Cozumel Dive Canceled

[airbusdrvr]

I'm on Celebrity Solstice and was informed on Monday our scuba dive has been canceled . The shore excursion desk said Sand Dollar canceled the dive for "administrative" problems .

 

Now I just read about the missing diver off Exquinox. Maybe that is the "administrative problem.

 

My thoughts and prayers to the family of the missing diver.

[Laurie S.]

Yep, Sand Dollar is under investigation. Two divers died that day on Santa Rosa Wall, but I don't think the other diver was with Sand Dollar.

[Capt_BJ]

for the record

 

it most cases b4 you dive with a 'provider' you sign a statement that says you understand that diving has certain risks involved

 

I first dove Coz in 1987 and have many times since. I always caution first time visitors that Coz is boat drift diving (for the good stuff) and while this is not a 'technical dive' it can be too many new things at once for a new diver: deep to get to the wall, a very strong and VERY variable current, boat diving, and getting back on a boat in a current. (I was briefed about the current on the wall in Coz many times as a ship driver - the pilots know they are very unpredictable, very strong at times and can change direction 180 degrees in 15 minutes .... I have GREAT respect for the currents here)

 

Boat drift diving is possibly the WORST situation for surfacing away from the group alone . . . the boat is following the bubble mass (or the float IF they have one)

 

That the local authorites would shut down an operator for an investigation is a heck of a lot better than it was in the 80's, where a dive trip was often a guy in a 20 foot open boat, a couple of sets of gear and a cooler full of beer!

 

Just some food for thought from a diver from the olden days - certified in 1973 by a PADI founder . . . but diving ever since.

[Laurie S.]

I think the real issue is why Sand Dollar took beginner divers to Santa Rosa Wall that day when there were very strong downwelling currents, and even a tornado current situation. I don't blame the DM, but the operator made a bad decision.

[Capt_BJ]

I think the real issue is why Sand Dollar took beginner divers to Santa Rosa Wall that day when there were very strong downwelling currents, and even a tornado current situation. I don't blame the DM, but the operator made a bad decision.

 

 

wouldn't the Dive Master be the last check to ensure the dive was safe?

 

Sorry, I hold DM more responsible than the {business} operator . .

 

of course the interplay between the business and an individual DM is complicated . . .

[Laurie S.]

We also don't know if the DM knew the conditions were unsafe before entering the water. Plus, in Cozumel, the DMs really are only guides, which is required by the marine park (unless they are privately hired by an individual). And, who does the DM stay with, the one diver who is ascending or the group at the designated depth? I think that whole dive that day was a cluster****.

[Capt_BJ]

We also don't know if the DM knew the conditions were unsafe before entering the water.

 

Isn't that someting we look for from the 'dive master' .... verification that the conditions are safe?

 

Plus, in Cozumel, the DMs really are only guides,

 

please run that one past the Coz' dive operators . . . .

 

And, who does the DM stay with, the one diver who is ascending or the group at the designated depth?

 

 

hmm ... the inexperienced diver who burned their tank fast or . . . .

 

 

I think that whole dive that day was a cluster****.

 

and you prevent in the future by . .

[Laurie S.]

We also don't know if the DM knew the conditions were unsafe before entering the water.

 

Isn't that someting we look for from the 'dive master' .... verification that the conditions are safe?

 

From what I've been reading about the conditions that day, it may not have been apparent on the surface that the currents were crazy. I've never dived with Sand Dollar, and never will, so can't say about the quality of their DMs.

 

Plus, in Cozumel, the DMs really are only guides,

 

That's being said directly by the dive shops in the discussion I've been following. The difference is if an individual hires a DM personally. The DM's are required by the marine park at Cozumel.

 

please run that one past the Coz' dive operators . . . .

 

And, who does the DM stay with, the one diver who is ascending or the group at the designated depth?

 

 

hmm ... the inexperienced diver who burned their tank fast or . . . .

 

Bad dive plan from the beginning. This incident didn't involve a diver burning through a tank fast. Still, should have had a plan in place for someone bolting. It appears from the statements that by the time DM was made aware that the woman had headed to the surface, she was taken by the current. Why didn't the DM see her is another question.

 

 

I think that whole dive that day was a cluster****.

 

and you prevent in the future by . .

 

Better planning obviously and perhaps two DMs as we do in San Carlos.

[SCUBA Mark]

I just got an email from Carnival that said they cancelled my diving shore excursion in Cozumel on 4/21.

 

This is what they said

 

"The reason that the tour is not available online is that we had to canceled this excursion and is currently not part of our tour program. Since this just happened you were notified yet. We are canceling all our reservations for this tour until further notice."

 

 

I was able to switch to another local dive operator that I have used before.

