Cozumel Dive Trip, Day 1: Too Windy, No Diving.

Last year, John, Matthew, and I decided to take a dive trip sometime this winter to somewhere warm and sunny. We chose Cozumel, an island of the Caribbean coast of Mexico, one of the best-rated dive destinations in the world. We were very excited to get into the water, and we were very excited to spend some males-only time together. Matthew and I had been to Cozumel before (separately), In fact this would be my fourth trip, but John had never been.

 Our first sight of azure tropical waters only heightened the excitement as we flew into Cancun, just across a narrow strait from Cozumel. The first sign of trouble was the ferry trip to the island from Playa del Carmen. The seas were running high, pushed by high northwest winds, a weather pattern that is fairly rare; the prevailing winds are usually from the east, making the waters off the island's west coast a tranquil oasis for divers.

Not today. As the ferry rolled and wallowed through 6 to 8 foot swells toward the port of San Miguel, the only town on Cozumel, we began to suspect that our prospects for happy diving were slim.

The next morning at 7:30, we checked with the dive shop and found our prospects even further diminished: the harbor was closed indefinitely. They asked us to come back at 11:00 just in case. The winds were strong, and we were skeptical, but we went for breakfast and discussed Plan B.

At 11:00, the winds were still high, so we put Plan B in effect. We rented a car and drove south to find a snorkelable beach.

We found one, along with lunch and too-sweet pina coladas at Playa Palancar. The beach was protected from the wind, and the water was warm and inviting. The visibility was outstanding and the sea full of colorful fish. It was wonderful to finally get in the water.

When we rented the car, the guy at the rental counter had pointed us to a bar on the east side
 of the island "where American girls flash you."
And here it was! Coconuts!

Alas, no flashing while we were there, but there were a few faded reminders of flashes past.

There were however large and powerful margaritas.

As well as large and powerful parrots.

As night approached, we returned the car and found ourselves a swingers' bar.

This unfortunately ushered in a night of bar crawling that was regretted
 in the morning by many (I was the lone, virtuous exception).

As I crawled into bed, the wind continued to howl unabated, and I could only wonder what the next day would bring.

P.