August 2012 in Cozumel (Its a dry heat....)

[DandyDon]

I love Cozumel any time of the year. As i posted earlier,, Ill be staying at the Paradise Condos next to Chankanaab. Diving with Dive with Martin Aug 9 thru Aug 26. Ill have my 14 yr old newly certified daughter along. If any other family groups would like to get together I would love it as im certain she will be loking for some friends her age to hang with.

Ah ha! Sue had you down: [FONT=&amp]08/09/12 - 08/27/12 bgda, 5 divers total; Paradise Condos - Opal's Dream[/FONT] I figured you'd have a private boat.[FONT=&amp][/FONT]

 

[MerMomDiver]

First time in Coz, looking forward to learning the ups and downs and diving with a bunch of you. Question: Is the water warm enough for just a shorty, or do I need the full 3mm suit? Question 2: I'm a relatively new photographer, working with an Olympus XZ-1 and the relatively low-powered UFL-1 strobe, which pretty much illuminates only within 3 feet of the subject. Are the drift currents so strong that the strobe is essentially useless? Or will there be dives where I'll have adequate hang time? (I've done drift diving before, most recently in Boynton Beach, but from some of what I read in here, Coz sounds like a giant rip tide.)

My family of 3 divers was diving Coz this past 3rd week of June. Visibility seemed a bit murkier, but still dives were so so fabulous as always. I dive in my skin and it is perfect. My 13-yr-old, 6'-tall-but-skin-and-bones son prefers to dive in my 3 mil...nothing natural on him to keep him warm. My honey prefers to dive in his thin shorty or nothing but his bathing suit and BCD. So ... pack up choices and have them in your mesh boat bag until you get a feel for it. The good dive ops plan the dive profiles very very well for maximum bottom time, with slow gradual ascents.... so it sucks to be cold during a long sublime dive. For photos, it is good to be a bit unattached to any particular outcome due to the current varying widely... but do take the camera and your strobe and "just go with the flow". We have shot photos the past few years that I am in the proces of blowing up, framing, and hanging around the house. They look like Jacque Cousteau scenes (blast from the past from childhood TV). My guy, Rusty, takes close-ups that turn into gorgeous abstracts with fascinating textures and colors. There are good opportunities for strobe... especially in the shallower non-wall dives that have a lot of large coral mounds. At times, you can hunker down behind them without touching them for anchor, a no-no on the fragile coral and sponges. Actually, there are often big sandy patches behind the mounds or in the "semi-tunnels" on which you can rest quite stationary on your knees to get out of the current. Then you can shoot a treasure here or there in the crevices and the walls looming around you. Last week, we hunkered down in the sand in such a way behind a mound, and came face to face with the largest green moray up in a hole that I have ever seen. His head was as big as an adult human's. He was quite regal and spendid, and it was one of the most exciting moments I have had diving. We kept enough feet between us to keep all happy and calm. If you have a desire like strobe photography, don't be shy about communicating your desire clearly with your DM during the ride out and at the surface interval. They cannot read minds, so the more you enthusiastically and collaboratively speak what type of experience you would most enjoy, the better job of planning a dive the DM and Captain can do. They have a lot of leeway in choices if you are on a 6-pack boat. And... for scenery... Columbia Shallows and Palancar Gardens are surreal in their beauty. If interested in those very southerly reefs, request them early in the trip on a beautiful clear day. On our trip two weeks ago, we neglected to ask for our favorite dives at Columbia and Palancar early in the trip while the weather was excellent. Then the second half of the trip was super rainy and the surface was quite rockin-n-rolling. So no dive ops were going way South towards those destinations due to potential closing by the harbormaster. We missed them this trip. Bummed, but safety takes precedence. Will catch them next time, and lesson learned. Have a wonderful first Coz dive.

And BTW, it may be hot and humid in Coz, but it is over a 100 degrees here in Atlanta, and I do declare, I would much rather be hot and wet in Cozumel.

 

[Sue Sue]

The Official August 2012 (It's a dry heat....) List[FONT=&amp]

06/06/12 - 08/03/12 hlcdlc; Private Home - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/24/12 - 08/03/12 Basscat; Hotel Plaza Cozumel - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/04/12 Craig 66 & daughter; Casa Mexicana -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/07/12 Qnape, Mrs. Q & dtr Christine; Cozumel Palace -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/18/12 jlyle; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
07/31/12 - 08/11/12 Pidgiepoo & Husband; Iberostar - Dive with Martin
08/03/12 - 08/10/12 WTFOver; Cozumel Palace - Aldora
08/03/12 - 08/12/12 Sue Sue & Michael; Villa Escondida -Blue XT Sea Diving
08/05/12 - 08/10/12 Mawg and Mrs. M; Presidente InterContinental-Scuba Du ?
08/08/12 – 08/12/12 gorock; Sabor- ?
08/09/12 - 08/13/12 weezer; Villa Aldora - Aldora
08/09/12 - 08/26/12 bgda, 5 divers total; Paradise Condos - Dive with Martin
08/11/12 - 08/18/12 Jerry B & 2 other divers; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
08/16/12 - 08/25/12 cvchief, Susanita, Family (15 total); Las Ventanas- Scuba with Alison
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 prosdog & Son; Blue Angel Resort - Blue Angel Resort
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 DandyDon; Hotel Cozumel - Opal’s Dream
08/23/12 – 08/27/12 aliciamlls & John ; El Cozumeleno Resort - ? [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Later in August ? tom_n_tacoma and Mrs. tnt; Private Home - Blue Angel[/FONT]
​

 

[bgda]

yep Sue doesnt miss a trick. we prob will fill a boat (6 pack) but when the older kids 19 and 23 decide do go out at night I doubt Ill get them up for the morning dives.