 

Mark

[skod]

We were on the Legend 4/1-4/8, and found out that our Cozumel dives were cancelled by a message in our in-bin on Monday evening. Didn't find out about why until we got back home and read about it on Scubaboard.

 

We just hung out in town, and skipped diving there. Probably just as well, given the funky currents they've apparently been having. When you get the cosmic thumb for a dive, it's probably better to just hit the bar in any case... (;-)

[Capt_BJ]

Coz has really really funky currents

 

not only can they be strong - as much as 5 knots + - but they can change really really fast.

 

I remember bringing a ship in there for my first time in 1986. The Pilot came aboard and told us the current could reverse direction and double in strength over 10 minutes. I doubted and we docked easily. That pilot left my ship and boarded a cruise ship .... and due to a current shift the cruise ship struck the pier in such a way as to put in a 15 foot gash . . I'm a Believer . .

 

what that can do on a drift dive is something I VERY VERY much appreciate

 

I've participated in multi-day searches for jet ski/water bike riders lost off Coz' ....

 

respect the seas . .

[cruzbound]

We just got off of RC Mariner and their dive excursions in Cozumel were cancelled also. This didn't affect us because we had booked a private excursion with Scuba with Alison - who by the way is EXCELLENT. We are new divers and she was very careful and watchful of us - it was a great dive. Got to see a five foot nurse shark, baracudas, three sea turtles, tons of huge fish, huge puffer fish, the coral was very good and I even went through some swim-throughs for my first time (with Alison's help). I love RC but I will have to fault them on the fact that they knew their excursion was cancelled and did not notify people who signed up ahead a time about the cancellation thus not giving them time to find a private operator - they told the passengers to get off the ship and find someone at port - not the best idea as far as I am concerned, I like to do my research on the company. So glad we did private dive excursions in all the stops instead of with the ship, heard from people on the ship they were not impressed with their ship dive excursion.

 

Have fun diving everyone!

[Bellfree Bat]

We dove with Sand Dollar last year and it was the worst diving experience ever. A lot of new divers from the cruise ships and they were not prepared at all. One lady had even asked my husband wht the octopus was for! :eek: They grouped divers by where they were seated and not on experience level and had only one DM per group. We were told that it was a drift dive and that was okay but were not told about the current. We started our decent and the current was bad. My husband and I held hand and were pulled along the wall. DM was nowhere in sight. Turns out that he had to bring the aforementioned diver back up to the boat. The rest of the group and DM did catch up with us. Never again will I dive with them. The DM said, "I knew you were experienced so I was not worried". :rolleyes:

[Sailfish]

Honestly, I do not know much about Sanddollar, except they are contracted with the cruise lines. But I will say that everything you have been reading about diving in Cozumel - the good, the bad and the ugly - is true.

 

I am not saying this to alarm anyone, but the stuff that make's Cozumel an amazing dive destination, is also what makes it so dangerous. Quite a few divers as well as dive masters/instructors lives are lost every year in Cozumel, but you only hear about a few, namely those associated with a cruise line or from the US or Canada. You don't hear much about divers from other countries or locals who die in diving accidents, but it happens a lot. That's Cozumel - thanks in large part to the many, many divers from around the world who come to dive in Cozumel every year.

 

Any decent, safety conscious dive operator who has been in Cozumel for a while will tell you what happened to the diver in the Sanddollar group could happen to them. The investigation will reveal if the dive master and captain on the dive boat could have prevented the tragedy by not diving the Santa Rosa wall with the group the day the tragedy happened. But short of that, all dive operators know how unpredictable the currents can be, and how hard it is to predict which direction they will go when you jump into the water.

 

During my mandatory Pre-Dive Orientation on the ship, I always emphasize the importance of remaining with your buddy while diving in Cozumel. Luckily, Cozumel will be our last dive port next year. Drift dives can be the best, but divers have to be prepared to go into the water as a group and descend together. Any diver not capable of doing this in my group will not be diving with us in Cozumel. I have always approached our dives in Cozumel this way. Lucky for us, our experiences have always been positive. A couple of things to remember about diving in Cozumel:

 

1. Salinity is higher here than most other Western Caribbean ports - we always add 2 extra pounds when we dive in Cozumel. Even divers with above average air consumption will suck air more in Cozumel due to the current and depth of dives - another reason to dive with a little more weight. No, being too heavy is not good either. But being under-weighted in strong current means you will struggle to stay down more, which will cause you to suck more air.

 

2. Divers have to pay extra attention to their depth gauges - and avoid getting narced. AOW certified divers should know their own limits and if they are susceptible; Cozumel is not the place to find out! It bugs the heck out of me to watch divers descend and follow the dive master instead of watching their depth gauge! And I see way too many divers take risks while in deep water (to get a great photo at 120 feet) that I know they wouldn't do normally. My theory, they are a little narced!!

