Do I need to bring weights?

[m00dawg]

Hi fellow SCUBA cruisers! I'm going to be cruising in late September through Carnival and plan on diving in Cozumel and Roatan. Last year, I ended up bringing my weights with me to my Cozumel dive and that made the walk down the pier seem rather long.

 

This year, I'll have all my own equipment, and I was curious - do I need to bring weights if I signed up for the 'with equpiment' dive? It dive with 12lb of weight and that's a significant amount of have to lug around.

 

Also, I noticed quite a few posts where folks seem to be booking dives in Cozumel using a 3rd party. I've been nervous about trying that for fear I'll get back late (or not at all :) ) and I like to usually spend an hour or two after my dive at the port hanging out. Anyone have any points for booking direct as a result?

 

Thanks!

[Laurie S.]

Weights will be provided on the boat. However, it's rare to find one-pound weights, so if you need those for trim like I do, you'll need to bring them. When I wear my 1-mm suit, I need two one-pound weights in the back pockets.

 

There are lots of great operators in Cozumel, don't go with the ship's excursion unless you have an especially early departure time.

[m00dawg]

Thought so, just wanted to make sure - thanks for letting me know! And good idea on bringing the smaller weights. I use 2x 2lbs in the back and that isn't near as bad as bringing all 12lbs with me.

 

As far as booking directly, what's the best way to go about that? And how does it work? When I go with the dive shop the cruise ship uses, I just have to find the sign in the main square and I'm done :) Are the other operations similar?

[Laurie S.]

The boats usually will have the 2 pound weights, but not a lot.

 

There a lot of posts here about operators at Cozumel. Several good ones are Diving With Allison, Aldora Diving, Opal's Dream, Diving With Martin, and Blue XTSea. Each one will tell you how to get to them, but all will involve taking a taxi. That's very easy and cheap to do. You walk to the entrance of the cruise port area, and there is a taxi stand there. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. The shop will help you with getting a return taxi.

[pamawi]

I think you mentioned having your own gear but also mentioned booking excursion with equipment. Just wanted to make sure you know that with equipment means their equipment not yours. They give you weights and tanks whether you book with or without equipment.

 

I've done with the ship and privately. I'm satisfied with the ship's offering and don't feel the need to book privately most of the time. Like Dive with Alison and Blue Angel.

[m00dawg]

I think you mentioned having your own gear but also mentioned booking excursion with equipment. Just wanted to make sure you know that with equipment means their equipment not yours. They give you weights and tanks whether you book with or without equipment.

 

Yep, I booked the one that requires bringing your own gear. Sorry to be mildly confusing :) I blame Carnival's silly booking titles :)

 

As far as booking with the ship direct, the biggest reason I hear going direct is being able to have a small dive group, or being able to go in lesser populated areas?

[Motorcycle Gma]

Yep, I booked the one that requires bringing your own gear. Sorry to be mildly confusing :) I blame Carnival's silly booking titles :)

 

As far as booking with the ship direct, the biggest reason I hear going direct is being able to have a small dive group, or being able to go in lesser populated areas?

 

We ALWAYS go with Dive w/Martin in Cozumel, especially if you are on Carnival. Likely, your ship will dock at the same dock as the shop and you just walk to the end of the dock and your there. No cab rides involved. You can also book online with them ahead of time, with no deposit if I recall correctly. They have fast boats, small groups and will take you wherever the divers vote to go. I have done 1pm dives and we always get back in time for ship departure. Their DM's are good and have saved my life on one occasion when my reg. blew at 90feet...:eek:

[Laurie S.]

If you take the ship's excursion, you are much more likely to have a cattle boat.

[m00dawg]

We ALWAYS go with Dive w/Martin in Cozumel, especially if you are on Carnival. Likely, your ship will dock at the same dock as the shop and you just walk to the end of the dock and your there. No cab rides involved. You can also book online with them ahead of time, with no deposit if I recall correctly. They have fast boats, small groups and will take you wherever the divers vote to go. I have done 1pm dives and we always get back in time for ship departure. Their DM's are good and have saved my life on one occasion when my reg. blew at 90feet...:eek:

 

Oooh and they do Nitrox!

 

Your reg blew!?!

[pamawi]

Do the rest of you do Nitrox in Cozumel. I never felt comfortable using Nitrox on a wall in case of down currents that take you deeper than the MOD.

[Laurie S.]

For me, I see no reason to do Nitrox. I am certified in it and have dived on it four times in Polynesia, where there was no charge. Had to at least try it. But, I felt no difference and didn't like the depth restrictions. I doubt I'll ever use it again.

[G.C]

I use Nitrox whenever available and that is most places now days. I do always carry my own analyzer to be safe. The mixtures used I have found usually match the areas normal dive range. In the past year I have used as low as 30% on a wall and up to 38% on a dive that you would have needed a shovel to get deeper than 65'. For me Nitrox does add to my dive time and seems to allow me to recover quicker when doing numerous dives in a single day.

 

If you going with an operator that you don`t know or where everyone has to surface when the first person reaches their limit. No need for Nitrox.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[m00dawg]

Nitrox was more to try it. I'm certified, by my local shop doesn't yet actually offer Nitrox yet (doh!). For me, it was more about decreasing decomp risks than extended bottom times. For these sorts of excursions, any other benefits won't matter I suspect.

 

Good point in getting a personal tester, though. Sounds like I'm better off avoiding it for now based upon that concern alone. I don't see myself using a tester much until I can dive Nitrox locally and I'm already going to be plopping down enough money on upgrading my GoPro setup (From an original HD to an HD3 black, with a BacPac battery and an orange filter, probably one from Backscatter).

[pamawi]

In Cozumel you drift with the current instead of swimming so your air lasts longer and you spend the second half of the dive at the top of the reef around 45 feet so you can get pretty long dives in without Nitrox.

 

If your dives normally end because you are low on air rather than being low on no deco time, Nitrox isn't going to help you have longer dives yet. It still might help you feel less tired and reduce your risk of deco sickness like you said. I normally dive Nitrox as air just to increase my safety factor without extending my bottom time. I'm just a little paranoid about using a gas that can kill me if I accidentally go too deep, not that I've ever had an issue with that, but I've read about the down currents that can take people deeper than they intended on Cozumel walls not that I've ever experienced that and I've dove there a lot on cruises and on a week long dive trip.

[m00dawg]

In Cozumel you drift with the current instead of swimming so your air lasts longer and you spend the second half of the dive at the top of the reef around 45 feet so you can get pretty long dives in without Nitrox.

 

Oh yes I've been two times before (via Sand Dollar, the dive shop Carnival uses) and it's a very easy dive, and also super fun! Nitrox was more just to try it than anything else since I took the class. And, were it not for the down currents (which have been mentioned a few times now), I would consider it safer.

 

 

By the way, I will be cruising on the Carnival Magic Sept. 29th. If any other divers will be on the same one and want to book with another dive shop (and/or contact Sand Dollar directly, as I think they will do a smaller group dive as well), I'd be interested!