Randallr
Contributor
Yes, I know, I know. What can I say - it was a rough year. But I wanted to get this brief (and at this late stage, impressionistic) trip report for SCC up on these boards. First, I loved it. Second, I thought the staff, facilities, and dive operation were first class. Third, I wanted to publicly thank Jim Lisle, who led me to SCC, based on some questions I'd posted here. And fourth, I wanted to post some cool pix.
Jim had recommended SCC to me when I'd asked where else could I find an all-inclusive dive resort that had the same good facilities and conviviality as Sunset House in Grand Cayman, but with better diving. Scuba Club Cozumel fit the bill, almost to a tee. The rooms and grounds were spectacular. There's a picture below of the view from my room, and in your dreams you couldn't have pictured anything sweeter. The inside of the room was equally sweet - tile floor, ample room, a small refrigerator for staples, plenty of room for photo gear, and ample room outside for drying things. Elsewhere on the property were covered hammocks. The food was good enough - there was plenty of salad, decent choices among meat, fish, chicken, and veggie. And SCC was such a close walk to town that you could easily fulfill any culinary desires. If I did it again (and I intend to) I would still get the meal plan, for its price and convenience, and I'd still go into town on occasion. (Oh, SCC's prices are also great, and contribute to the good feeling about the experience.)
The diving, pound for pound (fish for fish?) was the best I've experienced. Beautiful reefs, diverse reef topography, drifts that generally were pleasant and easy to shoot in but which occasionally got roller-coaster fast, spectacular life - nurse sharks, turtles, small critters, you name it. I had been a bit skeptical about Cozumel, assuming that, as a major cruise ship destination, it would have lifeless and damaged reefs. Not so at all. Moreover, SCC has a fine house reef. Granted, it's a sandy bottom with some crap in it - no reef to speak of. But the crap hides lobster dens and countless macro opportunities and lot's more. For me, a newbie photographer, the house reef was this side of heaven (heaven being the boat dives). Oh, and the night diving was amazing: The reefs at night were awash with octopus and sleeping parrotfish and scores of big crabs.
The dive operation was excellent. They were very safety conscious, but because you dive with the same divemaster and generally same people for your entire time there, the divemaster gets to know you pretty quickly and let's you dive your profile. Our divemaster, Luis (aka Choky) was one of the best I've ever had then pleasure to dive with - a buoyant fellow who loved finding things, and guiding us, and making sure we were having a good, safe time. I can't wait to dive with him again.
If SCC fell slightly short, it was because it wasn't as collegial as other AI's I've been to. That could have just been luck of the draw. There were only four of us diving our boat that week - an unbelievable luxury (and these are fantastically equipped boats) but not one that lent itself to meeting new folks, exchanging photos, etc. But I suspect that this is less a reflection of SCC, and more about the time I was there. (I further suspect that's true of any AI.)
I would go back here in a minute. Loved the people, the views, the reefs, the quality of the other divers, the photo opps, the dive op. A perfect all-inclusive. Thank you Dr. Jim!
Here are some photos: Olymouz XZ-1, Oly PT-050 housing, Oly UFL-1 strobe. I used a Sola 800 light on the night dives, and I need to look up the diopter lens I was using for macro shots - this was only the second time I'd used it, and I don't really know what I'm doing, but consider me the dive-photography equivalent of a monkey with a typewriter: I did get one or two Shakespearean shots. Here are some I like (and I would welcome critiques from experienced photographers who can tell me how to do better):
Jim had recommended SCC to me when I'd asked where else could I find an all-inclusive dive resort that had the same good facilities and conviviality as Sunset House in Grand Cayman, but with better diving. Scuba Club Cozumel fit the bill, almost to a tee. The rooms and grounds were spectacular. There's a picture below of the view from my room, and in your dreams you couldn't have pictured anything sweeter. The inside of the room was equally sweet - tile floor, ample room, a small refrigerator for staples, plenty of room for photo gear, and ample room outside for drying things. Elsewhere on the property were covered hammocks. The food was good enough - there was plenty of salad, decent choices among meat, fish, chicken, and veggie. And SCC was such a close walk to town that you could easily fulfill any culinary desires. If I did it again (and I intend to) I would still get the meal plan, for its price and convenience, and I'd still go into town on occasion. (Oh, SCC's prices are also great, and contribute to the good feeling about the experience.)
The diving, pound for pound (fish for fish?) was the best I've experienced. Beautiful reefs, diverse reef topography, drifts that generally were pleasant and easy to shoot in but which occasionally got roller-coaster fast, spectacular life - nurse sharks, turtles, small critters, you name it. I had been a bit skeptical about Cozumel, assuming that, as a major cruise ship destination, it would have lifeless and damaged reefs. Not so at all. Moreover, SCC has a fine house reef. Granted, it's a sandy bottom with some crap in it - no reef to speak of. But the crap hides lobster dens and countless macro opportunities and lot's more. For me, a newbie photographer, the house reef was this side of heaven (heaven being the boat dives). Oh, and the night diving was amazing: The reefs at night were awash with octopus and sleeping parrotfish and scores of big crabs.
The dive operation was excellent. They were very safety conscious, but because you dive with the same divemaster and generally same people for your entire time there, the divemaster gets to know you pretty quickly and let's you dive your profile. Our divemaster, Luis (aka Choky) was one of the best I've ever had then pleasure to dive with - a buoyant fellow who loved finding things, and guiding us, and making sure we were having a good, safe time. I can't wait to dive with him again.
If SCC fell slightly short, it was because it wasn't as collegial as other AI's I've been to. That could have just been luck of the draw. There were only four of us diving our boat that week - an unbelievable luxury (and these are fantastically equipped boats) but not one that lent itself to meeting new folks, exchanging photos, etc. But I suspect that this is less a reflection of SCC, and more about the time I was there. (I further suspect that's true of any AI.)
I would go back here in a minute. Loved the people, the views, the reefs, the quality of the other divers, the photo opps, the dive op. A perfect all-inclusive. Thank you Dr. Jim!
Here are some photos: Olymouz XZ-1, Oly PT-050 housing, Oly UFL-1 strobe. I used a Sola 800 light on the night dives, and I need to look up the diopter lens I was using for macro shots - this was only the second time I'd used it, and I don't really know what I'm doing, but consider me the dive-photography equivalent of a monkey with a typewriter: I did get one or two Shakespearean shots. Here are some I like (and I would welcome critiques from experienced photographers who can tell me how to do better):
