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Cozumel, Mexico
- The Scuba Diver's Island Paradise |
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If you enjoy traveling to
Mexico, and you enjoy scuba diving, then you should
schedule a trip to Cozumel, Mexico. Most divers agree
that Cozumel offers the best reef and wall diving in
all of Mexico. Some reports claim that Hurricane Wilma,
which hit Cozumel in 2005, had destroyed much of the
reefs. However, we just took a scuba trip in February
2007, and we found most of the wall and reef below 40
feet to be in good condition. Most of the fish have
returned, and the coral structures seemed to be in good
shape. However, the shallower reefs and snorkeling areas
definitely showed evidence of hurricane damage
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The Diving
Cozumel is a 29 mile long island located just
a few miles off of the Yucatan Peninsula. The
most densely inhabited side of the island has
dramatic underwater geography with enormous
walls and underwater canyons. There is a decent
current running along the coast, so almost all
of the wall and reef diving is drift diving.
Most of the good diving is also at depths of
60 to 140 feet. So Cozumel demands some good
diving skills. If you are comfortable with drift
diving and are fine with diving fairly deep,
most of the Cozumel diving will make for a relaxing
journey where you hardly have to kick your flippers.
If you have time, you should also consider diving
the cenotes!
You should be aware that Cozumel is also know
to have some of the most decompression sickness
cases of any dive destination. Some factors
which lead to a higher rate of decompression
sickness are the tendency for divers to be dehydrated
due to the heat and humidity of the area and
the excessive alcohol consumption for those
who enjoy the Cozumel nightlife. Because many
of the dives in Cozumel are below 60 feet, there
is also a higher risk of decompression if you
do not pay close attention to your dive tables.
So drink lots of water and take more safety
stops than your computer tells you.
If you do think you are showing signs of DCS,
Cozumel
has more hyperbaric chambers to treat DCS
than most other dive destinations! Make sure
to have your current DAN - Divers Alert Network
insurance prior to your trip! |
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Other Cozumel Activities
CARNIVAL in Cozumel
Cozumel is known for a vibrant Carnival
season which runs for about a week and
climaxes on Fat Tuesday. This typically
is in late February, but you should check
when Fat Tuesday is for the year you are
traveling. There is a big parade of floats
and dancers every night, and the clubs
get hopping around 11pm. The parades are
designed for family entertainment, so
don't expect to see girls lifting their
tops like at Mardi Gras. If you want to
get crazy, you can do that at the many
night clubs in town which stay hopping
well past midnight. |
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Exploring the Island
Diving and snorkeling is definitely the
most popular activity in Cozumel, but there
are other ways to entertain yourself while
on the island. You can take a trip around
the island via rental car or motor scooter
- make sure to get adequate Mexican
insurance for any vehicle you rent!
The beaches are best on the opposite side
of the island from where the majority of
the population is located, and there are
a few beach restaurants that you can relax
at for a lazy afternoon of munching on seafood
and sipping your favorite drinks. A highlight
for me was an octopus and conch pizza that
I found at one of the beach restaurants!
Venturing Off the Island
If you start suffering from island fever,
you can always hop on a water
ferry for a 30 minute ride to Playa
del Carmen. From Playa del Carmen, you
can organize trips to see Mayan
ruins, visit the cenotes,
see Cancun, or explore many of the other
exciting things in the Yucatan Peninsula
such as the colonial town of Merida. |
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