Looking Scuba Club Coz updates.

[Divingnthedark]

Marine life is thriving with juveniles, intermediate phase, and large fish all over the place, even on the severely damaged sites such as Yucab. I counted 7 different species on just one small coral head last week (Divinginthedark was with me).

Yup, I was there! Christi if you have some pics from that coral head please send some to my email address...I have a good memory but it's nice to have pics. I have already been looking at flights/prices for returning to Coz this year. So I guess you could say I wasn't too disappointed and I certainly wouldn't have spent over 28 hours underwater there if I had been!

 

[heatherohio]

i am not too concerned with the alcohol part. Not wanting to mix thast in with the diving. Maybe on the last day there... Thanks.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

I just received a quote for a SCC to travel in October, and I am looking for some reviews since the hurricane. Anyone who has recently been there???? Info wanted re: dive op there... small/large boat. DM's work with divers? My husband and I are novice. Doing OW check-outs end of the month, in Ohio. Shore Diving??? Decent? Location, is it a short or long ride to the reefs, etc. Overall food and resort? Thank You all to these great threads on Scuba board. This is a great resource! (PS: I tried to make this short and to the point. Sometimes too much BS...

My wife and I were down for a week April 1-10th and shot about 800 pictures on 10 dives. We took two other couples and they had a great time. One of the couples had never been in saltwater and they just couldn't get over all the beautiful stuff.

The other couple were veteran divers and had not been to Cozumel in several years. They were able to see a lot of the small stuff that they had missed on previous trips.

Every evening we would download the camera and I would wear out the delete button. We wound up with about 200 good pictures which is way above average for me.

Lots of fish, turtles, rays and some excellent shark pictures. As we have been there many times my wife and I noticed the absence of some of the bigger sponges and fans, but we also saw a lot of sand washing away and new coral.

Wilma also uncovered a couple of nice anchors that had been hidden for years in Columbia.

She will be spending all summer in Cozumel and doing a good bit of diving. You definitely won't be disappointed with the diving. As Christi said if you would feel more comfortable with a personal divemaster let the dive op know and they can probably arrange for one for a nomial fee.

Consider doing a checkout dive the day you arrive so that you can get a little more comfortable in the water and get your weighting down.

 

[heatherohio]

JIM~ Thanks for the info. Planning our first dive vacation is overwhelming... I am sure once we go on one.. it won't be this stressful! ;-)

 

[heatherohio]

will someone else verify this only drinks included is water... and then coffee and juice for breakfast?? What about when you eat lunch and or dinner????

 

[redacted]

will someone else verify this only drinks included is water... and then coffee and juice for breakfast?? What about when you eat lunch and or dinner????

From their web site: http://www.scubaclubcozumel.com/front_page.html

You may just have to trust me on the free coffee and juice at breakfast. That's the way it has been for my 7 trips with them of about 15 trips to Cozumel. They are still my overall favorite.

 

[ggunn]

will someone else verify this only drinks included is water... and then coffee and juice for breakfast?? What about when you eat lunch and or dinner????

What I've heard is what you say; you have to buy drinks of any kind other than coffee/juice at breakfast and water any time. Is the AI an option or mandatory? There are lots of great little restaurants an easy walk or cheap cab ride away from SCC.

 

[HammerNoMore]

Is the AI an option or mandatory? There are lots of great little restaurants an easy walk or cheap cab ride away from SCC.

Mandatory. Also, if you're traveling with a group the times are set in stone. Breakfast from ??:00 to ??:30, etc. Not sure if that is the case when traveling alone. All-inclusive is a bit of a misnomer there. The rates include 2 boat dives a day and free shore diving (however tanks must be claimed in advance unlike Caribe Blu where they are always there for the taking). The food is 3 meals a day. Our group pretty much had a buffet for breakfast and lunch and IIRC 2 choices for dinner. When I went, I ordered chips and guac off the menu for lunch once instead of the buffet and was charged for it. From what I undertand other peoples mileage has varied. I think it's a big difference if you're doing a group thing.

Drinks, snacks, adult beverages, and housekeeping are not included (they make it very clear that they expect you to tip housekeeping, which I'm coming to accept as a norm there but I certainly don't expect to be pressured into it).

James

 

[Nevis Diver]

Have you tried these other very good restarurants?
Guido's
La Cocay
Especias
Camilos
Sonora Grill
Parilla Mission (the original Mission - tastier and less expensive)
El Moro
El Pique
Perlita
Chi
Casa Denis

We ate at a place called Las Tortugas, I think. It was really good and we had a good time. Maybe some of the more local folks can remind me where it is? It was after dark and I couldn't get there again without a taxi's help !

 

[nyprrthd]

Divingnthedark - I have the same sunglasses! Mine are green.

It's really depressing that the diving in Cozumel has become 50% worse than before the hurricane. Something unheard of must have happened between when I was there in February and April. Maybe I'll cancel my June trip. NOT! Only a blind man would not have seen that there is some damage, and sand on a lot of the coral. Yes, most of the big sea fans and soft corals were not evident where I dove, as they were in the past. But there were new ones already beginning to grow. The fish life was abundant. A 50% decrease in the quality of diving, although a severe exaggeration, would still make Cozumel one of the premier dive destinations in the world, IMHO. If nothing else, you get to see the power of nature; both to destroy and recover.

Heather - We strongly considered SCC when we were planning our June trip. We opted for Casa Mexicana and Blue XT~Sea for our diving. In my opinion, part of the Cozumel experience is getting out and mingling with the great people who call it home. There are some truly great restaurants on the island, and they're relatively inexpensive. Casa Mexicana has a reputedly great breakfast buffet, so you only need to be concerned with lunch and dinner. The choices are seemingly endless, and many SB members have posted lists of their favorites. As far as diving is concerned, there are many well respected dive operations, and even more opinions here on the board. Do some searches here on the Cozumel board, and ask more questions as they come up.

BTW, there are many members who return to SCC year after year, and enjoy themselves. It all depends on what you want. If you post your list of personal "requirements," I'm sure you'll get good guidance from the resident Coz addicts. Whatever you decide, prepare to have a great time!