Sharkygill
Contributor
With some of the previous months posts asking about the Blue Angel, I thought Id post our thoughts on our stay there from early to mid-march 2012, good and bad. This was our second trip to Coz, and while staying there on our first visit we decided that if we returned we wanted to stay at the Blue Angel as the limited size of the hotel, its ocean front location, and short walk to the dock would fit our tastes. We switched rooms once during our stay so we were able to experience rooms on the first and fourth floors.
Booking: This was difficult to say the least. I came to understand at just the time I was trying to book there was employee turnover, and communication was very poor. Multiple emails, and a few phone calls later I booked what appeared to be the last room for our spring break week. Both the resort and the former employee posted on these boards about their split, bottom line is someone new has that position and I suspect things are running better this month. Although it was stressful for me when booking, Im giving them a pass till next time when I try it again to see if things are better.
Rooms: As for the rooms, the Mrs. and I liked them overall. Décor was nice, and they were clean. Each room has concrete floors, so no concern about being wet other than the floors were slick after carting dive equipment through to hang out to dry on the balcony. Each floor had an excellent ocean view, and there were fridges in each room.
The rooms could use more electrical outlets, especially for us photographer folks. I realize the building is older with poured concrete so such improvements would be difficult, but a power strip would suffice behind the dresser would go a long way to help. We unplugged a lamp and used the sink outlet in the bath to charge cell phones and camera batteries.
Noise from the road is an issue, but which floor you book on can make a difference. The first floor rooms have an enclosed hall way on the side near the road, insulating it from most of the noise. We found the ground level noise to be minimal. The fourth floor room was high enough that the noise did not bother us too much either, but I suspect floors 2 and 3 had more noise that we experienced.
Hiking gear up four flights of stairs was a bugger, but I preferred the view enough that it was worth it to us. Gear was secure on the balcony, and we even left it out on the ground floor without issue. In my mind the ground floor was not as secure, but it was a very short trip to haul gear to the dock, so it kind of evens out.
Dining: Breakfast was included each morning as part of our package. As a diabetic (no meds, diet control only), I ate the bacon and eggs most mornings. On the morning we left early to catch the ferry for Cenotes, the staff had a packed fruit meal ready to go when we left out the door. View was great.
Our lunches were not included, and we ate there for lunch twice in ten days. We wandered North to a little ocean front patio restaurant just before the lighthouse (excellent cheap chicken tacos and 1980s vintage music videos) or south towards Villa Blanca most days. Dinner at BA was tasty, we ate the tortilla soup twice after each of our night dives. The rest of the time we headed into to town for El Moro, La Mission, etc.
Some have expressed dismay that lunches on dive days were not included in current packages. While I LOVE a good deal and being on the cheap, I also realize the place needs to make a buck. If the market and competition bears out elimination of the free lunches, then hopefully it means the economy is doing better in Coz so there is less need for heavy incentives. If lunch offers are needed to bring in bookings, then that is ok too, I wont hold it against the owner to try to maximize profit. Kinda feeling conflicted on that.
Diving: Last year we dove with Blue XTsea, and had a good experience. The combo package offered with the room was too good to pass up tho, so we dove with Blue Angel. We didnt mind, as we like to try out new Ops and make new friends.
We started with Servando as our DM. He was excellent and figured out what the three couples on our boat were looking for, and we had some good trips. When requests were made for certain critters (ie; seahorses and toadfish), he found them for us on the next dive. My wife is an airhog, so we were always first up. I deploy the SMB, so the DM would watch the deployment from below and we stayed above the group until boat pick up. Others with us on the boat bemoaned shorter dives as the rest of the group ascended together, but I dont think there was too much more time left for their dives due to running out of No Deco time, so it was a minor complaint in my book.
The boats were full, as it was one of the busiest weeks due to spring breaks. Many dive Ops hire independent boats and DMs to pick up the extra demand. I dont have issue with this, but quality and consistency can vary from the norm. Our first boat (I think it was the Chiquita?) had a broken seat that could pinch your behind if you were not paying attention. The captain was a bit lost, missing drop spots etc., and Servando seemed frustrated. We changed the boat and captain after a couple of days, and things were better, but the new boat was still a contracted boat. We also switched DMs midweek, and we picked up a contractor DM named Pedro. I was bothered at first by the switch, but Pedro turned out to be quite good as well.
