Can still remember my first dive in Cozumel, how about you?

[hogpark7430]

1979ish I was just a kid, my folks and I stayed at La Ceiba my mom worked for continental airlines so the air was practically free, I remember my dad checked a cooler full of beer as luggage, they were pretty broke at the time. Well any way my first certified dive was on the airplane wreck (long gone now) and I remember a big barracuda inside it and sergeant majors nipping at us quite a bit. I also remember my folks giving me a tequila sunrise at the pool, and I really thought they were cool, in later years I realized they just some private time.

FYI Carlos and Charlies was really cool back then.

Edit
On a later boat dive that trip to San Francisco I remember the guys caught lunch on the boat during our first dive, and we had a BBQ on the deserted beach near there and watched a turtle laying eggs, I have been hooked ever since.

Good thread!

 

[Basscat]

First was a shore dive at Scuba Club, way older than I should have been, 2 years ago, inspired by a dear friend to dive and travel and get away from work. My first time in the Ocean, I was shocked at how salty the water was, now I crave that sensation. First boat dive later that day was Chankanaab, had to hold the reg in in my mouth because I was smiling so wide.... never imagined such colors, shapes, textures.... Now I'm counting down again, 68 days, 11 hours, 57 minutes....

 

[rebelrph]

I originally read this thread while in Coz diving and had to wait until I got home to look it up in my log book.

It was 8-4-2000 and was dive #28 of my diving career ( now at 375 ), doing AOW cert with Jorge' and Aldora Divers (now a DM). Did Columbia Normal , 91 feet for 56 minutes. My wife was diving way back then and she lost her wt belt when she hit the water. Luckily, we were over the sandy bottom and Jorge dragged her down to get it and we continued the dive.


TC

 

[kentmorrdave]

With 36 pounds of lead to sink my fat ass, I did a shore dive at El Presidente with Scuba Du. That is a nice shore dive by the way with about 22 feet of water. Hooked ever since and down to about 10 pounds of lead now.

 

[Sue Sue]

From my log: Dive # 9, March 28, 2003, 70 feet, Vis 100 +, Santa Rosa Wall, Boat, 37 Mins, , 14 #; 2500 PSI; Sand Dollar Sports; Drift Dive; Two swim thru's, Fantastic Wall; Not many fish, Reg kicked out.

Michael and I were cruising then and went with a ship excursion. Little did we know about ship excursion diving, cattle boats, short dive times and being overweighted ! In fact, little did we know about anything or more accurately EVERYTHING diving ! Although, to give myself some credit, I was successful, thankfully, in keeping my composure on that dive when another diver kicked my head, mask off my face and reg out of my mouth. At 60 feet, swallowing water, retrieving my mask and reg, clearing the reg and going on with the dive without panic, I think was rather good for a brand new diver. Anyway, now, we dive land base vacations only, Blue XT Sea diving, small fast boat, fantastic crew and service, much longer dive times, lot less air, much less weight, and see more critters.

 

[yaml]

my first "water "experience in cozumel was in summer 1974; we landed and went straight in for some night snorkeling - absolutely amazing; the next morning we began our week of diving with aqua safari; we started bringing a group down from houston each year; only a few dive ops and hotels then; we always stayed at the barracuda ( which is much different looking today!); been diving just about everywhere in mexico and throughout the islands and cozumel is still my favorite.

 

[georoc01]

Mine was with Dive House off of a cruise ship. Did two dives, Santa Rosa Wall and Tormentoes. FIrst time I had seen one of the large sea turtles that swam right under me into the current. I was a terrible air hog so the dives were rather short. But I was hooked and came back for my first stay on the island 6 months later.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

Mine was I think in 2001, after getting certified 5 years earlier and diving infrequently local quarries and lame shore dives in the NE. People I went to Cozumel with wasn't even that interested in diving, they were going to do a few but kind of skipped out on most of the dive when the guy had sinus congestion. Anyway, first dive was down Cedral Pass. Visibility seemed like it was infinite. During the dive, I thought, right over the small hill to the left, it is a cliff that drops off thousands of feet. And with the current carrying us, at one point, the 'cliff' turns rightward directly across our path and I thought we were going to drift over the cliff, but strangely, the current turns and we get carried rightward to follow the contour of the cliff. I was scolded for abandoning my buddy, who was still at the surface with equalization problems due to his sinus when we all descended and was drifting away already.

A few dives later, I did Palancar wall and since I was alone, I buddied up with the DM. Being an air hog, I ran low on air in 20min while were were still at 90ft, being DM's buddy, he can't come up with me, so he send me up on my own.