To each his own. My day on Cozumel typically begins around 5AM and ends with an exhausted faceplant on the bed around 10PM. Rinse and repeat.
Cozumel’s diving is so “rushed”
- Thread starter Dogbowl
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This has to all be a matter of perspective. Here in the real world, I get up at 0430 for work, "rush" through a 12hr shift of dealing with everyone else's problems, having brass question virtually everything (including if boots look shined enough), and consider it a good day if we actually get a full lunch break.
After that, waking up at 0630, enjoying some fruit and pastry for a quiet breakfast, and "rushing" down a quiet malecon along the Caribbean ocean to a taxi stand and the Marina Fonatur for some quiet time underwater where everything else disappears, is pretty relaxed by comparison.
Then I get to rush myself to a nap and people watch downtown after tacos and a cerveza fria (or 2).
From my perspective, everything is pretty relaxed in Cozumel.
After that, waking up at 0630, enjoying some fruit and pastry for a quiet breakfast, and "rushing" down a quiet malecon along the Caribbean ocean to a taxi stand and the Marina Fonatur for some quiet time underwater where everything else disappears, is pretty relaxed by comparison.
Then I get to rush myself to a nap and people watch downtown after tacos and a cerveza fria (or 2).
From my perspective, everything is pretty relaxed in Cozumel.
Carlos Diver
Contributor
Probably the exact opposite for me. I usually get up for work about 30 minutes before I have to punch in. Just enough time to get a shower, get to work, hope to find a parking spot and swipe my badge with a minute to spare.
In Coz, I am up about an hour before the pier pickup. I lazily walk to breakfast, slowly enjoy my coffee while looking at the ocean, then walk to the pier and sit on the dock while patiently wait for the Jewfish.
Nothing rushed about that.
In Coz, I am up about an hour before the pier pickup. I lazily walk to breakfast, slowly enjoy my coffee while looking at the ocean, then walk to the pier and sit on the dock while patiently wait for the Jewfish.
Nothing rushed about that.
Carlos Diver
Contributor
Ill be there next Wednesday. Who you diving with? Add yourself to the May/June roll call.
Feeling rushed is an internal issue. Nobody can control how you "feel" except you. If you don't like how you "feel" then do something about it. Makes no sense to blame it on external factors when Coz offers plenty of options to change those factors.
Scoo
Registered
I totally understand the rushed feeling of boat diving, and in popular places where operations are streamlined and tend to have larger groups, that tends to be magnified. Try some shore diving--much more chill. Liveaboards are also an interesting mix--its boat diving without all of the logistics.
On the dives themselves, I think its a big function of the dive master. Some more experienced ones are able to be more flexible, whereas the less capable ones are more interested in hitting particular points, and that kind of dive can feel mechanical and rushed. Although, I think that's the kind of dive some people like. Spot the thing then move on--the higher count the better. Or really needing to see a shark, ray, turtle, whatever. I tend to want to go with the flow a bit more and observe things for a minute and see what happens when they do come across my path. Sometimes the animals surprise me.
Anyways, shore diving. Try it. Much more independent and at your own pace. You set the agenda.
On the dives themselves, I think its a big function of the dive master. Some more experienced ones are able to be more flexible, whereas the less capable ones are more interested in hitting particular points, and that kind of dive can feel mechanical and rushed. Although, I think that's the kind of dive some people like. Spot the thing then move on--the higher count the better. Or really needing to see a shark, ray, turtle, whatever. I tend to want to go with the flow a bit more and observe things for a minute and see what happens when they do come across my path. Sometimes the animals surprise me.
Anyways, shore diving. Try it. Much more independent and at your own pace. You set the agenda.
Captain Bravo
Registered
Dogbowl, I know the feeling. Last March we had a sorry experience with a reputable dive operator. The whole thing felt just like cow herding.
The DMs did not establish a relationship with us. No chit chat, no attempt to figure out what we were interested in. The rental equipment was in poor condition (we have purchased our own equipment since then partly because of that).
We also missed a dive because of a scheduling error on their part.
So we went back diving to the A.I. next door where we had stayed in November, where we knew several of the dive operator’s staff, and where we felt welcome and almost part of the family. The human aspect made it a much more enjoyable and memorable experience. So we’re going back there for another week in August.
