Another quick trip report

[Streydog]

Stayed 5 nights at Hotel Plaza Cozumel and dove 5 days with Aldora.

I booked late and my go to budget hotel, Suites Bahia, was not available. Rumer is they might be remodeling. Plaza was OK, no microwave or fridge but the pool on the roof makes up for it. The included breakfast was not the Mexicana but good enough.

The diving was great. There were a little more particles floating around than normal but not too bad. I was very lucky to get to dive all 5 days with a group of very good divers. When you go solo sometimes you get put where there is room. Dive times were dictated by NDL's. First dives consisted of Columbia deep, Maracaibo, Columbia, Punta Sur and Punta Sur again by choice. Out of 11 dives we got to see reef sharks on 4 of them.

There is a crazy turtle at Columbia that is stealing lion fish from stringers. It is pretty aggressive and gets very close to everyone on their safety stops checking for a hand out.

 

[Basscat]

At Plaza you have to request a fridge (it's free), and the microwave is in the lobby.

 

[Ghosty]

First dives consisted of Columbia deep, Maracaibo, Columbia, Punta Sur and Punta Sur again by choice. Out of 11 dives we got to see reef sharks on 4 of them.

There is a crazy turtle at Columbia that is stealing lion fish from stringers. It is pretty aggressive and gets very close to everyone on their safety stops checking for a hand out.

I read that Columbia Deep is hard currents and only for advanced divers and strong swimmers?

That Turtle sounds like the Nurse Sharks in Belize! They're all hovering around divers because the DM/DG's all spear Lions and feed them to the Nurses. At least 50% of my dives (mostly Ambergris, but also a few in Placentia), Nurse Sharks (from 1 to 4), followed our group almost the entire tank. Pretty cool, and makes for good GoPro action, but I don't know if that's a good thing long term?...

 

[Basscat]

I read that Columbia Deep is hard currents and only for advanced divers and strong swimmers?
...

Columbia Deep, like most dives at Cozumel, can vary from day to day, even hour by hour, but I don't think I have ever had a dive on Columbia with very hard currents. Last year I had a scary wild ride a little north of there on Palancar Bricks, so you never know for sure.

 

[ChuckP]

Great group of divers you all were! I heard the crazy turtle is still there and there just might be a better story than the one you mention but I wasn't there...... Jorge is torturing me at the Villas but almost done.

 

[Streydog]

Sorry for kicking you in the head Chuck.

 

[ChuckP]

LMAO - some of the best dives this week were with you all! And I really don't remember the head kick so it was either real hard and knocked me out or nothing at all LOL

 

[Streydog]

Well i was just trying to prep you as to what's to come. Lol

 

[ggunn]

I read that Columbia Deep is hard currents and only for advanced divers and strong swimmers?

Colombia Deep is, well, deep-ish. Not so much as Maracaibo or Punta Sur, but moreso than Francesa, Yucab, and the like. Currents vary, like they do at most Cozumel dive sites. I would class it as Intermediate rather than Advanced.

 

[MMM]

Colombia Deep is, well, deep-ish. Not so much as Maracaibo or Punta Sur, but moreso than Francesa, Yucab, and the like. Currents vary, like they do at most Cozumel dive sites. I would class it as Intermediate rather than Advanced.

Yeah, me too. I have never encountered anything weird or scary at Colombia Deep. Most of the time it's pretty benign.