Just got back...

[dbosullivan]

Like many of our fellow posters, I just got back from Cozumel (Dec 29-Jan 4).
I'll try to keep it short, because last night I was stuck in DFW a little longer than I would've liked, and had to work this morning, so I'm a little zonked.

Stayed at the Occidental Grand Cozumel- great resort, most of the staff spoke better English than I did, and were very helpful/congenial. The food was good for an all-inclusive, and Palancar reef is within spitting distance, so no long boat trips were required.

Used DWM for 5 days- great divemasters on the whole (one was on a serious power trip) who know their stuff AND assemble/break down your equipment for you. Typical dive group was 4-7 divers/boat, and they usually left early enough in the a.m. to avoid the cattle boats.

First impressions of Cozumel- If you enjoy swim-throughs and drift dives, you'll love Cozumel. I didn't think there was as much sea life off Cozumel as there was in Belize, but I did see large turtles, enormous spiny lobsters, groupers, eagle and manta rays, puffers, morays, two reef sharks, and an octopus (in addition to the smaller critters you see around reefs).
The water temperature is such that a shorty is useful, but not necessary by any means (I ditched the microprene after the first day, and dived in t-shirt and shorts thereafter). Most days consisted of a dive ~ 100', followed by a 40-50' second dive.
Sites:
Santa Rosa
Devil's Throat
Palancar Gardens
Dalila
Palancar Horseshoe
Palancar Caves
Columbia Reef
Francesa

Final thoughts- Cozumel is a nice place to visit- no real problems with touts, good food in town (French Quarter, La Chosa), and a great respite from a week of NYC winter. I'm sure I missed a ton of the Island's features, but I'll save that for next time.

 

[jawfish]

Thanks for the trip report! Bummer you have to go back to work, I suspect vacation withdrawl will be present all week!! And you are coming back to cold, snowy weather!! Ahhh... dreaming of Coz!

 

[melanie]

I just got back with a group of 8 of us from New Years in Cozumel.

I have been to Cozumel probably 30 times over the last 15 years and it is my favorite dive destination. It is convenient (coming from Florida) - although I miss the direct flights. The weather is pretty consistent and visibililty is excellent. The land portion of the trip is always fun also. The locals love the tourists and always want to ensure that a good time is had by all. Usually we stay at the Plaza las Glorias but since it is being renovated, we tried the Casa Mexicana this time which is very nice downtown (but no beach area for the non-divers to hang out at). However, they have a great buffet breakfast and the hotel is new so it has excellent facilities. I like being in close proximity to town because half the fun of being in Cozumel is checking out the wonderful restaurants and talking to the locals.

This time we dove with Dive with Martin and I was very impressed with their operation. The boats are nice and fast and the divemasters are very knowledeable. They also delivered everything they committed to. Martin is very hands on involved in the business and is very concerned with maintaining a high quality for his business - which he does very well. They have the right blend of understanding the seriousness of diving but also having fun! Every reef was as beautiful as the next but one of my personal favorites is Santa Rosa. The spotted Eagle rays were beautiful! Saw more turtles on this trip than previous trips also. And of course a number of the toadfish that Cozumel is famous for.

This time we also took the Fury Catamaran on our last day there for their snorkelling/party/beach lunch trip - that was great fun too and great value. The snorkelling was so good you almost felt like you were on a dive! Hamburger lunch was served on the beach. Then of course there were the Margaritas and dancing on the deck on the way back watching the sunset!

Like many of our fellow posters, I just got back from Cozumel (Dec 29-Jan 4).
I'll try to keep it short, because last night I was stuck in DFW a little longer than I would've liked, and had to work this morning, so I'm a little zonked.

Stayed at the Occidental Grand Cozumel- great resort, most of the staff spoke better English than I did, and were very helpful/congenial. The food was good for an all-inclusive, and Palancar reef is within spitting distance, so no long boat trips were required.

Used DWM for 5 days- great divemasters on the whole (one was on a serious power trip) who know their stuff AND assemble/break down your equipment for you. Typical dive group was 4-7 divers/boat, and they usually left early enough in the a.m. to avoid the cattle boats.

First impressions of Cozumel- If you enjoy swim-throughs and drift dives, you'll love Cozumel. I didn't think there was as much sea life off Cozumel as there was in Belize, but I did see large turtles, enormous spiny lobsters, groupers, eagle and manta rays, puffers, morays, two reef sharks, and an octopus (in addition to the smaller critters you see around reefs).
The water temperature is such that a shorty is useful, but not necessary by any means (I ditched the microprene after the first day, and dived in t-shirt and shorts thereafter). Most days consisted of a dive ~ 100', followed by a 40-50' second dive.
Sites:
Santa Rosa
Devil's Throat
Palancar Gardens
Dalila
Palancar Horseshoe
Palancar Caves
Columbia Reef
Francesa

Final thoughts- Cozumel is a nice place to visit- no real problems with touts, good food in town (French Quarter, La Chosa), and a great respite from a week of NYC winter. I'm sure I missed a ton of the Island's features, but I'll save that for next time.