We tried to set up boat dives with specific couples we met at the resort, and while they were listed on the board as diving with us at the dive shops close, when we headed to the boats in the morning the names and boat assignments were rearranged by boarding time. There were a few folks we ate with, but never got to dive with, but thats how it goes in a busy week I suppose.
Shore Dives: Tanks were available for shore diving, and we did a shore dive to kick start the trip during daylight hours upon arrival. The shore dive was OK, the most interesting stuff was hiding in the nets around the stingray prison. Max depth was about 25 feet, and we found a few eels and adult spotted drums, in addition to the usual critters. We also tried two night shore dives around the nets, and these had more critters than the day dives by far. Adult moray eels were seen free swimming each dive, and octopus as well. The night shore dives were our favorite dives of the trip. Watch for urchins and stingrays on the shore entry.
Blue Angel Scuba School: I had wanted to take a nitrox class, so we arranged to take it from Matthew Atkins. I felt he went out of his way to give the instruction as much time as we needed to fully understand and grasp what was in the course material. Matt had been instructing open water students earlier in the day, and then started our course with us around 4:30. Im not sure what time we finished (well after dark), but he took the time to go over each subject until we really understood what the book had been trying to teach us. I have seen various instructors at times, and Matt impressed me with his patience and communication skills. Im not a proponent of taking classes on vacation, but if it is needed while you are in Coz I fully recommend Matt, probably the best instructor I've had yet.
Extras: Our last full day, non-diving due to impending flight schedules, we planned to rent some scooters (Yes, Im aware of the dangers and issues with scooters, so save it) and head south and around to the east side. I had not made arrangements with Rentadora Isis (last years car rental company), and it was Sunday, so we had the resort call their company. As we waited, the resort owner, Eva, visited with us about our plans. She really wanted us to skip the scooters, and she suggested renting a car instead. If we had the car, she could loan us boogie boards, an ice chest, and some beach chairs (she had the chairs in her hands, ready to take them home). I couldnt refuse that offer, so we switched to a VW and had a great day on the east side, only marred by Coconuts being completely full when we stopped by. Tacos at Marleys were nice though in its place. I didnt see Eva to tell her thanks before we left, but it I appreciated the gesture and it really helped our trip end with a great day. I liked the resort enough that Ill probably try to stay there again next time I visit on my own trip. (Next trip is in May with the LDS, so it is Fiesta Americana and Blue Magic Scuba)
Chac Mool Cenote: (Im aware of the recent tragedy there as I write this. Most folks have very positive experiences there, ours was not, so I put a little more detail about our dives there)
We had paid for six days on the boats at Blue Angel, and arranged for a Cenote trip through the resort as well. The price for the trip was just added to our final bill, which was very nice for settling at the end of the trip. We took the ferry across to PDC, and it was a nice laid back boat ride. Our guide (Mexico Blue Dream) met us at the ferry dock, and provided a ride to the dive shop. We joined up with another couple, two newly minted divers staying in PDC. Offered a choice of sites, we picked Chac Mool, and after about a forty minute drive we arrived at the dive site. The entire drive was a stretched out safety briefing, about the most comprehensive Ive heard. The things to see in this cavern were halocline (the meeting of salt and fresh water), and light displays in the clear waters from the surface.
The first dive went well until entry into the halocline area. The guide, a French cave certified diver with DIR styled rig, led the way slowly. The newly certified couple was in positions 2 and 3, with my wife in the 4th position and me following up at the rear. We discussed this order with the guide prior to descent, keeping the newer divers closer to the guide. While I do not consider myself particularly seasoned by any measure, I had the most dives and seemed to be the most comfortable in the water, so I volunteered for caboose. And I like to keep track of the Mrs.
This diving order worked to our disadvantage. The two new divers, while having reasonable buoyancy skills, kicked and flailed about, mixing the fresh and salt water substantially. The effect was as if someone had smeared Vaseline across our masks I slowed down and waited, but moved just enough to keep track of the Mrs. Each halocline area produced this effect. At one point there was a white sign, but the viz from the mixed water was so bad I could not read no matter how close I was. The flashlights were of limited help other than to indicate if you were close to a wall or the bottom, and the cumulative effects were very disorienting.
