Scooter Accident Story and a couple of Coz Q's

[Tucker_2004]

Hi Everyone!

I have been up and down the Coz pages over the last couple of weeks as I gear up for a dive trip to Coz Jan 15 to 22. I was in Cancun diving last winter and did one dive day in Coz. After one quick taste I knew that I had to go back for a full week!!

I will be at the Grand and diving with both Dive Palancar and Dive With Alison (Well her DM Chucho anyway). The one advantage to Palancar is that I can at least split up my dives through the day and spend my SI with my Wife who may not dive as much as me. I appreciate all the ideas that have been posted over the months. I do wish I could have found out about some of good smaller dive ops (A la Blue X T Sea) before they booked up but I will know for next time.

I just wanted to confirm one thing if possible (I know that people get annoyed when the same topics get posted over and over)... I want to spend at least one afternoon out an about and maybe a couple of afternoons doing some free shore snorkeling with one of our companions who doesn't dive, and I want to make sure I have the right info:
Free Snorkeling LocationsI would love if you could add or tell me which ones are the best)

1.Dzul ha south of town

2.Paradise shallows (south of town through the marina)

3.Just south of Chankanaab: look for the moorings and enter there.

4.LaCeiba Resort (Free to snorkel off there?)

I would also love to know if there is one beach in particular that is just super cool and not so busy on the East Side. We were thinking of doing an afternoon trip out to Mescalitos or something like that.


Scooter Story:

On a side note.. I really like all the suggestions that I've read encouraging people to stay away from renting scooters. We hit Coz for a day last year and a couple we were with had a bad scooter accident. She had to be shipped to the hospital in very rough shape where it was $5000.00 US to get patched up. It could have been much worse though. They were two on the scooter,lost control, and went off the road and right into the woods where the force of their bodies took out some small trees. If you need to rent something, rent something with four wheels! The police officers in town wanted to charge us with $150 dollars for "dangerous driving" and then, when they couldn't prove the charge they told us that the fine would be for "breaking a tree". We told the cops that if they wanted the money they could go and get it from the girl who broke the tree, with her body (we knew full well that they wouldn't go into the private hospital looking for her). They ended up letting us go with no fines. It was really scary when we had to turn around on our scooter and came across the scene of the accident. Never ever again... Doubling on scooters makes them twice as dangerous. It was a big black cloud on what should have been an amazing day in Cozumel. Thank god one of the girls that was with us could speak very good Spanish. By the way, the care in the private hospital was nothing short of awesome! You pay for it, but they were great!

Thanks for all of your help
Tucker
Montreal Quebec

 

[thinkingdiver]

One place you should try to dive is Punta Sur (Devil's Throat). I think the Yellow Rose is going there on Sunday, but I'll be gone by then. It's a nice big boat for the long ride there- operated by Dive Cozumel in town.

Hi Everyone!

I have been up and down the Coz pages over the last couple of weeks as I gear up for a dive trip to Coz Jan 15 to 22. I was in Cancun diving last winter and did one dive day in Coz. After one quick taste I knew that I had to go back for a full week!!

I will be at the Grand and diving with both Dive Palancar and Dive With Alison (Well her DM Chucho anyway). The one advantage to Palancar is that I can at least split up my dives through the day and spend my SI with my Wife who may not dive as much as me. I appreciate all the ideas that have been posted over the months. I do wish I could have found out about some of good smaller dive ops (A la Blue X T Sea) before they booked up but I will know for next time.

I just wanted to confirm one thing if possible (I know that people get annoyed when the same topics get posted over and over)... I want to spend at least one afternoon out an about and maybe a couple of afternoons doing some free shore snorkeling with one of our companions who doesn't dive, and I want to make sure I have the right info:
Free Snorkeling LocationsI would love if you could add or tell me which ones are the best)

1.Dzul ha south of town

2.Paradise shallows (south of town through the marina)

3.Just south of Chankanaab: look for the moorings and enter there.

4.LaCeiba Resort (Free to snorkel off there?)

I would also love to know if there is one beach in particular that is just super cool and not so busy on the East Side. We were thinking of doing an afternoon trip out to Mescalitos or something like that.


Scooter Story:

On a side note.. I really like all the suggestions that I've read encouraging people to stay away from renting scooters. We hit Coz for a day last year and a couple we were with had a bad scooter accident. She had to be shipped to the hospital in very rough shape where it was $5000.00 US to get patched up. It could have been much worse though. They were two on the scooter,lost control, and went off the road and right into the woods where the force of their bodies took out some small trees. If you need to rent something, rent something with four wheels! The police officers in town wanted to charge us with $150 dollars for "dangerous driving" and then, when they couldn't prove the charge they told us that the fine would be for "breaking a tree". We told the cops that if they wanted the money they could go and get it from the girl who broke the tree, with her body (we knew full well that they wouldn't go into the private hospital looking for her). They ended up letting us go with no fines. It was really scary when we had to turn around on our scooter and came across the scene of the accident. Never ever again... Doubling on scooters makes them twice as dangerous. It was a big black cloud on what should have been an amazing day in Cozumel. Thank god one of the girls that was with us could speak very good Spanish. By the way, the care in the private hospital was nothing short of awesome! You pay for it, but they were great!

