When the opportunity to experience drift diving for the first
time came up, I knew it was something I wanted to try. When the
location advertised was Cozumel, I knew it to be one of the top reef
diving destinations in the world. Several of my local diving friends
told me that these drift dives were fairly advanced and the
potential challenge drove my imagination to desire a spot on this
upcoming trip.
Securing a spot on this trip was quite easy. Being the only
wheelchair user interested in a trip conducted by a group
specializing in serving all manner of disabled divers, I would have
been an easy candidate to accept even if they were already booked. I
could tell that this group leader wanted me, specifically because I
was a wheelchair user who was also an experienced diver. The fee was
also reasonable. Perhaps because it was run by a group, perhaps
because it was only a few days of diving instead of a whole week;
either way the $600 price tag was easy to
accept.
Upon arrival at the Cozumel airport, members of my group
met me at the cab stand. They paid for the hotel transfers, as
advertised and there I was- beginning a beautiful dive holiday. The
hotel was good, even from a wheelchair user’s viewpoint. I hadn’t
been to Mexico in years and never had I been so far south in
Mexico.
Still with my new friends in this group, we had lunch
and unpacked our dive gear in preparation for the afternoon dive.
This dive was a checkout dive, mainly for each diver to verify their
weighting, in accordance with recommended Handicapped Scuba
Association procedures. Since I had just been diving on the
Majuro/Honolulu trip, I thought for sure my gear was
ready.
As it turned out, the check out dive was a good thing because
my new buddies began to suspect that I was either over weighted or
my Buoyancy Compensator (BC) was leaking air out. I too noticed
something not right but I couldn’t tell what.
The
next day of diving was a big revelation in more ways than I have
time to describe. Drift diving for a Handi-Diver really is an
advanced type of diving; especially for a Handi-Diver used to using
a scooter (aka Dive Propulsion Vehicle) for the past eighty dives.
With
only webbed gloves, that swift current can be more than a little
disconcerting. I stay fit by going to the gym three days a week and
I was definitely using up more air than usual trying to keep with my
buddies. At times it seemed there were currents having a family feud
with me caught in between. My buddies going in one direction and me
going further out. Luckily there was nothing even close to any type
of unsafe situation. The folks in my group were watching
me like a dozen mother hens, keeping sure I was within the bounds of
staying with the group. They assisted me when they thought I needed
it, as was sometimes the case due to currents wandering. This is
something I am highly unaccustomed to. I haven't been in a situation
where I needed to be pushed in years. Having to be pushed through
parts of this dive was a lot of humble-pie to choke down; very
disconcerting to say the least.
It
is precisely this lack of independence which makes drift diving a
highly technical type of diving for Handi-Divers. As wheelchair
users, Handi-Divers participate in scuba to become more
independant. Having to depend on a buddy for anything decreases the
level of independence. With only webbed gloves to manuever, the
current easily grabs hold of the diver instead of the other way
around. Having experienced similar swift currents in Hawaii while
using a scooter, I can say with certainty that for Handi-Divers who
want to be superior divers, a scooter is required equipment even in
drift dives.
Important New Hand Signal
For
Handi-Divers
That first, swift drift was also when my buddies and I became
more aware of the leaks in my BC. With the conclusion of the first
dive, we were back on the boat discussing what transpired. We
discussed how to better communicate and how to better plan
subsequent dives. We worked out exactly what our hand signals would
be. For example, we determined that when I want or need one of them
to kick for me, it is best for me to make three separate
signs:
1)
The
sign for “You”
2) Then
the sign for “Kick” (also used to indicate
"Diver")
3) Then
the sign for “Me”.
This is especially easy for Handi-Divers because it only requires one hand
and is exactly clear on what is being
requested.
The
second dive of that first day was easy by comparison to the first;
as all the other dives would also be. After that exhilarating
morning of diving we pulled back in for lunch. At this time I
decided to refrain from the afternoon dive to give myself a
chance to inspect and repair my BC as well as to reflect on this new
style of drift diving. Of course, being at one of Mexico’s top
resorts, my friend Captain Morgan helped me ponder the new
experiences that accompany drift diving.
The next morning, I eagerly greeted the second day of diving
con mucho gusto, which
means “with much appreciation” or “gladly” in English. The best part
about this trip was the people in my group. Yes, the recreational
reef diving is certainly world class, and my new friends were an
appropriate match. Together with the willingness of the dive
operator and boat crew to accommodate my concerns and requirements,
I knew this second day of diving would be extremely rewarding, and
it was. Handi-Divers can and should do drift diving in Cozumel if
they desire to challenge themselves with the advanced conditions not
found elsewhere in the
Caribbean.
