Washington doctor and son drown - Cabo, Mexico

[rjack321]

Are police reports on such incidents made public in Mexico? I was told the recovery divers had to give a report to the police.

No there's never a police report worth bothering with in MX. Shoot they barely investigate their murders nevermind scuba accidents.

 

[wgw04024]

To put the dive site in perspective, this description of Gordo Banks is from the website of a local dive op:

"Gordo Banks is located 8-10 miles off-shore from San Jose del Cabo. There are different seamounts, while the top of one is approximately 120 feet, the other is at 180 feet.

The dive conditions at Gordo Banks can be quite challenging, due to the depth, strong currents, visibility and heavy seas. Therefore we require all divers (with less than 100 logged dives) to do a local 2 tank dive in the Cabo San Lucas marine park or at the Corridor prior to diving at Gordo Banks."

The emphasis was added by me. Seems like the kind of place where adverse factors can combine quickly.

Assuming an aluminum 80 tank, that really isn't alot of bottom time to make it 'that' worthwhile imho. Especially if you are battling visibility AND current.

 

[divergirl_0414]

I just dove there a week and a half ago. The day I was out, conditions were not great.

Anyone happen to know which diveop was used?

 

[BRT]

To put the dive site in perspective, this description of Gordo Banks is from the website of a local dive op:

"Gordo Banks is located 8-10 miles off-shore from San Jose del Cabo. There are different seamounts, while the top of one is approximately 120 feet, the other is at 180 feet.

The dive conditions at Gordo Banks can be quite challenging, due to the depth, strong currents, visibility and heavy seas. Therefore we require all divers (with less than 100 logged dives) to do a local 2 tank dive in the Cabo San Lucas marine park or at the Corridor prior to diving at Gordo Banks."

The emphasis was added by me. Seems like the kind of place where adverse factors can combine quickly.

120' to the top. Not a lot of room for error.

 

[scubadada]

Even with an appropriately lean nitrox mix, bottom NDL at 120 feet would not be more that about 15 minutes. Assuming there is not much to do above the pinnacle in the open ocean, that would be an awfully short dive for the trip out.

@divergirl_0414 or others that have done it, could you please describe this dive for us?

 

[divergirl_0414]

@scubadada nailed it. I used a 27% nitrox mix and maxed out at about 100 feet for 2mins. But the average we stayed at was 75-80ish. Viz was very poor, maybe 15 feet at best. The draw for me was the desire to see schooling hammerheads, which the site is known for. The total dive lasted about 20 mins including safety stop.

The underwater conditions were not bad at all (no current, no surge, temps weren't even that bad) but the surface conditions were terrible. It was windy and rainy.

I opted out of the second dive (I had bad heartburn), and was told that they didn't even see fish on the second. It turned into essentially a blue water dive. The surface conditions picked up and got worse and it was hard for the boat captain to keep his eyes on the bubbles (he did a great job). It was just me and another diver. Both of us experienced.

It was two very short dives for the two hours out in a boat. We did find a number of humpbacks though at the surface at the end of the second. And due to any other boats in the area, they got quite close (we didn't chase them, but let them come to us).

The dive op told me straight up that it will either be the best dive you've ever had or you won't see a thing. Too bad the latter happened.

 

[divergirl_0414]

I should also add, that the dive operator who took me out made sure I dove with them before going to Gordo Banks (the day before in my case). Didn't matter how many dives I had -- it was an absolute, which I'm not complaining because who doesn't like getting more time in the water?

 

[beaverdivers]

Even with an appropriately lean nitrox mix, bottom NDL at 120 feet would not be more that about 15 minutes. Assuming there is not much to do above the pinnacle in the open ocean, that would be an awfully short dive for the trip out.

@divergirl_0414 or others that have done it, could you please describe this dive for us?

I have had one of the best dives ever; total ceiling of hammerheads, schools of jacks, snapper & rainbow runners, a sailfish being chased off by a bull sealion that then marked his territory by leaving an oil slick of poo, ending with a sea turtle doing our deco stop. The next dive we saw very little.

 

[scubadada]

I have had one of the best dives ever; total ceiling of hammerheads, schools of jacks, snapper & rainbow runners, a sailfish being chased off by a bull sealion that then marked his territory by leaving an oil slick of poo, ending with a sea turtle doing our deco stop. The next dive we saw very little.

I've had great dives and I've had flops. You have to be there to see what you will get. Keep trying.

 

[divergirl_0414]

I have had one of the best dives ever; total ceiling of hammerheads, schools of jacks, snapper & rainbow runners, a sailfish being chased off by a bull sealion that then marked his territory by leaving an oil slick of poo, ending with a sea turtle doing our deco stop. The next dive we saw very little.

Wow am I jealous. We saw a turtle at the end. That was it. NO schooling hammerheads. No jacks. No sailfish. No mantas. No whale sharks.