Trip Report Impressions on an Old-timers Return to Cozumel

[Johnoly]

I was very pleasantly surprised that we did not see a single lionfish on this trip.

A couple of local Coz spearo friends have mentioned they are deeper and further south plus the wild side. There is still a big "demand/appetite" for eating and trying them from the cruise ship visitors and their harvest will usually end up in those waterfront restaurants.

Also I wanted to say Thank You for taking probably a few hours to write up a great detailed report. It is much appreciated to hear 'up-to-date-current' information from popular spots !!

 

[boulderjohn]

A couple of local Coz spearo friends have mentioned they are deeper and further south plus the wild side. There is still a big "demand/appetite" for eating and trying them from the cruise ship visitors and their harvest will usually end up in those waterfront restaurants.

I enjoyed it for dinner 3 times while I was there.

 

[ggunn]

I enjoyed it for dinner 3 times while I was there.

The Coconut Lionfish at La Perlita is superb!

 

[Cozdreamer]

Thank you so much for sharing your details and comparisons. I really enjoyed reading your different parts in this thread and appreciate the time you took to write it up. Continued safe diving to you! I pray I'm still diving in my 70's too and seeing the island's reefs which I miss terribly!
Hope ya'll have recovered fine from Covid.

 

[boulderjohn]

Hope ya'll have recovered fine from Covid.

Thanks! I'm still testing positive, but my doctor said that could go on for weeks, and I am most likely not contagious and just getting results from old, dead virus fragments.

 

[GameChanger]

Thanks for your trip report.
BA is my "go-to" Coz hotel when I do not bring my non-diver wife. (Beachfront Airbnb at Residence Reef when she joins me. Happy Wife = Happy Life!).

The room situation you experienced surprised me. I had an AC & WiFi issue with a room a few years ago, and Eva (BA Owner) was happy to resolve it. She is a very "hands-on" and no BS owner. You can usually find her having morning coffee with her guests in the lounge by the lobby or enjoying a glass of wine when the bands play. She has a keen memory for recognizing returning guests.

I have never dove with Aldora because I dislike the reported surface as a group policy. I tend to be a big air hog for my first couple of dives on a dive trip, and I don't want to be "that guy" on the SI...LOL! It is good to hear they may have modified the policy.

The food at the BA restaurant has always been great IMO. I like their Dive Op as well. I used them until DM/Instructor Ruben Larregui left and formed his own Dive Op (Rock Star Divers).

I too have noticed very few, if any, Lionfish on my recent dives in Coz. The ones I have seen are juveniles. On my last trip, I saw a half-dozen or so Goliath Groupers just hanging out over a reef. I would have to check my logs to identify where exactly. I have never thought about big groupers as potentially being predators to man, but I guess it is possible. Good times!

 

[ReefHound]

The food at the BA restaurant has always been great IMO. I like their Dive Op as well. I used them until DM/Instructor Ruben Larregui left and formed his own Dive Op (Rock Star Divers).

In case you only know him as a DM, the dive op name comes from his longtime local reputation as a great musician. I've been a fan of his Red Eye Band for over 15 years. Here's a video of an original song with some great Cozumel scenerey.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I would have rather dropped down to the reef, used up air, and then surfaced with a shorter dive. I am quite accustomed to getting on a dive boat with lots of gas left. It doesn’t bother me. When a dive is obviously over, I would prefer to be on the boat.

So much this. I don't go diving to have long run times, I want experiences.

 

[GameChanger]

In case you only know him as a DM, the dive op name comes from his longtime local reputation as a great musician. I've been a fan of his Red Eye Band for over 15 years. Here's a video of an original song with some great Cozumel scenerey.

Yep! I always check out where The Red Eye Band is playing whenever I visit Coz. It was very convenient when they played at BA. They do a mean Pink Floyd Tribute as well!

 

[ccannon707]

Just caught up with your excellent Trip Report. Thoroughly enjoyed all of it - thank you for taking the time to create & share it. I had to laugh at the different diver part as I'm one who would be happy going 75% shallow dives vs deep. Mainly because there is more marine life and color to see in the shallower dives, plus the extended time one gets to stay in the water. I'm the one who avoids, for the most part, the swim thru's because I don't like getting sand kicked in my face. My DM knows this so he lets me just do it. I get a thrill being "alone" on the reef for a bit and then meeting up with my group on the other side. I appreciate the giant coral heads of the deep, but my heart is with the creatures in the shallow. Also, I tend to come up with air on any dive deep or shallow, so I'm not "that person" the dive has to conform to. IMHO, going with a shop/DM that let's everyone be comfortable and get the most out of their dive is ideal.

The other couple would have been happiest if we had never gone deeper than 70 feet and never gotten within sight of a swim-through. They stayed well above us for the deeper parts of our dives and swam over the swim-throughs.