Kicker1866
Contributor
Was diving in Cozumel this weekend. I am usually down there several times a year and very familiar with how drifting in fast currents can reek havoc on inexperienced divers....and Cozumel's beauty attracts MANY inexperienced divers.
One one of the trips this weekend I observed a threesome on the boat...man, wife and 13 yr old son. Husband was showing wife and child everything about setting up gear and seemed kinda "excited" to share his "new found knowledge". Wife and son seemed nervous....so I decided to strike up a conversation.
Husband had only been diving a shirt while (20 splashes) ...he was anxious to share his new found sport with the family. Wife and son had just gotten certified in quarry somewhere near Chicago.
So they're in the water and wife is moving like an octopus that had fallen out a tree. Interestingly, the son had decent skills for such a new diver....meaning he was not crashing into the reef. The wife on the other hand was having trouble....panicky...uncomfortable.....husband practically dragging her through the water.
The DM was not giving this the attention needed. About 15 min into the dive she starts flooding her mask and cannot clear it. Husband is trying to calm her down and she is thumbing up hard. I know what is about to happen and start heading thatt way.....unfortunately, I do not get there in time and she makes a break for the surface. We are about 65' down. She must've gained some type of wit about her because she slowed her ascent but was still heading up.
Husband is now panicky....son has now drifted a good distance passed him....he is torn between wife and son....and DM still doesn't know what is up. Husband finally get''s DM's attention and I am simultaneously trying to deploy my Surface marker to make sure wife doesn't get hit by a boat and go after the son. DM signals for me not to deploy my marker (wth???) I continue after kid.....by the time DM deploys she has hit the surface and drifted away from his marker .....seeing son is safe husband starts to go up after wife. DM grabs his fin and tells him no....boat will get her. Husband stays down and pairs back up with son.
Just so many problems with this scenario. Husband should not have dumped his family into drift diving so soon. DM was asleep. Husband not skilled enough to manage two new divers. Wife not ready for open water. I felt bad for not reacting sooner and doing more, but I was with my wife who was on her 10th dive. And even though I have had her in Cozumel before, I have slowly introduced her to drift diving and have made certain her training was very thorough.
One one of the trips this weekend I observed a threesome on the boat...man, wife and 13 yr old son. Husband was showing wife and child everything about setting up gear and seemed kinda "excited" to share his "new found knowledge". Wife and son seemed nervous....so I decided to strike up a conversation.
Husband had only been diving a shirt while (20 splashes) ...he was anxious to share his new found sport with the family. Wife and son had just gotten certified in quarry somewhere near Chicago.
So they're in the water and wife is moving like an octopus that had fallen out a tree. Interestingly, the son had decent skills for such a new diver....meaning he was not crashing into the reef. The wife on the other hand was having trouble....panicky...uncomfortable.....husband practically dragging her through the water.
The DM was not giving this the attention needed. About 15 min into the dive she starts flooding her mask and cannot clear it. Husband is trying to calm her down and she is thumbing up hard. I know what is about to happen and start heading thatt way.....unfortunately, I do not get there in time and she makes a break for the surface. We are about 65' down. She must've gained some type of wit about her because she slowed her ascent but was still heading up.
Husband is now panicky....son has now drifted a good distance passed him....he is torn between wife and son....and DM still doesn't know what is up. Husband finally get''s DM's attention and I am simultaneously trying to deploy my Surface marker to make sure wife doesn't get hit by a boat and go after the son. DM signals for me not to deploy my marker (wth???) I continue after kid.....by the time DM deploys she has hit the surface and drifted away from his marker .....seeing son is safe husband starts to go up after wife. DM grabs his fin and tells him no....boat will get her. Husband stays down and pairs back up with son.
Just so many problems with this scenario. Husband should not have dumped his family into drift diving so soon. DM was asleep. Husband not skilled enough to manage two new divers. Wife not ready for open water. I felt bad for not reacting sooner and doing more, but I was with my wife who was on her 10th dive. And even though I have had her in Cozumel before, I have slowly introduced her to drift diving and have made certain her training was very thorough.