 

[azscubadude]

The Official August 2012 (It's a dry heat....) List[FONT=&amp]

06/06/12 - 08/03/12 hlcdlc; Private Home - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/24/12 - 08/03/12 Basscat; Hotel Plaza Cozumel - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/04/12 Craig 66 & daughter; Casa Mexicana -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/07/12 Qnape, Mrs. Q & dtr Christine; Cozumel Palace -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/18/12 jlyle; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
07/31/12 - 08/11/12 Pidgiepoo & Husband; Iberostar - Dive with Martin
08/03/12 - 08/10/12 WTFOver; Cozumel Palace - Aldora
08/03/12 - 08/12/12 Sue Sue & Michael; Villa Escondida -Blue XT Sea Diving
08/05/12 - 08/10/12 Mawg and Mrs. M; Presidente InterContinental-Scuba Du ?
08/08/12 – 08/12/12 gorock; Sabor- ?
08/09/12 - 08/13/12 weezer; Villa Aldora - Aldora
08/09/12 - 08/26/12 bgda, 5 divers total; Paradise Condos - Dive with Martin
08/11/12 - 08/18/12 Jerry B & 2 other divers; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
08/16/12 - 08/25/12 cvchief, Susanita, Family (15 total); Las Ventanas- Scuba with Alison
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 prosdog & Son; Blue Angel Resort - Blue Angel Resort
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 DandyDon; Hotel Cozumel - Opal’s Dream
08/23/12 – 08/27/12 aliciamlls & John ; El Cozumeleno Resort - ? [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Later in August ? tom_n_tacoma and Mrs. tnt; Private Home - Blue Angel[/FONT]
​

Well, after watching the flights and dealing with United's changeover from daily flights to once per week, I finally pulled the trigger and booked my reservation before it was to late and I couldn't make the connections.

Add me to the list. 8/11-8/26 I will be at Scuba Club Cozumel (single) diving with Scuba Club.

Bring on the HEAT !!!

 

[Sue Sue]

The Official August 2012 (It's a dry heat....) List[FONT=&amp]

06/06/12 - 08/03/12 hlcdlc; Private Home - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/24/12 - 08/03/12 Basscat; Hotel Plaza Cozumel - Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/04/12 Craig 66 & daughter; Casa Mexicana -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/07/12 Qnape, Mrs. Q & dtr Christine; Cozumel Palace -Blue XT Sea Diving
07/28/12 - 08/18/12 jlyle; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
07/31/12 - 08/11/12 Pidgiepoo & Husband; Iberostar - Dive with Martin
08/03/12 - 08/10/12 WTFOver; Cozumel Palace - Aldora
08/03/12 - 08/12/12 Sue Sue & Michael; Villa Escondida -Blue XT Sea Diving
08/05/12 - 08/10/12 Mawg and Mrs. M; Presidente InterContinental-Scuba Du ?
08/08/12 – 08/12/12 gorock; Sabor- ?
08/09/12 - 08/13/12 weezer; Villa Aldora - Aldora
08/09/12 - 08/26/12 bgda, 5 divers total; Paradise Condos - Dive with Martin
08/11/12 - 08/18/12 Jerry B & 2 other divers; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
08/11/12 - 08/26/12 azscubadude; Scuba Club Cozumel - Scuba Club Cozumel
08/16/12 - 08/25/12 cvchief, Susanita, Family (15 total); Las Ventanas- Scuba with Alison
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 prosdog & Son; Blue Angel Resort - Blue Angel Resort
08/19/12 - 08/26/12 DandyDon; Hotel Cozumel - Opal’s Dream
08/23/12 – 08/27/12 aliciamlls & John ; El Cozumeleno Resort - ? [/FONT]
[FONT=&amp]Later in August ? tom_n_tacoma and Mrs. tnt; Private Home - Blue Angel[/FONT]
​

 

[pidgiepoo]

Randy,

Thermal protection is a very personal choice. I'll be in a full 3/2 suit. My wife will be in a full 7mm with hooded vest!

LOL- what's up with you guys from Florida? Are you seriously going to wear full length suits in AUGUST??? I'm from Ohio and I'll be sure to wave at ya when I float by in my skins

---------- Post Merged at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:41 PM ----------

I love Cozumel any time of the year. As i posted earlier,, Ill be staying at the Paradise Condos next to Chankanaab. Diving with Dive with Martin Aug 9 thru Aug 26. Ill have my 14 yr old newly certified daughter along. If any other family groups would like to get together I would love it as im certain she will be loking for some friends her age to hang with.

We'll be with DWM until August 11. You're welcome to dive on our boat for at least that first day(August 10)...we've been through certifications of two grandsons 10-13. They won't be coming this trip, but we don't mind showing kids around the reefs. If you're interested you can PM me. I'd request David as DM..he's great with kids

 

[Sue Sue]

Pigiepoo.... I am a transplanted Texan with a Yankee core. I start off with my Lavacore skin, but even in August will end up with my full 3mm or even a combo of layers, plus a hood. I am with jlyle . Thermal protection is a very personal choice.

 

[DandyDon]

I used to know a lady who dived a dry suit in Coz, Roatan, anywhere. Hyper personality, but cold sensitive. This is just one area you can predict at all for a person.

I wear my 1 mil jump suit. I have a shorty 1 mil I bought by mistake a decade ago I'd rather wear, but growing new skin takes week. :sad:

 

[pidgiepoo]

Thermal protection is a very personal choice.

Absolutely..I was just kidding the folks from Fla. Mike from Canada was in his swim suit in December and I was in a full length 3mm. He was probably wonderin about me.