with a bottom, some with a deep but visible bottom, and some with a bottom that is not visible.

I think that it is wise of you to hold off to allow her to gain more experience. If you feel that she will be better prepared by November 2019, shoot me an email at ceeehunt@gmail.com.