I got home last night after 8 great days in Cozumel. I really could have stayed another week! This isn't a proper trip report, just a summary.
I was booked to dive 7 days with Living Underwater, who I usally dive with. Due to last minute cancellations, Jeremy wasn't able to take me for the first 4 days and booked me with Liquid Blue. Since it was my first dive trip alone, and I had some new gear, I was a little aprehensive about the change. That went away as soon as I checked in with LB and met Michaela, Roberto and Jorge. All ended up well. It was a nice group of divers and Jorge took us on 9 great dives (including 3 of us doing a night dive). I would not hesitate to dive with them again. My last 3 days were with Living Underwater, including another great night dive. A few of my favorite dives of the week were Columbia Pinnacles, San Francisco (a sea horse AND an eagle ray on the same dive, another dive had a cool little spotted moray w/ a spotted drum hiding out under the same ledge), Columbia Deep and the night dives on Paradise Reef.
I stayed at Casa del Mar and was not the least bit disappointed. My room would have been a bit tight for two, but for one person it was great. I had a perfect ocean view, everything was clean, AC worked well when I used it, and the shower was hot enough with sufficient water pressure. The ventilation of the bathrooms result in hearing everything going on in other bathroom which is the one oddity. In the room itself though it wasn't a problem. The rooms could use a mini-fridge too. The pool and sun deck area always had chairs available. The hotel offered an AI promo for the same price as the room rate. Seems that they only do their full breakfast buffet when they are booked up with dive groups. Otherwise they have yogurt w/ granola and cereals out, or you can order a hot breakfast off the menu. Lunch and dinner also are off the menu (same menu for both meals) and buffets if they have big groups. I found breakfast and lunch to be good. I did eat dinner at the hotel the night I arrived, my 2 night dive evenings and one other night. The things I had were pretty good. I couldn't see eating off the same menu for a whole week of lunches and dinners. But it was nice to have the option for a few nights, especially getting back from a night dive just before 9pm.
My husband usually takes the photos and/or video, but I did take his old digital and housing that he doesn't care about to give it a try. I just take the camera from him for a few pictures now and then. I didn't want to deal with the strobes and the full set up. I did get a few decent pics ... and had I been able to figure out setting the flash instead of just the pre-flash for ALL my shots I would have more. I can't see myself taking a camera every dive, but seeing that my pics had some potential I'll work on the technical details and definately try it again.
Back to work tomorrow. Ugh.
I was booked to dive 7 days with Living Underwater, who I usally dive with. Due to last minute cancellations, Jeremy wasn't able to take me for the first 4 days and booked me with Liquid Blue. Since it was my first dive trip alone, and I had some new gear, I was a little aprehensive about the change. That went away as soon as I checked in with LB and met Michaela, Roberto and Jorge. All ended up well. It was a nice group of divers and Jorge took us on 9 great dives (including 3 of us doing a night dive). I would not hesitate to dive with them again. My last 3 days were with Living Underwater, including another great night dive. A few of my favorite dives of the week were Columbia Pinnacles, San Francisco (a sea horse AND an eagle ray on the same dive, another dive had a cool little spotted moray w/ a spotted drum hiding out under the same ledge), Columbia Deep and the night dives on Paradise Reef.
I stayed at Casa del Mar and was not the least bit disappointed. My room would have been a bit tight for two, but for one person it was great. I had a perfect ocean view, everything was clean, AC worked well when I used it, and the shower was hot enough with sufficient water pressure. The ventilation of the bathrooms result in hearing everything going on in other bathroom which is the one oddity. In the room itself though it wasn't a problem. The rooms could use a mini-fridge too. The pool and sun deck area always had chairs available. The hotel offered an AI promo for the same price as the room rate. Seems that they only do their full breakfast buffet when they are booked up with dive groups. Otherwise they have yogurt w/ granola and cereals out, or you can order a hot breakfast off the menu. Lunch and dinner also are off the menu (same menu for both meals) and buffets if they have big groups. I found breakfast and lunch to be good. I did eat dinner at the hotel the night I arrived, my 2 night dive evenings and one other night. The things I had were pretty good. I couldn't see eating off the same menu for a whole week of lunches and dinners. But it was nice to have the option for a few nights, especially getting back from a night dive just before 9pm.
My husband usually takes the photos and/or video, but I did take his old digital and housing that he doesn't care about to give it a try. I just take the camera from him for a few pictures now and then. I didn't want to deal with the strobes and the full set up. I did get a few decent pics ... and had I been able to figure out setting the flash instead of just the pre-flash for ALL my shots I would have more. I can't see myself taking a camera every dive, but seeing that my pics had some potential I'll work on the technical details and definately try it again.
Back to work tomorrow. Ugh.
