Butch Fries
Contributor
Kind of late to this party, but there's a nearby site called the Cathedral; still deep but much more light and having done both I much prefer it to Devil's Throat.
Preparing for Devil's Throat
- Thread starter ZombieZombie
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Seems like that issue could be rare for these reasons:
1) Aldora departs the downtown pier around 730 AM. That is before a significant number of dive ops (guesstimate)
2) They have fastish boats which may provide temporal separation for any slower boats departing about the same time.
3) Devil's Throat may not get as much traffic and Palancar dive sites.
4) Even if someone where there, waiting on the surface five minutes or so may provide any needed temporal separation.
My experience with Aldora is that encountering other divers on a specific dive is a low probability event. I don't document the events but it is probably around 20% of the time and most of that is a group overtaking us or seen in the distance.
I was only addressing the specific question of whether 130 was "below the limit for Nitrox", which it is not. It IS below the limit for 32%.
Dear Ya'll,
Long but worthy.
I guess the dive site name 'Catherdral" needs to be cleared up. When I first came to Cozumel I had heard stories about the Devil's Throat but could not get any shop to take me there though I had some skills, even then. Too far, too much gas, and very few people even had an idea where it exactly was, just some rough triangulation on land marks and depth.
Having more money than sense, I privately chartered a boat from Scuba Du and went searching with Memo Mendoza as my private guide and guardian. That was of course with Aluminum 80s. First two tries no luck, Third time dropped to far south and when we did find it I was down to 500 psi! Fourth try we dropped too far north and in the swim back up stream burned all my air. I was pissed, but being a sailor and engineer I went back to Southern Cal and bought a hand held GPS from West Marine and ah ha, found a HP 120 tank at Sport Chalet in Buena Park. Now we're getting someplace.
On the next attempt there were a school of maybe 10 Black Tip sharks guarding the Devil's Throat lower inference...and yes, I burnt up the hp 120 watching them. But I did have the GPS Coordinates by then. Back one more time and went through for the first time. I don't know if was the sheer beauty coming out, or the extreme narc--but I was hooked. So hooked-- that I bought a boat and with Memo Mendoza we started Aldora Divers. So in some ways then, the Devil's Throat is the reason there is an Aldora Divers.
Now, some of you may remember the room just to the north of the Devil's Throat, the one that prior to Wilma had a yellow a sponge grown into the shape of a cross. That is the "Cathedral" known to many in the old days. For the theatrical dive guide, he would stop the group there at 85 ft, knees in the sand checking for air and then illuminate the cross. For many it was inspiring. I know, I led one group there on Easter Sunday and could hear the ladies squeal when I put the light on the cross. Sadly, Hurricane Wilma destroyed the sponge cross in 2005.
With us providing navigational guidance, and marketing pressure in the 90s, others joined the trek to the Devil's Throat so that we occasionally found others there. When that happened we started looking to other sites further south. In reality we found the southern half of Punta Sur Reef to be even better than the Devil's Throat, we called that Punta Sur Sur which name sort of stuck. At the north end of Punta Sur Sur we found a very large/tall cavern, what people now refer to as the Cathedral. Which one is the real Cathedral? I'll always vote for the one with the Cross.
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
Long but worthy.
I guess the dive site name 'Catherdral" needs to be cleared up. When I first came to Cozumel I had heard stories about the Devil's Throat but could not get any shop to take me there though I had some skills, even then. Too far, too much gas, and very few people even had an idea where it exactly was, just some rough triangulation on land marks and depth.
Having more money than sense, I privately chartered a boat from Scuba Du and went searching with Memo Mendoza as my private guide and guardian. That was of course with Aluminum 80s. First two tries no luck, Third time dropped to far south and when we did find it I was down to 500 psi! Fourth try we dropped too far north and in the swim back up stream burned all my air. I was pissed, but being a sailor and engineer I went back to Southern Cal and bought a hand held GPS from West Marine and ah ha, found a HP 120 tank at Sport Chalet in Buena Park. Now we're getting someplace.
On the next attempt there were a school of maybe 10 Black Tip sharks guarding the Devil's Throat lower inference...and yes, I burnt up the hp 120 watching them. But I did have the GPS Coordinates by then. Back one more time and went through for the first time. I don't know if was the sheer beauty coming out, or the extreme narc--but I was hooked. So hooked-- that I bought a boat and with Memo Mendoza we started Aldora Divers. So in some ways then, the Devil's Throat is the reason there is an Aldora Divers.
Now, some of you may remember the room just to the north of the Devil's Throat, the one that prior to Wilma had a yellow a sponge grown into the shape of a cross. That is the "Cathedral" known to many in the old days. For the theatrical dive guide, he would stop the group there at 85 ft, knees in the sand checking for air and then illuminate the cross. For many it was inspiring. I know, I led one group there on Easter Sunday and could hear the ladies squeal when I put the light on the cross. Sadly, Hurricane Wilma destroyed the sponge cross in 2005.
With us providing navigational guidance, and marketing pressure in the 90s, others joined the trek to the Devil's Throat so that we occasionally found others there. When that happened we started looking to other sites further south. In reality we found the southern half of Punta Sur Reef to be even better than the Devil's Throat, we called that Punta Sur Sur which name sort of stuck. At the north end of Punta Sur Sur we found a very large/tall cavern, what people now refer to as the Cathedral. Which one is the real Cathedral? I'll always vote for the one with the Cross.
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
There are at least two caverns in the area that are called 'the cathedral'. The one I mentioned is north of the throat. There's another to the south (which I have never dove).
I do think the throat is a good dive, but it needs to be done with large tanks, so you have time to view the area properly, and with lights. I know people dive it without lights all the time, but I think the vast majority of divers will enjoy it more if they can see it.
OP
ZombieZombie
Registered
Still amazed at the quality and quantity of responses to this questions. As a man who is not lacking opinions, I can see that I am with kindred spirits in the dive community. 
We will definitely try out the Cathedral and see what our dive guide thinks in terms of the Devil's Throat. The responses on this thread have been an education.
Just over a week until we arrive in Cozumel. I am starting to burst with excitement.
We will definitely try out the Cathedral and see what our dive guide thinks in terms of the Devil's Throat. The responses on this thread have been an education.
Just over a week until we arrive in Cozumel. I am starting to burst with excitement.
Just pay attention to what I say and you will be fine.
You should be excited.
But Ron..."you never see anything interesting in a swim through"...except perhaps for a BIG Caribbean Gray Reef Shark in Punta Sur Sur. Someday I will force you to tell that story. I won't because I never embarrass a diver.
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
scubafanatic
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why would you be more worried about being bent on air. There is a time limit either way, and if you push the limits of the time limit doing either are or EAN32, the risk is the same.
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