Cozumel México: Cozumel Marine World – The Nuria
When it came down to the actual dives, we let Deb and Grady help us out. They chose the dives as well as who to dive with. They always use Cozumel Marine World, and why would I question that? Seriously! Grady said that he’s now made 50 some dive trips just to Cozumel… Think about that. So Deb requested the Nuria for our boat with Clemente as our Dive Master. Again, who am I to question! They did us good too!
Now with Deb and Grady, Cozumel Marine World knows their routine. When Grady tells his people boat time is 8am, that means your butter better be there and you better be on the boat. When Grady told them he wanted the boat there at 9 that first morning, they didn’t believe him I guess because they were at the doc 30 minutes early.
So about the boat. Deb requested the Nuria. This is the mid size boat that probably holds 16 max comfortably. Deb said the small boat is about 8 people and the larger boat is about 20 people.
Grady also said that any group he takes can be on the boat in 5 minutes whether there are 5 people or 25 people. The gear goes in the middle, people get on, and once the boat is off, then you situate your gear as you please.
Steel tanks are larger around than aluminum tanks. So the Aluminum tanks are up under the canopy on the bench while the steel tanks are toward the back of the boat in the arms. In our group of 10 people, 7 dove steel tanks. Sounds like that is not normal. I’m not sure. So our group was toward the back bumping in to each other getting tanks ready.
Now, more about the set up of the boat. Up in the front underneath is a changing room if you need it as well as a bathroom. This is also where you find the life jackets for the boat.
As you come out of the underneath, there is a shelf there where you can place “stuff.” Like that technical term?
It’s always a funny thought that a diver needs to stay hydrated or you’ll get dehydrated. I guess if you pee in your wet suit enough, you’ll become dehydrated… Remember all my friends wear wet suits and pee themselves. ha! Anyway, a newer feature, instead of using bottled water and having all the trash, Cozumel Marine World gives each diver their own water jug for the week. You have to keep track of yours or else, you’re SOL. Hubby lost his the last day but he just wound up sharing with me. This also shows the “dry” table in the middle. You can pile your small dry bags, any clothes, etc that doesn’t take up that much room. The top table is where the snacks go between dives.
Once our group gets out on the water, we clean up that area in the middle. But this is also when you’re coming up from a dive, where the boat hand and/or the boat captain will pile your fins, etc to help get you up and out of the way while the next person comes up.
This is the camera tank. The minute you get on the boat you place your camera in the water and then when you come up from every dive, again, you place your camera in the water. Coming up out of a dive, it helps to wash the salt off to keep your camera functioning. They weren’t able to tell me why you put it in the minute you get on the boat…
This is water to help with washing your mask off, etc.
And after your final boat dive, there is a water hose to pass around and wash the salt off of all your gear plus yourself.
Handy things to remember:
- Be courteous to other patrons on the boat. Shouldn’t need to be said, but it needs to be said anyway.
- Don’t forget a mesh bag to help keep your gear together when it is not being used.
- There is a boat hand to help put your gear together, get you on and off the boat, and help with anything else you might need… if you want his help.
- When getting on the boat, keep your mask on until on the boat, if a wave hits the boat and throws you back, at least you have your mask and regulator.
- To add to that, some people take their fins off and pass them up, the wave issue is something to keep in mind.
- Once you’re on the surface, come up on surface so the boat captain can find you.
- Don’t swim to the boat captain, he’ll back to you.
- Don’t forget your C-Card!
- While diving, remember the name of your boat, that way if you come up from a dive and can’t find your boat, you can get another boat to radio to your boat.