 

3. Follow the leader and stay with your buddy. In Cozumel, make sure you have sausage and a whistle - be prepared and know what to do and expect if you are separated from your dive group. It happens all the time. I don't like to scare my divers, but they need to know this could happen. I know what it's like to abort a dive in Cozumel and come up to the surface with only your buddy - it's not fun, but your odds of surviving increase if you remain calm and know what to do. With so many dive boats around you, who all know this is a common occurrence, you need to be prepared to flag down any boat. Wait time is usually no more than 20 minutes which I know can seem like an eternity. They will call your dive boat and return you safely.

 

4. Schedule your dives EARLY in the morning - don't dive after 12:00noon. Afternoon dives, especially in the summer, can be okay. But if you go diving in the winter and spring especially, it can get windy by 11am and no fun under the water.

 

5. Listen to the dive briefing - this is a given, but it's still amazing how many divers don't pay close attention.

 

You can lots of fun diving in Cozumel - If you are a novice, I would not recommend it for the first dive of the voyage, though.

 

Good luck!

 

Suzi

[Sailfish]

I am Cozumelenian and i dive nearly every week just for fun. I can tell everybody that dive accidents are not so often like people always say.

On the island Cozumel we have every day 2500 divers diving in the caribbean reefs in front of the island. Dive accidents happens because people are not following the rules of the Padi dive book.

here some examples what you learn if you do the course:

 

• Never leave your buddy alone.
  
• Stay together
  
• Stay with the group
  
• Dont drink any alcohol or drugs
  
• Dont go deeper than your DM
  
• check the gear of your buddy, before
  
• dont dive longer till 1000psi or 50 bars
  
• breath normaly dont hold your breath
  
• make always a safety stop at 15feet for min 3minutes
  
• make a surfcae interwall for one hour (kick your DM)
  

These are 10 important rules to follow, if you forgot all the rules because it is so exciting to dive in the caribbean, than your life is in danger.

 

 

It is the same with Car driving if you are not following the rules you will have an accident. for shure

 

 

Everyone who is certified knows to follow safe diving practices; accidents happen even to divers who try to follow all the rules. Other islands like Bonaire, have a similar number of divers vacationing and diving on the island, but fewer dive accidents - nearly all dive accidents in Cozumel are related to depth and/or current and diver judgement. But this is not news - anywhere you have drop-offs like you do in Cozumel (i.e. Grand Cayman) you have more dive accidents.

 

I am not trying to imply you shouldn't go to Cozumel - only saying you should have the level of experience to dive in strong current and depth, and be conscious of the fact that conditions can change on a dime. So be careful and enjoy!

 

Suzi

[MoJo Diving]

Suzi after reading several comments and discussions you have hit the nail on the head. I have to agree with you 100% with all 5 points listed.

 

My wife is a diver too, but she is what I call a reckless diver. Not worried about depth/air/conditions etc. She believes if I can do it so can she, which is a deadly mistake.

 

I took her on a drift dive in Cozumel and the current was ripping that day. Once at depth she was fine but fighting her way down was a problem (burned up a 1/4 of a tank). Then afterwards I realized she was skip breathing.

 

Tech diving has taught me two things:

 

First always be prepared for ANYTHING and check your gear over and over again (TRUST NO ONE WITH YOUR GEAR OR LIFE!!!!).

 

Second if you dive with a partner two may go in the water but ONLY one diver may come back. If you can not do a self-recovery/assist then you are not prepared.

 

Like any SPORT diving has it's own risks. If you are a reckless diver and do not know your equipment, conditions, or people you are diving with then you are wrong. Each diver is responsible for themselves, if you can help great, if not then look above.

 

Joseph

[MPM]

There are a couple of things I think are worth adding that I don't believe have been mentioned yet. I apply the same lesson to diving that I did when I earned my pilots license - I wasn't afraid to let people know I was a newbie! In many ways, a "cattle boat" can be the worst thing in the world for new or rusty divers. Too many people, and too few dive masters. My wife and I first went to Cozumel with a limited number of dives under our belt. We got our PADI "drift diving" certification prior to going. Then, on the advice of these boards, we booked with "Scuba with Alison", and let her know up front that we were newbies. On our trip we had five divers, and two dive masters! Alison kept a very close eye on us, and I am sure selected dives that were lower risk. Your skill level general becomes pretty apparent once you get in the water (and often before that), but sometimes that is too late for the dive master to select an appropriate dive location.

 

Interestingly enough, once you build some dive experience, the first thing you want to avoid is diving with new divers - they use up their air too fast, and have a tendency to bump in to you. I often have to remind myself that it wasn't that long ago that I was also brand new, and someone had to put up with me! I greatly appreciate the tips the more experienced divers kindly passed on, and now hope I do the same.

 

None of this may have helped in this situation, but it has benefited me in general.

 

-Mike