December roll call

[DandyDon]

VERY different? The feeling I’m getting is highs in the low to mid 80’s instead of the upper 80’s and maybe a day or two of north winds. Doesn’t seem that drastic unless I missed something?

I think that wintertime in town is a lot like summertime but nicer with the lower highs. I use a heavier suit in the winter. If you get to dive with Henry who owns Salty Endeavors, he'll be shorts and a T-shirt. He's from up north. I once had a friend from Wisconsin visit me in the summer when I was farming and she got heat exhaustion watching me work.

But it's not even winter yet when you're there.

 

[ggunn]

As I tell my wife sometimes, it's not the temperature it's the humidity. The dew point is in the 70's in September and 60's in Dec. That coupled with 5 - 10 deg makes a big difference. We go end of Nov through Mid Dec (2 weeks) for 10 years now. Did Sept once.

We went to Cozumel in January once. We got there on the tail end of a norte; it was weird to go out to dinner on Cozumel in jeans and flannel.

 

[ReefHound]

VERY different? The feeling I’m getting is highs in the low to mid 80’s instead of the upper 80’s and maybe a day or two of north winds. Doesn’t seem that drastic unless I missed something?

Not a huge diff in temps but the difference between pleasant/tolerable to stifling. We find the wind is really cool when you surface from the dive and love our boat coats in December.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, I like shorts & Ts for casual wear on the island year-round, but take an extra pair of trousers in late fall or winter just in case, as well as the jacket I wore to the airport. Henry has some raincoats he can supply on request, but I like $1 foil blankets if I get chilled on the boat. They never fold up as small as originally packed but will fold up enough to stick back into my backpack in case I want to use it again before I lose it somewhere. I asked about the boat towels they furnish as I wouldn't want to share body oils and snot, but they do wash them after every use.

 

[Rob9876]

Name............................Date.........................Staying At.................Dive Op
Mantaman.........................10/21 - 12/2?...............Casa................................... 3P
jbjclj (Jay & Cheryl)........10/23 - 12/4 ................Villa Las Anclas ............. 3P
Divegoose.........................11/20 - 12/4.................Scuba Club....................... Scuba Club
don98..................................11/25 - 12/4 .............. Casa Mexicana .............. 3P
NDL_Diver+wife..............11/27 - 12/18..............Condo North................... Aldora
ReefHound........................12/3 - 12/12 .............. Allegro............................... Scuba Shack?
Deepsea21.........................12/3 - 12/25................Casa Mexicana................3P
Grateful...............................12/4 - 12/11................?............................................Salty Endeavors
DandyDon.........................12/8 - 12/15 .............. Mary Carmen.................. Salty Endeavors
Rob9876+1D+3ND........12/25 - 1/1...................Condo?............................. 3P
turtlegurl+1.......................12/26 - 1/3...................Casa del Mar.................. Cozumel Marine World

 

[deepsea21]

VERY different? The feeling I’m getting is highs in the low to mid 80’s instead of the upper 80’s and maybe a day or two of north winds. Doesn’t seem that drastic unless I missed something?

As others have also mentioned, it's all about the higher winds and lower humidity mixed in with lower average air temps and lower water temps. Add them all up and your most recent summer trip in September will be very different from what you experienced a few months ago when December comes. I know, seems like it shouldn't change so much, but it does for divers who are more exposed to all elements throughout the day. From a diver's standpoint (in my opinion) September diving may as well be peak summer diving and when Dec hits we are into winter diving by coz and my personal UW chill point standards.

 

[ggunn]

Another obvious difference between Cozumel diving in the summer and winter is the fewer hours of daylight in December than in May.

 

[gstrek]

gstrek + 2 ... 11/27 - 12/4 .... Scuba Club ... Scuba Club

 

[DandyDon]

Another obvious difference between Cozumel diving in the summer and winter is the fewer hours of daylight in December than in May.

Night dives go earlier, and Cozumel is on Florida time. Don't forget to change your watches, cameras, and dive computer times.

 

[ggunn]

Night dives go earlier, and Cozumel is on Florida time. Don't forget to change your watches, cameras, and dive computer times.

Yes, but contrary to what some people seem to think, changing time zones doesn't buy you any more daylight hours.

BTW, when I check into my room on Cozumel I perform The Ceremonial Removal of the Watch, and I do not put it back on until time to catch the cab to the airport.