Trip Report Nov. 22 to Dec. 2

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scubasherry

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Location
Grand Rapids, MI
We arrived in Cozumel on Wed November 22. I wrote a really long trip report and posted it on another site.
http://travelnotes.cc/tchatters/viewtopic.php?t=6983
This is the lesser modified version to include a bit more detail about the diving, it is mostly only about the diving so I won’t bore everyone to death. If you would like to read about all the topside activites please visit the travel notes site.


Saturday 11/25/06 - We scheduled our Diving with Scuba Tony. www.scubatony.com Woke up and was freeked out about the diving. After a breakfast of pancakes at La Mission on 30th I had an upset tummy. Probably from nerves. I cried a little and plugged my nose all up. Instant headache. We canceled diving. Tony was ok with that and we decided for 11 am Sunday. Tony is a really cool guy. He called me to talk about the diving when I was looking for an opp. He keeps in good contact with his clients and he even stopped over the first night and dropped off a local cell phone for us to use during our stay. His service is above and beyond.

Sunday 11/26/06 – Tony came and got us around 11 and we headed over to Paradise to do a shore dive. This is a scuba review/work with us (me mostly) on skills and comfort level type of dive that we are going to do. He very thoroughly reviewed what we would be doing giving us pointers and tips. We walked out to check our entrance and then went back to gear up. I tried not to let on but I was tore up inside about the diving but I knew I had to try. I have had bad experiences and Tony really helped me relax just by talking and being so patient. Once we got out in the water we went down in about 6 feet of water. I balked. I did not want to do my skills. I didn’t want to be in the water. The thought of removing my mask on purpose made me freek. I know I can do it. I have done it many times before. But at that point I would rather go back to shore and say forget it. Tony just looked me in the eyes and said OK…. Or…. What if we just go down and sit right here in the sand and breathe? I said all right and that is what we did. He held my fins down for me because my feet wanted to float up. After we were sitting there breathing for a moment he pulled his reg out of his mouth and stuck his tongue out at me. He is so funny. He made me feel better. We saw some fish off in the distance so we decided to move over there and check it out. Then there were some coral heads and we swam to them. I was doing ok. We hung out by these gorgeous coral heads and watched all the critters on them and around them. Tony performed a choreographed underwater dance with his fins on his hands. He also demonstrated his ability to blow bubble rings. Like smoke rings but under water. Very cool. We played catch with his mask and in general just let me be in the water breathing without worry. Nate did his drills with Tony and I watched. I had a few very uncomfortable moments. Bottom was about 25 ft. We surfaced after about 40 min and talked a bit. I went back to shore and Nate and Tony went out for a swim to finish off their tanks.

Maybe I am just not ever going to be a diver. It’s just something I will have to decide on my own. I have to really want to do it…. I don’t know at this point….I think I need to take my OW class again with an instructor that cares and will hold me accountable to do the skills. I need to know that I am not going to kill myself in a panic. One of my worse fears is of drowning. I have a lot to think about and a lot to work on if I am to continue diving. I could bable on and on about it…. there are so many thoughts and things to over examine and roll around and figure out….. So I made a very hard decision not to dive. Tony had no other clients that week. Nate had no buddy. And now no dive opp as it is not economical to take 1 person out. No matter what my decision it was stressful. It was stressful to be in the water diving…. It was stressful to do that to my husband and Tony.

Monday – We went to the Barracuda Hotel, No name bar. Nice place. Got there about 10. Our friend Adrian (Especias) dropped off his underwater housing for his camera to us. We have the same camera. It was so nice of him and we had a lot of fun playing with it and being able to take pictures in the water with a digital camera rather than the disposable ones. Our friends came just a bit later and Becky is an instructor, she took her niece Sara out on a discover scuba right in front of the hotel. Then she took Greg (another friend). Nate rented a tank from the onsite dive shop and headed out to look at things around the edge of the entrance there in about 15 ft of water while Greg was learning in the shallows. I snorkeled above Nate. Once Becky and Greg came out they all started heading out along the shoreline. I followed from above for most of the way. Then I let them continue and worked my way back. They had a good dive. Of course it was no reef dive….Lots of rubble from the hurricane. Concrete and rebar everywhere. Nate liked it though. Said it was neat to see and look at. And there are critters everywhere you just have to look and enjoy the small things.

Lunch at the No Name Bar was great. I had a tuna melt and chips. Thought it was one of the best tuna melts I have ever had. Perhaps everything tastes better in the sun with a warm ocean breeze and salt on your skin? Will defiantly go back to hang out for the day there again. The pool was too cold to swim in but the staff, food and facilities are top notch.

