This is an interesting thread and although the operators response was wonderful and the right thing to do, one of the reasons, I have never gone to Cozumel is their practice of live boating. In my humble opinion, I think it is dangerous and can get people in big trouble. If I were to go, I would take my reel and my SMB and I would deploy it the entire dive. They could like it or not, not my problem, at least they could tell where my group would be.
DSFDF. The "live boating" is one of the things I like most about diving Cozumel. This was an extremely unusual situation; in fact in nearly 20 years of diving Cozumel this is the first one like it I have ever heard of. I believe you'd find the full time deployment of an SMB far more trouble than it's worth, for reasons others have posted. Maybe Cozumel isn't for you.