Worst of Cozumel.

[tridacna]

When you've dived in Coxumel (4 trips for me) AND truly great destinations, you realize that Coz is the Mickey D of dive destinations. Easy to get to, you know what you're getting, it's cheap and consistent but hardly gourmet. Getting to the Maldives or the Philippines can be a giant PITA, accom can be spotty but the diving is unbelievable. We ARE talking about the diving right? If I want great restaurants, I can stay in NYC. I think that people just love the convenience and ease of diving there which is why they rave so much. The diving is meh at best.

 

[Mike]

And that's cool, but what put this bee in your bonnet to just keep talking down to people who REALLY like Coz.... for whatever reason. I just don't understand what trips your trigger so much about it? I mean it this last bit, you kinda say the same thing. Coz diving is pretty cool for alot of reason, period, regardless of how great some other place might be.

You will interpret it how you like based on your own agenda, but what you want to use to personally slap me about is basically a pretty neutral statement about diving-

Here is what I said again -

Mexico is convenient and cheap, I like diving in Coz because it's pretty good diving when you compare it to the rest of the diving in the Caribbean, it beats some other places I've been to, but I'm a scuba diver, not a cozumel scuba diver, there is a whole planet we live on with 70% of it covered in water. That's a lot of dive sites and experiences waiting.

If you find it offensive or putting people down because they like Cozumel, that's because that's your agenda, you're always looking to paint any comments that way. Just cause you want to pretend it, doesn't make it real.Sorry you'll need to hang your labels on someone else.

Let's see in that comment I said -

1) I like diving in Coz
2) it's pretty good diving
3) It beats some other places I've been to

Holy crap that is very high and mighty and putting others down!

I heard the other fellow come in and say, 'if you dive the best of the world, you won't like Coz anymore cuz it is nothing special." Why would be so important to pop into the forum just to say, "I have been to the best of the world and your favorite little corner of the world is nothing in comparison." What is the point except maybe agitation?

Must be agitation. Glad you're in the internet police and can make the arrest for somebody voicing his opinion that differs with yours.

Isn't it simply easier to ignore a thread called "worst of Cozumel" and not post in, not open it up at all, and instead post in some burrito threads about how great the salsa is somewhere, unless of course you just can't stand that it's a free world and there are going to be people with opinions different than yours and that doesn't make them a bad person, or an agitator in your precious forum, but maybe just somebody with a different life experience than yourself?

Breathe deeply, relax, Cozumel isn't going away due to a handful of people who say there is some diving they find better elsewhere, it's just their opinion.

 

[tall0n1]

This is my first post on this site......

I know this is the "Worst of Cozumel" thread, and I will eventually get to what I don't like about it, but first let me introduce myself.

My wife and I started diving in 1995, and after being certified in Lake Travis (we live in Texas), we used to go to Cozumel 4 times a year in order to dive. We have dived in New Zealand (north island), Australia, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Bahamas, and most recently the Maldives last year. After 18 years and 300+ dives each, Cozumel is still our favorite, believe it or not.
The Bahamas may have clearer water, and the Maldives may have more fish, but as a whole, we both prefer Cozumel.

What do I not like about Cozumel? The taxi mafia. We have friends who were born and raised there, and when we visit, they are afraid of us being seen in their car because the taxi mafia will slash their tires and break their windows if they think they are taking business away from them.

 

[AggieDiver]

I think the entire argument between the "we love Cozumel" crowd and the "Cozumel is nothing special" crowd probably comes down to a simple difference in why different people go diving. People who are searching for "the best", whatever that may mean to them, are always going somewhere diffierent, looking for something better than whatever they used to call "the best". Once they find someplace better, then the previous places no longer hold any interest, because whenever they go there, they know that there is someplace else better and that whatever they may see on their dives, it won't compare to what they saw at "the best" place. I don't mean this in a derogatory sense, but they are similar to addicts in that they are constantly seeking that next peak or high, and maintaining the status quo or seeing lower peaks over and over holds lilttle interest for them. The other side consists of the people who just love diving as a getaway from their life. They don't necessarily care if each dive is the best dive ever, because each day diving is better than a day at their desk. So for those people, finding "the best" is less important than being able to get a nitrogen fix at an interesting location frequently and inexpensively.

If you are looking for "the best", and you have been to places like Fiji, Indonesia, the Phillipines, etc. it is not surprising that Coz would hold little interest as a repeat destination. But if you want lots of good diving at prices that allow you to go easily and cheaply, Coz is pretty hard to beat.

 

[Diver Kat]

This is my first post on this site......

I know this is the "Worst of Cozumel" thread, and I will eventually get to what I don't like about it, but first let me introduce myself.

My wife and I started diving in 1995, and after being certified in Lake Travis (we live in Texas), we used to go to Cozumel 4 times a year in order to dive. We have dived in New Zealand (north island), Australia, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Bahamas, and most recently the Maldives last year. After 18 years and 300+ dives each, Cozumel is still our favorite, believe it or not.
The Bahamas may have clearer water, and the Maldives may have more fish, but as a whole, we both prefer Cozumel.

What do I not like about Cozumel? The taxi mafia. We have friends who were born and raised there, and when we visit, they are afraid of us being seen in their car because the taxi mafia will slash their tires and break their windows if they think they are taking business away from them.

Welcome to the SB Zoo tall0n1! The DH & I also got certified in Lake Travis (back in '92) and although we haven't traveled quite as far as you, we have hit a few spots around the Caribbean over the years. There is something about Coz that just makes it our favorite place as well. Maybe it's not being quite the 'best' at everything, but when you combined the diving, the food, the people and the atmosphere, it adds up to the best - for us anyway! We're heading back there next month after way too long of an absence. We recently moved out of TX (after 32 years) which really disrupted our number of annual dive trips. I'd say I was going to miss Lake Travis diving too, but with the ongoing water issues their may not be much lake to dive soon!

