First Dive? going to Cozumel
 

Just found out Im going to Cozumel in January for sales meetings.
gonna be there for about 10 days. I have already been snorkling in Cabo, Grand Caymen, Bahamma's, and Cozumel, however I would really like to do some DIVING on the reefs this year. Should I take classes before I get there? or just go, take a quick class there and rent some gear and jump in the water?

I was told there are a couple of sites that are only like 25ft and you do not need any type of certification, they just let you go. apparently at 25 ft, if youget in trouble, youcan just drop the belt and go to the surface.

Hi ..I dove Cozumel many years ago and the one thing I remember is CURRENT. I'd prepare first before going down there. There definitely are some nice shallow areas, but, most were drift dives. Don't forget to take PeptoBismol, the large bottle and maybe you can get script for Levaquin. SH

newbie divers DIE every year in Cozomel. There are ripping currents there. Please do your research, get certified prior to going, and get some open ocean dives in first.

I'd get certified ASAP before you go. Try to get some dives under your belt first. Cozumel is pretty easy diving but there are strong currents and you should have some experience first. Plus, if you are certified before getting there you'll enjoy your experience that much more.

You'll enjoy Cozumel. The reefs are great and the reef life is healthy.

In the days before dive tourism was as big as it is now, Cozumel was considered an advanced level dive location due to the currents. By all means it is best to get certified prior, and even better get a bunch of local dives in to get comfortable. Might be only lake dives, but even that will help. The idea is to be very comfortable under the water. The currents in Cozumel make for some very good drift diving. Lot's of fun and good sights.

Add....I did have to inflate a red marker once (what was that thing called again). Billsreef is right on....currents are strong. SH

thanks for the heads up. I will check with my local dive shop
this week for classes.
you guys got me a little spooked about the currents, reminds me of that shark movie last year where the couple got left behind and eaten by sharks.

The currents aren't something to spooked about, but are to be respected. The key is not panicking if they get the better of you, and that comes from being comfortable in the water and having lots of practice to get to that point ;) That's the reason I always recomend good training at home. Even with a well chaperoned dive after that couple of hour resort course, things can go wrong. The difference between a disaster and having a simple story to tell afterwards is training and experience ;)

I agree with Billsreef...but..it also depends also on how good your crew is. I'm not sure what is 'hot' these days, but, I kept a 'safety sausage' with me. Never hurts to be prepared and have 'redundancy'. Go bubbling and enjoy the beautiful reefs down there. SH

I just came back from Cozumel in August. I had dove previously in cold MN, WI, and NY lakes (mostly wrecks), but my only previous experience with salt water was off the coast of Illa Bella, Brasil. My husband had no salt water or warm water experience. Pictures of our cozumel trip (my friend took them) here: [url]www.agabengalcats.com/honeymoon/[/url]

Yes, currants are strong in places. It is also hard if you're not used to it to watch your depth, because the water is so clear that you dont realize you're 85 ft down. I would get certified in the states first. You learn so much more if you take a few weeks to take a class then if you get certified down there in 2 days. Plus, they WILL take you down to 60-80 feet on your check out dives and I dont recommend this for first timers. My checkout dives were between 20-30feet. The water was cold, murkey, and the weather was miserable, but at least I knew that if I screwed up and had to swim to the surface too fast, that the chances of me getting ill were pretty slim. At 80 feet its much more dangerous. I am very glad I learned most of the basic skills I need at shallower debts.

Besides, if you get certified in the states an then go down there you will REALLY appreciate Cozumel for it's beautiful diving...especially compared to cold murkey lakes ;-).

Sand dollar is a good charter service btw. As is the guy we went with...I cant spell his name but he's a great guy and his boat is called the Flying Fish. He dives almost every day. Oh, and do dive the panacur reef. The black tipped reef sharks that we saw are probably gone by now, but there is so much life there it's crazy. Santa Rosa wall is also an awesome dive. Oh, and all the large sea creatures we saw were at shallower depths so you dont need to dive so deep to find cool stuff!

