reefd8vr
Registered
Just got the last of the sand from behind my ears (and other places I will not mention)yesterday after getting back from Coz late Sun night. This was my 2nd trip there and I brought along the wife who finished her OW the afternoon we arrived, last Wed. So here goes my take on (most) all that we experienced....
DIVING
Thursday w/ Blue XT Sea (who I used last year as well). Our DM was Javier who we both agreed was our favorite of the trip. He was very attentive to my newbie wife and took time to give her many tips. We dove Palancar Gardens and later, Delila (sp?). This was the best vis of the trip (about 100m+) and we saw the widest range of creatures on these dives: turtles, eagle rays, VERY large parrots, barracuda, several large crabs and lobsters and some beautiful coral heads and tunicates. Unfortunately, the fun was spoiled a bit by a nasty rainstorm which began its downpour from the minute we surfaced on dive #2 to our 20min. ride back to the dock. OH WELL.
Friday w. Blue XT Sea. Our DM was Pedro who was thorough but strict (he chastised me for going 5ft. below our max depth -- 80ft!!!. Our first dive was Santa Rosa Wall which is breathtaking and earie in its scope. Didn't see any fish on this one. Our surface interval was funny (well, not really) We stopped at Playa Del Sol (I think) and I ordered my traditional intra-dive burger. It was the worst ever and later was told it was probably iguana meat! Stick to the chips here. Our next dive was very close -- Paso del Cedral. The highlight was an enormous not-shy turtle which came within a few feet of the group.
Friday night I did my first night dive at Paradise Reef. Our DM was Javier. My wife was not wild about it, but I loved it! The life was amazing -- Rays, several morays including a green moray I stumbled into, face to face, which was as big as me. Momentarily scary, but thrilling. There were unbelievably huge crabs (think dinner for 12) and lobsters. But the showstopper were the octopus who put on quite a show. I highly recommend a night dive on every trip! My only recommendation is to invest in the best light you can afford as it will make a huge difference down there.
Saturday we dove with Aldora. Our DM was Vollrath who was great. They use steel 120 tanks which are heavier and bit awkward at times, but offer longer down times. Our 1st dive was at Cedral Bricks(sp?) which offered a very slow, leisurely current. Vis was down that day and we didn't see anything out of the ordinary -- which isn't saying much because everything is extraordinary when down under. We stopped at Playa Mia between dives. After my disasterous burger experience I went for the Mexican Platter which was very good. Our final dive went to Las Palmas which was a nice, relaxing way to end our dive trip. At least for me -- the wife stayed behind at Playa Mia with her friend Marge A. Rita.
DINING DO NOT MISS:
Pepe's: romantic setting, great service, best Ribeye in a LONG time, terrific dessert. Be prepared to spend more than a few dollars here, but well worth it.
Aquario: Sat on the outdoor waterfront deck and watched a gorgeous sunset. Highly recommend the broiled Scallop appetizer and the grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of sweet squash with a fruit topponade.
Casa Dennis: Everything you'd expect from the oldest restaurants on the island - traditional Mexican fare. I'm a big fan of Mole sauce and the chicken mole was the best. Great, laid back atmosphere to "people watch" all the tourists get hustled in and around the square.
DINING EL TERRIBLE:
1.5 Ounces is supposed to be a hip sushi joint. The view was great (on the water, next to Aquario) and the Mojitos were perfect. A good place to grab a drink and watch a sunset if you can get them to turn the music down. We tried a sushi roll and received the wrong order (though we were the only ones there) and it was nasty. I'm no food critic, but I do eat sushi 2x/week back home and this was the worst I've ever had.
ACCOMODATIONS
We stayed at Vista del Mar in downtown, right across the street from the water. I stayed there last year and was pleased as I was this year (for the most part). They ran out of water in the hallway one day and had no hot water in the shower another. Other than that it is safe, clean, has a balcony view of the water, is walking distance from nearly everything, is across the street from the pier where we were picked up -- and for $70/night you really can't beat it. I don't know about you, but I always plan to spend as little time in the room as possible when on vacation, so boutique style hotels suit me just fine. My wife on the other hand, MAY have preferred El Presidente.
SUMMARY
Both Blu XT Sea and Aldora were great operations -- always on time and with quality DM's. Both used small boats with groups usually no larger than 4-6. The small boats are fast but bumpy in choppy water, so bring a seat cushion! Special thanks to Christy at Blue XT Sea for giving my wife top-of-the-line rental gear which was much better than the norm. The water is about 80 this time of year so a 3mil suit is enough for most. Bring enough cash as the ATMs charge $7 per withdrawl. And remember... always drink tons of water... just not out of the tap!
