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Show Diviirug off the Yuicattam Pemmsolla world very foreign to most landnational park status of sub-se- a reef locked Americans. gardens are strong drawing cards. On just about every dive boat, there Winding your way through the will be a fair share of Texans on deep coral canyons of Palancar holiday. Since Texas is the closest Reef is an experience not often U S. state to the island, the southerequalled. Water so clear it seems ners are well represented. you can see forever adds to the Some dive operations have slick enjoyment. Cruising underwater new boats with twin outboards for through the area is like watching the best of Jacques Cousteau on a power. Others use old fishing-typ- e boats that probably predate the large color television. You coast past a canyon and poke in to sport of scuba diving. There are discover the huge gray form of a about six dive shops in town and barracuda resting in the calm. most have an adjacent dive opera-- , tion. It is easy to have the diving THE DIVEMASTERS WERE prearranged with a trip package. careful to ensure everyone had a But arrangements can also be safe experience. At Maracaibo made after arrival. ' Reef, for example, (Bvemaster Carlos Sierra sent another diver in first Most of the diving is done beto testthe currents before instruct tween Maracaibo Reef and Parad-- " ise Reef. Many of the dive boats tie ing the boat load of divers to jump vin. It was only after the currents up at San Francisco Beach for were tested and the best sights lunch where a volleyball game and live music provide atmosphere and - selected that divers were allowed into the water. diversion between morning and afternoon dives. N And when the dive began, one of the divemasters carried a fishing HIGH TEMPERATURES ON the island are between 77 and 66 pole with line attached to a buoy to degrees in July and warmer than 68 provide the location of the diving in January because of the proximigroup for the dive boat. On the map it looked as though one wrong turn ty to the equator. The area also gets more than 39 inches of rain every at Maracaibo could drift you into Cuba or Honduras, and the sight of year. But even the rain is an event which doesnt delay the action. A a diver with the fishing pole linked down pour in San Miguel can fill the to the buoy helped dispel any illustreets with sufficient liquid to sions of drifting away. mask the boundary between the The dives ranged from about 90 island and the sea. The water can feet deep on a wall dive on Santa fill the street and even black-tiRosa Reef, where a six-fothe natives break out the umbrellas shark was spotted Swimming in and role up their pants. the distance, to a deep drift At the same time,, while the dive bn Paradise Reef. shower slowed shore activity, a DRIFT DIVING IS a bit like group of avid Windsurfers plied watching television. You just find a their skill in the bay just off the good depth and drift along the reef beach. watching the world pass before .WHILE MANY AMERICANS your eyes. The current does all the Turistas Revenge," .. . dread the work. eating in the better spots cay go a - .Divemasters like to take goodies - long way toward preventing prob-.- .. down and feed the wildlife, much in lems. the same way tourists used to feed Morgans, located just off the town the bears through car windows at square, is a restaurant which looks Yellowstone. But the divers dont a bit out of place in Mexico. The have a window between themselves e building looks like someand the wildlife. Seeing a diver thing from New England and the hand feed scraps to an eel destroys food is about as good as it gets the image created by the movie anywhere. If pizza is more to your The Deep. liking, Rolandis, oh the main street The divers probably have their is must. The across from the bay, a own private denizen which they restaurant is owned and managed have trained to eat out of their by a transplanted Swiss who still hands to impress each new group. g cooks his pizza in a brick, And, I suppose, just like Yellowoven. stones bears, the sea critters can e a into European-stylRolandis opens be tamed to a certain degree. But courtyard where visitors can who would want to test the theory sit back and enjoy a Coke or a Cer-ves- a with their own fingers? (beer) while planning the next After a typical two-div- e day, a adventure. a in and the hotel shower pool stop For visitors with a more advenseemed just the ticket for quick turesome bent, Carlos and Charrejuvenation before heading down lie's, located on the main street town for dinner. near Rolandis, is the spot. The decor is basically early college with American purchasing power has never been as solid as it is now in posters and pictures plastered Mexico and gifts for those at home everywhere. And the waiters often g entertain-- . need not be restricted to shells off provide ment similar to the rest of the the beach. Carlos and Charlie's franchises in COZUMEL IS FURTHER from California. , Salt Lake City than New York but ' to visit BUT 'THE REASON flights make the distance melt ' Cozumel is not for the nightlife. The the and the adventure unfolds all too reefs are the key rapidly. Now is a good time to make plans for your trip to the sunshine. Snorkeling or diving opens a . curb-to-cu- rb ot p 40-fo- ot . . log-styl- Cozumel s di ve shops provide ' equipment, instruction and direction to best sites. Getting around the island is easy in taxi or on bike. wood-burnin- client-involvin- The Salt Lake Tribune Home Magazine, Sunday, October 17, 1982 ( .1 |