sharky60
Contributor
Just got back from Coz on Saturday, what a great trip! We managed to slip in between Francis and Ivanby the grace of God. The weather was unbelievabe last week, oh by the way we were there Sept. 3rd thru 11th.
Like I was saying the weather was just great! Sunny, low humidity for this time of year and it only rained
one afternoon the whole week.
We flew in on Friday the 3rd and checked in to our ol' haunt La Ceiba. the top 3 floors were closed for
construction as they slowly prepare the place to be a time share hotel. We were told that it will be a full
time share hotel within 5 years, I may just have to break down an buy one by then as this is still my favorite
location on the island and we just love the staff that we have gotten to know over the years.
Anywho, to the good stuff, we started diving on Saturday, dove with DIVE WITH MARTIN, really good op with the
package we bought we got a free night dive and video. On top of that is prices were the best I've found, cash only by the way. We had a good time with DM's and boat capt's.
The current was rippin! most likely due to Hurricane Francis, the visability was good though, Columbia wall? and
Columbia shallows were on tap. Saw my first electric
ray & got some good pics.
I rented the sea & sea dx-3000 digital camera setup from my buddy Holly at Island Photo & Video 4 of the 6 days we dove and got some great pics, I'll try and post some when I get eveything sorted out.
Made our night dive on Saturday night at Paradise reef. WOW! what a ride! the current was unbelieveable! we just
flew through the water!! at least a 5 knot current, it felt like being in a car at 20 mph.
did see a really big puffer 2'+, large crab, large group of sea stars and the coolest was the school of baby squid no longer than 3" that were swimming (flying) along with us.
We took Sunday off to go to Church, visited a start up chruch on the island the pastor Chris was a very good
teacher, the church is called the Community Church of Cozumel I think. It is currently held in a small rental
space at 11th ave. and approx 20th. English service at 10:00am.
We ate brunch at Rock and Java, highly recommended!!! very good food, Capaccinos, fruit cups, whole wheat pancakes, and breakfast tacos with whole wheat tortillas were our choice. you can't even find whole wheat items back here at the states on most menus! Stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner, her desserts are wonderful! we stopped in later in the day for a chocolate, macadameian nut and banana shake, to die for!!
Resumed diving on Monday, Santa Rosa wall I believe and then one of the shallows. the current had calmed down by
then and it was the usual peaceful drift dives the rest of the week.
After our morning dive we moved down the the Occidental Grand to hook up with some friends, this place is
beautiful! I'm an architectural designer by trade and I have to say I was very impressed. the buildings have very
nice lines not just a block dressed up. the rooms are very nice with roomy bathrooms with seperate glass showers
and tub. safes in the room, small balconies, but big enough to dry the gear on.
We had a bad experience with our first all inclusive venture, but the food here was really good. different things
on the buffets daily for all the meals. a lot of times you'll get the same thing day in and day out, but not here.
We ate at the "fancy" by reservation only mexican restaurant twice and had very good meals, my wife had a shrimp dish that she said was the best thing she had ever eaten on the island, and we've had dinner at most of the better restaurants on the island.
Took Tuesday off from diving for some crazy reason, dove Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, everywhere from Punta Sur
to Palancar. The diving just got better as the week went on, Punta Sur was the only bad visab dive we had, you
couldn't see 30' on the surface but by the time we hit 100' it had improved to 50-60'. Everywhere else it was 80+.
I got up close and personal with a small nurse shark on Friday, we did the upper part of Columbia shallows to the
lower part of Palancar and came up on a 4 footer laying under a small shelf, I took a really nice close up pic of
her head, the photo shows the texture of her skin and it's really cool. Then I reached down and pet her gently on
the tail, (don't try this at home kids, I am a semi-professinal with 20 years + of shark diving), she slowly swam
out of her resting place and I got another great pic of her swimming off. What a great way to end the week!
Had good meals at Ernesto's, twice; Prima's as always had great blackened grouper; Casa Denis as always had great
snapper, Denis style, a light lemon butter suace with almonds; as I said don't miss Rock n Java for any meal; and we had a jeep the last 2 days there so we had lunch over
at Coconuts on the Carribean side Thurs. & Fri., WOW love them margaritas!!!!!
Only been home for a couple of days and looking forward to the next trip, thanks again to Holly at ISLAND PHOTO,
Martin, Pancho and the great crews at DIVE WITH MARTIN, and all my amigos in paradise, hope to see y'all soon.
