Wednesday, June 20, 2007
The Dive that wasn't
We wait patiently on shore at the centro de Buceo for Pro Dive III, the boat that will take us for the 3:30 p.m. dive. We chit-chat with a few other divers; they’re waiting for their 3:30 p.m. dive boat, Splash. It’s beyond 3:30 p.m. but who gets upset? We’re on vacation; we’re in Cozumel. What else could you want?
Finally, three boats converge at the pier. Divers jump onto the pier from the boats; their dives completed. The others, like us, anxiously await our turn to get on the boat. We’re all accounted for—it’s time to head to the hotel next door (the Allegro) to get fresh tanks.
We hang out at the Allegro pier just long enough to switch from empty to full tanks. While we’re there, I strike up a conversation with a guy at the end of the pier. He’s caught some mahi-mahi, and he’s filleting them right there.
“Where do you fish for those?” I ask. Somewhere out in the deep blue sea, is the answer I get in spotty English.
We shove off with fresh tanks and anxious divers. We just wanna get wet! And then the question, “Where do you want to dive? What do you want to see?” asks our Divemaster, Juan. Ah, good choice—La Francesca (the French Lady).
La Francesca is about 15 minutes from the pier; we all get our gear ready: BCD on the tank; check the air; set out our fins right under the bench; toss our masks in the water bucket; place the camera in the fresh water bucket. Now, we just wait—Juan will let us know when we need to get our gear on.
There’s polite conversation among the divers. “What kind of camera is that?” “Where are you from?” “Did you do any dives this morning?” One lady has her fish identifier handy, checking out the pictures of the fish common to Cozumel.
“What’s the fish of the day?” Greg asks.
“I’d love to see a toadfish,” she says. “I’ve never seen one.”
Greg assures her that the Divemasters are great at locating toadfish.
And before you know it, Juan says it’s time to get ready; we’re almost there! We all scurry around completing our last-minute adjustments: zipping up our wetsuits; cleaning our masks with defog; slipping on our fins; and finally donning on our BCDs. The mate helps where he can with BCDs and ensuring that our air is on.
The boat slows to just the right spot. Juan gives us the final briefing. Then, the pool is open—it’s time to take a giant stride into the sea! Greg and I are about the last two in our group to get in. Once in, Greg fins back to the boat to pick up Sonita from Edwin.
Oh yea…Sonita has made a few dives with us but we’re very particular when she goes. Today,
it’s an easy, shallow dive, and the seas are calm. Nevertheless, we always get Ramiro or Edwin to come with us to watch over Sonita; we don’t want to take any chances with her.
Greg attaches Sonita to his BCD, and we’re ready to plunge below the surface. He gives me the thumbs down sign—let’s go! One hand goes to the inflator hose to raise it in the air while I take a deep breath. To get below the surface, all the air must be exhausted from your BCD through the inflator hose as you expel the air from your lungs.
My eyes are on Greg the whole time; he’s my buddy! Can’t lose him, that’s for sure. His one hand raises the inflator hose in the air but somehow, it looks different this time than the countless other times we’ve done this. It takes just a second but then I figure it out. Greg’s inflator hose is completely off his BCD! What the heck!
I call out to Edwin, who’s still standing at the back of the boat, and get his attention. The mate hears me and now all eyes are on Greg. He fins his way to the back of the boat as do I.
The second group of divers and their Divemaster are just getting ready to stride off the boat. Greg hands Sonita to Edwin and climbs the ladder to the boat. The mate and the captain confer with Greg. No diving for Greg or me, his buddy. I also climb up the ladder to the boat.
The inflator hose didn’t just come unscrewed off the BCD—it ripped! This leaves an inch hole that can’t be plugged. Obviously, without anything covering the hole, water would get in and weigh Greg down. Not so good for diving!
It sinks in—we’re not diving the 3:30 p.m. dive! That stinks! But we laugh it off—we have to! Now, we’ll get to see what the captain and his mate do while they wait on the boat for the divers.
Finally, three boats converge at the pier. Divers jump onto the pier from the boats; their dives completed. The others, like us, anxiously await our turn to get on the boat. We’re all accounted for—it’s time to head to the hotel next door (the Allegro) to get fresh tanks.
We hang out at the Allegro pier just long enough to switch from empty to full tanks. While we’re there, I strike up a conversation with a guy at the end of the pier. He’s caught some mahi-mahi, and he’s filleting them right there.“Where do you fish for those?” I ask. Somewhere out in the deep blue sea, is the answer I get in spotty English.
We shove off with fresh tanks and anxious divers. We just wanna get wet! And then the question, “Where do you want to dive? What do you want to see?” asks our Divemaster, Juan. Ah, good choice—La Francesca (the French Lady).
La Francesca is about 15 minutes from the pier; we all get our gear ready: BCD on the tank; check the air; set out our fins right under the bench; toss our masks in the water bucket; place the camera in the fresh water bucket. Now, we just wait—Juan will let us know when we need to get our gear on.
There’s polite conversation among the divers. “What kind of camera is that?” “Where are you from?” “Did you do any dives this morning?” One lady has her fish identifier handy, checking out the pictures of the fish common to Cozumel.
“What’s the fish of the day?” Greg asks.
“I’d love to see a toadfish,” she says. “I’ve never seen one.”
Greg assures her that the Divemasters are great at locating toadfish.
And before you know it, Juan says it’s time to get ready; we’re almost there! We all scurry around completing our last-minute adjustments: zipping up our wetsuits; cleaning our masks with defog; slipping on our fins; and finally donning on our BCDs. The mate helps where he can with BCDs and ensuring that our air is on.
The boat slows to just the right spot. Juan gives us the final briefing. Then, the pool is open—it’s time to take a giant stride into the sea! Greg and I are about the last two in our group to get in. Once in, Greg fins back to the boat to pick up Sonita from Edwin.
Oh yea…Sonita has made a few dives with us but we’re very particular when she goes. Today,
it’s an easy, shallow dive, and the seas are calm. Nevertheless, we always get Ramiro or Edwin to come with us to watch over Sonita; we don’t want to take any chances with her.Greg attaches Sonita to his BCD, and we’re ready to plunge below the surface. He gives me the thumbs down sign—let’s go! One hand goes to the inflator hose to raise it in the air while I take a deep breath. To get below the surface, all the air must be exhausted from your BCD through the inflator hose as you expel the air from your lungs.
My eyes are on Greg the whole time; he’s my buddy! Can’t lose him, that’s for sure. His one hand raises the inflator hose in the air but somehow, it looks different this time than the countless other times we’ve done this. It takes just a second but then I figure it out. Greg’s inflator hose is completely off his BCD! What the heck!
I call out to Edwin, who’s still standing at the back of the boat, and get his attention. The mate hears me and now all eyes are on Greg. He fins his way to the back of the boat as do I.
The second group of divers and their Divemaster are just getting ready to stride off the boat. Greg hands Sonita to Edwin and climbs the ladder to the boat. The mate and the captain confer with Greg. No diving for Greg or me, his buddy. I also climb up the ladder to the boat.
The inflator hose didn’t just come unscrewed off the BCD—it ripped! This leaves an inch hole that can’t be plugged. Obviously, without anything covering the hole, water would get in and weigh Greg down. Not so good for diving!It sinks in—we’re not diving the 3:30 p.m. dive! That stinks! But we laugh it off—we have to! Now, we’ll get to see what the captain and his mate do while they wait on the boat for the divers.
// posted by Leenie @ 9:46 PM 
