Skittl's December 2014 Review- Tres Pelicanos, Suites Bahia, and lots of food.

[silas99]

My HP line is now leaking, my compass fell out of my console and my Uwatec computer that eats batteries lost a button and flooded. Tank pressure gauge is still works though.

Need a dive buddy?:blinking:

 

[MMM]

I have a similar problem which I solved by buying a Comfobite (at least I think that was the name) mouthpiece in a small. You heat the mouthpiece in hot water and then bite on it. It moulds to your mouth and fits perfectly. Only problem is they make two kinds to fit different brands of regs. So you need to know the brand of reg it will go on. I LOVE you mine as I used to get a very sore mouth, diving with a standard mouthpiece, even if it was small.

The problem with the hard breathing was only the last day. It breathed fine the other days. (The first day I had the issue with it just being too big for my mouth, kind of choking on it- but that's because I'm a small person. I would need something custom to fix that. The issue was solved by me holding it away from my mouth when it really started hurting, and just being more comfortable in general so not letting small things bother me as much.)

 

[kg001]

Is it true about the currents taking divers out to sea from Coz ?

 

[Skittl1321]

I do need to order a new console line. My HP line is now leaking, my compass fell out of my console and my Uwatec computer that eats batteries lost a button and flooded. Tank pressure gauge is still works though.

You know, Alison has great rental gear... you should ask her about it.

---------- Post added December 17th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ----------

You can buy a small sized mouthpiece and some zipties to put on rental regs when you dive. It should cost you under $20, takes about 30 seconds to change out, and will make it much more comfortable to use rental gear.

I've heard this. Another diver on the boat (who is on scubaboard, but I forgot which name was his since half the boat was on scubaboard) actually offered to switch his out for me, because he had one that had been cut down. But I think I need it narrower, not just shorter. I didn't take him up on his offer to switch because when I tried it, it felt TOO short and then I'd worry about it falling out...

I worry about lots of things.

---------- Post added December 17th, 2014 at 12:33 PM ----------

Is it true about the currents taking divers out to sea from Coz ?

Are you talking about something that just happened? (If so I haven't heard of it) or are you wondering if this is likely to happen?

This is very very unlikely to happen.
The vast majority of Cozumel dives happen on the west side of the island, if you drifted, you'd drift into the channel between the mainland. Now, I wouldn't really want to do that either- but it's only 30 km to land, you're not exactly out to sea.

The captains are generally not in the habit of losing their divers. It is bad for business. Go with a reputable shop, and you're likely to be back on the boat within a minute or two of surfacing. No time to drift anywhere.

Dive with an SMB so you can be easily spotted by a boat, carry a whistle, possibly a mirror so you can signal in an emergency. If you dive frequently, or are a nervous type, a Nautilus lifeline. You aren't going to get lost at sea.

I'm possibly the most nervous diver in the world, and getting lost at sea has not been one of my major concerns.


(Moderators might want to split this to a new thread.)

 

[kmurray719]

You know, Alison has great rental gear... you should ask her about it.

---------- Post added December 17th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ----------



I've heard this. Another diver on the boat (who is on scubaboard, but I forgot which name was his since half the boat was on scubaboard) actually offered to switch his out for me, because he had one that had been cut down. But I think I need it narrower, not just shorter. I didn't take him up on his offer to switch because when I tried it, it felt TOO short and then I'd worry about it falling out...

I worry about lots of things.

I totally get you on the mouthpiece issue. My jaw is small and narrow, and anything near the back of my mouth makes me gag. This is the one I use on all my regs:
Aqua Lung Comfo Bite Small Mouthpiece for Scuba Regulators

It's the only mouthpiece I've ever found that isn't too wide, too long and that I don't have to bite down constantly to keep it from falling out of my mouth. It also doesn't rub against my gums and cause pain after a few days. I can use it for 4-5 dives/day for a week without any of the issues I'd had with other mouthpieces. YMMV but if it makes diving more comfortable it would be worth the investment.

 

[manta_man]

I entered the wrong quotation

---------- Post added December 17th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ----------

Our rental equipment is just shy of two years old. Everything but fins and masks are Scuba Pro. I like this line because it is easy to use and it stands up well. Our BCD's are the Pilot model and are not weight integrated. All divers learn the proper use of a weight belt and we supply both belt and weights on the boat.
The regulator that you were using is a Mk2 first stage with an r295 second stage. It was in proper working order. However the MK2 is an unbalanced regulator and that could be the reason you thought breathing became more difficult. However we have not had this issue previously when pressure gauge is reading 1000 psi.
Our wet suits are 3 mill in sizes from small to 3xl. We rinse the BCD's and Regulators daily in fresh water. Wet suits are rinsed in a separate tank also with fresh water and a touch of Fabuloso a mild detergent. We do not add any additive to the regs when we rinse them due to the lingering taste of the detergent. I suggest that divers thoroughly clean their own gear once they return home. Our service is a rinse and we do not fill BCD'S with fresh water to clean the inside of the bladder.
Even though you may not dive very much, consider that your regulator is your number one life support device. I suggest that you look at a balanced first stage and an adjustable second stage where you can almost have a free flow reg. Scuba Pro MK25 first stage and the A700 second stage are top of the line. There are others beneath this price range that also will fit your needs. Atomics is also top of the line. However Sherwood offers a very good regulator that is well built.Find a mouth piece that you are comfortable with and it can be mounted on most any second stage.
A regulator will fit nicely in a carry on. I always carry mine in case gear is lost. Rental BCDs are easy to use, but your main life support should fit your requirements and be one that you are comfortable with. As posted by an earlier member---perhaps you will dive more often when you have your own gear. For divers that return to Cozumel often, Cozumel Scuba Repair (Javier and Larry) offer a storage service for your gear. They will service your regulator and store your dive equipment for $100 per year. Something to consider with the rising cost of baggage fees.
Steve Belmont
Owner Tres Pelicanos.

 

[kerrycorcoran]

Good review!! Always nice to get input for future (return) trips to CZM!

 

[Skittl1321]

All divers learn the proper use of a weight belt

You might be surprised what "all divers" know (there was an impromptu lesson on the boat by Servando on using an oral inflate for the BC, one diver didn't know you could do that...). We had never used weight belts until we got to Cozumel. (I assume proper use is just "keep buckle in front for easy release" - is there something else to know?) I've heard something about rolling into them when you gear up in the water, but not knowing how to do that is one reason I won't jump in and gear up in the water in Cozumel, which is how I prefer to put my gear on at home (we rent weight integrated here, weight belts aren't an option), to save the back pain.

The regulator that you were using is a Mk2 first stage with an r295 second stage. It was in proper working order.

Thanks for the information about balanced/unbalanced etc. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your gear rentals to other people. I just know that I'm exceptionally picky, and it was my first experience dealing with a regulator that got harder to breathe like that. It never stopped giving me air, I just didn't want to wait around to see if it would stop- which is why I switched to my buddy's octo. And also why, after talking with you on the boat and you said it was breathing fine, on the second dive when it did the same thing, I chose to just keep my buddy really close to me, rather than switching off to his octo again. I will say I was darn impressed at how nice the octo breathed. My previous experience with our local rental gear is that octos aren't as good as a primary, they leak water and are hard to breathe on... Turns out, our shop's octos just suck, I guess.

 

[dflaher]

I like this little thing to hold my octo. Very inexpensive and easy to maneuver underwater:
JCScubaInc

I have the same clip and love it. Keeps the octo from dangling yet close by and accessible.

 

[Keith.M]

When your primary started breathing harder, you switched to your buddy's octo. How come you didn't just switch to your own octo?