Virgin of
Guadelupe
During an afternoon break, one of the other divers and I
decided to explore a part of the town I discovered as a result of
the online research I’d done in preparation for this trip. It was my
desire to continue learning about the local culture to satisfy my
religious and spiritual thirst. Jim Whaley and I decided to find and
photograph a temple dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In Cozumel, there
is a Catholic shrine of great history called the Virgin of Guadalupe
(not to be confused with a similarly named shrine, Shrine of Guadalupe, in
Mexico City.) Because this shrine is important to all Catholics in
Mexico, the people of Cozumel are especially appreciative and
honored to host the home of this
shrine.
As the enchanting Caribbean sunset ushered in the evening, my
new friends again congregated around the buffet back at the hotel.
Sharing the usual tips on what each diver has experienced that day,
we engaged in amicable conversation. What I also found rewarding was
how easy it was to make friends with so many other groups of divers.
I soon found myself wheeling from table to table as various new
friends drew me in to share their stories and
jokes.
Training
The group responsible for hosting and
organizing the trip conducted quite a bit of training.
Being there just to evaluate the dive conditions and hotel
accommodations, this was not part of my experience. I could not help
but notice how the candidates for rescue diver and dive buddy were
being repeated tested and challenged. At each point in their varied
and extensive exercises, each of these candidates exhibited the
tenacious fortitude that springs not from an external need to meet
criteria, but from an internal drive to WANT to be a dive buddy for
a Handi-Diver.
Dive
Operator
This was not the first time this dive operator has had
wheelchair users as customers, but I would not have guessed it based
on the treatment I received. I am fairly fluent in speaking Spanish
and I have been diving in Mexico before but communicating with this
boat crew was a real chore because it seemed they had no interest in
actually listening to me because I used a wheelchair. They
made it apparent to me that they thought I was not capable of basic
dive decisions, like how much weight I needed or how to set up my
gear. At nearly every point of communication, it was as if one of my
able bodied dive buddies would have to give the crew permission to
acknowledge one of my questions or requests. This was less of a
problem as the week wore on but I definitely felt a form of
discrimination that I had not felt in years. For a specific example
in how this put my safety at risk, please view my page on Boat
Transfers.
Hotel
Having traveled all over the world (by myself) as
a paraplegic wheelchair user, I am accustomed to dealing with hotels
that are nowhere close to meeting the Architectural Guidelines of
the Americans with Disabilities Act. Hotels in Eastern Europe and
the far Pacific come to mind when thinking of places I've enjoyed
exploring. Usually the hospitality of my hosts makes up for
architectural obstacles and this hotel is no exception. The
staff was always prompt and courteous when addressing my requests
and concerns. While not able to completely solve several problems,
at least I did feel like they were actually concerned with ensuring
my comfort as best they could. This hotel was a little more than
marginally accessible. I was able to use the necessary
facilities and explore nearly every service the hotel offered. With
two exceptions, most of the hotel had a relatively open
floorplan.
The massage room was not accessible. Being in a manual
wheelchair, my cordial dive mates and hotel patrons were able to
lift me up the stairs, but had I been in an electric wheelchair,
this would not have been possible. The weightroom was also off
limits to mobility impaired persons because of multiple steps. Since
I regularly do like to use exercise equipment as part of my fitness
regiment, this was disconcerting.
The bathroom in my hotel room did have a roll-in shower,
though the floor space was not quite large enough to get
my wheelchair as close as I would like. While not actually unsafe
for a person of my ability level (I am a T-4 para) I think
that in most cases, a low level quadriplegic probably would not
be able to make the transfers as safely as I was able to; thereby
resulting in a fall if done without assistance.
The hotel sometimes served breakfast at the restaurant
across the street, which was not easy for any wheelchair to use.
Steps blocked the way on both the interior and exterior sides of the
entrance. The kitchen did have a service ramp that I was able to
use, but I did not know about it until the last day of my
trip.
The sidewalks leading to town were mostly passable
with my lightweight, manual wheelchair; an electric
wheelchair or scooter probably would have had to use the street in
more spots than I did. Considering how hectic the traffic can be in
such popular tourist destination, this was not what I consider a
safe option.
Once in town, the shops and restaurants were mostly
accessible. So too were the cabs. As stated previously, the friendly
manner of both my hosts and fellow tourists was enough to
get me through whatever mission I happened to be
on.
As all dive trips do, this one quickly drew to a close. As we
washed, dried and packed up our gear, I began to wonder how to
summarize what I had witnessed. I began to write what I experienced.
These notes are by no means complete because I have yet to include
details of the hotel, restaurants and most importantly, the dive
operator and boat crew, but suffice to say that this trip was a
success.
.