Thursday – Since Tony could not take Nate only out, he very kindly set up diving for him with his friends at Scuba Gamma. I took him there to drop him off and the owner said well why don’t you come out with us there is an extra seat. You can snorkel. They charged me a very fair price so I said ok. A day on a boat on the ocean is always a good day for me. Ran home and got my suit and gear and we met them out at the Calleta. Nate dove Cedral wall, Which he enjoyed but it was a rippin current. One of the highlights is he saw a really big turtle. It seemed that he went thru his air pretty fast and had to share with the DM for awhile. Then he came up and did a really long safety stop since he had plenty of air for that. I snorkeled above the divers. There was a bad O ring on the tank. They took us to a great shallow reef to snorkel during SI….and I am sorry but I did not get the name of it. It was beautiful though and we were the only ones there. Then we went to the C53 wreck which first thing that happens is Nate gets another tank with a bad O ring. (this time he checked it before completely gearing up.) Got a new one on it and then he tried the dive but ended up aborting due to the very very strong current. Unfortunately it was a bit out of his comfort level but he was glad he got to descend down the line to see it.

Friday – Today after breakfast we went to see Coz Sally http://www.barefootincozumel.com/ Nate got to go first and he got the Ashiatsu barefoot massage. I went to the bakery and walked over to the Michoacan for an agua fresca to pass the time. I ended up getting the Swedish massage since she can have more control to avoid the area on my back where I had just gotten a tattoo the night before. I loved every minute of it. Nate did also. We both felt great afterwards and next time I am going to try the ashiatsu. It was great meeting Sally and if any of you are interested in a massage. Sally is the person to see for sure.

After that we headed over to the east side. My mission was to find a decorative bright color Mexican blanket at a price of 20 or less. We ate at Mezcalitos and had the fish tacos. I really liked Albertos better. But they weren’t bad. Walked down the beach. It was cloudy and windy. Stopped at all the little stands on the way back. I got my blanket for 15 dollars. I was worried about it holding up in the wash but it did just fine and smells april fresh now.

Tony called while we were shopping and set up a night dive for Nate with his crew and a couple of clients that had come in. So we headed back and got ready. Nate dropped me off at Lapalapita beach bar and he headed back to Carribe-blue for his pick up. When he finally came to pick me up he was so excited and couldn’t shut up about how much fun the night dive was. They dove Paradise he did not see an octopus which he was really hoping to but he saw lots of other critters. He was amazed at the clarity and how much you really could see in the dark and how well the dive lights lit up the water. He really enjoyed diving with Tony’s crew and had a nice long dive that evening and a great time.

We would reccomend Tony to any one who wants to dive in Cozumel. Anyone of any level of diving. His service is great and he is such a nice person.

and here are the pictures.
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2098487534
 
scubasherry:
Saturday 11/25/06 - We scheduled our Diving with Scuba Tony. www.scubatony.com Woke up and was freeked out about the diving. After a breakfast of pancakes at La Mission on 30th I had an upset tummy. Probably from nerves. I cried a little and plugged my nose all up. Instant headache. We canceled diving. Tony was ok with that and we decided for 11 am Sunday. Tony is a really cool guy. He called me to talk about the diving when I was looking for an opp. He keeps in good contact with his clients and he even stopped over the first night and dropped off a local cell phone for us to use during our stay. His service is above and beyond.

Sunday 11/26/06 – Tony came and got us around 11 and we headed over to Paradise to do a shore dive. This is a scuba review/work with us (me mostly) on skills and comfort level type of dive that we are going to do. He very thoroughly reviewed what we would be doing giving us pointers and tips. We walked out to check our entrance and then went back to gear up. I tried not to let on but I was tore up inside about the diving but I knew I had to try. I have had bad experiences and Tony really helped me relax just by talking and being so patient. Once we got out in the water we went down in about 6 feet of water. I balked. I did not want to do my skills. I didn’t want to be in the water. The thought of removing my mask on purpose made me freek. I know I can do it. I have done it many times before. But at that point I would rather go back to shore and say forget it. Tony just looked me in the eyes and said OK…. Or…. What if we just go down and sit right here in the sand and breathe? I said all right and that is what we did. He held my fins down for me because my feet wanted to float up. After we were sitting there breathing for a moment he pulled his reg out of his mouth and stuck his tongue out at me. He is so funny. He made me feel better. We saw some fish off in the distance so we decided to move over there and check it out. Then there were some coral heads and we swam to them. I was doing ok. We hung out by these gorgeous coral heads and watched all the critters on them and around them. Tony performed a choreographed underwater dance with his fins on his hands. He also demonstrated his ability to blow bubble rings. Like smoke rings but under water. Very cool. We played catch with his mask and in general just let me be in the water breathing without worry. Nate did his drills with Tony and I watched. I had a few very uncomfortable moments. Bottom was about 25 ft. We surfaced after about 40 min and talked a bit. I went back to shore and Nate and Tony went out for a swim to finish off their tanks.

