Comments re: "Dive Palancar" at Allegro Hotel and Occidental Grand Hotel -Punta Sur

[redacted]

To a certain extent, it is a matter of you get what you pay for. We just returned from a week at the Occidental Grand where we have stayed for the last 8 years. The hotel is showing its age a little but is still wonderful with beautiful grounds and great service. We dove 2-tank morning dives with BlueXT, an excellent op with all dives going an hour or more as gas and NDL permits. We also split a 10 dive package with Dive Palancar to do single tank shallow dives mid-afternoon. After 2+ hours of bottom time every morning, we were ready for a somewhat shorter (45 to 50 minutes) afternoon dive. Site selection is also a bit more limited with DP but their package was well worth their reasonable cost.

 

[PhilC]

I hate to hear about anyone having a bad time in Cozumel. It's my home most of the year and it bothers me that some operations seem to give a black eye to a place that doesn't deserve one. What you experienced didn't have to happen and it's a shame it did. 45 minute dives are not the norm. Most are a minimum of 60 minutes and more often than not, the DM will let you stay down longer if you still have gas and/or time. Most ops will also do their best to group people by skill level. While I can understand the never again for those two places/dive ops, I hope you'll still consider coming back to Cozumel.

It's not that we had a bad time, just that I think we could have had a much better time. We enjoyed our trip I'd just never stay at the Grand again (dozens of drunken idiots) and would never dive with Palancar again (time limited dives). DP and the dive masters did honor my direct request on grouping of divers: "I will NOT be getting in the water with that idiot again, he's a danger to himself and everyone around him. You need to either move him or us" From Cleveland Cozumel is by far the cheapest tropical dive destination out there so we'll almost certainly be back, we'll just focus more on staying somewhere that is more diver oriented and with doing our research to pick out the right dive op for us rather than taking the bargain. This was our second trip to Cozumel, the first was 10 years ago for our honeymoon when we didn't dive. The island has certainly changed a lot in ten years, back then the Fiesta Americana was basically the furthest south hotel.

 

[scubajackson]

vancouverdiver, as far as i know DP limits dives to 45 minutes. if you will stay at the grand, you can walk over once and leave your gear with prodive. they will pick you up at the occidental grand pier each time you dive with them. they now have personal boxes inside the dive center, not the unsecure broken lockers outside anymore that DP had. I dove with Pro Dive a short while ago and they were excellent, much better service than DP. they guarantee bottom time, they offer free nitrox, they have excellent safety conscious divemasters. they dive punta sur on a regular schedule without extra charge, which was nice. most ops dont go there or charge extra. although the boats are not small, we never dove with more than 6 divers per group, mostly only with 4 or 5. if you need rental gear, they have brand new scubapro gear. i think there is a reason that the allegro changed their dive operator, the improvements are obvious. i can only recommend them, but whoever you dive with have fun!

 

[vancouverdiver]

Thanks all!

 

[Skydiver1]

I am staying at the Occidental, first time in Cozumel.

Would Pro-Dive be the closest alternative, and would I need prior booking to dive with them?

Just wondering also how flexible other dive ops (eg blue xt ) are with picking up from pier at hotel, or would I have to travel to their dive ops.

Many thanks

 

[redacted]

Now that Dive Palancar is operating only from the Grand, their pier is a very busy place in the morning. But other ops including Blue XT, with smaller boats, can still pick you up at the Grand by nosing onto the beach next to the pier. It is actually easier for the dive to use the beach rather than the pier which would involve a pretty good climb up and down.

 

[DandyDon]

I am staying at the Occidental...

Now that Dive Palancar is operating only from the Grand, their pier is a very busy place in the morning. But other ops including Blue XT, with smaller boats, can still pick you up at the Grand by nosing onto the beach next to the pier. It is actually easier for the dive to use the beach rather than the pier which would involve a pretty good climb up and down.

Is the Grand the same hotel as the Occidental?

I saw Dive Palancar do a beach pickup once many years ago when I stayed at the Allegro and dived with them on my first trip. The skipper nosed the big boat into waist deep water, the DM jumped off to walk ashore and grab the gear bag, and both walked back to waist deep and climbed the ladder. I guess many operators can do such, and you're going to get wet anyway - just have any delicate items inside dry bags, zip locks maybe.

Depending on variables in play, it might be better to book with a smaller operator in advance, or simpler to use the house Op. Booking in advance would guarantee space, but if one simply arrived at the hotel - the house Op would certainly try to work him onto a boat, space available.

 

[redacted]

Is the Grand the same hotel as the Occidental?

I saw Dive Palancar do a beach pickup once many years ago when I stayed at the Allegro and dived with them on my first trip. The skipper nosed the big boat into waist deep water, the DM jumped off to walk ashore and grab the gear bag, and both walked back to waist deep and climbed the ladder. I guess many operators can do such, and you're going to get wet anyway - just have any delicate items inside dry bags, zip locks maybe.

Depending on variables in play, it might be better to book with a smaller operator in advance, or simpler to use the house Op. Booking in advance would guarantee space, but if one simply arrived at the hotel - the house Op would certainly try to work him onto a boat, space available.

Yes, the hotel is the Occidental Grand.

Big boats are probably a bad idea for beach pickup. I stayed there 7 or 8 years ago before they had a pier and pickup was difficult at best. I'm too old for that stuff now. I guess if the water gets too rough to nose onto shore, there might be some wading involved.

I use the house op for afternoon and night dives and it is fine as long as you don't mind shortened bottom times. I have never had any problem just showing up a buy a 10 dive package from them. Another option is the tours sellers in the hotel will hook you up with a dive op, probably DWM. But if you don't mind paying a bit more, the smaller ops like Blue XT really do a great job.

 

[Mayor]

Aldora will pick you up and and you can dive steel 120's or 100's. Long bottom times, great service, and fast boats. Can't wait till I can get back to Cozumel.

 

[DandyDon]

Yes, the hotel is the Occidental Grand.

Big boats are probably a bad idea for beach pickup. I stayed there 7 or 8 years ago before they had a pier and pickup was difficult at best. I'm too old for that stuff now. I guess if the water gets too rough to nose onto shore, there might be some wading involved.

I use the house op for afternoon and night dives and it is fine as long as you don't mind shortened bottom times. I have never had any problem just showing up a buy a 10 dive package from them. Another option is the tours sellers in the hotel will hook you up with a dive op, probably DWM. But if you don't mind paying a bit more, the smaller ops like Blue XT really do a great job.

I thot it might be, but I've never stayed there, and some change names.

I am staying at the Occidental, first time in Cozumel.

Would Pro-Dive be the closest alternative, and would I need prior booking to dive with them?

Just wondering also how flexible other dive ops (eg blue xt ) are with picking up from pier at hotel, or would I have to travel to their dive ops.

Many thanks

First time to Coz, newbie air hog? You'll have a great time whoever you use. Based on the above, Dive Palancar is the closest, and it'd be simplest to go with them, very short boat rides, etc. More so true if you're renting gear or need help with something.

You could email and book with BlueXT, Blue Angel, Aldora, Scuba Mau, or any of a large number of dive Ops, depending on how long you'll be there, how many days you want to dive, if they want to do both morning dives that far south, etc. If you need rental gear, help, to pay, show card and complete paperwork, you can drive your rental car to their place or take a $35 RT taxi.