WA or Macro for Cozumel

[rickcavanaugh 0]

Doing a VERY short trip to Cozumel in 2 weeks. Total of 3 dives....

 

 

I will only bring 1 port. So what would you bring?????

 

Wide Angle 10.5mm 20 mm

Macro 60 mm 105 mm

 

 

Thanks

[jlyle 8]

macro, is my vote.

[Lionfish43 0]

The 10.5 would be my choice. Cozumel usually has great visibility and the reef topography lends itself to the wide-angle lens. The current can make macro a challenge. Most dive ops in Cozumel are follow the leader by necessity and, depending on who you dive with, it may be difficult to stop for macro opportunities.

 

I have seen a lot of great macro stuff from Cozumel but, for me anyway, it's about WA.

Edited December 28, 2007 by Lionfish43

[mtnman 0]

As much as I love marco if i had only one lens in Coz it would be wide angle. The reef scenes are perfect for the 10.5. In addition marco can be difficult on many dives because of current.

[underwatercolours 0]

Yea, my vote would be wide angle too, but I'd go with a 20mm. I've never been much of a macro shooter but if I could get Jim Lyle to give me some lessons, maybe I would go with a 60mm. I would skip the 105 unless you're doing shore dives. Things just move too fast for 105.

[TheRealDrew 0]

Doing a VERY short trip to Cozumel in 2 weeks. Total of 3 dives....

I will only bring 1 port. So what would you bring?????

 

Wide Angle 10.5mm 20 mm

Macro 60 mm 105 mm

Thanks

 

 

Some shallow areas may be more conducive to macro than the deeper dives (Paradise Reef and some parts of Palancar for instanct). The deeper dives have nice walls which are good WA but as you come up there are smaller reef patches/areas higher. You will get a good selection of standard Carribean Reef Critters - Angel Fish, Filefish, Turtles, Rays, Nurse Sharks, Eels and the other usual reef suspects fairly often. There is also the Splendid Toadfish, a Cozumel critter.

 

A week and a half ago we saw many Eagle Rays in some of the deeper sites.

 

For the most part, as others mentioned, many sites will have currents, and you should expect currents. You need to get used to cutting into them to get still, turning back into the current and holding your position and/or getting behind walls/cut throughs.

 

Often you can find some good things on the sand - pipefish, gobies and the occassional seahorse, but would not count on the seashorses. I will often head to the sand side of the wall at shallower depths because you can get lower and out of the current to some degree and makes it easier to get shots.

 

Once in awhile the sites may be calm/low current (usually the one dive I decide not to shoot it seems ) but for the most part count on at least 1 knot I would guess. If someone says you are going to Barracuda or North it usually alot rougher and stronger currents (Barracude is usually 4 knots plus). For the most parts the boats head South though.

 

I guess if I had to pick one to go with, probably WA (either that or book some more dives and take both ports ) and make the dive boat go to the wall dives. Also there is the C-53, a wreck in about 90 feet of water. Not a serious wreck divers wreck dive, but may make for some intertesting shots. Often there is a strong current there at the surface. You cannot dive with gloves in the marine park, but if you do that dive you can use them for hanging onto the rope during the safety stop.

Edited December 29, 2007 by TheRealDrew

[jlyle 8]

I've never been much of a macro shooter but if I could get Jim Lyle to give me some lessons, maybe I would go with a 60mm.

 

I just love a sweet talkin' woman!

 

I have 7-14, 14-54, 50, and 105mm lenses. In Cozumel, I found the 14-54 to be the lens of choice for "I don't know what I'm going to see on this dive." The deep reefs are great for WA, but the shallower reefs are teeming with fish and other small colorful critters that are better suited to a macro lens - flamingo tongues, toadfish, seahorses, pipefish, nudibranchs, etc. If you are going to dive the C-53, then take the WA, otherwise, I would still say, go macro.

[ornate_wrasse 0]

I will only bring 1 port. So what would you bring?????

 

I agree with underwatercolours that you should leave the 105 at home unless doing shore dives. When I was there for an entire week, I did not use it once, nor were the conditions suitable to use it.

 

I used both the 10.5 and the 60 on my trip to Coz last summer. However, if the current was strong, it was sometimes hard to get decent shots with the 60. Many destinations are not good for wide angle photography but Cozumel is one of the dive destinations that IS good for wide angle photography.

 

So, if it were me, I would take the 10.5. Just make sure you keep the strobes well back and you'll do well.

 

My two cents on the topic,

 

Ellen