I went to Cozumel in august as well, and I agree with mbbowman. The Santa Rosa wall was amazing, but you have to be comfortable under the water with the current. Also, if they take you 60-80ft. for your first dive, it's gonna be hard if you don't know how your ears work with "clearing them". It took me a little bit to get the hang of it. Get certified it's amazing, and plus you're good for life. (Well at least for now, they may change that.) -(also sand dollar is a pretty good charter service)

thanks for the tips guys. I am getting all hyped!

btw, what kind of $$ am I looking at to take some classes and get certified?

Divers die at 25' just as easily as at 85'

I took a resort course - they were supposed to keep us above the 40' mark. My friend dove before - my 1st time, we were at 85' without realizing it.

Maybe around $300 to be certified, resort course was $200 - maybe more, hard to say as it included 2 days of diving in the overall price

Currents are excellent, when you are comfortable & know what you are doing

My best trips have been to Cozumel

I dove Cozumel this past January. The current was very strong. It was my first ocean dive, but I already had about 75 dives under my belt, and an advanced certification.

Scuba diving is more akin to learning to fly a light plane than it is to snorkeling. By that, I mean its a skill where you must study procedures and learn techniques to stay safe and alive underwater.

So my advice is, set aside a few weeks or a month, and really learn how to dive (here in the U.S.).

Whoa, I just realized we both live in the same city. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

THere was some great diving that was shallow, but I agree with others you need formal training. Some resorts and dive operators have airlines from a boat or floating air compressor where you can go under( snorkling) to about 20 feet and stay there for awhile. I can't recall what its called. This might be an easy compromise

Definitely get certified before you go. I was there last April and had a great time. If you have the inclination and the dollars, get a camera and an underwater housing.

I think Moogoo is referencing Snuba.. the air supply is above water and its a system for very shallow water snorkel-diving. Honestly, if you're a decent free diver, there is no difference between Snuba and snorkeling. I'm pretty sure they do it in areas with low to no current.. you wouldnt want to have your air supply ripped out of your mouth because you were drifting one way and the boat was drifting the other.

Drift diving is as close to being superman as most people get.. you feel like you're flying. I love it.
>Sarah

Yes thats it!

If someone is taking you to greater than 80 feet on your first dive, more than one person is making a mistake....YOU and the divemaster on the trip. Someone should make sure you are OK on several dives before doing that. I may get flamed for this, but, NO ONE should go to 80 feet in Cozumel on their very first dive out of training. SH

If you click on my little red house and go to the galleries section there are some pics from Cozumel diving. I got certified in a lake and still had a blast. In fact I still dive it from time to time to keep up with my skills between trips.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by steelhealr [/i]
[B]If someone is taking you to greater than 80 feet on your first dive, more than one person is making a mistake....YOU and the divemaster on the trip. Someone should make sure you are OK on several dives before doing that. I may get flamed for this, but, NO ONE should go to 80 feet in Cozumel on their very first dive out of training. SH [/B][/QUOTE]

I won't flame you... I'll fully agree with you!

Hi,

I was diving in Cozumel last week !! There was a lot of current there, and the water was very warm. Easy dive in my opinion.

But, you must dive in Isla Mujeres, In my opinion is far away better than cozumel. Just take a boat from cancun and 20 minutes after you are in Isla Mujeres...a lot os fishes and corals there

My wife did her first dive in Cozumel, no problem for beginners. The current is good, you don´t need to make a workout to dive :D Just relax and enjoy

Good luck and enjoy cancun and cozumel !

Regards

Just going to echo what others have said. I've been there 3 times. The current is strong. Never dive without training. Very bad move. Besides Wilma has probably destroyed the reef by now.

Travis

I took your guys advice, I start my certification classes tonight.

class was $200, then another $300 for basic equipment: fins, snorkel, mask, boots.
I can see this is gonna add up quick, next thing I will probably want is a suit and a dive computer.

I hope Wilma isnt doing too bad a job on the reef.

The way it looks is that this island is going to get drilled by the storm. I would expect heavy damage but I hope no loss of life. Some of the hotels were just opening up again from the last storm and now this happens. After a week or so, you will want to call and check on the condition of your hotel.

back to diving... let current be your friend... like a free ride. Nothing to be worried about just go with the flow. If you fight it, you will tire and use up air quickly. This should not be a problem as your group will float along together.

I did my classroom and pool work here in the states and then did my open water dives for certification in Cozumel. For me this was great as the dive site used here in MO was cold and vis was low.
enjoy