Friday Night Norte

[DjDiverDan]

Just got back on Saturday from my 5-day cruise with a stop in Cozumel on Thursday the 18th. I don’t really like cruises, and the only reasons I took this one was because: (1) it was free (I was a winner of the Power Ball Power Cruise), and (2) it promised an opportunity to dive in Cozumel. So, I had my reservations with Aldora, and all my gear packed up and ready to go - got my regulator serviced, new battery in my dive computer, only to get to Cozumel in the middle of a big El Norte, no diving.

Which leads me to a question and a proposal. As I sat on the Cruise Ship early on Thursday morning, watching the winds whipping up the waves, I was trying like crazy to get confirmation that the port was closed to diving. I sent emails to Aldora and Dave Dillehay on Wednesday evening to ask about the diving, no responses before the Ship was letting passengers off at 8:15 a.m. I tried several times to call the Aldora shop before dragging my gear from the International Pier to its office, but only got a recorded message. I searched in vain on the internet for confirmation that the port was closed. So, I had a conundrum - I was 90% certain (maybe 95%) there would be no diving, but I hated to miss a chance in case I was wrong. So I dragged my gear off the boat and down to Aldora’s office on Calle 5 only to confirm what I already suspected - no diving on my one day in Cozumel. At least they let me leave my bag there while I enjoyed the other charms of Cozumel. I did have a very nice lunch at Pescaderia San Carlos with a favorite DM, Miguel Estrella.

So, IS there a source on the internet that tells us divers that the port is closed to dive boats? Someplace I can check at 7:00 a.m. that will tell me not to bother coming to the dive shop? If not, why not? It would seem easy enough to do - even a simple post on this forum or on Facebook once someone knows that the port is closed, just so divers could know as early as possible not to bother getting ready. Any thoughts?

 

[Christi]

Just got back on Saturday from my 5-day cruise with a stop in Cozumel on Thursday the 18th. I don’t really like cruises, and the only reasons I took this one was because: (1) it was free (I was a winner of the Power Ball Power Cruise), and (2) it promised an opportunity to dive in Cozumel. So, I had my reservations with Aldora, and all my gear packed up and ready to go - got my regulator serviced, new battery in my dive computer, only to get to Cozumel in the middle of a big El Norte, no diving.

Which leads me to a question and a proposal. As I sat on the Cruise Ship early on Thursday morning, watching the winds whipping up the waves, I was trying like crazy to get confirmation that the port was closed to diving. I sent emails to Aldora and Dave Dillehay on Wednesday evening to ask about the diving, no responses before the Ship was letting passengers off at 8:15 a.m. I tried several times to call the Aldora shop before dragging my gear from the International Pier to its office, but only got a recorded message. I searched in vain on the internet for confirmation that the port was closed. So, I had a conundrum - I was 90% certain (maybe 95%) there would be no diving, but I hated to miss a chance in case I was wrong. So I dragged my gear off the boat and down to Aldora’s office on Calle 5 only to confirm what I already suspected - no diving on my one day in Cozumel. At least they let me leave my bag there while I enjoyed the other charms of Cozumel. I did have a very nice lunch at Pescaderia San Carlos with a favorite DM, Miguel Estrella.

So, IS there a source on the internet that tells us divers that the port is closed to dive boats? Someplace I can check at 7:00 a.m. that will tell me not to bother coming to the dive shop? If not, why not? It would seem easy enough to do - even a simple post on this forum or on Facebook once someone knows that the port is closed, just so divers could know as early as possible not to bother getting ready. Any thoughts?

That widget is being created for my website as I type this - should be able to check our page daily within the next few days. Will announce when it's ready

 

[DandyDon]

I never got the point of weekend trips, traveling is stressful plus getting up @5am is the pits. Probably different for you Texans though

40 years ago it seemed fun. Age changes some of that.

 

[gopbroek]

I never got the point of weekend trips, traveling is stressful plus getting up @5am is the pits. Probably different for you Texans though

I don't mind them, just need to be loose and flexible. Got 12 dives in over this weekend, about to get on a plane back to DFW, have to work tomorrow.

 

[DjDiverDan]

I never got the point of weekend trips, traveling is stressful plus getting up @5am is the pits. Probably different for you Texans though

Travelling is much more stressful now than it used to be, and for that I blame government, and all the voters who cling to the ridiculous belief that government makes us safer. Pre-9/11, I could show up at DFW without a reservation only an hour before the flight, without having to worry about TSA, removing my shoes and belt and watch. Back when FunJets and Worry Free Vacations were running 3 and 4 day weekend charters to Cozumel, if they had an empty seat an hour before takeoff, I could get round trip air to Cozumel from DFW for $149, once even $99, at the last minute. Government regulations killed that market. But it is still easier to do a 3-day or 4-day weekend to Coz from DFW than from many other places, with only a 2 hour 20 minute flight. Just more expensive and much more hassle these days. Thanks, TSA.

 

[mikeycanuk]

For those in the north, if you add arriving 2 hrs before your flight, getting to the airport itself, flying time, de icing, 1hr in CZM customs - you are into around 8hrs total.

Ps what was with the woman behind us in customs playing music from her cell for the 1 hr it took to enter Cozumel??? sure didn’t help the hour go by any quicker

 

[DandyDon]

Ps what was with the woman behind us in customs playing music from her cell for the 1 hr it took to enter Cozumel??? sure didn’t help the hour go by any quicker

She thought she was being nice to share it with y'all. I thought cell phone use was prohibited in I&C?

 

[mikeycanuk]

I (and everyone else)wished it were so.

 

[JamesBon92007]

F 1hr in CZM customs -

I've only flown into CZM once and it's been awhile but lately customs at CUN and PVR have been a breeze. On my last two trips, as we were leaving, they even asked us if we were TSA Pre-Select. We didn't have to push a button (red light, green light) and they didn't even set my carry-on aside and search it which they ALWAYS used to do (at all airports). They used to interview us as we were entering Mexico and now they just stamp our passport as quickly as they can and send us on our way. Matter-of-fact even TSA hasn't looked at my dive gear lately. I did have to remove my laptop from my backpack in Mexico but other than that was almost as if we were in the Pre-Select line in the US.

 

[mediumone]

Travelling is much more stressful now than it used to be, and for that I blame government, and all the voters who cling to the ridiculous belief that government makes us safer. Pre-9/11, I could show up at DFW without a reservation only an hour before the flight, without having to worry about TSA, removing my shoes and belt and watch. Back when FunJets and Worry Free Vacations were running 3 and 4 day weekend charters to Cozumel, if they had an empty seat an hour before takeoff, I could get round trip air to Cozumel from DFW for $149, once even $99, at the last minute. Government regulations killed that market. But it is still easier to do a 3-day or 4-day weekend to Coz from DFW than from many other places, with only a 2 hour 20 minute flight. Just more expensive and much more hassle these days. Thanks, TSA.

Pre-911, people worried about planes being hi-jacked. Now steps have to be taken to prevent them from being blown out of the sky. I really don't think TSA is to blame, do you? They're simply enforcing the measures that the flying public wants.

And as a passenger who has been on a plane where a caller stated there was a bomb on board, I can tell you with authority that it is not fun. None of us enjoyed literally tearing the interior of the plane apart, looking for a bomb at 50,000 + feet while circling what appeared to be a rather small mountain; Mt Rainier. (Google it, it's not small).

Yeah, there are certainly all manner of jerks employed by TSA, but if it keeps me in the air, and some even bigger jerks on the ground, I'll happily put up with it. And if you'd had the pleasure of being with me on that flight, you wouldn't even think about a cheap pot-shot at TSA.