Trip Report Trip Report: Tres Pelicanos in Decemeber

[jonhall]

No head on the boat. I might never use it if they had one, but I'd be more comfortable knowing it was there. My understanding is very few boats on the island have heads.

Out of the 38 dive ops I researched, only a handful, maybe 5, had heads. Had a newer diver during a surface interval ask the other divers on the boat what the procedure for relieving oneself was. Most of us pointed outside the boat.

I always felt like I'd get left behind on the dock trying to find transportation back - this never happened, but it did seem confusing where to meet or who was taking me.

Wouldn't like that feeling either. Not sure where Quinta Suites are located, but sounds like you went to a dock by taxi to get picked up by TP. It's nice that there are other options depending on where one stays: I have taken a taxi to a dive ops dock to dive with that op, was picked up at a pier by an op (not the onsite op) at the hotel I was staying at, and just a couple of weeks ago, was close enough to walk to a dive op with it's own dock. I've yet to go to a marina or go to someones pier/dock and wait for an op to pick me up. Maybe next trip.

 

[drrich2]

Before climbing on to the ladder after a dive, she'd rapidly pull her wetsuit away from her body several times saying, "Ok, time to flush the toilet".

Heh. And I thought I was the only one. I tend to act like I'm cooling off, though. 'Flushing the toilet,' eh? My wife claims I'm 'brutally honest,' but even for me, that's a bit much.

Out of the 38 dive ops I researched, only a handful, maybe 5, had heads.

Anything they tended to have in common? Big boats with rather high capacity? From any particular part of the island, like the southern A.I.s, San Miguel or the northern hotel zone? Just curious if there's any sort of pattern.

Cannot imagine how much work you put into compiling all that.

 

[mediumone]

Heh. And I thought I was the only one. I tend to act like I'm cooling off, though. 'Flushing the toilet,' eh? My wife claims I'm 'brutally honest,' but even for me, that's a bit much.

We got over the notion of modesty on our first check-out dive. It was 42 degrees in March in Puget Sound. Modesty, propriety or whatever you want to call it was dashed to the wayside. Anything, and I do mean anything, for a few moments of warmth.

 

[drrich2]

It was 42 degrees in March in Puget Sound.

Unless you were in a dry suit, I don't know how you do it. The local quarry, which I dove a few years back, is quite deep, and tends to run around 45 degrees in the bottom. I've dove it in a 5 mm full wetsuit and gloves, 7 mm hood and boots. Even so, I was very aware the water around me was scary cold, and I was okay (not really shivering) but mindful (I imagine the 2nd thermocline to get to this cold layer might've been 60 feet deep or so).

But the idea of going in water that's cold like that at the surface? Ugh! Is that what you guys did? I can go in when the top layer's upper 70's or 80-ish (which fills my wetsuit with warm water), the middle layer's probably in the 60's (guessing), and then finally deep down, bitterly cold water doesn't flood me all at once.

Talking about miserably cold water is making Cozumel's tropical 'bath water' sound wonderful!

 

[mediumone]

Unless you were in a dry suit, I don't know how you do it. The local quarry, which I dove a few years back, is quite deep, and tends to run around 45 degrees in the bottom. I've dove it in a 5 mm full wetsuit and gloves, 7 mm hood and boots. Even so, I was very aware the water around me was scary cold, and I was okay (not really shivering) but mindful (I imagine the 2nd thermocline to get to this cold layer might've been 60 feet deep or so).

But the idea of going in water that's cold like that at the surface? Ugh! Is that what you guys did? I can go in when the top layer's upper 70's or 80-ish (which fills my wetsuit with warm water), the middle layer's probably in the 60's (guessing), and then finally deep down, bitterly cold water doesn't flood me all at once.

Talking about miserably cold water is making Cozumel's tropical 'bath water' sound wonderful!

Yes, that's what we did, with 7 mm farmer johns.
Top that off with no more than 5' visibility.
Bitterly cold is right.
Our fantastic teacher didn't allow any shortcuts either. I wanted so badly to help our scrawny boys who were 12 and 14 at the time, but no dice. "They will complete their skills, or I will be unable to certify them".

 

[BRT]

Unless you were in a dry suit, I don't know how you do it. The local quarry, which I dove a few years back, is quite deep, and tends to run around 45 degrees in the bottom. I've dove it in a 5 mm full wetsuit and gloves, 7 mm hood and boots. Even so, I was very aware the water around me was scary cold, and I was okay (not really shivering) but mindful (I imagine the 2nd thermocline to get to this cold layer might've been 60 feet deep or so).

But the idea of going in water that's cold like that at the surface? Ugh! Is that what you guys did? I can go in when the top layer's upper 70's or 80-ish (which fills my wetsuit with warm water), the middle layer's probably in the 60's (guessing), and then finally deep down, bitterly cold water doesn't flood me all at once.

Talking about miserably cold water is making Cozumel's tropical 'bath water' sound wonderful!

We certified in a local lake 3 days after the ice went off. I had a garage sale 7mil that had holes in it. Pansy's!

 

[ReefHound]

It's been a few years since I dived with TP but I have 4 or 5 trips (as in visits to Coz not boat rides, so maybe 20 or more boat rides.).

1. You're not going to have a head on a small panga. If that's what you need then you'll need to book a larger "cattle" boat.

2. Most pangas want fins on first because it's hard for many to reach down and put them on with the BCD on. I don't have that issue and can wiggle into my FF fins hands-free but I do it anyway since I know what it's like to herd cats and have to deal with the stray. The capt/DM will help you get your BCD on and if you need to reach down or move around after that (rinse mask, get camera from bucket, get dive light from bag) just ask the crew to do it. Experienced divers get better prepared and don't find sitting in gear to be uncomfortable.

They want you in the boat quickly after the dive because the boat's bigger wind profile will have it moving faster than divers bobbing in the water. I don't understand why ops don't throw out a floating trail line.

They want you to submerge because it's easier to see everyone, divers at the surface move at a different speed than divers below, and bobbing on the surface doesn't prove you are ready to dive. If the DM sees you below the surface he knows you're ready to dive. I usually splash, drop to 10', and stay there. Again, experienced divers have done all their chit-chat and checking on the boat and are ready to dive.

3. Shop is predictably open in the mornings but common to be closed a few hours in early afternoon then re-open late afternoon. From Quinta you might be able to see if the shop is open. Whenever we've walked in and needed to check our gear, Pony just said to walk in the back and help ourselves. We often took our gear for a shore dive then brought it back. We offered to rinse ourselves once but they said to just sit it down and they will do it. They have a process.

4. Welcome to Mexico. To the outsider, it often appears that there is no plan and everything is chaos then somehow it all magically gets done.

 

[Rob9876]

In addition to the good info above, I'll add that once all divers are back on board it is not unusual during the surface interval for people to tell the DM that they need to jump back in the water for a minute (without gear). Then that person tries to look casual while taking care of business.

 

[ccannon707]

I absolutely detest being rushed on the boat when it's time to get in the water. That is how stupid mistakes happen (I know, I forgot my weight belt once - doh!) I only dive now with shops/DMs that take their time with all of us making sure everybody is geared up properly & ready to go. What's that - an extra 5+ minutes?

 

[mediumone]

an extra 5+ minutes?

Most likely less than 5.
Then, if you have to wait in the water for people to get organized, it's likely that people will get a little winded or have to swim to re-organize the group, and there goes xxx psi shortening some or all of the dives.