deepsea21
Contributor
I hadn’t even considered the private dm option. I’m going to do that.
I do support hiring a private DM for your 1st day as you are pretty new to diving and may be new to drift diving. Don't view a private DM as paying for a set of training wheels, view it as paying for a limo driver that is going to take care of you and deliver a great level of service and a fantastic dive experience. Heck, if I could afford it I'd hire a private DM for EVERY dive as they are highly skilled at finding amazing sea life that an untrained eye will never see. I personally keep an eye on both the group's DM and any private DM's that have been hired because I don't want to miss any cool critters they may find even though I tend to dive my own dive and hunt for critters myself shallower where there is more light, more color, and more to see in my opinion. New divers tend to think deeper means better but it doesn't in my opinion on Cozumel. I say it just means darker, less color, less to see and less bottom time. However, some will certainly disagree with that statement.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure after that first day with a private DM you'll be totally comfortable. Furthermore, as you're also diving with 3P's and Scuba Tony which are highly regarded dive ops, I think you may find that many of the more experienced divers are going to dive their own dives while maintaining and monitoring their general proximity to the DM and the group as a whole. That pretty much leaves you and a few others who may care to hang close to the DM with a "private DM experience" without paying for one. Rule of thumb as a new diver is DO NOT dive deeper than the DM. Stay level with the DM or above him. The DM is monitoring the entire dive by his computer. If you go deeper than the DM you are going to be outside the bounds of his profile which is a planned safe profile. Don't chase a turtle or anything you see beneath you deep as there will be more to see on that dive or subsequent dives. I did that once when I was a new diver as I just wanted to get down there and back up quick but at 120' my computer entered deco mode as it was later in the dive and I wasn't paying attention to my computer before I did that - just my PSI.
Do be sure when you board the boat to let the DM and all divers on board know this is your first trip to Coz, you are newly certified or have x# of dives logged. Everyone will be thrilled to have a new diver on board and will welcome any questions you may have. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked and THE WORST mistake one can make is to get on a boat and lie about their level of experience to the operator, the DM and the other divers on board. A diver who indicates he has a great deal of experience I'm not going to think twice about them heading deeper or staying down longer but a diver who said he was new to diving I'd be wondering if they had a buoyancy issue or were not being mindful of their depth, tank pressure and NDL if saw that behavior and would signal them to see if everything was OK. A DM or diver that looks at you and signals if everything is OK... Don't immediately signal back that it all is OK... Check depth, PSI in your tank and your computer for your NDL time remaining and then if all is good respond all is OK.
Anyway, just a couple of my thoughts. In the future hopefully you'll be posting similar thoughts to a new diver who is asking questions.