As the high season winds down, there is room to walk down the famous 5th Avenue again. Ahhh!!! This is a time when us locals catch our breath before the next high season… starting in little over a month. This 4-6 week lull is important for a lot of companies to make repairs or remodel. But for me..it’s a time to enjoy going diving with SUPER conditions and rarely seeing any other divers. Sometimes I jump on a boat just to take off on my own for exploration. The only way to find another part of the reef is by exploring, right?

So there I was cruising at the lip of el Cantil which is in 120 feet deep. There were huge barrel sponges and a couple really big turtles. With visibility around 150 foot, it was like flying next to the wall of the Grand Canyon! I generally turn my head from side to side , scanning the terrain and making note of any changing condittions. That’s when…out in the Big Blue… I noticed a school of long silvery fish with blunt heads. They swam against the current as though it didn’t exists! Right as they flew up on us doing 100 MPH, I recognized them as the famous Dorado, known to fishermen as being one of the best fighting and eating fish!

I swam up next to the wall turning so that my back was towards it. The Dorados swam towards the wall so fast I thought they were going to run right into it. Then like a Formula One racer corners turns, this running school of Dorado turned without ever breaking pace and headed straight out from the wall back into the Blue. Reallistically, they probably were swimming around 35-40 MPH. They are known to swim fast and be exciting to catch. Being raised around the water I have been lucky enough to both dive with and catch these awesome fish. And I must say both are a true thrill!!!!

Its always funny to see how couples handle each other underwater. Usually, if the couples are quite experienced, they stay relatively close to each other, but not too close. But then you have the couples who are fairly new to the sport of diving. These guys are either all over the place, or so close to each other that you find one of them pushing their hands away from their body as if to say” give me some space!” I get tickled everytime I see a boyfriend or hubby getting too close to there new diving partner, and you almost always see some discomfort in the eyes of the woman. Most women, when learning, do need to feel that there is someone just an arm reach away. Being a diving instructor, it is no problem to move close to the person and then away again without ever “crowding” the diver or diver-ette. New, over-enthusiastic diving partners can literally scare the Bee Jesus out of someone else trying to learn to dive or perfecting their technique. They generally swim in too close, bumping into their partner, then start signing directtly in front of their face, then to top it off…want to start grabbing gauges to check air pressure. All this commotion around a new or “not quite sure of one’s self” diver, can lead to a diving accident. I have numerous times seen where there was an out of control ascent towards the surface that could have been serious had I not been right on top of the situation. Once back on the boat or shore, I pull the “helpful” diver to the side, reminding him that he/she also was new to the sport and that they were not qualified to handle underwater emergencies …and sometimes even ask “could they please let me do my job!” I have never had someone say “I know what I’m doing, leave me alone!”
Chances are that if you crowd your diving buddy, they are NOT going to want to be your diving buddy much longer. We all have to remember that it’s a BIG ocean out there and to give each other a little room. Moreover, an overly helpful diver can kill the desire for some to continue diving. Out here in Playa del Carmen, the underwater visibility is great year-around so there’s rarely any chane of losing a diver…so spread out alittle and give each other some room….you’ll both enjoy the dive alot more!!!