Trip Report A Plethora of Firsts

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BalekFekete

Contributor
Messages
385
Reaction score
620
Location
Philadelphia, PA
# of dives
50 - 99
Last week was a first for the Mrs. and I on many, many levels as - should you choose to read on - you'll see in this trip report. When the Invasion to Cozumel was announced last year, and it happened to more-or-less coincide with the 50th bday of yours truly, it was a no-brainer. We were going!

Now, the first and most important 'first' is this was our first Scubaboards trip, and really our first diving-centric vacation since certifying back in 2018. Our previous diving had been tied to other trips, be it cruising and doing a dive excursion or a few vacations to various Sandals resorts, but never somewhere that the primary focus was the diving. Simply put it exceeded our expectations and was the best part of the trip. @cardzard said it to us several times over the course of the week...the people are what makes these trips exceptional. Yes, you'll read later the diving was awesome, but the people we met both on and off the boats were the best - most especially Group 8. @Queen Triggerfish, @MrsDeepSeaExplorer, @NancyLynn, @Craine, @DeepSeaExplorer, and Jocelyn (a.k.a. Mrs. Craine) were warm, welcoming, and made our week of diving something we'll never forget. Elsewhere and across the resort, every member we met - and too numerous to count or mention - were the same. Conversations were comfortable, seats at the tables were always made available, and we felt almost as if we were part of the family from the go.

As for Cozumel, that's our second 'first' having never been to the island to dive before this trip. Thankfully, with the help provided pre-trip by @ROXANNE, the trip in was smooth and uneventful. Navigating the airport was easy, all the tips-and-tricks were on point from managing the dreaded 'Red Light, Green Light' to getting a cab under the watch of countless timeshare vultures. After exchaning dollars for pesos (which really you don't need to do - USD is accepted everywhere), we were off to the Wyndham Cozumel Hotel & Resort for a week of fun. Later in the week, we strolled through the town while being accosted by countless shop owners (thanks to four cruise ships being in port...). Special award goes to the margaritas at Wet Wendy's...oh myyyy! :rofl3:

The accomodations were exactly as they had been laid out in the advanced information and lined up with the reviews we had perused. Rooms were pretty much standard fare, albeit with a AC remote that neither the Mrs. or I ever really figured out. Beds were comfortable be it because they were of a superior quality or because every time I hit the bed I was exhaused to the point of not caring in the slightest...who really knows. Hotel staff promptly and invisibly serviced the rooms daily, often leaving behind towel animals much to my wife's excitement. The fare available at the various restaurants or poolside snack area were decent - neither blowing my socks off or making me afraid to go to eat at any point. The main exception was the last dinner before the Going Away party which was a Mexican theme and most certainly 'on point'. The only real negative for the hotel worth mentioning is WiFi service. The coverage is sparse to say the least, and intermitent when you can get it to connect. However, at the end of the day, that kept me off the net (minus daily Wordle time) and more tuned into the vacation, so there is a silver lining here. :)

Now the diving...what else can I say but "WOW". I knew Cozumel was largely regarded as world-class for diving, but sometimes what you hear or read just doesn't do it justice. This is such a time. It's fair to say that everything about the diving took what we've seen prior and brought it to another level. Coral was bigger, taller, and more impressive than anything we've seen before. Sea life was everywhere and covered just about everything you'd want to see - just about every kind of fish, turtles on several dives, rays soaring through the blue, and morays small and large almost every time we splashed down (including our first (third for those counting)) backrolls off a fast boat. Fourth and fifth 'firsts' get attributed to the blackwater dive we did Thursday evening, followed by a crack-of-dawn dive on Friday, both of which were great and something we'll for certain do again in the years to come and would recommend others to try as well.

Pictures can be found here, so enjoy! Check back into it routinely as I'll be adding more pictures over the next several days.

Now the countdown starts for next year's Invasion... :daydream:
 
Glad you had a great trip.
After exchaning dollars for pesos (which really you don't need to do - USD is accepted everywhere)
Well, prices are generally cheaper with Pesos, but yeah Dollars work if you don't mind the extra cost. The cheapest way to get Pesos is first letting your bank know that you'll be using the debit card in Mexico (I have failed to do this at times!), then withdrawing Pesos from a bank ATM, never at a cash machine not owned by a bank.
 
Glad you had a great trip.

Well, prices are generally cheaper with Pesos, but yeah Dollars work if you don't mind the extra cost.
This is especially true for taxis. Taxi drivers use their own exchange rate which is a) easy math, and b) to their advantage.
 
Enjoyed your photos! You got some really good ones that can be printed and framed for sure to remind you of your FIRST trip to Cozumel! Now you will become a Coz-a-hol-ic like the rest of us dreaming of the day you can get back down there to the island. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and pics here. Continued safe diving and bubbles to you and your wife.
 
from managing the dreaded 'Red Light, Green Light'
I've found it helps to say "no whammies! no whammies!" before hitting the button. I get green every time. And funny looks.
 
Last week was a first for the Mrs. and I on many, many levels as - should you choose to read on - you'll see in this trip report. When the Invasion to Cozumel was announced last year, and it happened to more-or-less coincide with the 50th bday of yours truly, it was a no-brainer. We were going!