Thanks for all of your help
Tucker
Montreal Quebec

 

[ggunn]

Scooter Story:

My recommendations against scooter rentals also stem from my own experience. On the "old road" coming into town from the south end, just south of Chankanaab, there is a spot that will evermore to the group I go to Cozumel with be known as "Jimy's Curve" (everybody sing - Ya won't come back from Jimy's Currrrve...) where my brother Jimy (who was right in front of me going about 40 mph) got into a spot where he couldn't make a turn and launched a scooter into the trees. He bailed out and somersaulted in the gravel on the shoulder, and I damn near hit him with my own scooter, because I was having a similar prob and just barely avoided his fate myself. Luckily, his trip to the emergency room involved only a few stitches, but it could very easily have been a whole lot worse.

A couple of years later, my dentist (who was also an old friend) was killed in a very similar incident on a rented scooter on the Yucatan.

Rent something with 4 wheels.

 

[Christi]

Courtesy of Sally, Barefoot in Cozumel.

Top Ten Reasons NOT to rent a Scooter in Cozumel

Please, please, please do NOT rent a scooter. Everyday here in Cozumel, people are scraped up off the roads as a result of moped accidents.

Sally's Top Ten Reasons Not to Rent a Moped:

10. Most Cozumel streets are one way, except where they aren't.

9. Most north-south streets have the right of way, except where they don't.

8. Patches of gravel appear in the most unlikely spots, making it easy to skid and topple.

7. The brakes on most of the rentals are not in "perfect" condition.

6. Beautiful seaside vistas take your breath away, and your attention off the road.

5. Many tourists have just been to Carlos 'n' Charlie's and are now behind the wheel of a car.

4. Taxis are racing to see how many fares they can transport in one day.

3. Mopeds have a short wheel base which makes them less maneuverable than, say, a motorcycle. (That's for all of you thinking that if you have a motorcycle license, a moped is a piece of cake.)

2. Mopeds do not have adequate acceleration to get you out of a potentially dangerous situation. (Again, for the motorcyclists out there, you understand what I mean.)

1. Given 2-10, a little road rash is enough to ruin any vacation. Going home in a box falls into another category.

Please be safe, spend a little more and surround yourself with a rental car. Return from your vacation in one piece. Mopeds are not an adventure, they are a danger.

Courtesy of Sally/Barefoot in Cozumel

 

[ShakaZulu]

Hmmm, I think I should go to Coz and rent some scooters, they seem fun.........

 

[Moodiejeff]

3. Mopeds have a short wheel base which makes them less maneuverable than, say, a motorcycle. (That's for all of you thinking that if you have a motorcycle license, a moped is a piece of cake.)

2. Mopeds do not have adequate acceleration to get you out of a potentially dangerous situation. (Again, for the motorcyclists out there, you understand what I mean.)

For those of you who know how to drive motorcycles, trust me, scooters are harder!

I usually get one for a few days on my trips but I always have at least one good scare each time.

Road Rash Sucks! Trust me, I know! Luckily it's never happened on vacation.

As far as beaches on the east side... pick one that has a lifeguard. Seriously.

 

[Taucher]

I am always amazed at the overloaded scooters I see in Cozumel. My wife and I were there last week and actually saw a group of guys driving with the big Carlos & Charlies yard glasses dangling from there teeth as these drove through town. We stay at the Scuba Club Cozumel where we can enjoy a nice 15-20 minute walk into town. Except for a taxi to and from the airport, our preferred method of travel is walking!

Especially this time out as the street are being re-done and are all torn up with traffic restrictions changing daily.

 

[QueenAngel]

[saw a group of guys driving with the big Carlos & Charlies yard glasses dangling from there teeth as these drove through town.

I join Christi in suggesting that a holiday might not be the best time to rent a scooter in Coz. Why risk a good time?

Especially this time out as the street are being re-done and are all torn up with traffic restrictions changing daily.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the news of the construction! We'll be heading there in 2 weeks. Makes taking a taxi a sure thing for the obligatory " shopping" trip.

 

[Corigan]

Even the taxi rides are scary in Coz. I saw a woman not even make it out of the moped parking lot before she fell off and broke her arm last time I was down there. I wonder what the # of moped accidents daily is there.

Matt

 

[dnhill]

I ride a vespa at home and am very comfortable on one. I choose not to rent one in CZM for many of the above reasons and that the scooters that are rented usually have poor tires and are not the best maintained. I happen upon a wreck where two people were along the side of the road after their scooter had a blow out. After determining that they would be OK, I looked at the scooter tire that blew. There was almost no tread on the tire at all. I am sure these folks had to pay for the "damage" to the scooter. My best guess is that folks that rent these scooters in CZM have little or no experience riding them. A jeep rental is really not much more expensive if there are three or four people riding around.

dnhill