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Well..What can I say... WOW!!! Great Trip!
Flew non-stop Detroit to Coz. 3.5hr flight. Almost got tricked into the timeshare pitch before we got to the curb. Clean cut polo shirted guy asks very officially to check your itenarary to ensure that you have transportation to your hotel, walk away with your paper work to their kiosk, next as they make small talk they offer a map of the island.... didn't hear the rest, realized I was getting a sales pitch
Stayed at Casa del Mar. All furniture in the room was new, everything operational. Matress was a little too firm the first 3 nights, then I got used to it. (back ache could have been shlepping that dive gear)
Sunday, spent the day with my non-diving wife at Nachi Cocum, the Casa del Mar beach. Currently only open to hotel guests. Did a 4hr imitation of the Corona comercial... cool....
Dove with Del Mar Aquatics Monday through Thursday, 8 dives total. Divemaster was Jesus. Largest boat was with 12 divers. Most days there were between 6 & 8 divers. Deepest dive 88 ft. Longest bottom time 51 minutes, total bottom time slightly over 5hrs. Wildlife observed:
These were my first open water dives in 10 years, so I was excited. But, actually the first two dives were an exercise in Alarm Management. Seems my Computer (Oceanic Pro Plus 2) End Air Pressure setting (which I set at 500 psi) alarms at 10 and 5 minutes until reaching the setpoint based on air usage rate. So there is a period there where during exertion you could get the 5 min alarm, stop kicking and then get the 10 minute alarm due to decrease air usage rate. The reduce depth and do it all again. Additonally my dive watch (Citizen Aqualand) only allows a 30ft/min ascent rate above 30ft depth. It took a while to get used to all the beeping, understand it and control it.
The Food! In a word, Fantastic. Breakfast at Casa del Mar (complementary with our stay) was great Following the Christi List we ate at:
Friday we took the Ferry to Playa del Carmen and went to Xel-Ha for some snorkeling. The wind was 20kts out of the East so the inlet silted up terribly. That meant there was more time for margaritas... Good time anyway. Very interesting that there appeared very little storm damage only 12 miles from Coz.
Visted Christi, one evening, just to say high and bought a T-shirt.
I'd go again, in a heartbeat
Flew non-stop Detroit to Coz. 3.5hr flight. Almost got tricked into the timeshare pitch before we got to the curb. Clean cut polo shirted guy asks very officially to check your itenarary to ensure that you have transportation to your hotel, walk away with your paper work to their kiosk, next as they make small talk they offer a map of the island.... didn't hear the rest, realized I was getting a sales pitch
Stayed at Casa del Mar. All furniture in the room was new, everything operational. Matress was a little too firm the first 3 nights, then I got used to it. (back ache could have been shlepping that dive gear)
Sunday, spent the day with my non-diving wife at Nachi Cocum, the Casa del Mar beach. Currently only open to hotel guests. Did a 4hr imitation of the Corona comercial... cool....
Dove with Del Mar Aquatics Monday through Thursday, 8 dives total. Divemaster was Jesus. Largest boat was with 12 divers. Most days there were between 6 & 8 divers. Deepest dive 88 ft. Longest bottom time 51 minutes, total bottom time slightly over 5hrs. Wildlife observed:
- Eagle Rays
- Baracuda- including one with a head as big as my thigh, he was peaking out of the Planacar wall at 90 ft.
- Nurse shark
- Splendid toadfish
- Green Sea Turtle
- Grunts -- all kinds
- Grouper-- including a 200 pounder
- Parrot fish
- Hogfish
- Sargeant Major
- Anglefish--Queen, Gray, & French
- Bar Jack
- Horse-eyed Jack
- Palometa
- Sand Tilefish
- Puffer
- Trunkfish
- Stonefish
- Spiny Lobster- one 4 pounder
These were my first open water dives in 10 years, so I was excited. But, actually the first two dives were an exercise in Alarm Management. Seems my Computer (Oceanic Pro Plus 2) End Air Pressure setting (which I set at 500 psi) alarms at 10 and 5 minutes until reaching the setpoint based on air usage rate. So there is a period there where during exertion you could get the 5 min alarm, stop kicking and then get the 10 minute alarm due to decrease air usage rate. The reduce depth and do it all again. Additonally my dive watch (Citizen Aqualand) only allows a 30ft/min ascent rate above 30ft depth. It took a while to get used to all the beeping, understand it and control it.
The Food! In a word, Fantastic. Breakfast at Casa del Mar (complementary with our stay) was great Following the Christi List we ate at:
- Casa Dennis (twice)
- El Morro
- La Mission
- Guidos
Friday we took the Ferry to Playa del Carmen and went to Xel-Ha for some snorkeling. The wind was 20kts out of the East so the inlet silted up terribly. That meant there was more time for margaritas... Good time anyway. Very interesting that there appeared very little storm damage only 12 miles from Coz.
Visted Christi, one evening, just to say high and bought a T-shirt.
I'd go again, in a heartbeat
