Mexico was great, and the diving was awesome. I can't say enough how good things were while we were there having fun. Several people got in ahead of me, but I arrived by the trip schedule on Thursday, meeting several people in Dallas.
Casa Del Mar was stunning, and I can't believe how much I already miss it! The food was was really outstanding, and included in the trip price! On the arrival day, Thursday, several of us went for a shore dive just to shake out our weight and some new gear, it went pretty well. On Friday, we started our trip in earnest, with a full day of boat diving. We did some good sights, Palancar Bricks and Delilah were the first two sites. I am pretty spoiled from a recent trip to Bonaire, and was a little disappointed in the coral, but the fish more than made up for it! What corals were there were stunning, and we saw turtles and sharks on the first dive!
The current was much slower than I had figured on, so I have no excuses for my poor photography except that I suck...lol
We went back to the hotel for a great lunch, and some opted to stay there, but I think most of us were back on board for the third dive, which was Punta Tunich I believe, and much more of what I thought drift diving was all about, we practically flew! This was the first dive that we were all together as a group, the previous 2 dives were split up by experience level, with the new divers going all together. I am sure that made them much more comfortable, those of us with more experience went as a group and were able to do our thing as well.
Thanks scubachick84, you were a great buddy! The two of us held up the rear of the comfortable group as we were taking pictures, and our air consumption was about identical, so we both needed to surface at the same time, no wasted air!!
After the third dive, we were at the dock cleaning gear when Kamala announced the boat was going for one more dive, was anyone interested. I was surprised no one else jumped up, but I did, and I was rewarded with the best dive of the trip! It was Kamala and I plus 3 other divers on the wreck of I believe the Phelipe Ixcontencatl, though I am sure I butcher the name.
The wreck is intact upright in pretty shallow water, not much current right on her, deck at about 45 feet or so. Kamala, the DM and two of the others went for a trip through the wreck, while I and one other diver opted to tour the outside. We met up and finished out NDL with a nice drift finding interesting creatures, including some massive hermit crabs. I mean they were in full sized conch shells!
The people, well, I must say I was aprehensive about a "group trip", but really it felt more like a binch of old friends getting together for a vacation instead of the expected awkward meet and greet and o my own thing. If you are contemplating an SD trip, sign up! It will exceed expectations.
Of course, not all is Paradise, and literally in our case it is Paradise Lost. Hurricane Dean is moving in on Cozumel and Holbox as I type this, a Cat 4+ storm. Almost all of use decided to cancel the trip and head home, no flights were available on Sunday, the airport may be closed on Monday, so we jumped on the only flight out today, Saturday. Those staying, either because they wanted to or because the flight out today filled decided to dive, I hope they get out ok and that the diving was as good as Friday.
For me taking off was sad, but also part of the adventure, and in South Carolina I was treated to a great meal via Pam and Wyndel's... I don't know, nephew? He's in charge of the kitchen of a hotel and the food was top shelf, as was the booze and by that time, I for one needed a few.
So yesterday I was recapping some great dives, looking at my bad photos, and tonight I am sitting on the floor of Washington Dulles waiting for the ticket counter to open in 5 more hours so I can check in for my final flight out. Monday I will go to work saving my last few days of vacation, perhaps I can get a cheap flight to the Bahamas inthe next few months...
So all in all thanks to Dean the trip was a bust, but what I had was a blast, and I have no reservations about signing up for another SD trip, already have two in mind, in fact!
I am going to try and get some sleep, but I haven't slept on a floor since the Army, and the guy next to me stinks to high Heaven
