MacIllini
Registered
Good to hear about Blue XT, I am using them also. Since this is going to be my first ocean and drift dive I have requested this also. Also hired a private dive master for first day.
PADI OW diver - depth limits?
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Good to hear about Blue XT, I am using them also. Since this is going to be my first ocean and drift dive I have requested this also. Also hired a private dive master for first day.
caseybird
Contributor
Oh yeah, Absolutely. Night dives are a world of their own. OTOH, during the day there is a difference between the intensity of the light at 30 feet and 100 feet, but there certainly isn't any problem with the light at 100 feet. I just like the way the shallow reefs look.
Same thing with the swim thrus. I don't get the whole single file through a dark tunnel thing. Lots of times I just stay over the reef, following the bubbles.
...and then there's me as a clueless newbie.
My wife and I were in Cozumel for our open water certifications, and we did all the research and had these nice plans of getting certified and then maybe heading to places like Columbia Shallows the day after (we had no clue about the whole group choice thing on the boat).
So, we completed the first two dives for certification in 30 feet of water, and the instructor must have felt that we were decent, because our third open water dive was Columbia Deep. We stopped at 60 feet on the sand for the last two skills, and then down the wall we went. Our very first dive as certified divers was Palancar Caves (group choice) at 85 feet, followed by a current ride at Punta Kunich.
Of my grand total of 6 dives, half have been deeper than 60 feet. So much for the 60 feet recommendation. And yes, I'm well aware of the dangers, and we stuck to the dive master every single dive like glue.
My wife and I were in Cozumel for our open water certifications, and we did all the research and had these nice plans of getting certified and then maybe heading to places like Columbia Shallows the day after (we had no clue about the whole group choice thing on the boat).
So, we completed the first two dives for certification in 30 feet of water, and the instructor must have felt that we were decent, because our third open water dive was Columbia Deep. We stopped at 60 feet on the sand for the last two skills, and then down the wall we went. Our very first dive as certified divers was Palancar Caves (group choice) at 85 feet, followed by a current ride at Punta Kunich.
Of my grand total of 6 dives, half have been deeper than 60 feet. So much for the 60 feet recommendation. And yes, I'm well aware of the dangers, and we stuck to the dive master every single dive like glue.
This is a very interesting point which we at Aldora Divers have pondered for the last 15 years, and I am sure that most of the other reputable dive shops have as well. We think that we, as others, are now on the right track.
The bottom line is that all of us in Cozumel should care more about comfort in the water and skill level rather than c cards or ratings. One of the worst divers we ever encountered had 200+ dives and an advanced open water rating from PADI. Not believing my staff at the time...I personally took that person out and had a "200 lb Remora" hanging on me for over an hour!
So, for those diving with us on the first day, we normally take our groups of 6 divers or less to Palancar Gardens-- where the beauty of our huge coral heads and swim throughs can be enjoyed at depths of 60 to 80 ft or less. Our dive instructors can help with buoyancy and check out each diver's skills, then for subsequent days we assign the divers to boats and groups that we feel best match their skills and interests. For some that is very shallow dives but that is the exception.
On the other question of depth in general, the warm clear waters of Cozumel present another issue. In my opinion the concern about depth should be situational and PADI has it wrong to suggest that divers should not exceed the "depth that they trained in". 80 feet in this special place is much less "dangerous" than at shallow depth in some cold dark water up north like quarries or fresh water lakes. Indeed, I have been to some pretty impressive (some say stupid), non recreational depths in Cozumel but the only time I have been really scared was at 30 feet in Long Beach Harbor in California.
The bottom line is that exceeding 60 or even 100 feet is not a "barrier" that should be avoided-- and if in warm clear water with a competent buddy or dive guide should be looked forward to. But if an Advanced Open Water rating is desired this is the perfect place and can be accomplished on almost any dive trip.
Just my 2 cents (where is the cents key on a Mac?)
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
The bottom line is that all of us in Cozumel should care more about comfort in the water and skill level rather than c cards or ratings. One of the worst divers we ever encountered had 200+ dives and an advanced open water rating from PADI. Not believing my staff at the time...I personally took that person out and had a "200 lb Remora" hanging on me for over an hour!
So, for those diving with us on the first day, we normally take our groups of 6 divers or less to Palancar Gardens-- where the beauty of our huge coral heads and swim throughs can be enjoyed at depths of 60 to 80 ft or less. Our dive instructors can help with buoyancy and check out each diver's skills, then for subsequent days we assign the divers to boats and groups that we feel best match their skills and interests. For some that is very shallow dives but that is the exception.
On the other question of depth in general, the warm clear waters of Cozumel present another issue. In my opinion the concern about depth should be situational and PADI has it wrong to suggest that divers should not exceed the "depth that they trained in". 80 feet in this special place is much less "dangerous" than at shallow depth in some cold dark water up north like quarries or fresh water lakes. Indeed, I have been to some pretty impressive (some say stupid), non recreational depths in Cozumel but the only time I have been really scared was at 30 feet in Long Beach Harbor in California.
The bottom line is that exceeding 60 or even 100 feet is not a "barrier" that should be avoided-- and if in warm clear water with a competent buddy or dive guide should be looked forward to. But if an Advanced Open Water rating is desired this is the perfect place and can be accomplished on almost any dive trip.
Just my 2 cents (where is the cents key on a Mac?)
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
betsyinczm
Contributor
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Dave------ya hold down the option key and press the dollar sign.....¢¢¢..........hhaaa.
Betsy (fellow Mac person)
Betsy (fellow Mac person)
John_B
Grasshopper
Awesome tip! Thanks!
richerso
Contributor
I agree with you. I have been more freaked out doing Texas muck diving at 20 or 30 feet than I ever have doing a dive in blue water at 130 ft. There's something to be said about visibility.
With that said, I will now proudly proclaim that I don't have a problem diving in muck with <3 ft of visibility. Being proficient in these conditions, makes me an excellent diver when I can see 120+ ft. Ha!
Gdog
Contributor
Great post, Dave. OP, the dive op you use, as stated by driftin by, will check you out on your first dive. They are pretty good at figuring out your comfort level. They see hundreds of divers of all levels day in and day out. Id say go, discuss with your dive op of choice, of which there are many posts here on this board for that, and then go have fun!!!!
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