The freshwater portions of the dive had very nice views of light streams in the water, and an impressive artificial one via a mirror that looked like a thick laser beam. During the safety briefing on the way to the site, the rule of thirds was discussed. One third of the tank going in, one third return, and one third as reserve. The tanks were filled to about 3000psi, and we were to signal the guide when we hit 2000psi. We were also to stay in a single file line.
I hit 1000psi as we were getting ready to descend a second time into the cavern which had the worst visibility due to the mixed up halocline at the beginning of the dive. I signaled the guide my pressure, thinking we were going to ascend. He signaled he understood, and he continued the descent. My wife then turned, and signaled to me she was going to ascend. I attempted to signal the guide with a flashlight signal as we discussed, but he did not notice. My wife/ buddy was headed up. I figured the guide would have to sort it out, and I stayed with my wife so we started ascending together. A guide from a different group stopped us and sent someone to get our guides attention. My wife indicated she was done, and our group then ascended together. No safety stop, but I think the guide wanted to find out if there was a more pressing emergency.
My wife stated the first experience with the halocline was so stressful to her that she did not want to enter it again. She decided against participating in the second dive so if she was stressed again she would not ruin the dive for the rest of the group.
The second dive went better (perhaps due the absence of my wife?) I had not been particularly stressed the first go round, having a pretty good idea of where I was and what was happening. The newer divers churned up the water again, but I moved to the side of them when it was particularly bad and found clear water. The mirror like effect of the halocline was neat to see, and there was an air space called The Dome to Nowhere where we surfaced and visited for a bit.
I felt the guide did well, and I would recommend the shop for someone wanting to see the Cenotes. I dont think Ill dive them again, as there was not enough fish and ocean life to hold my interest. Im glad I tried it, as now I know I have little interest in cave diving. I do not suggest Chac Mool for newly certified divers, as the stress of very limited visibility could turn them off to cave diving as it did my wife. I felt our guide was very safe, and the shop was great as well, caves just are not for us.
Looks like I wrote a book, if you got to the end I applaud you. I figure someone considering BA and Chac Mool would be interested, so I hope this helps some folks newer to Coz like us with their trips.
Booking: This was difficult to say the least. I came to understand at just the time I was trying to book there was employee turnover, and communication was very poor. Multiple emails, and a few phone calls later I booked what appeared to be the last room for our spring break week. Both the resort and the former employee posted on these boards about their split, bottom line is someone new has that position and I suspect things are running better this month. Although it was stressful for me when booking, Im giving them a pass till next time when I try it again to see if things are better.
Rooms: As for the rooms, the Mrs. and I liked them overall. Décor was nice, and they were clean. Each room has concrete floors, so no concern about being wet other than the floors were slick after carting dive equipment through to hang out to dry on the balcony. Each floor had an excellent ocean view, and there were fridges in each room.
The rooms could use more electrical outlets, especially for us photographer folks. I realize the building is older with poured concrete so such improvements would be difficult, but a power strip would suffice behind the dresser would go a long way to help. We unplugged a lamp and used the sink outlet in the bath to charge cell phones and camera batteries.
Noise from the road is an issue, but which floor you book on can make a difference. The first floor rooms have an enclosed hall way on the side near the road, insulating it from most of the noise. We found the ground level noise to be minimal. The fourth floor room was high enough that the noise did not bother us too much either, but I suspect floors 2 and 3 had more noise that we experienced.
Hiking gear up four flights of stairs was a bugger, but I preferred the view enough that it was worth it to us. Gear was secure on the balcony, and we even left it out on the ground floor without issue. In my mind the ground floor was not as secure, but it was a very short trip to haul gear to the dock, so it kind of evens out.
Dining: Breakfast was included each morning as part of our package. As a diabetic (no meds, diet control only), I ate the bacon and eggs most mornings. On the morning we left early to catch the ferry for Cenotes, the staff had a packed fruit meal ready to go when we left out the door. View was great.
Our lunches were not included, and we ate there for lunch twice in ten days. We wandered North to a little ocean front patio restaurant just before the lighthouse (excellent cheap chicken tacos and 1980s vintage music videos) or south towards Villa Blanca most days. Dinner at BA was tasty, we ate the tortilla soup twice after each of our night dives. The rest of the time we headed into to town for El Moro, La Mission, etc.
