arkstorm
Contributor
Just got back from Cozumel last week and wanted to post this quick trip report:
We have been visiting Cozumel every year for three years in a row. This year we visited the exact same week as last year, stayed at the same place, and dove with the same operation. I wouldn't change a thing.
Travel: We flew U.S. Air from Philly to Cancun and took the Mayan Air puddle jumper from Cancun to Cozumel. U.S. Air is, IMHO, the world's worst airline. There is always some hassle with them but they are the only game in town direct from Philly to Cancun. This time the check-in agent decided that I can't "fly today" because my passport was "mutilated" and Mexico was deporting Americans with "mutilated" passports because of the "stuff going on at the border with Arizona". I looked down at my passport (which had a crease in it) and looked back up at her and asked her if she knew how far Cancun was from Arizona? After getting a supervisor involved the check-in agent was overruled and I was granted permission to board the flight. Mexican immigration didn't so much as wince at my passport before stamping me into the country -- Dear U.S. Air Agent: Mexico is great this time of year. You should really visit.
Accommodations: We checked into the Cozumel Palace at around 3pm local. The Palace is one of the more deluxe all-inclusive properties on the island but is way too posh for most divers' needs (my own included). If I wasn't traveling with wife and two-year old daughter I would opt for something more basic and sample the awesome restaurants in town which are plentiful and reasonable. But that is the trade off -- I get to dive, wifey and baby get to be pampered with endless food and beverage poolside. Everybody wins.
Dive Operator: As soon as we settled into our room I walked into town to check in at the dive shop. There are hoards of dive operators on Cozumel, some better than others. As far as I'm concerned there is Aqua Safari and there are all the rest. Over the years Aqua Safari has provided amazingly consistent service. The store staff, dive masters, even the boat crews, are all approachable and eager to make your experience top notch. Bill Horn, the proprietor of Aqua Safari will accommodate any reasonable request that does not compromise safety. After a few years of diving with Aqua Safari my feeling is that every visit is a reunion with old friends.
Diving: If you don't already know this, diving in Cozumel rocks. Endless visibility and long easy drift dives make it so you can go minutes without fluttering a fin. Just control your buoyancy and drift. This year visibility stayed in the 70-80 ft. range and the current was particularly strong compared to previous years. Some dives felt like a roller coaster ride but still very enjoyable. Despite the presence of lion fish, it seemed like fish of all sizes remain plentiful with giant schools of glassy sweepers, porkfish, snappers, grunts, etc. There seemed to be a turtle convention going on. On one particular dive I spotted seven individuals. The currents being stronger than on previous visits made my first ever foray into shooting underwater video a particularly interesting experience. But I got some decent footage nonetheless. here's the Youtube link to my first ever underwater movie: YouTube - Cozumel January 2011 - 1080p.mov
As with every visit to Cozumel I leave with the feeling that I can't wait to return.
We have been visiting Cozumel every year for three years in a row. This year we visited the exact same week as last year, stayed at the same place, and dove with the same operation. I wouldn't change a thing.
Travel: We flew U.S. Air from Philly to Cancun and took the Mayan Air puddle jumper from Cancun to Cozumel. U.S. Air is, IMHO, the world's worst airline. There is always some hassle with them but they are the only game in town direct from Philly to Cancun. This time the check-in agent decided that I can't "fly today" because my passport was "mutilated" and Mexico was deporting Americans with "mutilated" passports because of the "stuff going on at the border with Arizona". I looked down at my passport (which had a crease in it) and looked back up at her and asked her if she knew how far Cancun was from Arizona? After getting a supervisor involved the check-in agent was overruled and I was granted permission to board the flight. Mexican immigration didn't so much as wince at my passport before stamping me into the country -- Dear U.S. Air Agent: Mexico is great this time of year. You should really visit.
Accommodations: We checked into the Cozumel Palace at around 3pm local. The Palace is one of the more deluxe all-inclusive properties on the island but is way too posh for most divers' needs (my own included). If I wasn't traveling with wife and two-year old daughter I would opt for something more basic and sample the awesome restaurants in town which are plentiful and reasonable. But that is the trade off -- I get to dive, wifey and baby get to be pampered with endless food and beverage poolside. Everybody wins.
Dive Operator: As soon as we settled into our room I walked into town to check in at the dive shop. There are hoards of dive operators on Cozumel, some better than others. As far as I'm concerned there is Aqua Safari and there are all the rest. Over the years Aqua Safari has provided amazingly consistent service. The store staff, dive masters, even the boat crews, are all approachable and eager to make your experience top notch. Bill Horn, the proprietor of Aqua Safari will accommodate any reasonable request that does not compromise safety. After a few years of diving with Aqua Safari my feeling is that every visit is a reunion with old friends.
Diving: If you don't already know this, diving in Cozumel rocks. Endless visibility and long easy drift dives make it so you can go minutes without fluttering a fin. Just control your buoyancy and drift. This year visibility stayed in the 70-80 ft. range and the current was particularly strong compared to previous years. Some dives felt like a roller coaster ride but still very enjoyable. Despite the presence of lion fish, it seemed like fish of all sizes remain plentiful with giant schools of glassy sweepers, porkfish, snappers, grunts, etc. There seemed to be a turtle convention going on. On one particular dive I spotted seven individuals. The currents being stronger than on previous visits made my first ever foray into shooting underwater video a particularly interesting experience. But I got some decent footage nonetheless. here's the Youtube link to my first ever underwater movie: YouTube - Cozumel January 2011 - 1080p.mov
As with every visit to Cozumel I leave with the feeling that I can't wait to return.
