New Diver: Drift Diving Dives 5-15 & Nitrox Cert

[SeaBunny88]

OP, I'll bet you equalize with Valsalva (pinch and blow). Many think this is possibly the worst method...dangerous even, if you blow too hard. Check this out:

6 Methods to Equalize Your Ears

All methods for equalizing your ears are simply ways to open the lower ends of your Eustachian tubes, so air can enter.

dan.org

Thank you! I did Valsalva in Key Largo, but I've since read a lot of material here and have practiced the other methods. I also intentionally equalize often at home and when driving around (we are in the mountains and have big elevation changes). No more valsalva for me!

 

[SeaBunny88]

Please don't do this. The extra air is your safety factor for the oh crap moments, it gives you time to sort it out. Sharing air to extend your dive may end up with two people out of air. If you are an air hog your dive ends earlier than those that aren't. Work on the air consumption please.

I wouldn't buddy up with someone to use their air to extend my time. I get how this could be done in principle with still saving reserves, but I have the personal (inexperienced) opinion that this is poor etiquette.

 

[SeaBunny88]

Currents are only hard when you try to fight them. The whole point of drift diving is to not do that.

Let the current move you. The whole group will be basically drifting along together. Since the group isn't actively finning, if you get a little behind to look at something you can quickly catch up with a bit of kicking. If you somehow get ahead, get in the lee (downcurrent side) of a coral head or grab a bit of dead coral and wait. The group will join you shortly.

The descent is like any other open water descent. Everyone is in the same water column, it's just that the water is moving relative to the ground. Keep an eye on your buddy and group and you'll be fine.

Same story with the ascent.

Don't worry about the boat. The captain is literally following your bubble trail. When you are deep, those bubbles are very big and easy to follow at the surface. When you are shallow, he can see the divers as well as the bubbles.

My wife got certified in Coz and drift diving is still her favorite type of diving.

As to Nitrox. Get the cert. There's no difference underwater except you can stay there longer if you have the gas.

This is helpful! I was sure the captain had a method for following divers, as this is their industry and daily work, but I always wondered how the heck they knew where the divers were. It makes sense that they can follow the bubble trail and that makes me feel better.

I will get Nitrox!

 

[SeaBunny88]

Hiring a private dive is an excellent idea, at least for your first few days. You will likely be on the boat with the group but you & your private guide will do your own dive. He will be with you at all times, going at your pace, & you do not have to be concerned about staying with a group. I prefer to do private dives as much as possible. Hope you have a great trip! When are you going?

Thank you! I was beginning to wonder if getting a private dive guide was unnecessary, but I am going to stick with that plan. I'm planning on the last week of May/first week of April. We should be booking it this weekend!

I appreciate all the advice here. I'm going to:

• Hire a private dive guide for as many dives as possible
• Buy an SMB
• Get my nitrox cert

I've watched YouTube videos of SMB deployment. It looks important to know all the steps but maybe not so complicated that I need to do the PADI course for it. Would it be odd to ask my local dive center if I can join on a PADI OW pool day to practice SMB deployment?

 

[inquis]

Buy an SMB

Technically, you'll want a DSMB (*Deployable* Surface Marker Buoy). This adds an OPV (overpressure valve) to an SMB so you can add air at depth and it won't pop on the way to the surface. (Odds are an SMB would leak rather than pop as air expands, but no need chance it.)

My favorite for ocean diving:

6ft / 72" inch Orange Both Sides SMB "Flapper / Duck Valve bottom"

6 Feet Length 6" X 72" 210 Denier with a urethane backing Approximately 40+lbs of lifting capacity Small compact design for easy storage with bungee to hold it rolled up or use the valcron strapped that holds it rolled up! Our smb has a oral / Bc hose inflator at the bottom or use a Bc hose to...

www.piranhadivemfg.com

You'll also need a spool to deploy at depth.

66' Finger Spool w/ Black spool body "High Viz Yellow Line"

Now you get more line at the same price! Another Piranha Dive Mfg way to make your diving less costly and more enjoyable!! High quality molded finger spool High Viz Yellow Line Line is high quality braided "YELLOW" and not the junk stuff others sometimes use! Comes complete with a 4" brass...

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[lowwall]

Their website notes that more experienced divers tend to go in the morning, so an afternoon trip can be a good choice for new divers. Why is this?

I guess this operator starts with a mid-depth (around 60') afternoon dive since anyone who also did the morning dives will still have some residual nitrogen loading.

Coz has a number of shallow (30-50') dives such as Chankanaab, Paradise Reef or Yucab that are close to the marina. Most of the ops will use one of them for the second dive whether morning or afternoon (also night dives).

 

[FishWatcher747]

Their website notes that more experienced divers tend to go in the morning, so an afternoon trip can be a good choice for new divers. Why is this?

If you hire a private DM for at least your first few days this is how it works in my experience. You go out on the morning boat. There will be another DM that goes with the divers that did not hire a private DM. They splash. You splash with your private DM who can take you on a shallower profile, whatever you want. You will do the same site but in a different way. You may surface in a slightly different spot but the boat will pick both groups up.

There is no reason to limit yourself to the afternoon if you have a private DM.

You shouldn't get stressed about the DSMB. It is an important skill to learn but the vast majority of Cozumel divers just surface with the DMs DSMB and never put one up. If you want to work on this skill it would be a great opportunity to practice it at the end of the dive with the private DM. Just tell him beforehand.