Some have expressed dismay that lunches on dive days were not included in current packages. While I LOVE a good deal and being on the cheap, I also realize the place needs to make a buck. If the market and competition bears out elimination of the free lunches, then hopefully it means the economy is doing better in Coz so there is less need for heavy incentives. If lunch offers are needed to bring in bookings, then that is ok too, I wont hold it against the owner to try to maximize profit. Kinda feeling conflicted on that.
Diving: Last year we dove with Blue XTsea, and had a good experience. The combo package offered with the room was too good to pass up tho, so we dove with Blue Angel. We didnt mind, as we like to try out new Ops and make new friends.
We started with Servando as our DM. He was excellent and figured out what the three couples on our boat were looking for, and we had some good trips. When requests were made for certain critters (ie; seahorses and toadfish), he found them for us on the next dive. My wife is an airhog, so we were always first up. I deploy the SMB, so the DM would watch the deployment from below and we stayed above the group until boat pick up. Others with us on the boat bemoaned shorter dives as the rest of the group ascended together, but I dont think there was too much more time left for their dives due to running out of No Deco time, so it was a minor complaint in my book.
The boats were full, as it was one of the busiest weeks due to spring breaks. Many dive Ops hire independent boats and DMs to pick up the extra demand. I dont have issue with this, but quality and consistency can vary from the norm. Our first boat (I think it was the Chiquita?) had a broken seat that could pinch your behind if you were not paying attention. The captain was a bit lost, missing drop spots etc., and Servando seemed frustrated. We changed the boat and captain after a couple of days, and things were better, but the new boat was still a contracted boat. We also switched DMs midweek, and we picked up a contractor DM named Pedro. I was bothered at first by the switch, but Pedro turned out to be quite good as well.
We tried to set up boat dives with specific couples we met at the resort, and while they were listed on the board as diving with us at the dive shops close, when we headed to the boats in the morning the names and boat assignments were rearranged by boarding time. There were a few folks we ate with, but never got to dive with, but thats how it goes in a busy week I suppose.
Shore Dives: Tanks were available for shore diving, and we did a shore dive to kick start the trip during daylight hours upon arrival. The shore dive was OK, the most interesting stuff was hiding in the nets around the stingray prison. Max depth was about 25 feet, and we found a few eels and adult spotted drums, in addition to the usual critters. We also tried two night shore dives around the nets, and these had more critters than the day dives by far. Adult moray eels were seen free swimming each dive, and octopus as well. The night shore dives were our favorite dives of the trip. Watch for urchins and stingrays on the shore entry.
Blue Angel Scuba School: I had wanted to take a nitrox class, so we arranged to take it from Matthew Atkins. I felt he went out of his way to give the instruction as much time as we needed to fully understand and grasp what was in the course material. Matt had been instructing open water students earlier in the day, and then started our course with us around 4:30. Im not sure what time we finished (well after dark), but he took the time to go over each subject until we really understood what the book had been trying to teach us. I have seen various instructors at times, and Matt impressed me with his patience and communication skills. Im not a proponent of taking classes on vacation, but if it is needed while you are in Coz I fully recommend Matt, probably the best instructor I've had yet.
Extras: Our last full day, non-diving due to impending flight schedules, we planned to rent some scooters (Yes, Im aware of the dangers and issues with scooters, so save it) and head south and around to the east side. I had not made arrangements with Rentadora Isis (last years car rental company), and it was Sunday, so we had the resort call their company. As we waited, the resort owner, Eva, visited with us about our plans. She really wanted us to skip the scooters, and she suggested renting a car instead. If we had the car, she could loan us boogie boards, an ice chest, and some beach chairs (she had the chairs in her hands, ready to take them home). I couldnt refuse that offer, so we switched to a VW and had a great day on the east side, only marred by Coconuts being completely full when we stopped by. Tacos at Marleys were nice though in its place. I didnt see Eva to tell her thanks before we left, but it I appreciated the gesture and it really helped our trip end with a great day. I liked the resort enough that Ill probably try to stay there again next time I visit on my own trip. (Next trip is in May with the LDS, so it is Fiesta Americana and Blue Magic Scuba)
Chac Mool Cenote: (Im aware of the recent tragedy there as I write this. Most folks have very positive experiences there, ours was not, so I put a little more detail about our dives there)
We had paid for six days on the boats at Blue Angel, and arranged for a Cenote trip through the resort as well. The price for the trip was just added to our final bill, which was very nice for settling at the end of the trip. We took the ferry across to PDC, and it was a nice laid back boat ride. Our guide (Mexico Blue Dream) met us at the ferry dock, and provided a ride to the dive shop. We joined up with another couple, two newly minted divers staying in PDC. Offered a choice of sites, we picked Chac Mool, and after about a forty minute drive we arrived at the dive site. The entire drive was a stretched out safety briefing, about the most comprehensive Ive heard. The things to see in this cavern were halocline (the meeting of salt and fresh water), and light displays in the clear waters from the surface.
