Thoughts after my first time with Aldora

[IncreaseMyT]

Well if you have a DSMB you can deploy at depth, and you don't mind waiting in the water that is one thing.

As per everyone having one, that was not my experience. Everyone had a safety sausage, but not something they could deploy at depth.

 

[Norrm]

I'd rather get another 15-20 minutes of diving and wait on the surface for a bit.

When I first dived in Cozumel in 2010 I had no clue about deploying from depth, now it's second nature. It's a skill every diver should have.

A distant second is ascending slowly when you're within boat propeller depth and listening carefully and immediately doing a 360 and being prepared to dive, to avoid being run over.

 

[lowwall]

Notes on various comments above:

As part of every dive briefing, the guide went over the boat name and Aldora's radio channel. Presumably so if you were picked up by another boat they could get you back.

Everyone on my boats had a DSMB. A few of us deployed them for practice, but we all surfaced together.

I don't know what would happen if the group had to terminate the dive really early because one person had a problem. Presumably Aldora would make it up somehow. Anyone experienced this?

Dave mentioned that the DMs will start an air share at 1000psi (if the diver is substantially lower than the rest of the group). Remember that these tanks have nearly 40% greater internal volume than an AL80 (the higher pressure gives you the other nominal 10%), so that 1000psi is the same amount of gas as 1400psi on an AL80. Which means the diver will still have plenty of reserve if the DM needs to help out someone else. Also note that by that point the group should be done with the deepest part of the dive. I only saw the air share being done when we were drifting along the top of the reef where everyone could see each other.

Speaking of the nominal 120 cubic feet from these tanks. I'm pretty sure you are getting more than that. The standard fill for the HP120 ranges from 3365psi (232 bar) - 3500psi. All of my fills were well above that. For example:

 

[ReefHound]

How does the boat see the buoy though? They could be anywhere, the Captain doesn't know where they will come up, because they are coming up early.

They are used to 55 minute dives, so if you come up at 42 minutes, you're most likely going to come up next to a boat that isn't even yours.

I must be charmed that all the ops I've used there have been phenomenal because it hasn't ever been a problem. The DM is going to shoot a smb if you don't have one. The captains have done this a time or two and know about where you are on the reef at all times and are watching for an early deploy of smb. Every single time I've seen divers go up early, even as early as ten minutes into the dive, it has only been a matter of seconds before you hear the props and a boat idle up.

 

[anchochile]

Example: During the Norte, on three separate occasions, they told us we would be able to dive from the east side, so we were forced to wait around until they cancelled. The last time they did that we had gotten up at 6:00am and were waiting outside with all of our gear when we got the cancellation e-mail.

Was any reason given for why they were unable to offer east side diving during the port closure? As I understand it, this is one of the top advantages that Aldora offers over the competition - their website boasts "Guaranteed Diving".

I'm curious if the lack of east side diving was because the wind direction made both sides of the island unsuitable, or if there was a different reason.

 

[lowwall]

No straight reason was given. There was a bunch of hand-waving, "Sorry mate, we just can't do it" and talk about how the port closures meant all diving was closed throughout the island. I wasn't staying near the shop, so didn't go in and trip to pin them down. I will say that based on some of the conversations, I suspect a good part of it was they didn't have enough experienced divers willing to make the trip for it to be economically viable.

 

[ReefHound]

It's been stated already in other forums, a port closure includes east side. In the past, the port captain has either not been aware of it or agreed to not enforce it, depending on who you talk to. Aldora is supposedly trying to get clearance for this with the new person.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Aldora states on the website"
Guaranteed diving no matter what… that means, when time and weather allows, we move our operation to the Winward side of the island."

So it is not a REAL gurarntee, because sometimes the wind splits the island making both sides bad. Sudden port closing means they can't move the boats to the other side because their boats are stuck in port and finally the new Port Capitan has not allowed (my understanding) it (yet?) unlike previous PC.

 

[ReefHound]

Guaranteed diving doesn't mean they can always take you diving. Nobody can. As with all guarantees, there will be times when performance is not possible, it just means they will do something about it to compensate you for it. And I think that website might not have been updated. The new port captain just came on a month ago.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Guaranteed diving doesn't mean they can always take you diving. Nobody can. As with all guarantees, there will be times when performance is not possible, it just means they will do something about it to compensate you for it. And I think that website might not have been updated. The new port captain just came on a month ago.

No, they try hard , but like their website specifically explains what that guarantee means:

"that means, when time and weather allows, we move our operation to the Winward side of the island."