Mawg:
Do the math. Even under PADI's liberal system, you cannot become an instructor with 15 dives. :shakehead
My Cozumel experience
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Do the math. Even under PADI's liberal system, you cannot become an instructor with 15 dives. :shakehead
divematt
Contributor
TheRedHead:And you believe that? He's an instructor as well as a troll.
Jepuskar has never trained a single student in his life. Read his posts. While you're at it, there's not all that much about diving if you look long enough. It's entertaining, however boring. And yes, I'm embarassed to say that I've looked at a bunch of his posts, just so I could find out what kind of person he was. And all that time wasted that I did look, I can never replace in this life. :shakehead
Matt, you cannot join the Instructor's group without really being one. So you spent a lot of time researching Jep's posts? :laughing:
hank harris
Guest
Not to interrupt the trolljack ;-)
But wanted to comment on all the "change" concerns. I first went to Coz in the early '70's. Some amazing stuff to be seen, and a wonderful little town topside. And on the mainland, it was miles and miles of pristine beaches and Cancun was just a sleepy little fishing area that didn't even show up on the maps!
Next went back in the early '90's... do you think I saw some changes above and below the water line? And the quaint little town had seen its share of changes as well (the pod ships and party bars had discovered Coz). But on the mainland things were less changed (Playa was still full of dirt streets and the term "Riviera Maya" had not yet been coined, primarily because the beaches between Tulum and Cancun were still virtually untouched by big real estate developers.
In a few weeks I am headed back for the first time since then. Will I see major changes both above and below the water? Sure. But that's the nature of life! And it's what happens as we get older; if we are not careful we start living in the good ol days and whining about the current state of affairs.
Having had the blessing of being in many amazing places all over the world, I could whine for hours (don't even get me started about the Amazon rainforest, Oaxacan coast or the Hawaiian Islands), but what's the point? Things change. And I ascribe most of the damage not to hurricanes, but to people.
Personally, I am looking forward to the trip. Good diving, good food, wonderful people, and still a relative value when compared to most of the Caribbean.
As for the diving (and I primarily speak as one who rarely dives without a camera in hand), I am amazed that people don't find all sorts of fascinating things to look at underwater. As others have mentioned, the primary culprit is speed. When we slow down and look carefully, a whole new world opens up. If you find yourself with one of those fast-kicking dm's or groups, dump em. Immediately. They remind me of the rental horses that break into full gallops when its time to get back to the barn.
And even on a really bad day, there are all sorts of skills one can work on improving.
Enough (too much?) from me. I appreciate the conversation and look forward to sharing my input when I return.
But wanted to comment on all the "change" concerns. I first went to Coz in the early '70's. Some amazing stuff to be seen, and a wonderful little town topside. And on the mainland, it was miles and miles of pristine beaches and Cancun was just a sleepy little fishing area that didn't even show up on the maps!
Next went back in the early '90's... do you think I saw some changes above and below the water line? And the quaint little town had seen its share of changes as well (the pod ships and party bars had discovered Coz). But on the mainland things were less changed (Playa was still full of dirt streets and the term "Riviera Maya" had not yet been coined, primarily because the beaches between Tulum and Cancun were still virtually untouched by big real estate developers.
In a few weeks I am headed back for the first time since then. Will I see major changes both above and below the water? Sure. But that's the nature of life! And it's what happens as we get older; if we are not careful we start living in the good ol days and whining about the current state of affairs.
Having had the blessing of being in many amazing places all over the world, I could whine for hours (don't even get me started about the Amazon rainforest, Oaxacan coast or the Hawaiian Islands), but what's the point? Things change. And I ascribe most of the damage not to hurricanes, but to people.
Personally, I am looking forward to the trip. Good diving, good food, wonderful people, and still a relative value when compared to most of the Caribbean.
As for the diving (and I primarily speak as one who rarely dives without a camera in hand), I am amazed that people don't find all sorts of fascinating things to look at underwater. As others have mentioned, the primary culprit is speed. When we slow down and look carefully, a whole new world opens up. If you find yourself with one of those fast-kicking dm's or groups, dump em. Immediately. They remind me of the rental horses that break into full gallops when its time to get back to the barn.
And even on a really bad day, there are all sorts of skills one can work on improving.
Enough (too much?) from me. I appreciate the conversation and look forward to sharing my input when I return.
Very nice post Hank...thank you! Have a great time and we'll look forward to hearing about your experience!
Nevis Diver
Contributor
hank harris:
Thank you. Boy am I looking forward to September. First time I have ever gone on a dive trip solo.
Ohhh dear, you all have it all wrong.
Most should know that Cozumel is known for drift diving and very interesting topology with swim throughs and a vast array of marine life.
Bonaire on the other hand is known for shore diving with a rather predictable topology at most sites, and I would say less variety of marine life compared to Cozumel.
I have been to Bonaire more than Cozumel, but that is only due to the fact that we like to dive independently and to not rely on boat schedules.
They are two different types of diving and because of that you can't compare apples to oranges and that is what I meant.
Jason
Most should know that Cozumel is known for drift diving and very interesting topology with swim throughs and a vast array of marine life.
Bonaire on the other hand is known for shore diving with a rather predictable topology at most sites, and I would say less variety of marine life compared to Cozumel.
I have been to Bonaire more than Cozumel, but that is only due to the fact that we like to dive independently and to not rely on boat schedules.
They are two different types of diving and because of that you can't compare apples to oranges and that is what I meant.
Jason
Nevis Diver
Contributor
hank harris:
...most of the Carbbean...?
Not meaning to ask about a minor point, but I am interested in what would be a better value than Cozumel. I'm not saying I disagree, just that I haven't found one.
Jep is correct in that you really can't compare them. I love them both: Bonaire for it's easy shore diving and hard-core diver community and Cozumel for it's laid back drift diving and charming people. I would love to spend more time in Bonaire, but it is so expensive to get there. And Coz is like coming home now. I'm not a stranger there and know people in my favorite dive ops and restaurants and they know me. I spend the afternoon of the first day of arrival walking around and getting bussed on the cheek. I know this sounds sappy, but that is part of the fun for me.
Nevis Diver:
St. Croix can be done very inexpensively. I bought a week in a timeshare on Protestant Cay on ebay last year for $195 for the week and the airfare wasn't too bad. Good boat and shore diving there. If you want details, PM me.
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