Port closure

[lionfish-eater]

Maybe it's just about being overly cautious to protect the inexperienced visitors that come off the ships and get in over their heads.

It's no secret that the cruise industry brings the easy money to the island.

When the water activities are closed, much more money is spent in town.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to the water service providers is gained by the bars, restaurants, car rentals, etc.

The safe image of the island is more important to the big picture than a few days of angry divers.

 

[Snoweman]

The hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to the water service providers is gained by the bars, restaurants, car rentals, etc.

I'm not so sure the $80pp lost in the morning is that easily recovered.

 

[ReefHound]

According to post #150, the navy went after big boats today. My way is the lazy way of enforcement.

What's the navy going to do, sink the boat? Teachers in Michoacan blocked railways and highways for weeks in protest and the government didn't do a thing about it.

 

[lionfish-eater]

It will never be recovered.
It went to a different service provider.
Unsold dive boat seats are perishable and expire that day.

 

[lionfish-eater]

15,000 today alone.
All full of S*** from the all you can eat buffets.

Desembarcarán 15 mil cruceristas, hoy

 

[Lowrus]

I was on one of the boats that went out this morning. We got one dive in and they said we had to go back before doing the second dive. The DMs said it's the first time they've been forced to go back to port immediately instead of finishing the dives. Everyone on the boat was saying they'll be wary of booking future trips to Coz if there's this much of a risk that half their dive days will be canceled.

 

[ReefHound]

Maybe it's just about being overly cautious to protect the inexperienced visitors that come off the ships and get in over their heads.

It's no secret that the cruise industry brings the easy money to the island.

When the water activities are closed, much more money is spent in town.

The hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to the water service providers is gained by the bars, restaurants, car rentals, etc.

The safe image of the island is more important to the big picture than a few days of angry divers.

Cozumel didn't have an unsafe image in the first place. And it is a few days now but the concern is the trend. If she is going to close it in the future under similar conditions, Coz will become a place where diving is an iffy proposition. Off the Texas coast is a place called Flower Gardens that imo is far more pristine and colorful than anything in Coz. But it has a 50-50 chance of trip going and I know many divers who book Coz over FG, even though they agree FG is better, because Coz is more reliable. I for one am starting to regret having just booked airfare for last week of Feb. and starting to toss around the idea of just going to Caye Caulker instead. I'm not going to fly to Coz just to drink in the bars.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Maybe this had something to do with the closure.
The directive might be coming from a higher authority.

Another "north" will enter the region
January 4, 2020

In Cozumel

0

By Gabriel Aguilar





COZUMEL, January 3 .- One more “north” is expected for this Saturday, and another one on Wednesday of next week for the Cozumel region.

According to the data of the municipal meteorologist, Enrique Chávez Sevilla, there is currently “a modified polar continental air mass located east of Florida, United States, forms a high pressure wedge and drives modified polar continental air to the forecast area , it brings winds from the southeast and south from 40 to 50 kilometers per hour and at night they will decrease to 30 and 40 kilometers per hour, waves from 6 to 8 feet and at night from 5 to 7 feet high. ”

He also added that “a new mass of polar continental air modified for tomorrow (Saturday) with its respective cold front over the forecast area will be forecast and reinforced with another for next Wednesday, they will bring us a decrease in high swell temperatures with precipitation at beginning of its affectation ”.

He stressed that there will be “cold temperatures in the early hours of the day and at night, temperate the rest of the time. The maximum temperature of the day from 27 to 29 degrees Celsius and the minimum for tomorrow from 21 to 23 degrees Celsius. The southeast and east winds from 40 to 50 and at night at 30 and 40 kilometers per hour at night. The temperature of the sea from 27 to 29 degrees Celsius ”.

He recommended that "caution be taken for winds, waves and cold temperatures in the early hours of the day and at night, temperate the rest of the time, ultraviolet rays and thermal sensation that occur over the area."

He added that "we have the polar continental mass on the Yucatan Peninsula, winds from the southeast and south, waves from 6 to 8 and at night from 5 to 7 feet."

He asked the community to “keep an eye on the cold fronts with their masses of polar continental air that drive them due to the low temperatures, winds, waves and rainfall that may occur during their effects and that prevail when affecting the forecast area and with it, take precaution for the development of the daily activities that are carried out and carry them out safely ”.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

On the other hand…Windguru.com clearly expects that the strong norte will hit Cozumel between 12 noon and 3 PM. Given that most of the dive boats would be returning during that time frame, maybe the closure was justified. Indeed, that could have created serious problems and I am not sure the Port Captain wanted to risk it during her first week on the job. I would have posted a notice that all boats had to be back by noon.

Frankly, if I was still running Aldora I would have shortened the morning dives to be back before noon, given the near certainty of norte coming in then. Of course no forecast is perfect so we will see when it comes.

In addition, I have been posting on this web board for years that January is by far the worst month for nortes, no other month comes close. So for those who listened to me, this should come as no surprise.

Dave Dillehay

 

[Dave Dillehay]

On the other hand…Windguru.com clearly expects that the strong norte will hit Cozumel between 12 noon and 3 PM. Given that most of the dive boats would be returning during that time frame, maybe the closure was justified. Indeed, that could have created serious problems and I am not sure the Port Captain wanted to risk it during her first week on the job. I would have posted a notice that all boats had to be back by noon.

Frankly, if I was still running Aldora I would have shortened the morning dives to be back before noon, given the near certainty of norte coming in then. Of course no forecast is perfect so we will see when it comes.

In addition, I haver been posting on this web board for years that January is by far the worst month for nortes, no other month comes close. So for those who listened to me, this should come as no surprise.

Dave Dillehay

Well it is 2:45 PM and Weather.com reports WNW wind with gusts to 21 mph.

Dave