As for the Taxi Mafia, yeah, they are a real PITA. It's really something you wish they could fix.

 

[AggieDiver]

Well I guess I should add that I got certified in Lake Travis way back in 1988 since it seems to be kind of common around here...

 

[Diver Kat]

Well I guess I should add that I got certified in Lake Travis way back in 1988 since it seems to be kind of common around here...

LOL! Nothing like learning in no viz to make you appreciate the great viz in Coz! :happy:

(And WHO let the Aggie in the Lake????? )

 

[SailNaked]

Or from another perspective your list reads to my ears like: food that emphasizes quantity over quality, a requirement to dive with dive masters who insist on touching my gear and planning my dive, pushy vendors and street urchins, limited biodiversity of the caribbean and spending vacation with the types of people who love all those things.

No.

just watching the Cruise ship people in Senior frogs is enough bio diversity for me. so I suppose I am simple.
I said not to go to Cozumel didnt you read that part? seriously dont go.

how did you read that I said dive masters planning my dive? I get on the boat in the morning when they pick me up at my dock and my gear is all properly set up and ready for me to inspect. I am certain I did not say they plan my dives, they do of course show me cool stuff I might have missed under rocks I might not have looked under.

so I said the food was excellent and cheap, and you heard "quantity over quality" dude you need to change your meds please do not go to Coz it is a terrible place there are lots of enthusiastic happy people there and they might upset you.

I think I should not have posted in the first place, was trying to be funny, and this is a thread for COz Bashing. my bad.

 

[AggieDiver]

LOL! Nothing like learning in no viz to make you appreciate the great viz in Coz! :happy:

(And WHO let the Aggie in the Lake????? )

I was there with a whole crew of Aggies! I took scubadiving as a PE class at A&M, and they did the checkout dives in late November in Lake Travis. I was dumb enough to say "no, I don't need to rent a wetsuit. I will just wear the one I use surfing (a 2mm shorty)." The water and air temp for our checkout dives were in the upper 50s or low 60s and it was cloudy and windy. I was lucky not to die of hypothermia.

 

[cvchief]

Holy Toledo, I should have known not to step in the path of a speeding Mike....

You said:

I don't think its the worst thing about Cozumel that the clique defends it to the point of the extreme, in the process typically tossing out all sense of logic or reality. In fact I love that they do, it's quite entertaining to watch the process predictably unfold time and time again, and with such seriousness. The seriousness of it is at least half of what makes it so entertaining.

1. That would be probably part I personally found condescending. Who 'gushed' about Cozumel in a manner that was derisive of you?

Post 143 above is hilarious to me in regard to someone has to analyze someone's comments of their 'average/mediocre' experience by compartmentalizing and analyzing the comments to put it into a tight little box that they are finally satisfied that "must have been because of the hurricane", then they can I guess sleep peacefully and feel all is right again now that they've solved the mystery of how anybody could possibly use 'mediocre' to describe Cozumel. Must have been because of the hurricane, dismisses totally the chance that there are actually other dive experiences out there that people are having and might rival diving in Cozumel. That kind of stuff is kind of entertaining.

2. See 1 above.

Mexico is convenient and cheap, I like diving in Coz because it's pretty good diving when you compare it to the rest of the diving in the Caribbean, it beats some other places I've been to, but I'm a scuba diver, not a cozumel scuba diver, there is a whole planet we live on with 70% of it covered in water. That's a lot of dive sites and experiences waiting.

This last bit I have no comment on. I can't argue with a bit of it. Seems perfectly correct.

You will interpret it how you like based on your own agenda, but what you want to use to personally slap me about is basically a pretty neutral statement about diving-

I have several agendas. Most of them for long boring meeting. Not about Cozumel.....

Here is what I said again -


If you find it offensive or putting people down because they like Cozumel, that's because that's your agenda, you're always looking to paint any comments that way. Just cause you want to pretend it, doesn't make it real.Sorry you'll need to hang your labels on someone else.

I am not sure I understand what you are saying. I think I was saying you sort of labelled anyone who REALLY likes Cozumel as a bit of a backwater, parochial. I just thought that was a bridge to far.

Let's see in that comment I said -

1) I like diving in Coz
2) it's pretty good diving
3) It beats some other places I've been to

Holy crap that is very high and mighty and putting others down!

See 1 and 2 above. This 1,2,3, summation is without vitriol. I got nothing to say about this bit.

Must be agitation. Glad you're in the internet police and can make the arrest for somebody voicing his opinion that differs with yours.

Isn't it simply easier to ignore a thread called "worst of Cozumel" and not post in, not open it up at all, and instead post in some burrito threads about how great the salsa is somewhere, unless of course you just can't stand that it's a free world and there are going to be people with opinions different than yours and that doesn't make them a bad person, or an agitator in your precious forum, but maybe just somebody with a different life experience than yourself?

Breathe deeply, relax, Cozumel isn't going away due to a handful of people who say there is some diving they find better elsewhere, it's just their opinion.

Speaking of labels, I think you are trying to label me. You are the one laughing at "clique defends it to the point of the extreme, in the process typically tossing out all sense of logic or reality."

I believe I said repeatedly, I am not disputing your opinion of Cozumel. Your little 1,2,3 is not something I can or would argue with. It's the way you express your feelings about those who disagree with you.

To return the advice: Breathe deeply, relax, the rest of the world isn't going away due to a handful of people who say there is no better diving than they find in Cozumel, it's just their opinion.