San Salvador

[Green Frog]

I was at Gerace Research Center last June for a conference, the first held since well before COVID. I had spent several days prior in Nassau diving with Stuart Cove’s and I’m ashamed to admit, I never even got in the water at San Sal. I was too worn out from Nassau.

Jean Paul had apparently decided to work for the Riding Rock back about 2013 or 2015 and was there when I had one of my stays. Oddly, some of the guests from Club Med came down and dove with him at RR while I was there. Captain Bruce was running the boat and JP was doing DM. The next time I went, 2 years later, JP was back at Club Med, and they sent me up from RR to dive with HIM! There is a lot of cooperation on that little island.

The last time I was @ RR, I was the only diver in residence, so Bruce took me out on his little personal dive boat and I accompanied him while he tried to work on the Lionfish population. Boy do the Groupers love “Lionfish on a Stick”!

 

[mbs]

Years back CM was pretty restrictive on your dives. 45 minutes max, etc... Especially so if you were not buddy diving. I recall when they started offering nitrox I said to Jean Paul, why bother if you are going to limit me to 45 mins. He said 60 is fine and we never had an issue again. Again that is for buddy divers, follow the dm may be more limited.

 

[Strima77]

Years back CM was pretty restrictive on your dives. 45 minutes max, etc... Especially so if you were not buddy diving. I recall when they started offering nitrox I said to Jean Paul, why bother if you are going to limit me to 45 mins. He said 60 is fine and we never had an issue again. Again that is for buddy divers, follow the dm may be more limited.

Just got back from San Salvador, and as said, Club Med Columbus Isle is lots of fun and has great food - a good thing since my wife doesn't dive. Only Blue Diving was great to dive with. Since last there in 2019, however, the reef seems more bleached out and the resident dolphins are gone. Still several sharks luckily. Can anybody comment how the reef health here compares to other spots in the Bahamas/Caribbean?