Good Bye Cozumel!

[eelpout]

I just got back a couple of days ago and I felt like I had to say something on this thread. I have been doing business in Cozumel for many years. I own a dive store and it is always in the interest of my customers to run trips where they will be happy. One of my customers was on the island when the hurricane hit. He took pictures, he gave us first hand accounts, he was even featured in our local paper. We kept in conatct with our friends in Cozumel and made a decision to run our yearly trips to the island.

I arrived on the island on March 9th and I caught the tail end of the first group that we brought down and stayed for a couple of days on the second group. 60% of our divers have been on the island before. On the last dinner we usually take a poll to see who wants to go back. 90% would come back 10% wanted to check new places. That was the same as our polls last year.

I raise my cap in salute to the people at Caribe Blu /Blue Angel for recovering fast and accomodating our group like they always did in the past. Their improvements at the hotel rocked.

We all know that some dive sites were damaged, but there are other dive sites to go to. Some businesses are gone, but there are still enough to take care of your needs. Not as many cruise ships stop ( I don't like crowds) but that allows me to walk on the sidewalk at noon during the week. The internet cafes aren't as crowded too.

One of the positive things about disasters like this is the ability to reinvent and adapt to the present needs of your customers. The people on the island are already doing this and it looks great.

I just want to get back to the title of my post here. It will take time for Cozumel to get back in the groove. Things will change and things will not be the same. I came back the Spring after Gilbert. I remember so vividly standing on the dive boat before the second dive on Paradise and counting 4 dive boats, this was the middle of March. For you old timers, do you remember that boat that was beached in front of Pizza Rolandi /Guidos for a long time? That boat was beached there during Gilberta. I still remember it there in 2000.

Kudos to the people of the island who got their island ready to accept the divers and tourists who decided to come. We felt welcomed and honored to be a part of your recovery.

Jim Campos
MDC Sports
Rochester, Minnesota

 

[Rafael]

I just want to thank you all for puting Cozumel's name out, (even the people who mentioned is gone and all that bs).

Cancun is my home town and i feel terrible about what happened in October ( iwas present for it) and yes a lot of bad things happened, yes some of the areas where damage, but not everything was gone, my people is been working really hard to re-build and bring it back to what it was before or better.

Last thing we need down there is the bad publicity from fake Cozumel lovers.

But thank you anyway for mentioning Cozumel, it doesn't matter if you talk good or bad the important part is you are talking about it.

And for all my people down there kep it up guys, better times will come and i will be arriving the 19th of April, so get the boat ready!.

God bless you all.

 

[ggunn]

I just want to get back to the title of my post here. It will take time for Cozumel to get back in the groove. Things will change and things will not be the same. I came back the Spring after Gilbert. I remember so vividly standing on the dive boat before the second dive on Paradise and counting 4 dive boats, this was the middle of March. For you old timers, do you remember that boat that was beached in front of Pizza Rolandi /Guidos for a long time? That boat was beached there during Gilberta. I still remember it there in 2000.

Ah, yes, the Xel-Ha. It's still on the beach, but now it's down south near the Paseo de Cedral dive site. I wonder how they got it down there; it didn't look to me like it was at all seaworthy.

 

[sharky60]

Ah, yes, the Xel-Ha... I wonder how they got it down there...

Wilma?

 

[HammerNoMore]

I've yet to comment on this, but what the hey. This post reminds me of a dozen or so posts I saw as a former ScubaBoard mod. "Goodbye Scubaboard, I'm leaving because...."

Why people feel the need to make a public I'm done with this statement is beyond me, but one consistancy among them is they were always back within a month or so...The original poster is just venting some frustration...trust me...he will be back to Coz, Cozumel is an addition that is very hard to break....and why would anyone want to anyway?

 

[Divingnthedark]

Cozumel is an addition that is very hard to break....and why would anyone want to anyway?

Nope it's hopeless once you are addicted to Coz so you might as well just give in and go back! Who can beat the awesome drift diving, the friendly people there and the food... Oh, that's right you're going back too!!! LOL...I hope to be around long enough to see the regeneration of the reefs year after year...
Loretta

 

[ggunn]

I've yet to comment on this, but what the hey. This post reminds me of a dozen or so posts I saw as a former ScubaBoard mod. "Goodbye Scubaboard, I'm leaving because...."

Why people feel the need to make a public "I'm done with this" statement is beyond me, but one consistancy among them is they were always back within a month or so...The original poster is just venting some frustration...trust me...he will be back to Coz, Cozumel is an addiction that is very hard to break....and why would anyone want to anyway?

Right there with you, James. I don't think a day goes by that I don't think about Cozumel at least once, imagine myself there, and wish I were there instead of wherever I am at the time. Like any true junkie, I am always looking ahead to my next fix. Withdrawal is a beeyatch, too... ;^)

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

The first time I saw Yellowstone National Park after the big fires, I was shocked. At first it looked like the whole park was a black ash field. But then I looked closer and saw the mushrooms growing, the bouquets of ferns, and the thousands of tiny green shoots that were the seeds of pine-cones that had literally popped like popcorn during the fire and re-seeded every foot of the burned area. Amazing. And beautiful - in a different way. And I realized that I was witnessing something rare; a re-modeling of this natural wonder that most of the generations of people on this planet would never get to see. It's the perfect, natural way this planet stays fresh and new, because the Earth is not like Disneyland where you should be disappointed if a ride is closed. It is always rebuilding itself, becoming new again. And in this world of instant everything, the perfect tempo of re-birth might seem slow to some.

Cozumel is in a snapshot of change right now, a wonder, a sight not everyone will be fortunate enough to see.

Domino22, next time you PM God, thank Him for me for His perfect system and the honor we have to see Him work it.

Oh, never mind. I'll tell Him myself.

Awesome, Rick. I've seen this same thing over and over, in the Sierra Nevadas, after lightning has caused fires that burned whole mountainsides. Everything on this planet is in a constant state of flux. Birth, growth, death, rebirth, growth, death.... ad infinitum.

My comment, after being there for Wilma, and hearing people talking about the destruction to the reefs was, "Wilma was a natural phenomenon, no matter how devastating, no matter how big she was. The reefs have sustained damage from hurricanes before and they will recover. This just isn't the same as if an oil tanker dumped a million gallons of crude oil, or there was some major chemical spill. In the grand scheme of things, Wilma may be the biggest hurricane to ever hit this area since records began being kept, but I'm sure this isn't the first time, and in all probability, this probably isn't the biggest hurricane that's ever hit. The reefs will recover. I'm headed back in April and I simply cannot wait!

 

[pilot fish]

It would be nice if a person could post how they feel about a subject and not get ridiculed for it. Just because it differs from what you or I might might think is no reason to call him names. He was just posting about his frustration about a place he loves and using a bit of hyperbole to get his point across. That was obvious.

I might think he's over reacting but his perspective is different than mine, and yours. He's been diving there since 1978, so, chances are, once he gets over the shock of the change, he'll be back. Has it changed? Yes. Is it bad? No. Will we all be back, including him? Absolutely.

 

[Misplaced Priority]

Living in a place that has 2' vis and nothing but sand and buried civil war stuff, I am thrilled to dive in Cozumel. In fact, I'm going back in a couple of weeks. I can't wait.
Remember, A bad day of diving is better than a good day at work!!