March in Cozumel 2010

[kcdiver56]

How very, very strange! Thanks for the update. Was he done diving?
I'm just sitting here shaking my head...

A lot of us are still shaking our heads over this one....as for his diving being over, it was on that particular day ...guessing he wanted an excuse for a new set of gear...its too bad Aldoras steel 120 went down with it.

Agreed, BT!
It was a great group at La Choza. Sorry I couldn't make WW!

My big thrills:
Diving with Aristeo (aka Jack Sparrow)
Eating lionfish (yum!!)
Diving with a school of 15 eagle rays together
Diving the east side
Rescuing the fishermen and their broken boat
Hanging out with Prop Joe, TV Mark, Tim, and of course Maria
Spending time with folks in Cozumel I love
Having Aristeo signal, after killing yet another lionfish, that he was going to eat it. (and getting it on video!)

Big thrill since getting home: Aristeo has been getting Mr. Sanchos to grill the lionfish he kills on first dives and sharing them with all takers! I don't know if he even knows how much I want lionfish to become a regular occupant of Cozumel's plates.
No better way to wipe out a fish population than to get people to start eating them!

I had my 1st taste of the lionsfish last week when Aristeo had one grilled up for us....yum! David speared this big guy yesterday and had Mr Sanchos grill it for us to share. Quite the tasty treat

 

[Pelagicsal]

LOVELY shot! Lovely pic, too. David have some shears to tidy him up for transport?

Glad you enjoyed it! I found it very grouper-like. I am just so so so thrilled that Aristeo and David got on the bandwagon about eating them. It might've stayed a one-time event if not for them. Feel free to give them (especially Aristeo who kept it going) a hug from me; I smile every time I think about it. And I've told everyone who'll listen about him grilling the first ones at my request, and better yet, carrying on the tradition.
I was pleased enough when he shot the one on the east side and signaled eating it... WooHoo!

Did you read the "Jaws" at Cozumel thread? Pretty funny April Fools story...

Ouch! How did I not think of the tank going with it? Now I'll call him a most appropriate name. I thought it, but I didn't say it aloud. Took care of that now.
If you want new gear, don't ya just buy it?

Speaking of gear, gotta get Roatan packing. Wish you were going to be there!
Hope my gear is going there with me this trip! Don't think they'd take as good care of a stuff-less me as CZM did!

 

[kujhawk91]

LOVELY shot! Lovely pic, too. David have some shears to tidy him up for transport?

Glad you enjoyed it! I found it very grouper-like. I am just so so so thrilled that Aristeo and David got on the bandwagon about eating them. It might've stayed a one-time event if not for them. Feel free to give them (especially Aristeo who kept it going) a hug from me; I smile every time I think about it. And I've told everyone who'll listen about him grilling the first ones at my request, and better yet, carrying on the tradition.
I was pleased enough when he shot the one on the east side and signaled eating it... WooHoo!

Did you read the "Jaws" at Cozumel thread? Pretty funny April Fools story...

Ouch! How did I not think of the tank going with it? Now I'll call him a most appropriate name. I thought it, but I didn't say it aloud. Took care of that now.
If you want new gear, don't ya just buy it?

Speaking of gear, gotta get Roatan packing. Wish you were going to be there!
Hope my gear is going there with me this trip! Don't think they'd take as good care of a stuff-less me as CZM did!

Enjoy your trip to Roatan - and we definitely want to hear about it when you get back!

 

[Pelagicsal]

C'mon with us, Bill! Then I will have someone to stalk!

 

[kcdiver56]

LOVELY shot! Lovely pic, too. David have some shears to tidy him up for transport?

Glad you enjoyed it! I found it very grouper-like. I am just so so so thrilled that Aristeo and David got on the bandwagon about eating them. It might've stayed a one-time event if not for them. Feel free to give them (especially Aristeo who kept it going) a hug from me; I smile every time I think about it. And I've told everyone who'll listen about him grilling the first ones at my request, and better yet, carrying on the tradition.
I was pleased enough when he shot the one on the east side and signaled eating it... WooHoo!

