What is the "typical" surface interval for two tank boat dives in Cozumel?

[Wolfie]

My cayman experiences have always been an hour. About 10 minutes sorting things after the surface. 20 to new site. 10 to 15 chat time and 15 - 20 before everyone is suited up and in the water. If your the first in the water it may be 50 minutes but it's usually at least an hour till decent. Thing to watch out for is that the guide sometimes is the first out and maybe going by their computer. I have pointed that out to the guide before and they happily accommodated SI for the last one out.

 

[deborahdelamar]

Per the August thread, you're scheduled to go diving with Blue Angel, which does provide safe service, including appropriately timed SI's depending on the previous profile and the plan for the next dive. If it shortcut on its SI's, believe me, we'd all know about it down here.

If a DM says "Get Ready" at the 45-50 minute mark of an hour SI, that's OK because by the time the group hits the water, much more time will have passed.

I am missing the reason that you posted this thread.

 

[antattack]

I need 10 minutes to get back on the boat and change my tank, 15 minutes for a glass of water and a PBJ sandwich, 5 minutes to think up some great lies about my previous dive, 20 minutes to tell those lies, 10 minutes to gear up and do it all again. The SIT is a minimum of one hour for me- unless a blue whale swims by...

 

[RickyF]

I cringe when I see so many boats pushing their DM's to "get em in and get em out" with short SI's on the boat so that they can hurry back for a 12:00 afternoon dive. We don't even get back from the morning dives until 1 or 2 - because we are not in a hurry. It's supposed to be fun and relaxing, not a race!

We always had more than one hour surface interval because we waited on Christy to bring a birthday cake or something else! LOL Hi Christy!!

 

[gasgirl]

Per the August thread, you're scheduled to go diving with Blue Angel, which does provide safe service, including appropriately timed SI's depending on the previous profile and the plan for the next dive. If it shortcut on its SI's, believe me, we'd all know about it down here.

If a DM says "Get Ready" at the 45-50 minute mark of an hour SI, that's OK because by the time the group hits the water, much more time will have passed.

I am missing the reason that you posted this thread.

To answer your question, I found many positive reviews of Blue Angel as well so I booked their August dive package promotion. Then I started finding numerous posts describing problems with diving in Cozumel with Suunto's - especially if there was a short surface interval - so I started a thread to ask if this was a bad dive plan or if it was an issue with the Suunto algorithm.

Essentially, a very strong opinion emerged on the thread: any SI less than 60 minutes is unsafe - period - and that divers should only use dive ops who have a 60 minimum SI policy. There was also quite a bit of skepticism that the short SI even existed.

I personally did not know what was considered standard and wanted to know which dive ops had such a standard in case I needed to change dive ops.

In the end, it was a happy ending, as the Head Instructor from Blue Angel, Matt, was able to clarify their diving practices, and reassure me that they provide safe service, just as you have said.

Here is a link to that thread if you are interested: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/advanced-scuba-discussions/429369-bad-dive-plan-cozumel.html

 

[Christi]

You are in excellent hands with Blue Angel!

However, there ARE several shops that do rush their surface times - BA is not one of them!

 

[cicopo]

Having dove with several quality dive ops in Cozumel over the years & being a computer diver I have come to realize that the DM's I trust my life to also trust their life to. Every good DM in Coz has dove just about every possible mix of 2 tank sites imaginable, and knows what SI is safe before asking divers to get back into the water. As Christi has said they need to off gas more than we do due to work schedules, but they also know the general profile of every site they'll take us to & the one chosen for the second dive of the day. IF the first & second dive are both deepish then a longer SI is needed but if the second dive is at my favorite site (Colombia Shallows) & I haven't dove a HP 120 on a wall then the dive is as good as an SI or long safety stop. The Travel time between the first site & Colombia Shallows is more than adequate to me. There might be some bargain basement shops cutting things a bit close but I don't shop dive ops that way.

 

[Johnoly]

.... any SI less than 60 minutes is unsafe - period - and that divers should only use dive ops who have a 60 minimum SI policy.

I think you would enjoy using Nitrox on your future dives. It's an economical course and easy certification. You seem to be good with numbers and Nitrox would be an advanced step forward in your diving adventures. Call before your next vacation and they can set it up for you.

 

[Tunaman68]

I was VERY frustrated with my Suunto computer, and have been around other divers who have experienced the same problems. The algorithm is so conservative in the first place, and if you violate the ascent alarm, it penalizes the bottom time on the next dive. It also off gasses much slower so that the more you dive during the week, the shorter your bottom times seem to get. We try and do 3-4 dives a day most days on a week long trip, and by the end, I was back in the boat with 1500lbs of air left with the suunto telling me I was nearly bent while those with Aeris/Oceanic computers were all fine. The Suuntos are great on the first dive, but really start to cut you short on repetitive dives. See the following chart for comparison especially the Oceanic with the DSAT algorithm ....http://www.scubadiving.com/files/_attachments/Dive_computer_profile.pdf

I don't think an extended surface interval will make much difference if your question is really about the conservative nature of Suunto computers.

I have been diving with BA the last two years with one of my most precious possessions in the whole world - my teenage daughter - I gave her an Oceanic computer and left her in the capable hands of the BA dive staff.

 

[mediumone]

I bought the whole family Oceanic computers -- myself,wife, and two sons. I felt like Suunto's were so conservative as to be inaccurate. How much is inaccurate gear worth? Not much in my book.