Now, the first and most important 'first' is this was our first Scubaboards trip, and really our first diving-centric vacation since certifying back in 2018. Our previous diving had been tied to other trips, be it cruising and doing a dive excursion or a few vacations to various Sandals resorts, but never somewhere that the primary focus was the diving. Simply put it exceeded our expectations and was the best part of the trip. @cardzard said it to us several times over the course of the week...the people are what makes these trips exceptional. Yes, you'll read later the diving was awesome, but the people we met both on and off the boats were the best - most especially Group 8. @Queen Triggerfish, @MrsDeepSeaExplorer, @NancyLynn, @Craine, @DeepSeaExplorer, and Jocelyn (a.k.a. Mrs. Craine) were warm, welcoming, and made our week of diving something we'll never forget. Elsewhere and across the resort, every member we met - and too numerous to count or mention - were the same. Conversations were comfortable, seats at the tables were always made available, and we felt almost as if we were part of the family from the go.

As for Cozumel, that's our second 'first' having never been to the island to dive before this trip. Thankfully, with the help provided pre-trip by @ROXANNE, the trip in was smooth and uneventful. Navigating the airport was easy, all the tips-and-tricks were on point from managing the dreaded 'Red Light, Green Light' to getting a cab under the watch of countless timeshare vultures. After exchaning dollars for pesos (which really you don't need to do - USD is accepted everywhere), we were off to the Wyndham Cozumel Hotel & Resort for a week of fun. Later in the week, we strolled through the town while being accosted by countless shop owners (thanks to four cruise ships being in port...). Special award goes to the margaritas at Wet Wendy's...oh myyyy! :rofl3:

The accomodations were exactly as they had been laid out in the advanced information and lined up with the reviews we had perused. Rooms were pretty much standard fare, albeit with a AC remote that neither the Mrs. or I ever really figured out. Beds were comfortable be it because they were of a superior quality or because every time I hit the bed I was exhaused to the point of not caring in the slightest...who really knows. Hotel staff promptly and invisibly serviced the rooms daily, often leaving behind towel animals much to my wife's excitement. The fare available at the various restaurants or poolside snack area were decent - neither blowing my socks off or making me afraid to go to eat at any point. The main exception was the last dinner before the Going Away party which was a Mexican theme and most certainly 'on point'. The only real negative for the hotel worth mentioning is WiFi service. The coverage is sparse to say the least, and intermitent when you can get it to connect. However, at the end of the day, that kept me off the net (minus daily Wordle time) and more tuned into the vacation, so there is a silver lining here. :)

Now the diving...what else can I say but "WOW". I knew Cozumel was largely regarded as world-class for diving, but sometimes what you hear or read just doesn't do it justice. This is such a time. It's fair to say that everything about the diving took what we've seen prior and brought it to another level. Coral was bigger, taller, and more impressive than anything we've seen before. Sea life was everywhere and covered just about everything you'd want to see - just about every kind of fish, turtles on several dives, rays soaring through the blue, and morays small and large almost every time we splashed down (including our first (third for those counting)) backrolls off a fast boat. Fourth and fifth 'firsts' get attributed to the blackwater dive we did Thursday evening, followed by a crack-of-dawn dive on Friday, both of which were great and something we'll for certain do again in the years to come and would recommend others to try as well.

Pictures can be found here, so enjoy! Check back into it routinely as I'll be adding more pictures over the next several days.

Now the countdown starts for next year's Invasion... :daydream:
Great adventure! I returned to diving after many years and have now done a lot in the Caribbean. But haven't made it to Cozumel so this is good info. Also, very jealous of the blackwater dive. Be safe!
 
Glad you had a great trip.

Well, prices are generally cheaper with Pesos, but yeah Dollars work if you don't mind the extra cost. The cheapest way to get Pesos is first letting your bank know that you'll be using the debit card in Mexico (I have failed to do this at times!), then withdrawing Pesos from a bank ATM, never at a cash machine not owned by a bank.
DandyDon, do you not get charged transaction fees for pulling out pesos? Charles Schwab used to not charge but it has been a couple years since we used it there and now they are saying they charge to withdrawal anything but US dollars..
On a side note, does anyone recommend a cash exchange with decent exchange rates near Centro?
 
DandyDon, do you not get charged transaction fees for pulling out pesos? Charles Schwab used to not charge but it has been a couple years since we used it there and now they are saying they charge to withdrawal anything but US dollars..
On a side note, does anyone recommend a cash exchange with decent exchange rates near Centro?
You will always get a better exchange rate at an ATM than you will at a currency exchange window on the street.
 
DandyDon, do you not get charged transaction fees for pulling out pesos?
Very little if any. I don't remember the actual comparison to Google's stated rate - which no one gets as all banks make money on this and that, but it was close. I can check when I arrive Tuesday. Google is quoting 19.83 MXN to the USD today. I did finally have to switch to a four-digit pin as that seems to be a growing requirement worldwide.

I checked my bank statement from last December when I visited Cozumel. I think this is right: One day I withdrew the maximum the machine allowed of 7,000MXN and it cost me $339.64 so I got 20.61 MXN to the USD. I can't complain about that.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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