Trip Report Why I Won't Be Returning to Cozumel-Part 1,2&3

[ggunn]

I do not doubt that it is possible to dive the Cathedral without going into deco, however, in the many times I have gone to that site with at least four different dive ops, the path taken through the site has invariably been through several swimthroughs with the last one being the big one that gives the site its name, and coming out of it deep with a deco obligation. When I was younger that sort of thing did not bother me, but these days I do not do deco diving any more, and I don't dive as deep as I used to.

Maybe in a future trip I will ask if we can dive Cathedral by diving the Cathedral itself first rather than last and doing the rest of the dive as a gradually ascending profile.

 

[lionfish-eater]

That is how aldora dives it.
Starts with a good drop on target
Big tanks
Multilevel dive with lots of time to clear any momentary deco obligations if any.
Usually deco warnings only on the conservative computers.

 

[jonhall]

Dang....learning more here than I did listening to the DM about Cathedral. Didn't know I should be looking for anything in particular as it was all pretty amazing. We had 7 divers, only one on nitrox. We dropped to about 80', swam through several mazes with the last putting us at 105' - checked computer at that point and found myself at 2 min NDL. Although I would have started moving up at that point, the DM happened to start going up also. Wonderful dive site.

 

[ggunn]

Dang....learning more here than I did listening to the DM about Cathedral. Didn't know I should be looking for anything in particular as it was all pretty amazing. We had 7 divers, only one on nitrox. We dropped to about 80', swam through several mazes with the last putting us at 105' - checked computer at that point and found myself at 2 min NDL. Although I would have started moving up at that point, the DM happened to start going up also. Wonderful dive site.

The swimthrough for which the dive is named is very impressive. It is a large hollowed out room in the middle of a coral formation. On a bright sunny day shafts of light shine down through overhead openings. You do come out at significant depth, though, and if you've been deep for a while before going into it, deco is pretty much a given.

 

[DandyDon]

I made my home bud get and carry a computer just like mine so I could watch his results as they played out. I always told his mom that I'd watch out for him as he didn't give much thought or planning to any part of our dive trips. We went a couple of minutes into deco at Catherdral even with our Oceanic computers and fast air consumption. On the boat he asked "What was all of that beeping about?"

 

[MrBigfins]

Maybe in a future trip I will ask if we can dive Cathedral by diving the Cathedral itself first rather than last and doing the rest of the dive as a gradually ascending profile.

I prefer this route as there is a ton to see on the second half of the dive as well. If the current is kicking tho, the coral heads get further spread out towards the end of the dive. There is a ton of life at shallower depth towards the end, so even I (not the best on gas consumption) can make it a 60+Min dive

 

[MrBigfins]

One thing that is different on liveaboards is that surface intervals tend to be longer. On a 2 tank dayboat you will typically get an hour max but often less. Also on the LOB you may expend little effort on anything after dives beyond strolling to a lounge chair for a snack and a nap.

I agree there are some differences between land based and liveaboard based intensive dive days. Whem I'm Doing 4 a day land based,, I get an hour between dive 1& 2 then about 2.5 hours between 2&3 then an hour between 3&4. I still expend little energy other than planting myself somewhere and eating and hydrating during the day. I'll concede evenings tend to be a bit more active on land than liveaboard, but I'm not jogging or hitting the gym.

 

[Doc Harry]

My opinion, I think you'll always be disappointed if you project your own cultural expectations on the local culture. The culture and medical care are vastly different in Mexico compared to the USA. Accept that fact, or don't go.

I've been going to Coz every year since 2004, sometimes as three trips a year, and the only bad experiences I've had were with U.S. airlines while traveling to and from Coz.

 

[cvchief]

Speaking of health care:

 

[DandyDon]

No one does a belly flop intentionally. I guess that he actually dived into shallow water and hit bottom. My old home dive bud who did OW with me told me how his first wife did that in Acapulco on their honeymoon. Back to Brett, I'm glad to hear his surgery went well and hope that he had good trip insurance or that his home medical covered in Mexico altho the latter is not likely.

I've heard lots of good stories from Cozumel International Hospital, and it was good that his family was already with him, but I think I would have been asking DAN how fast they could medevac me to Houston.