Diver Kat's December 2011 in Cozumel list

[Diver Kat]

Hey Lefty, you're on the List!!! You'll have a blast with Alison!!
(And you're entirely welcome to one of my Margaritas ... that cv is buying me!! )

11/26 - 12/10 - rossandmaureenw/ (non-diving) wife & (diving) daughter, Casa Caribe Azul, Living Underwater
11/29 - 12/08 - Sideways Blue Angel Resort, Blue Angel
11/29 - 12/04 - bwetter w/wife & family, Occidental Grand, Dive Palancar then onto Playa del Carmen 12/4 - 12/10 for SHARKS AND CENOTES
12/01 - 12/07 - DjDiverDan w/ group, Casa Del Mar, Dive with Martin
12/02 - 12/12 - cvchief, Susanita & nephew, Las Ventanas B404, Scuba with Alison
12/03 - 12/10 - pelagic_by_nature & wife, Casa Del Mar, Aldora
12/03 - 12/10 - JG109 and JC, 12/3-12/10/11, Hotel Cozumel, Dive Paradise
12/05 - 12/15 - Bearkeley w/husband, Villablanca??, Scuba Mau??
12/06 - 12/06 - Lefty Writer & wife, Carnival Magic, Scuba with Alison
12/08 - 12/23 - tom_n_tacoma & wife, Our Place, Blue Angel
12/05 - 12/15 - Dirty-Dog, with wife & a lady friend, Sabor, Aldora Divers
12/10 - 12/17 - pidgiepoo & husband, Iberostar, Dive with Martin
12/10 - 12/18 - rebelrph, Villa Aldora, Aldora Divers
12/12 - 12/19 - MagnaBoxer w/wife, Blue Angel Resort, Blue Angel
12/12 - 12/19 - Brian2828 Blue Angel Resort, Blue Angel
12/14 - 12/19 - 94GTStang & Wife, Hotel Cozumel, Bottom Time Divers
12/15 - 12/15 - splzero w/wife & BIL, diving???
12/16 - 12/20 - prosdog & son, Hotel Cozumel, Dive Paradise
12/17 - 12/25 - nigil & (maybe) my wife, Cozumel Palace, diving ???
12/18 - 12/25 - Basscat - Hotel Plaza Cozumel, diving ????
12/22 - 12/29 - melissabeads Hotel Cozumel, Dive Paradise
12/23 - 12/30 - Get Wet, Hotel Cozumel, Scuba Tony
12/23 - 01/02 - crgravitt & husband. Hotel Cozumel, Dive Paradise
12/24 - 12/31 - darook & family, Fiesta Americana, Dive House

 

[Lefty Writer]

Hey Lefty, you're on the List!!! You'll have a blast with Alison!!
(And you're entirely welcome to one of my Margaritas ... that I'm buying )

Thanks!
I'll take mine frozen, and my wife will have hers on the rocks.

Cvchief, I hope yall don't mind diving with rookies. We aren't "flailers," but definitely not pros yet, either. We've been trying to get a few dives in each month at the local lakes/quarries since we got our c-cards. In fact, we are diving this Saturday to try out our new BC's before taking them on the cruise.

This will be our first time in truly "open" water, and we are really looking forward to it.

 

[cvchief]

Thanks!
I'll take mine frozen, and my wife will have hers on the rocks.

Cvchief, I hope yall don't mind diving with rookies. We aren't "flailers," but definitely not pros yet, either. We've been trying to get a few dives in each month at the local lakes/quarries since we got our c-cards. In fact, we are diving this Saturday to try out our new BC's before taking them on the cruise.

This will be our first time in truly "open" water, and we are really looking forward to it.

Cozumel is just awesome you will love it, esp with Alison and Carlos. It sure would be insulting to the pros out there to compare me to them! It was only a couple trips trips ago Alison said "Hey Jefe, you think you maybe want to take some weights with you?" Carlos just smiled and brought me my weight belt.... As for flailing, I remember a certain guy who liked to crack my wife in the face. Once with a fin and once a night dive with his hand. We would drop him off at his hotel on the way home and he bought a round every time he did it. Like I told him, "I am going to let this go for one more six pack and then we are going to have to talk about it!"

 

[Diver Kat]

Cvchief, I hope yall don't mind diving with rookies. We aren't "flailers," but definitely not pros yet, either. We've been trying to get a few dives in each month at the local lakes/quarries since we got our c-cards. In fact, we are diving this Saturday to try out our new BC's before taking them on the cruise.

This will be our first time in truly "open" water, and we are really looking forward to it.

