advanced dive shop with small groups in Cozumel?

[Mossman]

The day I get so lazy that my choice of dive operation is based on if they take care of my wet suit or not is the day I stop diving and take up knitting. Talk about trivial, what do you do sit on the boat and pout when you dive some place that expects you to not only take care of your wet suit but (gasp) set up your own equipment? Oh my how gouache! I'm surprised some people can even find the time to dive with fitting it in between afternoon tea and all.

It's not about laziness since I'm already carrying my 40 lbs of camera. It's about being a PITA to carry a wet wetsuit back from the boat when I'm already carrying my 40 lbs of camera.

If I wanted to find a dive op that made me carry all my gear back and forth I would do that, but I prefer one that stores all my gear for me.

Locally, I can dive with boats where I have to bring my own tank and weights too, but in Cozumel, where dive ops that provide tanks and weights abound, I guess I'm too lazy to bring my own. YMMV. I'm looking forward to seeing you with a steel 120 on each shoulder, backpack with dive gear on the back, 40 lbs of camera in hands, and a weightbelt walking a few blocks to the Aldora dock for your pick-up. Heck, why not swim out to the boat if you're not lazy?

But hey, if you can't afford to use a dive op that stores your wetsuit for you, I totally understand.

 

[Mike]

Sorry to hear about your advancing age and declining physical abilities, hopefully you have a few more good years of diving left before you have to find a dive op who will lift you in and out of the water along with your 40 lb camera.

Regardless I didn't read anything in the OP's criteria about needing a dive operation that would carry his wetsuit around for him because he can't lift it anymore. I think he wanted a operation that fit his advanced diving criteria about bottom time, not being stuck on mixed boats, diving with similarly skilled divers, and wanting a small group.

 

[Mossman]

Sorry to hear about your advancing age and declining physical abilities, hopefully you have a few more good years of diving left before you have to find a dive op who will lift you in and out of the water along with your 40 lb camera.

Regardless I didn't read anything in the OP's criteria about needing a dive operation that would carry his wetsuit around for him because he can't lift it anymore. I think he wanted a operation that fit his advanced diving criteria about bottom time, not being stuck on mixed boats, diving with similarly skilled divers, and wanting a small group.

He didn't say he didn't want his wetsuit stored for him. Wet wetsuits, at least in tropical climes, aren't so heavy. Rather they're wet. And they need to be rinsed or soaked after the dive and hung up to dry.

The OP did say he's staying at Secrets, which happens to be a luxury all-inclusive. I imagine the OP won't be making his own bed and cooking his own meals, but instead dining out on French cuisine and having top-shelf drinks brought to his lounger out by the pool. It's not the sort of place where one would hang a wet wetsuit over the balcony to dry, nor do I recall an alternative save for draping it over the shower door to drip dry onto the fancy marble bathroom floor.

It's a hassle to have to carry a wet wetsuit to and from the boat and care for it after the dive. The OP likely can afford a dive op that stores all his gear for him, including wetsuit, to provide the convenience and service one expects from a classy dive op to match his classy accommodations.

 

[Skittl1321]

We saw a number of wetsuits on balcony chairs at Secrets.
We are less luxury so we stayed next door at Sabor, but even with the longer walk from the pier, a wetsuit was not overwhelming. It should hardly be a huge part of the decision.

Im a beginner, so I can't recommend an op. I think I'd look for a multi boat op though, because single boats kind of have to accommodate the lowest ability. Though ops that surface seperately, at least beginners won't effect your dive time (although we did learn after losing a lot of time on a dive waiting for someone to equalize, to not wait at depth, even if that was the plan...but who would have ever thought someone would take 7 minutes to get to 65 feet!!!)

 

[Prop Joe]

Aldora Divers is what you're looking for. Advanced divers once with them aren't going anywhere else cause you'll be in their special little 'club'. They specialize in putting advanced divers with each other on small boats with groups smaller than typical size for Cozumel and then going after the advanced sites without newbies on board to ruin it for everyone else. The marine park rules are 1 dive master to every 8 divers, Aldora has their own rules which are 1 dive master to 6 divers. They are going to silently check you out on your first day and place you with an appropriate group for the rest of your trip. Once you get onto that advanced boat you'll be in heaven. Steel 120s of course are the norm with them and they are all about bottom time. One of the few outfits on the island with enough boats to segregate divers, one of the few outfits on the island with the foresight and financial ability to have their own fill station including nitrox. Only outfit on the island that can dive the east side of the island and they are currently the only operation opening up new dive sites north of the island. They won't be the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

We had a great group a few weeks ago with Aldora. Three divers from the Maryland area stayed at Secrets. We picked them up everyday. They were great to dive with. Sadly, it was just me and another gent that went north to Barracuda and San Juan the last day, as they had to head home. We had a great boat, with great divers that week. I had a couple of 80 minute + dives. Great time with the family at the Villa. I got to meet the infamous Jeff H and Harvey. It was a great trip!!!
Here is one dive (Punta Sur):
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/487978-punta-sur-grey-sharks-aldora-edgar.html

 

[diver 85]

+1 for Aldora............

 

[cvchief]

Can we at least agree that real men don't wear wetsuits in Cozumel?

 

[cpichette]

Can we at least agree that real men don't wear wetsuits in Cozumel?

yeah, I was trying to figure out why you need a wetsuit in Coz...The water is usually something like 81 degrees.

 

[bsppc]

The orange shirt is all you need !!!

 

[cbm32]

+1 for Tres Pelicanos.