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Posted By: JLG Diving - 05/11/09 05:04 PM
Can anyone tell me if the diving around Ambergris Caye is all drift diving, also do the dive masters make you come up as a group or stay down till you get to 500lb i will be diving with Patojo's Scuba Center.
Posted By: elbert Re: Diving - 05/11/09 06:38 PM
I would try emailing Patojo's and ask that question if your diving with them.
Drift diving off Ambergris isn't necessary because of currents however most operators do drift in order to cover more territory and not return to the boat.
Posted By: Dawghed Re: Diving - 05/11/09 07:44 PM
My experience: I have never encountered a strong current on the reefs around AC. Diving is like Elbert described. Divers are kept in a group, the dive boat follows the bubbles, divers ascend in a group. If a diver runs out of air early, that diver and buddy will ascend before the rest of the group. The DM may or may not help with that ascent depending on the divers abilities. We have always used Amigos Del Mar. We have never felt like we came up too soon. On the contrary, at the end of the day our computers are usually very close to the NDL. My wife and I are slow breathers so air is not our limiting factor.
Posted By: JLG Re: Diving - 05/11/09 08:36 PM
We do most of our diving in Cozumel were most of the time there is a light current and the boat will follow you. some days the current gets going pretty good and the visibility gets bad, is this common in Ambergris Caye also.
Posted By: elbert Re: Diving - 05/11/09 08:58 PM
No, Cozumel is close but a different world.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Diving - 05/11/09 09:02 PM
I've been diving with Patojo's this last week, and they're pretty relaxed about dive practices once they know they can trust you. It's common for divers running low on air to surface ahead of the rest of the group, and so long as there are at least two people on the surface it doesn't matter whether they're dive buddies.

Outside the reef we rarely have much current, and never to an extent that would make you allow for it, other than in the direction you dive. Inside Hol Chan it can be very different.

We have had moderately poor visibility and a lot of surge lately, certainly in the past week. The surge was unusual in that it rarely changed with depth. But the diving was still good.
Posted By: suecate Re: Diving - 05/11/09 11:21 PM
We have had the same experiance with Patojo. I can stay longer than my husband and he will go up before me. Usually my daughter will surface with him, if not he or one of the other DM's go up with a solo diver. I feel very safe and comfortable with he and his team and I am a nervous diver.
Posted By: JLG Re: Diving - 05/12/09 12:01 AM
My wife is a very good diver and is always nervous when we dive with a new company untill she gets to know the DM and crew of the boat. Sounds like we made a good chose everyone seems to like Potojo's.
Posted By: suecate Re: Diving - 05/12/09 04:13 AM
they have held my hand when i first started.
Posted By: divingcowgirl Re: Diving - 05/12/09 04:19 AM
All I know is that the diving around AC is great!
Posted By: ScubaLdy Re: Diving - 05/12/09 06:13 AM
What Elbert said is true. I was amazed when I heard the DM say "this is a drift dive." Having dove Cozumel, Sipidan and Blue Corner in Palau I think of drift diving as something where you don't have to kick because the current carries you. Here it means simply that you will not come back to the place where you started.

Most operators like to keep the group together and that is why I like diving with an outfit that doesn't take out large groups. I do photography & video and I hate to be hustled away from a hot spot. It helps to talk to the crew in front of the other divers to let your preferences be known. If everyone in the group wants to go slow and poke into hidey-holes then the DM should respect that.
There are some people who are disappointed if the DM doesn't cover a lot of territory.
So, speak up. You should love it here.
Posted By: JLG Re: Diving - 05/12/09 01:22 PM
Suecate, if your going to be there the week of the 4th of July the DM is going too have 2 wanting to hold hands, just kidding my wife is a good diver now and i'm sure you are too but she still stays close to me.
Posted By: blueview Re: Diving - 05/12/09 10:37 PM
What can anyone say about Ambergris Dive Shop?
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