Maybe I am just not ever going to be a diver. It’s just something I will have to decide on my own. I have to really want to do it…. I don’t know at this point….I think I need to take my OW class again with an instructor that cares and will hold me accountable to do the skills. I need to know that I am not going to kill myself in a panic. One of my worse fears is of drowning. I have a lot to think about and a lot to work on if I am to continue diving. I could bable on and on about it…. there are so many thoughts and things to over examine and roll around and figure out….. So I made a very hard decision not to dive. Tony had no other clients that week. Nate had no buddy. And now no dive opp as it is not economical to take 1 person out. No matter what my decision it was stressful. It was stressful to be in the water diving…. It was stressful to do that to my husband and Tony
[URL="http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=209848753[/URL]


When people have asked me in the past" Do you think I should get certified?" , I usually tell them " No." If you have to ask then diving is probably not for you. I think you already know the answer to that question , Sherry. Diving is not the be all and end all to Cozumel. For me it is one of many reasons why I go to Cozumel. If a doctor told me tomorrow, no more diving Patrick, I would still be going to Cozumel for years to come. Unlike other places I've been to in the Caribbean and Central America, Cozumel is easily the best place of all to snorkel. I love snorkeling and do it every time I go to Cozumel. I would almost rather snorkel Columbia Shallows than dive on it. There is a feeling of total freedom you get with snorkeling that you dont get with diving.

So, dont worry about it Sherry. Cozumel is a wonderful place. Enjoy all of it.
 
scubasherry:
Maybe I am just not ever going to be a diver. It’s just something I will have to decide on my own. I have to really want to do it…. I don’t know at this point….I think I need to take my OW class again with an instructor that cares and will hold me accountable to do the skills. I need to know that I am not going to kill myself in a panic. One of my worse fears is of drowning. I have a lot to think about and a lot to work on if I am to continue diving. I could bable on and on about it…. there are so many thoughts and things to over examine and roll around and figure out….. So I made a very hard decision not to dive. Tony had no other clients that week. Nate had no buddy. And now no dive opp as it is not economical to take 1 person out. No matter what my decision it was stressful. It was stressful to be in the water diving…. It was stressful to do that to my husband and Tony.

This is not the first post I have read by you describing similar experiences. Diving is not for everyone, and if it turns out that it's not for you, then it's not the end of the world. As Mawg says, Cozumel has more to offer than just the diving; I didn't dive until 1991, but my first trip to Cozumel was in 1978. If I had to quit diving, I would still go to Cozumel.

It sounds to me like you are trying to force yourself to become a diver because of external expectations rather from internal motiviation. If so, that's a mistake and (IMO) doomed to failure. If you cannot relax, then you are out past your limits, and in addition to not having any fun, it could be dangerous for you.

If you are determined to get past whatever is blocking you, I encourage you to spend a lot of time doing easy little shore dives where you can get to the surface in a couple of kicks and get to shore in not many more, and don't get any more ambitious until you can totally relax in that environment. Don't let external pressures force you out where you are not comfortable.
 
Thanks Mawg and ggunn. I totaly agree with both of you. I love the island. I love snorkeling. But even snorkeling is something that I am new at. And I am ok with not diving. Right now in my life its probably best if I just give it a rest and see what the future brings. I tried. Maybe not as hard as I could but thats ok. I am at peace with it. Things didn't work out for now. After I made the decision not to dive.... I felt like a weight lifted off me.
I did something towards the end of our stay that I have never done before. I free dove down while snorkeling. I never have before. I dont know why. I didn't even really know how to do it. But I had the camera and I was snorkeling out in front of Lapalapita beach bar. There was a pretty little fish flitting in and out of a rock structure. I wanted a better picture of him then from above looking down. I only went down maybe 6 ft and I did it a few times trying to get a good shot. One time I drank a little salt water but I lived. Baby steps. Right? Someday I might wake up and say I am ready to give this a shot again. Untill then..... I have an extra suitcase to bring down supplies to the Cruz Roja or the Childrens charity (chrysilis ?) on my return trips. When one door closes another one opens. :D
 
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