I would like to draw an analogy with another leisure activity I’m very familiar with. During the winter, my girlfriend and I are volunteer ski patrollers during the week-ends at a resort an hour south of Montreal. The resort offers very affordable rates. On a given Saturday, we often have 5000 skiers on the slopes. Ski lift lines are crowded, it’s hard to feel zen at times. At the beginning of the season on opening weekend, we often only have one open run. We call it the WROD (White Ribbon of Death) because skiers of all levels, from beginner kids to unruly teenagers racing by are all on the same run.
Another thought I would like to share with you. From a canadian perspective, with our weak currency, Mexico offers the best bang for the buck for a vacation. The only other great value vacation in my opinion would be a trip to the american southwest landing in Las Vegas and then taking a rental car to the grand canyon, Bryce and Zion. But I digress.
As a comparison, we thought about driving a few hours south to beautiful Boston for the week-end, but hotel rates were 500-800 usd per night anywhere near downtown, not including food or parking. So two days in Boston this week-end would have cost us the same price as an entire week at our favorite all inclusive Resort in Cozumel, including hotel, airfare and food. I guess unless prices rise sharply in the future in Cozumel, we are bound to see additional hordes of tourists invade the island.
The DMs did not establish a relationship with us. No chit chat, no attempt to figure out what we were interested in. The rental equipment was in poor condition (we have purchased our own equipment since then partly because of that).
We also missed a dive because of a scheduling error on their part.
So we went back diving to the A.I. next door where we had stayed in November, where we knew several of the dive operator’s staff, and where we felt welcome and almost part of the family. The human aspect made it a much more enjoyable and memorable experience. So we’re going back there for another week in August.
I would like to draw an analogy with another leisure activity I’m very familiar with. During the winter, my girlfriend and I are volunteer ski patrollers during the week-ends at a resort an hour south of Montreal. The resort offers very affordable rates. On a given Saturday, we often have 5000 skiers on the slopes. Ski lift lines are crowded, it’s hard to feel zen at times. At the beginning of the season on opening weekend, we often only have one open run. We call it the WROD (White Ribbon of Death) because skiers of all levels, from beginner kids to unruly teenagers racing by are all on the same run.
Another thought I would like to share with you. From a canadian perspective, with our weak currency, Mexico offers the best bang for the buck for a vacation. The only other great value vacation in my opinion would be a trip to the american southwest landing in Las Vegas and then taking a rental car to the grand canyon, Bryce and Zion. But I digress.
As a comparison, we thought about driving a few hours south to beautiful Boston for the week-end, but hotel rates were 500-800 usd per night anywhere near downtown, not including food or parking. So two days in Boston this week-end would have cost us the same price as an entire week at our favorite all inclusive Resort in Cozumel, including hotel, airfare and food. I guess unless prices rise sharply in the future in Cozumel, we are bound to see additional hordes of tourists invade the island.
AdivingBel
Diver
As with most things you get back what you put into it. If you're doing Coz as a "one off" (nothing wrong with that; it's a fun locale with great diving, but there are lots of places to dive 
); don't know the locale; crapshoot on where to stay; don't know the dive shop; DMs don't know you; etc. etc.. There's stuff you have to do to dive there. It's still a lot of fun, but it can put your head on a swivel especially if you read all the how-to's in the Coz forum and feel like you're missing out if you're not having the time of your life...
That said, if you're a repeat visitor there is a lot of "flexibility." I know the folks that run my fav B&B and consider them friends. My dive shop feels like "family." I know the DMs by name and if there are any new faces on the boat the dive briefing concludes with "Don't follow him or her or him or her..." as he points out all the regulars because he knows we are going to be "doing our own thing." After diving it's about when/where to meet up before heading out to a new or old fav for eats, drinks, and friends. When you get your zen going under those conditions, it doesn't get much more relaxed.
Headed back this fall to dive with the "usual suspects" and can hardly wait...
); don't know the locale; crapshoot on where to stay; don't know the dive shop; DMs don't know you; etc. etc.. There's stuff you have to do to dive there. It's still a lot of fun, but it can put your head on a swivel especially if you read all the how-to's in the Coz forum and feel like you're missing out if you're not having the time of your life...That said, if you're a repeat visitor there is a lot of "flexibility." I know the folks that run my fav B&B and consider them friends. My dive shop feels like "family." I know the DMs by name and if there are any new faces on the boat the dive briefing concludes with "Don't follow him or her or him or her..." as he points out all the regulars because he knows we are going to be "doing our own thing." After diving it's about when/where to meet up before heading out to a new or old fav for eats, drinks, and friends. When you get your zen going under those conditions, it doesn't get much more relaxed.
Headed back this fall to dive with the "usual suspects" and can hardly wait...
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