Diving coinditions in Cozumel after Hurricane?

[Larry Davis]

Has anyone recently been to Cozumel diving since the Hurricane? I'm planning on going the beginning of Febuary; all the way from Alaska (Alaska's Most Extreme Sport: Scuba Diving). Just wondering if the Hurricane did damage to the reefs, etc. Thanks for your help.

 

[Dapher]

I have not been there yet, but will be there a week or two after you. Keith from padi travel said the pics from a few weeks ago look great. What part of AK you from? I am in the SE.

 

[Christi]

Has anyone recently been to Cozumel diving since the Hurricane? I'm planning on going the beginning of Febuary; all the way from Alaska (Alaska's Most Extreme Sport: Scuba Diving). Just wondering if the Hurricane did damage to the reefs, etc. Thanks for your help.

Welcome to the board Larry. Actually, this forum is full of talk about Cozumel topside and below after Wilma. There are several trip reports since Wilma as well...If I wasn't in a rush, I would provide the links to you...but just read through this Cozumel forum and you'll find a ton of information.

Another good website for unbiased, balanced reports on Cozumel's status, check out www.wilmacozumel.com

To specifically answer your question...there was obviously damage to the reefs, but not devastation. The marine life is abundant, visibility is back to the 80 to 100ft range in most places, and there are new and bigger swim throughs than there were before...this is from areas or the reef that were previously buried in sand. Wilma actually washed some of the sand away and some sites are also a bit deeper as a result. The diving is still wonderful, so come on down!

 

[loudives]

Welcome Larry,

I was there mid Dec. and there is some damage to the shallower reefs, but not all! There are still many shallow reefs that Wilma left relatively intact. Like Christi said some new things to see now also. Topside except for some resorts still closed for repair everything will be back to normal by Feb. I'll be there Feb 11-19 diving with Raul at www.bottomtimedivers.net and if you are there the same week I would like to meet up. Wife and I are going to Alaska in June and could use some first hand knowledge.

 

[Doc Harry]

I was diving with Scuba Club in Cozumel December 5 through 15. It was my first trip to Coz, so I can't say what it was like before the hurricaine.

But the diving was just fine! There were a few beautiful reefs that people said were "trashed," but honestly they looked pristine to me!

The shore diving off Scuba Club was pretty lame, but everyone who had been going there for 15+ years said that the hurricaine wiped out all of the man-made reef structures offshore.

The pace of reconstruction in the city of San Miguel is utterly amazing.

There is no reason not to go to Cozumel.

I recommend avoiding Continental Airlines if you can. I had a really bad experience with them going to Coz and returning home.

 

[wedivebc]

I recommend avoiding Continental Airlines if you can. I had a really bad experience with them going to Coz and returning home.

Care to elaborate on that? Since I already have tickets it's too late to cancel

 

[lilycat]

To the original question, we dove in November and it was great. I would go again this week if I could.

As for CO, it was fine for our trip in November and the only airline flying to the island at the time -- all others having cancelled all flights. (We would use Continental anyway, since we're in the hub.)

Sure, they cancelled our friend's flight during the midweek since they were flying only on the w/e...there is a thread written at the time of the confusion if you want to hear the venting from November. (He's from Philly and couldn't stay to the w/e, so he flew out of Cancun instead. Ended up being not that bad.)

That said, my husband and I experienced no problems -- a pleasant surprise so soon after the hurricane. I think it would be foolish to compare the negatives of that time to the current situation...as things return closer and closer to normal, I expect CO to return to a more normal customer service situation. (Normal airline issues, but nothing more.)

 

[halocline]

Well, I'll have a chance to see post wilma conditions for myself in a few days. The last time i was in coz was a couple of days after Emily, having originally been scheduled to fly there right around the same day Emily landed. Delta rescheduled my flight at no charge. I'm sure the diving will be better than the last time I was there, and then, even with the reduced visibility, I really enjoyed the diving.

 

[Doc Harry]

Care to elaborate on that? Since I already have tickets it's too late to cancel

Okay, after Hurricaine Wilma several different airlines cancelled on me and I rescheduled several different times. Finally everything settled out and I got tickets on Continental. We planned to stay in Coz Dec 5 through 12.

Two days before my departure date, Continental called to inform me that they had cancelled my flights and I needed to reschedule with them.

However, the new Contental tickets were $250 more than my original Continental tickets, and all the flights were already almost full.

I was able reschedule a flight to Coz on Dec 5th, as originally planned. Got the "last two seats" of the flight. (However, when we flew to Coz, the flight was only 2/3 full.)

However, most of the return flights to Houston were already booked, according to Continental. I was given only two options: Dec 8th or Dec 15th.

So we booked for Dec 15, got the "last two seats" on the flight. But that flight time was changed and now arrived in back Houston too late for me to make any of the Continental connections back to Pittsburgh.

Continental refused to put me up in Houston that night.

Continental refused to refund the last part of my ticket so that I could catch another airline flight to Pittsburgh that night.

So I had to get a hotel in Houston at my expense and fly home the next day.

CONTINENTAL SUCKS. DON'T FLY WITH THEM.

BTW, I'll be posting my post-Wilma Cozumel photos early next week.

 

[ggunn]

CONTINENTAL SUCKS. DON'T FLY WITH THEM.

FWIW, I've been flying to and from Cozumel on Continental for more than 20 years and have only had one bad experience with them. That experience forced me to stay on Cozumel an extra day. Aw, heck. ;^)