Aqua Safari?

[deborahdelamar]

At the end of each 2-tank morning trip, Aqua Safari's DM's will ask if you would like to add a single-tank 2:30PM trip same day for only $12. Regular price for the single-tank afternoon is $30 or $35 -- I forget which. The offer is valid no matter how you've booked your diving -- via package or via day-by-day reservations. The only people who can't take advantage of it are those on the fast boat's 1pm 2-tank trip.

 

[cruiser]

That 3rd tank sounds like a good deal.

 

[Jackie]

ok - last time I dived with them as they were the house shop with the palace. My experience was negative and I am not diving with them again.
The five days I was out with them,, we repeated locations... Had to follow the leader thru the reefs (fin to head).... And the one DM was sort of jogging along the bottom. Yes, he was verticle. Off to himself, in his own world.
I found my experience to be a very odd one and probably not at all typical for this op based on everything that I have heard and read...

 

[rainmaker]

I've stayed at the Safari Inn the last 3 times I've been to Cozumel, and have only good things to say about the hotel and the staff. There is free Wi-Fi, and it is fast and easy. The AC is always cold, and the water is always hot. Thankfully, there are no phones or TV.

Because of the free shore-diving with purchase of a 10-dive boat package, I dive with Blue Angel Resort, so I have no experience with the dive shop.

 

[macado]

I usually always dive with Aqua Safari; They're a very professional and organized operation. The divemasters are very safety conscious. Bill (owner of Aqua Safari) likes to gloat about the fact that his boats always leave on time and it's true. The in-room wifi at Safari Inn works very well. I believe Suites Bahia also has wireless now but I think the signal was a bit weaker (If I remember correctly). Also, almost every single bar in town (Kelley's, Wet Wendy's, Woody's, just to name a few) all have wireless available.

Both Suites Bahia and Safari Inn are no frills dive hotels. Basic and clean, cold AC. Perfect location for walking into town or waking up in the morning and literally just walking onto the dive boat in the morning. They are only about a two blocks away from each other so the location doesn't matter. Quality wise they're about the same in my opinion. Suites Bahia is nice if you need a refrigerator for cold beer though Safari Inn rooms all have coolers.

 

[vlkr]

aqua safari inn is the first place i stayed at on coz starting way back before the cruise ships docked there. i still go back when i am with buddies on a budget. easy to walk to aldora pier, safari pier, square, and restaurants. large but somewhat spartan beds, good ac, nice staff, no safe or fridge (but cooolers with ice), surprisingly quiet, large rooms, $40. per room per nite last time.
although i have stayed there lots of times, i never dove with them. they seem to have happy customers.

 

[Gato]

My wife and I have dove with Aqua Safari several times and have enjoyed every dive. We always upgrade to the fast boat for only $5. Usually smaller groups, more experienced divers and less time spent on the boat. On our last couple of trips we stayed at Casa Mexicana. The published rate on Casa's website is about $115 per night but both Casa and Aqua Safari have packages for 7 nights and 5 days of diving. The Aqua safari price of $588 makes the room only $68 (double occupancy) based on 5 days diving at $70 per day. The Casa Mexicana is a great hotel and is very clean and fairly new. It also includes a full breakfast buffet. The only downside is that this hotel is accross the street from the beach (not really a swimming beach downtown anyways). The pool is small as well... but we found that we usually spent the afternoon having a late lunch and walking around town and not usually lying around in the sun (if we did not do an afternoon dive). The hotel is about a half block from Aqua Safari and Aqua Safari has a place to store and hang up your equipment. After breakfast, simply walk the half block to Aqua Safari, bag your equipment and take it accross the street to their dock and the waiting boat.

 

[Paco]

We stayed at Safari Inn and dove with Aqua Safari on one of our trips. We enjoyed the hotel, the location and the diving. We will probably go back there again some time. While there we found out one of their DMs was also a cenote guide on his day off from AS. He arranged the ferry tickets, ground transportation on the mainland, lunch, guided the dives and accompanied us back to AS, all at a reasonable cost and as an added benefit, it was our last day of diving so our gear got a great fresh water rinse.

 

[Paco]

Oh, the DM I mentioned is also a kite boarding instructor, in case anyone is interested.

 

[msyentah]

A $12 third tank means that if you decide to do three dives, the 3rd dive (or "tank") is only $12. At Aqua Safari, when you return to the dock after your 2nd dive, the DMs ask if anyone wants to do a 3rd dive. There's a short lunch break and then you go out again.