Blue Angel and Chac Mool Trip Report, Mid March 2012 (Warning: Its long)

[robint]

Nice report!

We always travel with a power strip... everywhere, every dive trip, liveaboards and land-based.

Cenotes -- taking newbies into cenotes is stupid to begin with, but taking them into one with a halocline is double stupid. Most of the cenotes do NOT have a halocline and the visibility is amazing, crystal clear and tons to see. It is sad your first (and your wife's) cenote experience was so horrible. I fault the Dive Op for that. Bad decision on which cenote and taking newbies at all.

robin

 

[Ron Lee]

I checked out a room when it was the Lorena (possibly an earlier name?). My guess is that I was on the second floor and road noise was a deal killer for me.

 

[Tunaman68]

Thanks for writing the book! I love a long trip report.

We love BA, but for me, the ground floor is the way to go. So much quieter! We started out on the 2nd floor last year and moved down as soon as one of the rooms became available.

After the first year, power strip becomes standard pack.

Sorry it was busy and you didn't get to enjoy any of the regular BA 'house' captains and DM's. We have found them to be absolutely first rate all the way around!

We did the cenotes with Mexico Blue Dream as well. I thought the DM was killer (same young french guy I assume), but we chose the more ordinary Dos Ojos for our first venture into the caverns. It was great, but like you - too static for my tastes. The novelty wore off quickly and I was longing for the ever changing colors and lifeforms of the reef.

We have yet to travel around the island and always end up sleeping in and strolling to town on our last day. Maybe next time!!

 

[BigHarryDiver]

Great trip report, makes me sorry we didn't make it to Coz this winter. Wife and I have stayed at Blue Angel twice, Jan 2010 and March 2011. Weather was a problem in 2010 for the 1st half of the week (el Norte) but March 2011 was fantastic. In 2010 we were on the 2nd floor and the noise didn't bother us. Of course it was rather cool/cold outside so maybe the traffic was down a bit. In 2011 we were on the 4th floor. No problem at all from the noise but the bag drag is a back breaker. I dove Chak Mol in 2009 while staying in Puerta Adventuras. Great dive and no issues but everyone on the dive had several years experience and we were all from our LDS.

 

[JG109]

Nice thorough report.
We usually do Hotel Cozumel/ Deep Blue but are always looking for the biggest safe diving bang for our buck, I just requested the BA flyer. how were the lunch/dinner prices?
I did Dos Ojos cenote a couple years ago and also have concluded, glad I did it, not on my top 100 list of things to do again.

 

[Queen Triggerfish]

Thanks for writing the book! I love a long trip report.

I'm kind of just joining the choir here, but I also REALLY appreciate the lengthy trip report. I was actually more drawn to read your report seeing that your subject line indicated it would be long.

I also appreciate your report because, while I've never stayed at BA, I have mostly decided that it's where I will be staying for my next trip (whenever that is), especially if I decide to travel solo. The concerns a month or so had me hesitating a bit, so it's nice to hear that it was just as right for you as it was for people before the change-up.

 

[cicopo]

Food at their restaurant is very good & the prices are more than fair, plus they don't skimp on quantity.

 

[ChrisM]

No! No one go to Blue Angel (cuz it means I won't be able to get in Heading back in about 3 weeks and cannot wait.. We also did Chac Mool last Nov and your description was spot on. I've got lots of dives and even I had to get used to relaxing thru that halocline, it was very disorienting. But cool looking up at an invisible "ceiling."

We didn't get a chance to do any shore diving last time because of, variously, a norte and afternoon margaritas. Really looking forward to it this time.

Thanks fo the report. And it was not too long.

 

[islanddream]

Thanks for the great trip report. We will be taking the Nitrox course with Matt in June and I am glad to hear you liked it. He also makes a great DM on boat trips.

I'd like to hear other people's opinions on floor choice. We have stayed on the 3rd and it was quite noisy from the road. We do not want the first floor. Has anyone stayed on both the 3rd and 4th floors and noticed a difference in noise?

Moss, I like the idea of bringing my own splitter or power strip.

We were on the 3rd floor during our trip in November and have requested it again for this November. The road noise didn't bother us as long as we kept the bathroom door closed (slats on the window opening but no glass). Also, the air conditioner in our room was pretty loud so it masked the road noise. We love the BA and can't wait to get back!

 

[Sideways]

Yeah, our first trip there we were concerned by the "road noise" reviews. But honestly?? we were on the 2nd floor, by the time we went to bed at 10pm or later, there were no traffic noise issues for us. We actually requested the same room this next trip at the end of May. Like Island Dream mentions, the AC makes noise too, and that noise we're used too in the tropics and overwhelms other outside noises.