Did you read the "Jaws" at Cozumel thread? Pretty funny April Fools story...

Ouch! How did I not think of the tank going with it? Now I'll call him a most appropriate name. I thought it, but I didn't say it aloud. Took care of that now.
If you want new gear, don't ya just buy it?

Speaking of gear, gotta get Roatan packing. Wish you were going to be there!
Hope my gear is going there with me this trip! Don't think they'd take as good care of a stuff-less me as CZM did!

Have a great time in Roatan!! Good luck with the gear this trip I learned to pack my carryon differently when my bags traveled around mainland Honduras 4 of the 7 days we were on Utila...rental wetsuits & regs ---YUCK!!

I'm watching the island wake up this morning, not wanting to go up and pack and thinking our visits to the island are much too short......have to fix that one of these days

David did not have shears to trim the spines..it was quite tricky getting that big guy in the bag. Aristeo bagged 6 of those devils on 1 dive at Barracuda. I bet he bagged another dozen more in the 4 days I dove with him. I too hope the locals get a taste for it and start putting it on some menus around the island but as with anything new, its going to take some time.

Loved the Jaws thread, quite the chuckle!

 

[kujhawk91]

C'mon with us, Bill! Then I will have someone to stalk!

I sure wish I could! If only I just could figure out a way to be independently wealthy so that I could do away that pesky little thing called a job! Maybe I will be able to head to Coz this July...

 

[joey1656]

Back from a wonderful week of diving. Had an awesome time and got to meet and dive with some really cool people- BT and Heather, Susan and John, and Len and Daniel. And great crew aboard "Shamu", Pedro the "King of Leon"... until one got him on the hand, Ramon, and Mago. Pedro didn't miss a beat and will hopefully be out there spearing them soon. Here are a few pics of some of the critters.

 

[suprane]

:goingdown:

Hey! No love for Maria and Sallye?!?

Absolutely!! Lot's of love to the both of you!.... And a special thanks to Maria for her suggestion of San Juan as the final dive of my trip.. Great choice!
We REALLY need to make this an annual gathering. Can you just imagine?!?! WOW!

LOL

 

[Pelagicsal]

Another addition to my Cozumel annual events. Works for me! Was talking about a CZM March repeat on the way down today.

Had to do the CocoView checkout dive today. Was pretty funny. Razzed the DM when he got to me. He did that funny explosion of bubbles that let you know you've cracked someone up.

Saw a lionfish on the way back in. Melgar went back out to get him. May be able to try some fried lionfish before the week is out. Told him I'd had it grilled and it was good. He said it's great fried, so I'm up for trying that... especially if he does some nice spicy recipe!

Happy to report that my gear did come this time!
And yes, I did packed my carryon more fully this trip...

I was really glad I had a wetsuit already there, my mask and reg in carryon. They set me up with a nice BC. Didn't much like the Blades, though.


I'll bring David some shears this summer, though I thought he had some. He's been trimming them up a fair amt before he feeds them to some other animal...
Glad you liked the Jaws thread.

Maria's a treat, to be sure. Can't believe how well she's diving! San Juan is a great CZM farewell.

We flew over about 11:25 this morning. Even though I was headed to Roatan, Cozumel was tugging at my heart...

Bill, when you figure out independently wealthy, teach me!

 

[suprane]

David did not have shears to trim the spines..it was quite tricky getting that big guy in the bag. Aristeo bagged 6 of those devils on 1 dive at Barracuda. I bet he bagged another dozen more in the 4 days I dove with him.QUOTE]

I can tell you that Aristeo had better of had shears!.. I left my Zeagle shears and sheath with Memo to give to him the day I left. Aristeo had asked me the last day of diving if I would sell them to him. I had already stuffed all of my gear in my mesh bag to take off of the boat, so I told him that wasn't necessary that I would dig them out and drop them off at the shop on my way to the airport the next morning. He said it was next to impossible for them to get shears on the island.
I may take several pairs down with me on my next trip and just hand them out in lieu of tips. LOL