The first dive went well until entry into the halocline area. The guide, a French cave certified diver with DIR styled rig, led the way slowly. The newly certified couple was in positions 2 and 3, with my wife in the 4th position and me following up at the rear. We discussed this order with the guide prior to descent, keeping the newer divers closer to the guide. While I do not consider myself particularly seasoned by any measure, I had the most dives and seemed to be the most comfortable in the water, so I volunteered for caboose. And I like to keep track of the Mrs.
This diving order worked to our disadvantage. The two new divers, while having reasonable buoyancy skills, kicked and flailed about, mixing the fresh and salt water substantially. The effect was as if someone had smeared Vaseline across our masks I slowed down and waited, but moved just enough to keep track of the Mrs. Each halocline area produced this effect. At one point there was a white sign, but the viz from the mixed water was so bad I could not read no matter how close I was. The flashlights were of limited help other than to indicate if you were close to a wall or the bottom, and the cumulative effects were very disorienting.
The freshwater portions of the dive had very nice views of light streams in the water, and an impressive artificial one via a mirror that looked like a thick laser beam. During the safety briefing on the way to the site, the rule of thirds was discussed. One third of the tank going in, one third return, and one third as reserve. The tanks were filled to about 3000psi, and we were to signal the guide when we hit 2000psi. We were also to stay in a single file line.
I hit 1000psi as we were getting ready to descend a second time into the cavern which had the worst visibility due to the mixed up halocline at the beginning of the dive. I signaled the guide my pressure, thinking we were going to ascend. He signaled he understood, and he continued the descent. My wife then turned, and signaled to me she was going to ascend. I attempted to signal the guide with a flashlight signal as we discussed, but he did not notice. My wife/ buddy was headed up. I figured the guide would have to sort it out, and I stayed with my wife so we started ascending together. A guide from a different group stopped us and sent someone to get our guides attention. My wife indicated she was done, and our group then ascended together. No safety stop, but I think the guide wanted to find out if there was a more pressing emergency.
My wife stated the first experience with the halocline was so stressful to her that she did not want to enter it again. She decided against participating in the second dive so if she was stressed again she would not ruin the dive for the rest of the group.
The second dive went better (perhaps due the absence of my wife?) I had not been particularly stressed the first go round, having a pretty good idea of where I was and what was happening. The newer divers churned up the water again, but I moved to the side of them when it was particularly bad and found clear water. The mirror like effect of the halocline was neat to see, and there was an air space called The Dome to Nowhere where we surfaced and visited for a bit.
I felt the guide did well, and I would recommend the shop for someone wanting to see the Cenotes. I dont think Ill dive them again, as there was not enough fish and ocean life to hold my interest. Im glad I tried it, as now I know I have little interest in cave diving. I do not suggest Chac Mool for newly certified divers, as the stress of very limited visibility could turn them off to cave diving as it did my wife. I felt our guide was very safe, and the shop was great as well, caves just are not for us.
Looks like I wrote a book, if you got to the end I applaud you. I figure someone considering BA and Chac Mool would be interested, so I hope this helps some folks newer to Coz like us with their trips.
I just cant seem to remember to pack one. What Eva did for you is a BIG reason that the BA is appealing to us. I could be wrong, but I think Chaquita is one of their normal boats. I was a bit dissapointed by Chac Mool, I found Dos Ojos WAY more fun and beautiful. Can't wait ....35 more days till BA 
