Best Shore dives for a beginner

[bosshogg357]

Where are the best shore dives in Cozumel and what dive shop do I use, etc.? I really appreciate any information you have. I am a beginner diver and so is my girlfriend. We don't know much about Cozumel, so all information is great information. Thanks!

 

[amadeus00]

Hey bosshogg!
I'll be there the same time you are and I am also from Houston!

This will be our second time there. The first time we were there, we stayed at Fiesta Americana and dove with Dive House which is right across the street from the hotel. They are a fantastic dive operator and have a decent shore dive. Having done that, we are staying at Hotel Cozumel for something different. I don't know what the shore dives are like at Hotel Cozumel but I'll find out soon. I've heard it's not as nice as Fiesta Americana. Keep a look out for us. If you find a asian/white couple, that will be us. Where are you staying?

 

[michaelc]

I would think VillaBlanca is a very good shore dive and Poppa Hogs does a nice job.
we have used that beach several times as a day one quick check out dive.

 

[peebee]

The shore dive from hotel Villablanca to hotel Caribe Blu is nice (along the Villablanca reef). It's about a 10 minute walk, and about a 1-hour dive. You stroll on in at Papa Hogs (across the street from Villablanca), and there's a little channel to crawl back out at Caribe Blue. It's only a $3 cab ride, but I walked my tank down (I must be an idiot).

That was my first shore dive, and my first drift dive, and my first night dive all rolled up in to one. Lucky for me, I found a great group of folks down from Iowa who were staying at Caribe Blu and invited me along (maybe I invited myself?). I would not have been that adventurous otherwise. They all had strobes, tank lights, etc., it was very well organized.

I also ran into a couple who did the exact same night dive on their own. I have no idea how they figured out when to come up -- they said they just popped their heads up after a while and looked around for the lights on the hotel. God bless 'em. Not me. Good luck trying to find your own way out, especially at night. You miss that exit point and your one-hour drift dive might get unexpectedly extended for to couple days or weeks, with an exit point somewhere in Cancun.

 

[peebee]

PS - A tank is about $6 US at Caribe Blue (Blue Angel is their dive op), and it's free if you're staying there or diving with them. Can't beat that. I think Papa Hog's prices are about the same.

 

[sharky60]

One of my favorite shore dives is still, "airplane flats" it's in front of the hotel El Cid La Ceiba. You can also reach it from Dive with Martin's shop in the international pier shopping center.
I'ts a shallow dive, 35' max. around the plane. the plane was sunk in the '70's for a movie, I've heard for a James Bond film, but not really sure about that. anyway it has been broken up some over the years, but the main structure is still in tact.
I usually see cuddlefish on the swim out there, yellow spotted singrays and occationally an octopus around the plane. On this trip we just got home from we saw 2 scorpion fish under the plane, the everpresent arrowcrab and peppermint shrimp, lots of parrotfish, triggers and trunk fish. the landscape around the plane is a sandy bottom with scattered cora heads of various sizes, it's a nice dive for beginners and old veterans alike. It is also a very nice night dive from what I've been told.

 

[peebee]

I read somewhere that the movie was "Survive". Never saw it.

 

[Photocoz]

I read somewhere that the movie was "Survive". Never saw it.

Okay gang - it was for a MEXICAN movie that they NEVER made. They downed the plane, then cancelled the production - go figure!
Absolutely still my favorite shore dive day or night!!!!!!!!!

 

[Charlie99]

Where are the best shore dives in Cozumel and what dive shop do I use, etc.? I really appreciate any information you have. I am a beginner diver and so is my girlfriend. We don't know much about Cozumel, so all information is great information. Thanks!

The best shore dive is the one in front of your hotel, using the onsite diveop.

The only advantage of shore diving over boat diving is the convenience. You lose most of that advantage if you end up hauling gear across town to go diving.

The best shore dives I've done in Cozumel were at the Presidente Intercontinental. Nice brightly colored reef with a little miniwall on the 15' to 30' dropoff. Much better than the reefs / artificial reefs in front of other hotels I've used -- Plaza Las Glorias, Scuba Club Cozumel, and El Cid/La Ceiba. Those 3, and several of the others mentioned by other posters are all in the stretch of oceanfront to the north of the International piers. Nowhere near as nice as what you see on the boat dives, but a shore dive is a nice way to idle away some time between the after lunch siesta and going out for dinner.

 

[ggunn]

The best shore dive is the one in front of your hotel, using the onsite diveop.

The only advantage of shore diving over boat diving is the convenience. You lose most of that advantage if you end up hauling gear across town to go diving.

Au contraire, there's also the expense advantage. Shore dives are six bucks for tanks and weights if you don't have a free deal with your hotel and/or dive op.