GOD BLESS,
THE SHARK
Like I was saying the weather was just great! Sunny, low humidity for this time of year and it only rained
one afternoon the whole week.
We flew in on Friday the 3rd and checked in to our ol' haunt La Ceiba. the top 3 floors were closed for
construction as they slowly prepare the place to be a time share hotel. We were told that it will be a full
time share hotel within 5 years, I may just have to break down an buy one by then as this is still my favorite
location on the island and we just love the staff that we have gotten to know over the years.
Anywho, to the good stuff, we started diving on Saturday, dove with DIVE WITH MARTIN, really good op with the
package we bought we got a free night dive and video. On top of that is prices were the best I've found, cash only by the way. We had a good time with DM's and boat capt's.
The current was rippin! most likely due to Hurricane Francis, the visability was good though, Columbia wall? and
Columbia shallows were on tap. Saw my first electric
ray & got some good pics.
I rented the sea & sea dx-3000 digital camera setup from my buddy Holly at Island Photo & Video 4 of the 6 days we dove and got some great pics, I'll try and post some when I get eveything sorted out.
Made our night dive on Saturday night at Paradise reef. WOW! what a ride! the current was unbelieveable! we just
flew through the water!! at least a 5 knot current, it felt like being in a car at 20 mph.
did see a really big puffer 2'+, large crab, large group of sea stars and the coolest was the school of baby squid no longer than 3" that were swimming (flying) along with us.
We took Sunday off to go to Church, visited a start up chruch on the island the pastor Chris was a very good
teacher, the church is called the Community Church of Cozumel I think. It is currently held in a small rental
space at 11th ave. and approx 20th. English service at 10:00am.
We ate brunch at Rock and Java, highly recommended!!! very good food, Capaccinos, fruit cups, whole wheat pancakes, and breakfast tacos with whole wheat tortillas were our choice. you can't even find whole wheat items back here at the states on most menus! Stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner, her desserts are wonderful! we stopped in later in the day for a chocolate, macadameian nut and banana shake, to die for!!
Resumed diving on Monday, Santa Rosa wall I believe and then one of the shallows. the current had calmed down by
then and it was the usual peaceful drift dives the rest of the week.
After our morning dive we moved down the the Occidental Grand to hook up with some friends, this place is
beautiful! I'm an architectural designer by trade and I have to say I was very impressed. the buildings have very
nice lines not just a block dressed up. the rooms are very nice with roomy bathrooms with seperate glass showers
and tub. safes in the room, small balconies, but big enough to dry the gear on.
We had a bad experience with our first all inclusive venture, but the food here was really good. different things
on the buffets daily for all the meals. a lot of times you'll get the same thing day in and day out, but not here.
We ate at the "fancy" by reservation only mexican restaurant twice and had very good meals, my wife had a shrimp dish that she said was the best thing she had ever eaten on the island, and we've had dinner at most of the better restaurants on the island.
Took Tuesday off from diving for some crazy reason, dove Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, everywhere from Punta Sur
to Palancar. The diving just got better as the week went on, Punta Sur was the only bad visab dive we had, you
couldn't see 30' on the surface but by the time we hit 100' it had improved to 50-60'. Everywhere else it was 80+.
I got up close and personal with a small nurse shark on Friday, we did the upper part of Columbia shallows to the
lower part of Palancar and came up on a 4 footer laying under a small shelf, I took a really nice close up pic of
her head, the photo shows the texture of her skin and it's really cool. Then I reached down and pet her gently on
the tail, (don't try this at home kids, I am a semi-professinal with 20 years + of shark diving), she slowly swam
out of her resting place and I got another great pic of her swimming off. What a great way to end the week!
Had good meals at Ernesto's, twice; Prima's as always had great blackened grouper; Casa Denis as always had great
snapper, Denis style, a light lemon butter suace with almonds; as I said don't miss Rock n Java for any meal; and we had a jeep the last 2 days there so we had lunch over
at Coconuts on the Carribean side Thurs. & Fri., WOW love them margaritas!!!!!
Only been home for a couple of days and looking forward to the next trip, thanks again to Holly at ISLAND PHOTO,
Martin, Pancho and the great crews at DIVE WITH MARTIN, and all my amigos in paradise, hope to see y'all soon.
GOD BLESS,
THE SHARK
