Devil's Throat - Cozumel

[fishi]

I'll never get the fascination with these steel 120's. I've NEVER been diving with one for the simple reason that I ALWAYS run out of bottom time on my DC before I run out of air on an AL80. For those who like to suck all that air and choo-choo train about or chase this and that everywhere I guess they serve a purpose but that is not proper diving.

Rich,
The title of the thread is Devil's Throat-Cozumel. The thread is about deep diving. If you're not interested in diving below 70ft then you probably won't be interested in the discussion going on inside.

 

[ggunn]

... I've no interest in starting yet another an AL80 vs. Steel 120 argument.

Too late.

Speaking strictly for myself, I am happy diving AL80's and I'm not willing to spend the extra bux to go with a different op who offers the steel 120's. Yeah, I've seen the BT minute per dollar argument but it's not enough to get me to move.

DSFDF and YMMV.

 

[halocline]

The one thing about the bigger tanks for extending depth and time for this or any other dive is that it means a more aggressive profile and more N2 loading. That probably offsets any claimed additional safety due to extra gas.

I think part of the reason this dive is so popular is because it has an exciting, scary name. If they really want to make it an adrenalin rush, maybe they should get a few bull sharks from playa to roam the tunnel in search of flailing divers. Then it could called something like "Minotaur's revenge". That would really generate some press.

To me its an okay dive, but not what I go to Cozumel for, which is beautiful lush reefs and abundant marine life.

 

[scubadada]

Choice of tanks and gas for Cozumel, to each their own, this has been debated many times on SB. Personally, I choose to dive nitrox 120s, though 100s would be just fine. I appreciate using 4 lbs less weight, appreciate the longer NDLs, and appreciate the extra gas. Each trip, several of our dives are 90-95 minutes. The extra gas is not a bad thing when diving to 130 ft at a site like Devil's Throat. I go to Cozumel to dive, that's exactly what my choice of tank and gas allows me to do

 

[fishi]

Too late.

Speaking strictly for myself, I am happy diving AL80's and I'm not willing to spend the extra bux to go with a different op who offers the steel 120's. Yeah, I've seen the BT minute per dollar argument but it's not enough to get me to move.

DSFDF and YMMV.

Who is it that wants you to switch dive ops? I think you would be hard-pressed to find anybody that wants you to switch dive ops. You might be imagining things.

 

[ggunn]

Who is it that wants you to switch dive ops? I think you would be hard-pressed to find anybody that wants you to switch dive ops. You might be imagining things.

New around here, are ya' ?

 

[lbussell]

I've always used Dressel (out of the Iberostar). Their Friday morning deep dive is Punta Sur). I have always loved this one, with its three huge pinnacle groups. I have glanced down the "throat,"
But I've never gone down it. As a previous person mentioned, you would not be able to breathe Nitrox on DT, which would reduce your dive time quite a bit.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I've always used Dressel (out of the Iberostar). Their Friday morning deep dive is Punta Sur). I have always loved this one, with its three huge pinnacle groups. I have glanced down the "throat,"
But I've never gone down it. As a previous person mentioned, you would not be able to breathe Nitrox on DT, which would reduce your dive time quite a bit.

Actually on NItrox 32 the 118 exit is OK. And the fact is that one is at that depth for less than 1 minute.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[redacted]

I've always used Dressel (out of the Iberostar). Their Friday morning deep dive is Punta Sur). I have always loved this one, with its three huge pinnacle groups. I have glanced down the "throat,"
But I've never gone down it. As a previous person mentioned, you would not be able to breathe Nitrox on DT, which would reduce your dive time quite a bit.

You could try to find a tank of old nitrox. There was a time when 1.6 was perceptively safe.

 

[scubadada]

Exit at 130 is acceptable with 32%, a very short exposure at 1.6 is not going to kill you. The standard pO2 exposure used to be 1.6, everything becomes more conservative.