Swim Throughs?

[scubajanet]

I have read about people mentioning "swim throughs" in Cozumel. Do you need special certification to be safe going through these?

I have not been to Cozumel before (I am going at the end of March), so I am not exactly sure what to picture. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous at the sound of going in a swim through.

What do I need to be careful of? I have been diving for about a year with 30 logged dives. I want to see everything Cozumel has to offer, but I want to make sure I am diving safely. I would love any advice or explanation you have to offer.

 

[rje634]

I have read about people mentioning "swim throughs" in Cozumel. Do you need special certification to be safe going through these?

I have not been to Cozumel before (I am going at the end of March), so I am not exactly sure what to picture. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous at the sound of going in a swim through.

What do I need to be careful of? I have been diving for about a year with 30 logged dives. I want to see everything Cozumel has to offer, but I want to make sure I am diving safely. I would love any advice or explanation you have to offer.

Swim throughs are just that, they are tunnels in the coarl heads that you swim through. a typical Coz swim through is anywhere from 25 ft in length and up. They are not too tight and are quite easy to navigate. Swim throughs are one of the great parts of Cozumel diving and should not be missed.
There is Devils Throat which is a long fairly deep swim through that is spectacular. This however is a bit of an advanced dive and it is up to you whether or not to dive it.
Don't worry about the swim throughs, there easy and beautiful. But remember it is your call in the end, if you are not into doing them just let the DM know and they'll take you around the outside.

 

[Firerescueguy]

You will be fine with the normal swim throughs, Like said before there some advanced ones that are talked about but, your divemaster wont take you to them unless you specificaly ask for them. You will have a fantastic trip in march!!

 

[midwestdvr]

Swim throughs are great. The ones I visited weren't too challenging but if you have issues with enclosed spaces, I wouldn't go through one. It's not mandatory that you go through them. You and your buddy can just go over the coral and meet the group on the other side. You can usually follow them by the bubbles that come out of the corals. Saw my first eagle ray when I skipped the swim throughs.

 

[scubacoz22]

Swim throughs are just that, they are tunnels in the coarl heads that you swim through. a typical Coz swim through is anywhere from 25 ft in length and up. They are not too tight and are quite easy to navigate. Swim throughs are one of the great parts of Cozumel diving and should not be missed.
There is Devils Throat which is a long fairly deep swim through that is spectacular. This however is a bit of an advanced dive and it is up to you whether or not to dive it.
Don't worry about the swim throughs, there easy and beautiful. But remember it is your call in the end, if you are not into doing them just let the DM know and they'll take you around the outside.

The swim throughs are very easy. Its not like going into a cave or anything. When my son was 12 he went through them with no problem at all. Most of them you can see the other side. But if you are not comfortable just tell the DM and he wont make you go through them Kathy

 

[Martha]

I would definitely recommend doing the swim throughs. One of my favorite dives was the amazing view upon exiting a swim through. I don't remember, off the top of my head, which site we were at, but it was awesome.

 

[ScubaTexan]

Here is an example of a swim-through in Cozumel:

 

[scubajanet]

Thank you for the replys. My apprehension has been eased and now I am really looking forward to experiencing a swim through in Cozumel. I am addicted to reading everything posted on this board about Cozumel and counting the days until March 25...

 

[Quero]

Swim throughs are great fun. The main thing to remember is that you are carrying a tank on your back and that your position in the tunnel has to take this into account. (It's surprising how easy it is to forget that you're bulkier than your usual body size.)

 

[Wristshot]

scubajanet,

Don't sweat the swimthroughs. They are fun and mostly short little jaunts through the coral. Popping out the side of the reef, then back in another one that pops out over the sand is cool. You feel a little like a kid playing "follow the leader" only you are in a giant fishy playground. Kind of in and out and around and back in and back out and all kinds of coral and fish all over. I am getting Cozumel-sick just thinking about it!

I am trying to remember how many were 25 feet or longer (as quoted by rje) and my memory says that many were shorter than that. However, after a couple, you just kind of get caught up in enjoying the scenery and you don't really pay attention to the length.

A dive light is a nice thing to have so that you can see the flora and fauna in the darker areas. Because the swim throughs tend to be fairly short, there is almost always light showing in from both ends, and there is enough light to see well enough to get through, but some of the things hiding in the corners are not seen without a light.

Don't even think about any of the really deep things until you are ready. Enjoy!


Wristshot