Hope this was helpful. Am now plotting my AOW Cert and a return to do the tougher dives Cozumel has to offer. Thanks to everyone there who made our trip such a great time!
DIVING
Thursday w/ Blue XT Sea (who I used last year as well). Our DM was Javier who we both agreed was our favorite of the trip. He was very attentive to my newbie wife and took time to give her many tips. We dove Palancar Gardens and later, Delila (sp?). This was the best vis of the trip (about 100m+) and we saw the widest range of creatures on these dives: turtles, eagle rays, VERY large parrots, barracuda, several large crabs and lobsters and some beautiful coral heads and tunicates. Unfortunately, the fun was spoiled a bit by a nasty rainstorm which began its downpour from the minute we surfaced on dive #2 to our 20min. ride back to the dock. OH WELL.
Friday w. Blue XT Sea. Our DM was Pedro who was thorough but strict (he chastised me for going 5ft. below our max depth -- 80ft!!!. Our first dive was Santa Rosa Wall which is breathtaking and earie in its scope. Didn't see any fish on this one. Our surface interval was funny (well, not really) We stopped at Playa Del Sol (I think) and I ordered my traditional intra-dive burger. It was the worst ever and later was told it was probably iguana meat! Stick to the chips here. Our next dive was very close -- Paso del Cedral. The highlight was an enormous not-shy turtle which came within a few feet of the group.
Friday night I did my first night dive at Paradise Reef. Our DM was Javier. My wife was not wild about it, but I loved it! The life was amazing -- Rays, several morays including a green moray I stumbled into, face to face, which was as big as me. Momentarily scary, but thrilling. There were unbelievably huge crabs (think dinner for 12) and lobsters. But the showstopper were the octopus who put on quite a show. I highly recommend a night dive on every trip! My only recommendation is to invest in the best light you can afford as it will make a huge difference down there.
Saturday we dove with Aldora. Our DM was Vollrath who was great. They use steel 120 tanks which are heavier and bit awkward at times, but offer longer down times. Our 1st dive was at Cedral Bricks(sp?) which offered a very slow, leisurely current. Vis was down that day and we didn't see anything out of the ordinary -- which isn't saying much because everything is extraordinary when down under. We stopped at Playa Mia between dives. After my disasterous burger experience I went for the Mexican Platter which was very good. Our final dive went to Las Palmas which was a nice, relaxing way to end our dive trip. At least for me -- the wife stayed behind at Playa Mia with her friend Marge A. Rita.
DINING DO NOT MISS:
Pepe's: romantic setting, great service, best Ribeye in a LONG time, terrific dessert. Be prepared to spend more than a few dollars here, but well worth it.
Aquario: Sat on the outdoor waterfront deck and watched a gorgeous sunset. Highly recommend the broiled Scallop appetizer and the grilled Mahi Mahi on a bed of sweet squash with a fruit topponade.
Casa Dennis: Everything you'd expect from the oldest restaurants on the island - traditional Mexican fare. I'm a big fan of Mole sauce and the chicken mole was the best. Great, laid back atmosphere to "people watch" all the tourists get hustled in and around the square.
DINING EL TERRIBLE:
1.5 Ounces is supposed to be a hip sushi joint. The view was great (on the water, next to Aquario) and the Mojitos were perfect. A good place to grab a drink and watch a sunset if you can get them to turn the music down. We tried a sushi roll and received the wrong order (though we were the only ones there) and it was nasty. I'm no food critic, but I do eat sushi 2x/week back home and this was the worst I've ever had.
ACCOMODATIONS
We stayed at Vista del Mar in downtown, right across the street from the water. I stayed there last year and was pleased as I was this year (for the most part). They ran out of water in the hallway one day and had no hot water in the shower another. Other than that it is safe, clean, has a balcony view of the water, is walking distance from nearly everything, is across the street from the pier where we were picked up -- and for $70/night you really can't beat it. I don't know about you, but I always plan to spend as little time in the room as possible when on vacation, so boutique style hotels suit me just fine. My wife on the other hand, MAY have preferred El Presidente.
SUMMARY
Both Blu XT Sea and Aldora were great operations -- always on time and with quality DM's. Both used small boats with groups usually no larger than 4-6. The small boats are fast but bumpy in choppy water, so bring a seat cushion! Special thanks to Christy at Blue XT Sea for giving my wife top-of-the-line rental gear which was much better than the norm. The water is about 80 this time of year so a 3mil suit is enough for most. Bring enough cash as the ATMs charge $7 per withdrawl. And remember... always drink tons of water... just not out of the tap!
Hope this was helpful. Am now plotting my AOW Cert and a return to do the tougher dives Cozumel has to offer. Thanks to everyone there who made our trip such a great time!
No worries, the ATM fees here are between 75¢ and $1.00 on all ATM machines.
