DallasNewbie
Contributor
Just got back from a five day trip to Coz, staying and diving with Blue Angel. This was our first trip in a while; we'd gone as a couple every year for a while before having kids. That slowed down, and neither of us had been to the island in six years.
Everything was just as we remembered it. Good news, bad news, who's to say? Regardless, we had no issues at the airport or otherwise. We did have to get tested for COVID to come back, but the hotel arranged for someone from International Hospital to come right to our room and do the tests for $30/ea. The island was definitely not crowded, and everyone downtown was happy to see us. Over the course of five days, we did see a few cruise ships at Punta Maya, but as one of the vendors at the main square put it, the cruisers all stayed in their bubble, went to and from the beach clubs, and did not venture out.
Since this was our first trip with the kids, both junior open water, and their first times in the ocean, we were a little bit anxious. BA required us to get a private DM for the 11 year old, since he theoretically wouldn't be going below 40'. This turned out to not be a practical issue, but wife and son having their own DM really alleviated her anxiety. So they dove with Luis Miguel for all three days, and had a fabulous time. I buddied with my daughter, and we also had a fabulous time diving with Mateo, Julio, and Andy.
I won't bother describing all the dives, other than to say this was the first trip we didn't see a turtle, but we did see stingrays on every dive.... The only other thing I missed were the many green and purple tipped anemones I was used to seeing just about everywhere. I don't know what the explanation is for that.
A couple of product plugs: My daughter and I both have slow ears. A couple of weeks before the trip, I bought a Eustachi. We used it before and after dives, and it is a neat little gadget. We also used Doc's Pro Plugs for the first time. Also great. I didn't wear them the first day, and had a bit of a squeeze. Might have been enough that a smarter person would say I shouldn't have dove the next day. But three more days of diving with the plugs, and I was fine. Even when I had trouble equalizing, there was no pain or squeeze, or squeakers.
Above water, we took the kids around the island, and we took a tour of the chocolate factory and made our own chocolate from scratch: Chocolate Tour at Kaokao Chocolate Factory in Cozumel Island That was fun and educational as well.
Overall, it was a very good time. And while I could do this over and over, I think for the next dive trip, the kids may insist on visiting someplace we can flush the toilet paper.
Everything was just as we remembered it. Good news, bad news, who's to say? Regardless, we had no issues at the airport or otherwise. We did have to get tested for COVID to come back, but the hotel arranged for someone from International Hospital to come right to our room and do the tests for $30/ea. The island was definitely not crowded, and everyone downtown was happy to see us. Over the course of five days, we did see a few cruise ships at Punta Maya, but as one of the vendors at the main square put it, the cruisers all stayed in their bubble, went to and from the beach clubs, and did not venture out.
Since this was our first trip with the kids, both junior open water, and their first times in the ocean, we were a little bit anxious. BA required us to get a private DM for the 11 year old, since he theoretically wouldn't be going below 40'. This turned out to not be a practical issue, but wife and son having their own DM really alleviated her anxiety. So they dove with Luis Miguel for all three days, and had a fabulous time. I buddied with my daughter, and we also had a fabulous time diving with Mateo, Julio, and Andy.
I won't bother describing all the dives, other than to say this was the first trip we didn't see a turtle, but we did see stingrays on every dive.... The only other thing I missed were the many green and purple tipped anemones I was used to seeing just about everywhere. I don't know what the explanation is for that.
A couple of product plugs: My daughter and I both have slow ears. A couple of weeks before the trip, I bought a Eustachi. We used it before and after dives, and it is a neat little gadget. We also used Doc's Pro Plugs for the first time. Also great. I didn't wear them the first day, and had a bit of a squeeze. Might have been enough that a smarter person would say I shouldn't have dove the next day. But three more days of diving with the plugs, and I was fine. Even when I had trouble equalizing, there was no pain or squeeze, or squeakers.
Above water, we took the kids around the island, and we took a tour of the chocolate factory and made our own chocolate from scratch: Chocolate Tour at Kaokao Chocolate Factory in Cozumel Island That was fun and educational as well.
Overall, it was a very good time. And while I could do this over and over, I think for the next dive trip, the kids may insist on visiting someplace we can flush the toilet paper.
