playa del carmen

Chac Mool, Dive 59

November 29, 2011

Dive: 59
Cozumel Dive: 4
Date: 11/29/11
Site: Chac Mool, Playa del Carmen
Avg/Max Depth: 28/42
Temp: 75
TBT/CBT: 0:41/48:10
Buddies: Nick, Curtis, Kristen

I was very concerned about my ears going into the second dive. Delphine told us we were going to surface in one of the caves where there was an air pocket to have a look around. My first descent went well, but I started having serious problems after that. After hanging out at 25 feet for longer than I had patience for with no ear improvement, I gave the up signal for the first time in my diving career. I could see the entry point from where we were and I completely threw in the proverbial towel. Delphine brought me up to about 10 feet and had me descend again very slowly. All was good after that. Well, all except my mask, which decided it was going to leak like a geiser the entire dive.

Overall, it was a great diving experience. I’m really glad we made the trip to the mainland to do them. Words can’t do the cenotes justice, so have a look at one of Curtis’s videos:

Kukulkan, Dive 58

November 29, 2011

Dive: 58
Cozumel Dive: 3
Date: 11/29/11
Site: Kukulkan, Playa del Carmen
Avg/Max Depth: 29/47
Temp: 77
TBT/CBT: 0:41/47:29
Buddies: Nick, Curtis, Kristen

On Tuesday, we were really sick of this no diving business, so we decided to head over to Playa del Carmen to dive the cenotes. Cenotes are basically naturally made caverns and caves. There are stalactites and stalagmites; it’s basically like swimming under ground. The water is fresh and crystal clear. At times it didn’t even feel like we were underwater at all. It got dark, so we all had to carry lights. Our Divemaster, Delphine, instructed us on different signals to use with the lights before we took the plunge. As disappointing as it was, I decided not to bring my camera along. I didn’t want to juggle the camera and the light, and I figured the photos wouldn’t turn out well in the low (and sometimes lack of) lighting.

We weren’t completely in a cave. For the most part there was always light from somewhere, and we could usually see the surface, even if it was off in the distance and around a corner. I was a bit nervous going into it, but as usual, once underwater, I was fine.

Although we were never very deep, there were lots of ups and downs as we swam over the landscaping, and my ears started giving me problems right away. Typically with my ear issues, it’s only on the second dive, and that’s after diving for a couple of days and descending to 60 or so feet. Not on the first dive at 20 feet. It was very frustrating, especially knowing I was holding up the group. Granted, the group was just the four of us and Delphine, so I didn’t feel too badly. Still, it’s not fun to be that person. But it comes with the territory of diving, and I think everyone has been there at some point. Hopefully it’s something other people are patient about.

The water felt chilly, and I was glad that Delphine convinced me to wear a shorty wet suit or I would have been freezing. There were only a few little fishies here and there. The coolest thing for me to see was the halocline. When the salt and fresh water meet, it creates this oily layer that we could see. When we descended into it, everything became blurry. It was a head trip, that’s for sure.

Here’s a fancy little video Curtis put together:

Cozumel/Playa del Carmen – Tuesday 11/29

November 29, 2011

The morning wasn’t looking much better for us as far as diving went, and without knowing whether the port would be open, we decided to go with the option that guaranteed us two dives: Playa del Carmen.

We had breakfast before signing up for some cenote dives, then hung out in the rooms until ten. We hauled our dive gear down to the street to hail a cab. No one bothered bringing a large mesh bag from home, so the hauling was quite tricky. We caught the eleven o’clock ferry, which was late, and arrived at Playa del Carmen at noon.

The Blue Angel dive shop arranged for us to be picked up by Mexican Blue Dream dive shop. The driver was holding a sign that read “Jill,Nick, Kristen & Curtin.” [sic] I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve read my name on a sign. (It’s also the first time I’ve gotten to use [sic].) At first I was like, I’m finally one of those important people!… then I realized those people really aren’t that important after all. We were whisked away to the dive shop, where we met our Divemaster, Delphine, and filled out paperwork. She talked me into wearing a shorty wetsuit since the water temps were in the low 70s. I wasn’t thrilled, but I’d rather deal with the inconvenience of wearing a suit than be cold for two dives.

Delphine was awesome. Probably the most enjoyable DM I’ve had the pleasure of diving with. She was energetic, funny, able to deflect all Nick’s crap, and from France so she had an awesome accent.

The van ride to the cenotes was about 20 minutes; it was nice to travel on dry land for a change. On the way, we stopped and picked up sandwiches to eat during our surface interval. Kristen had half of hers right away. I was tempted to do the same, but I knew if I did, I’d just be disappointed both times that it wasn’t a whole sandwich. I might have caved had I not already mooched a granola bar off her on the ride to the dive shop.

When we were done with our dives, it was a mad dash to get back to the ferry so we could catch the 6:00 out as opposed to the 8:00. We would have had dinner in Playa del Carmen if we weren’t hauling our gear and looking like wet divers.

I’m really disappointed that I didn’t get any pictures while there. It was a really neat looking little place with beautiful beaches, and it would be nice to hang out there for the day without rushing to the dive shop then rushing back to the ferry. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to go back, especially if the ports keep closing.

For dinner, we went to El Moro, the restaurant with the MSD sticker. I was looking forward to seeing the shriveled up shark in person, but it must have seen its last days because it wasn’t there. Curtis, Kristen, and I enjoyed a variety seafood platter, while Nick played it safe with chicken fajitas. And Coca-Cola, of course. Who can resist an ice cold bottle of Mexican Coke?

Nick chatted up the cab driver on the way home. At Nick’s not-so-subtle hints, she was kind enough to stop at an Oxxo so we could get snacks. He even gave her a choice of candy bar when we arrived at the hotel! #whataguy