The nice thing you'll find about Coz - and especially about diving with Alison - is that many of the dive sites will suit you whether it's your 10th dive or your 1000th dive. Just make sure you let her know what your comfort level is (And she'll probably ask you anyway.) You might want to be a 60 ft and someone else is fine with 80 or 90, so you'll dive a spot where the group is spread out vertically but still all together. And if you've been diving the local lakes - like we do here in Central Texas - than your probably used to sucky viz. You'll feel great once you get into clear blue water where suddenly it seems like you can see forever! Wouldn't be surprised if you end up like us .... not just a Coz addict, but a Scuba with Alison addict as well!! (Yeah, I think around here cv & I are her biggest - or at least most vocal - supporters! LOL!) The hubby & I dove our 1st time with Alison on a cruise ship stop. Felt so comfortable, did it off a cruise ship a few more times, then started flying to the island and staying to dive with her a week or more.

 

[Lefty Writer]

When researching local dive ops, I kept reading over and over how good Alison was. Although her prices are just a bit cheaper than booking through Carnival, I decided to book with her and forego the "security" of booking through Carnival based on what I read.

What clinched it for me was Alison's rapid e-mail replies and the fact that she'll take us on a deep dive to satisfy one of our AOW requirements. From our e-mail conversations, she knows we are new divers, but are ready for a little adventure.

Have you tried Athens Scuba Park? We enjoyed diving there back in July and want to go back as soon as we can. I was surprised how good the viz was there, and had fun with all the "limited wreck penetration" I got to do.

 

[Diver Kat]

Sad to say, haven't ventured out to the other areas of diving near Houston or Dallas. We would normally dive Lake Travis every weekend, but didn't last year as the DH had a foot problem and then this summer there's been no water. Keep meaning to try and get to some places we haven't checked out, but never seem to manage! Oh we did do Balmorhea State Park a few years back and that was fun - but a LONG drive to get out there!!

Since Coz is so small, it's usually not a worry getting back to the ship, unless your ship is on a real short stay. In general, we try to avoid booking any dives through the cruise lines at any port unless the window of time is too tight. I think that's only happened once in Belize. As for Alison, yes, she is known for her quick responses and her great reviews. Wish I'd done my AOW deep dive in Coz - couldn't see a thing in Lake Travis! Bet you won't even feel like your that deep in Coz! Look forward to reading what you think after your trip!!

 

[Lefty Writer]

For our Grand Cayman stop, the only way we could find an available dive op for the time we are in port was through Carnival. By the time we tender in, even if we are on the first tender, all of the local dive ops have typically already gone out. There was one other dive op who could've fit us in for a shore dive, but no boat dives.

Interestingly enough, I thought I'd compare the price of what Carnival charges with that of a local dive op had we got there earlier, and Carnival was actually a few dollars cheaper!

:dropmouth:​

We decided to go ahead and book with Carnival for the boat dives, as we can do shore dives here in Texas. I guess we'll get to see how Don Foster's is as a dive op now.

 

[prosdog]

Lefty, I used Don Foster's back in July when cruising on the Carnival Conquest. Good dive shop, dive masters and boat captain were very good. They put our equipment together for us, carried our tanks, etc. They swapped out my tanks for the first and second dive for me before I even realized it. Had a great time doing the 2 dive excursion.

 

[Lefty Writer]

Lefty, I used Don Foster's back in July when cruising on the Carnival Conquest. Good dive shop, dive masters and boat captain were very good. They put our equipment together for us, carried our tanks, etc. They swapped out my tanks for the first and second dive for me before I even realized it. Had a great time doing the 2 dive excursion.

Good to hear that, prosdog! Being total rookies, even a "cattle boat" experience probably wouldn't bother us, since we haven't done any diving like this before.

How did you like Conquest? We've sailed on her three times and really enjoyed it. She's a beautiful, albeit mature, ship.

 

[prosdog]

Good to hear that, prosdog! Being total rookies, even a "cattle boat" experience probably wouldn't bother us, since we haven't done any diving like this before.

How did you like Conquest? We've sailed on her three times and really enjoyed it. She's a beautiful, albeit mature, ship.

Had a great time. My 2 younger kids really enjoyed the activities, my older enjoyed diving with me in Cayman and Cozumel. We had to thumb the deeper first dive in Cozumel since he was having equalizing problems but we got to do the second shallower dive after the psudofed kicked in for him. It was incredible. We were so bummed that we missed the first dive that my wife is sending us back for my birthday. I see you're in Houston, we are in San Antonio. I'm trying to find a place to dive this weekend somewhere other than the Comal River.