I haven't had a chance to go diving this year and was just able to put a 2 day diving trip together. Thought I would post a trip report of what can be done in a short amount of time. I would not call this a relaxing trip except for the time I spent under water. For me I found when I am limited to the amount of dives I can do in a trip, I enjoy each dive more.
Flight left DFW Tuesday about 30 minutes late, around 3:15 PM and landed in Cancun around 5:50. I made it to the ADO podium by 6:10 and had to wait around 15 minutes before the bus departed. After stopping at T2 and T4 and semi rush hour traffic we made it to the Playa station just in time for me to catch the 8 PM ferry. I was hopping to make the 7 PM ferry and check in with Aldora before they closed at 8. I called them on the way and informed them I would not be making it on time. I was assured that everything would be OK and to meat them at the dock at 7:30. I was also told that my request to do a twilight/ night dive the next day was good to go.
Wed. morning we left at the regular 7:30 time and dove Columbia and then Cedral. Got back to the dock a little past 1:30. I cleaned up caught the lunch special at Casa Cozumel then met at the dock at 4 for another 2 tank, a twilight and a night dive. First dive was Palancar Bricks then the night dive was San Fransico. We started out on the wall which was a first for me on a night dives then we eventually moved over to the top of the reef. Saw quite a few octopi. Ended back at the dock around 9:45. After a quick dinner I had no problem getting to sleep.
Thur. After checking out of Suites Bahia and leaving my luggage with them I met at the pier at 7:30 and first dive was at Columbia Pinnacles and we did our second dive at Tunnich into Yucab. Both very nice dives. The lobster were thick at Yucab. I had the boat drop me off at Hotel Barracuda around 1:30. I used their rinse tanks and hung my stuff out to dry. Ordered lunch and jumped in their pool to clean up. Waited for my stuff to dry and headed to the Aldora office to pay up.
After getting my luggage I got on the 4 PM ferry back to Playa. Stopped for a refreshment on the way up the hill toward the bus station then eventually took a bus to down town Cancun. I went ahead and bought my bus ticket for 4:30 AM to the airport the next morning. I had reserved a room at Hotel Kavia which was less than a 10 minute walk from the bus station. I checked in around 7 PM, found a quick bite to eat then hit the sack. Got up a little after 3, took a cold shower, checked out and walked to the bus station. I had to laugh at some people partying it up at a bar after 4 AM on my way.
I had a 6:45 flight and was a little concerned because the bus was suppose to take 30 minutes to get to T2 and T3 where I was departing from was the last stop. The bus was over half full. First stop was T4, a couple people got off. Then at T2 everyone but me got off. T3 was next and I was there right at 5 AM. All the stops were dropped off at the arrivals area and there were no pickups so it went much quicker than when you take the bus from Playa. My flight left on time and I was home by 10:30 AM.
My total dive time after 6 dives was right at 8 hours of bottom time, averaging 80 minute dives. I was right at 18 hours from my last dive until my plane took off. Personally I was comfortable with that.
Total cost:
Flight : $300 then $60 for checked bags because I wanted to use my long fins.
Hotels: $120 for balcony room 2 nights at Bahia and $44 for Hotel Kavia in Cancun.
Diving: $384 6 dives including a night dive all with nitrox.
Ferries and buses around $40
Tipping: personal
Food: no more than I spend at home
The flight is really the only expense that would lessen the expense over a longer trip.
Everything went right on this trip. I was lucky to dodge weather issues out of DFW as well as in Mexico. On Thursday it looked like the Playa side was shut down due to the wind direction.
Here is the cheering part for Aldora. I dove with 3 different DM's that I have never dove with and they were all great. Boat captains are all top notch and pick you up as soon as you surface. Dove with three different groups that surfaced all together and averaged 80 minute dives.
The turtle is still hanging around Columbia and buzzing divers.
More of the coral is turning white. Some say is in not bleaching but some type of bacterial infection.
Two days is not enough time to acclimate to the Sun down there then I cam back to a record cold day in Dallas.
Flight left DFW Tuesday about 30 minutes late, around 3:15 PM and landed in Cancun around 5:50. I made it to the ADO podium by 6:10 and had to wait around 15 minutes before the bus departed. After stopping at T2 and T4 and semi rush hour traffic we made it to the Playa station just in time for me to catch the 8 PM ferry. I was hopping to make the 7 PM ferry and check in with Aldora before they closed at 8. I called them on the way and informed them I would not be making it on time. I was assured that everything would be OK and to meat them at the dock at 7:30. I was also told that my request to do a twilight/ night dive the next day was good to go.
Wed. morning we left at the regular 7:30 time and dove Columbia and then Cedral. Got back to the dock a little past 1:30. I cleaned up caught the lunch special at Casa Cozumel then met at the dock at 4 for another 2 tank, a twilight and a night dive. First dive was Palancar Bricks then the night dive was San Fransico. We started out on the wall which was a first for me on a night dives then we eventually moved over to the top of the reef. Saw quite a few octopi. Ended back at the dock around 9:45. After a quick dinner I had no problem getting to sleep.
Thur. After checking out of Suites Bahia and leaving my luggage with them I met at the pier at 7:30 and first dive was at Columbia Pinnacles and we did our second dive at Tunnich into Yucab. Both very nice dives. The lobster were thick at Yucab. I had the boat drop me off at Hotel Barracuda around 1:30. I used their rinse tanks and hung my stuff out to dry. Ordered lunch and jumped in their pool to clean up. Waited for my stuff to dry and headed to the Aldora office to pay up.
After getting my luggage I got on the 4 PM ferry back to Playa. Stopped for a refreshment on the way up the hill toward the bus station then eventually took a bus to down town Cancun. I went ahead and bought my bus ticket for 4:30 AM to the airport the next morning. I had reserved a room at Hotel Kavia which was less than a 10 minute walk from the bus station. I checked in around 7 PM, found a quick bite to eat then hit the sack. Got up a little after 3, took a cold shower, checked out and walked to the bus station. I had to laugh at some people partying it up at a bar after 4 AM on my way.
I had a 6:45 flight and was a little concerned because the bus was suppose to take 30 minutes to get to T2 and T3 where I was departing from was the last stop. The bus was over half full. First stop was T4, a couple people got off. Then at T2 everyone but me got off. T3 was next and I was there right at 5 AM. All the stops were dropped off at the arrivals area and there were no pickups so it went much quicker than when you take the bus from Playa. My flight left on time and I was home by 10:30 AM.
My total dive time after 6 dives was right at 8 hours of bottom time, averaging 80 minute dives. I was right at 18 hours from my last dive until my plane took off. Personally I was comfortable with that.
Total cost:
Flight : $300 then $60 for checked bags because I wanted to use my long fins.
Hotels: $120 for balcony room 2 nights at Bahia and $44 for Hotel Kavia in Cancun.
Diving: $384 6 dives including a night dive all with nitrox.
Ferries and buses around $40
Tipping: personal
Food: no more than I spend at home
The flight is really the only expense that would lessen the expense over a longer trip.
Everything went right on this trip. I was lucky to dodge weather issues out of DFW as well as in Mexico. On Thursday it looked like the Playa side was shut down due to the wind direction.
Here is the cheering part for Aldora. I dove with 3 different DM's that I have never dove with and they were all great. Boat captains are all top notch and pick you up as soon as you surface. Dove with three different groups that surfaced all together and averaged 80 minute dives.
The turtle is still hanging around Columbia and buzzing divers.
More of the coral is turning white. Some say is in not bleaching but some type of bacterial infection.
Two days is not enough time to acclimate to the Sun down there then I cam back to a record cold day in Dallas.
