Cave Diving on Cozumel

[TSandM]

Oh, believe me, we were never in any cave where we had to take our gear off! We were never in any cave where the walls or ceiling got close enough to us to run a risk of hitting anything. What we were doing was more like swimming through corridors in a large building.

It often puzzles me that people talk about claustrophobia when they think about cave diving. Some of the rooms in the "beginner" caves in Mexico are probably 100 feet across, and 20 or 30 feet high. With the crystal clear water, you're less "confined" there than you are on a poor viz day in Puget Sound!

 

[ggunn]

It often puzzles me that people talk about claustrophobia when they think about cave diving. Some of the rooms in the "beginner" caves in Mexico are probably 100 feet across, and 20 or 30 feet high. With the crystal clear water, you're less "confined" there than you are on a poor viz day in Puget Sound!

Not claustrophobic, are you? I am, a little, and I had a couple of anxious moments in Dos Ojos, when we were going through a 6' X 6' corridor. Mine, anyway, is not triggered when I can't see, it's when I can see and the walls are close in around me.

 

[Crazyduck]

Hey everyone,

Thank you all for the kind remarks.

The Oxygen thing is more of a cultural thing of cave diving. With caves you cannot pick the profile, you have to use what the cave gives you; hence decompression is viewed differently. Best example is caves that have saw tooth profiles that constantly take the diver from shallow to deep water. I find it interesting that all week we were pulling 100ft dives with nitrox 32 and no oxygen and with two cave dives I did have Oxygen- kinda an oxymoron.

TS&M- thanks for a great day of diving and helping answer great questions.

K-valve- have a great time with diving, you might be a bit tired but my cave training has been my favorite overall training yet. Hope that you have that moment of incredible concentration followed by looking down a lit passage way that makes you think- wow…. The concentration turns into calm; a very serious Zen moment.

Willie- hey there, thanks amigo.

Foo- I understand, then again I crawl under the jet at Clear Springs- so nothing saying that I am not nuts. Working on the photo angle; I am just not comfortable enough in this specific environment to try and compose images and balance all the other elements of cave diving. That will be a huge step when I can get there. Need some more training first- full cave, more dives, strobes and lots of time.

Ggun- no problem, there is something wonderful for all of us in diving; that’s the best part figuring out what makes you the happiest. Some aspects are just more expensive and time consuming than others.

Sorry for the late response work is just nuts!

Andrew

 

[eelpout]

I am happy that people are still doing business with German. he has gone through a pretty tough time with his divorce. He was my Full cave Instructor and I have dove with him many times after.

He is the only person I would trust to lead me in the caves in Cozumel. I am happy for your experience and for the rest of the Cave divers who come to Cozumel, contact German to show you one of the nice options for diving when a "Norte" comes along.

Jim

 

[TSandM]

German is a lovely man, with an extensive knowledge of the Yucatan caves, and a particular paternal pride in the caves on Cozumel. He was asked to speak about them at the recent NSS-CDS convention. He is a wonderful, patient guide. I did cavern and Intro with him, and thoroughly enjoyed these guided dives on Cozumel.

 

[ItsBruce]

Great report. I didn't realize you guys were in Coz. I was on the mainland diving the cenotes ... Dos Ojos. (I'll put up a report shortly.)

As far as feeling confined, I've never felt more free and less confined than during my dives. It was like being in the corridor of a building ... except that I was also weightless and in complete control. I want to go back.

 

[Noboundaries]

Ah, some day. Until then great reports like CrazyDuck's keep the goal alive.

 

[marcus8]

utterly fascinating. Thanks so much for the detailed write up. Don't think I'd have the guts to try that one.