Cozumel Questions

[WicketsMom]

I just got back from a week in Coz, so I wanted to answer your question before you make your decision. All the hotel piers were destroyed, including the one at Hotel Cozumel, so most dive ops are departing from the caletta. The only pier still functional is the Aldora pier downtown, but I didn't see any dive ops leaving from there. I actually didn't mind leaving from the caletta because it makes for a shorter boat ride to the reefs!

As for having to haul your gear, I can see where that would be a pain. My dive op of choice keeps my gear, so I never have to worry about anything other than my wetsuits. But if you're riding in a car to/from the caletta, then you just throw it in the trunk and go, right?

I know returning to Coz this soon after a major natural disaster is a huge topic of debate right now. But from firsthand experience, and having just spent a week there, 5 days diving, I can say that I would do it again. The island REALLY needs tourists to return so they can get some cash flow. This was one time I was actually glad to see some cruise ships on the island because they need the revenue! Needless to say, my group was very popular last week....

Anyway, I hope this clears up the pier issue and I'll be glad to answer any other questions you have!

We just got back from 6 days in Cozumel, diving with Dive Paradise. The pier at Hotel Cozumel did survive, and that is where the fast boats picked us up every day. We were staying at Villablanca, where the dive shop and pier were destroyed so we did have to haul gear. Not too bad, we found a rental moped for $20/USD a day and wanted one anyway to get around the island.

The reefs do show some signs of damage, especially the shallow reefs, but many of the deeper sites are relatively intact. The sea life is abundant though. On our first day, we saw over a dozen eagle rays on a single dive, along with turtles, eels, toadfish, angelfish, and lobster. There is a new 'wreck' on Dalila... a jet-ski buried in the sand at around 50 feet! We saw some debris, and recovered a large PVC pipe on one dive, but altogether we had some nice dives.

We have no regrets about not postponing our trip. The only negatives we had were that our hotel didn't have cable and so we had one channel only - in Spanish (we didn't go there to watch TV but it is always nice to be able to keep up with what's happening in the rest of the world while we're gone) and that we weren't able to make a night dive. We still had wonderful food, good dives, and the people as always were great!

 

[redacted]

We have no regrets about not postponing our trip. The only negatives we had were that our hotel didn't have cable and so we had one channel only - in Spanish (we didn't go there to watch TV but it is always nice to be able to keep up with what's happening in the rest of the world while we're gone) and that we weren't able to make a night dive. We still had wonderful food, good dives, and the people as always were great!

Why were you unable to make a night dive? I thought the resolution on night dives was that they could be conducted but at limited locations. Did I miss a different answer?

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

Why were you unable to make a night dive? I thought the resolution on night dives was that they could be conducted but at limited locations. Did I miss a different answer?

I think the situation is that night dives can only happen on certain sites...and all of those sites are closed. So night diving isn't specifically ruled out, but it really is because of the confluence of these two rules.

How that helps the reef recover after the hurricane I couldn't say...

 

[ggunn]

I think the situation is that night dives can only happen on certain sites...and all of those sites are closed. So night diving isn't specifically ruled out, but it really is because of the confluence of these two rules.

How that helps the reef recover after the hurricane I couldn't say...

That's not exactly the case. The reefs which are the most common night dive spots may be closed, but it's the dive ops' choice where to dive at night. There are no designated night dive reefs, though there are safety and economic reasons for the ops' choices. Some reefs are just better for it, as well. If you want to do a night dive, I'm pretty sure it can be arranged, though it might not be as easy to do right now as it usually is.

 

[redacted]

I think the situation is that night dives can only happen on certain sites...and all of those sites are closed. So night diving isn't specifically ruled out, but it really is because of the confluence of these two rules.

How that helps the reef recover after the hurricane I couldn't say...

I thought that aty least Villa Blanc & Las Palmas were available for night dives up north. Plus all the southern sites if the op is willing to run down there.

 

[WicketsMom]

None of the operators had any night boat dives going out when we were there (11/23-11/29) that we could find. Dive Paradise told us via e-mail (and on their website) that it will probably be 6 months before boat night dives are allowed again. I believe it was due to the reef closures on certain reefs where night dives are typically conducted. They had told us that shore night dives were allowed from the Villablanca beach area, but we weren't able to take tanks from the Hotel Cozumel shop to do that.

We had looked at the Villablance beach area during the daylight and although the current/surge was basically non-existent until Sunday (11/27) wanted to do a day dive there first to check the site for potential hazards. There are large chunks of concrete and exposed rebar along the shore there now where the pier was, and I have done a couple of shore night dives there in the past where the surf made for a very rough exit. It wasn't worth it in my opinion to chance being pushed into a piece of rusty rebar and we couldn't get a tank from the other Dive Paradise location to do a daytime dive to check it out beforehand so we just didn't attempt it. You could probably rent a tank from Papa Hogs that is also at Villablanca, but we just decided to skip it this time.

 

[texmaxdiver]

I don't know anything about closed reefs, or closed for night diving. I just dove Chankanab (sp?) last night with the other folks here at Caribe Blu and Blue Angel. Spectular night dive with about half dozen octopus, numerous splendid toads, big crabs and lobster galore. The island continues to improve every day. Same with the hotel. The roof over the restaurant should be finished manana if it ever stops raining long enough. There are a dozen workers buzzing around the place every day trying to get things back to normal. The pool will take a while, as will the pier/dock. Two more spectular dives today at Palancar Caves and San Francisco, particularly San Francisco. Still haven't dove Paradise reef, but hope to tomorrow. As for the actual process, we've been taking a cab, compliments of Blue Angel to Caleta and another home. But, today the dive boat came back to the hotel and dropped us off at the dock next door at the little shipyard place.

Oh, Caribe Blu is almost the southermost hotel open now (cept I think for Villa Blanca). South of here is not good for the hotels damage wise. I've stayed at several of the bigger places before and they are almost unrecognizable.

Maxwell from Austin

 

[WicketsMom]

This is what's on the Dive Paradise website, and the information we had also. Another thread gave the link to the official website that gives which reefs are closed and gives the information about no night boat dives temporarily. Glad you had a good night dive, but we couldn't find any boats going out when we were there.

"Diving: Much better than anticipated. Five areas are closed : Paradise Reef, Yucab, Tormentos, Chankanab and the C 53. Most others quite entertaining, still some debris on a few. Sponges and finger coral show damage. Lots of sand where there was none before, and little sand where there was once a lot. Returning divers will find the changes intriguing, new divers will see enough to want to come back for more. (Night dives are not available - for probably 6 months.)"

 

[scubacoz22]

Didnt texmaxdiver just say he dove a night dive at Chankanab? and you are saying no night dives. Which is it?? Chankanab is obviously not closed if they dove it. I guess there is still some information out there that is obviously not right so guys unless you have been there yourself dont believe all the reports out there.

 

[ggunn]

Didnt texmaxdiver just say he dove a night dive at Chankanab? and you are saying no night dives. Which is it?? Chankanab is obviously not closed if they dove it. I guess there is still some information out there that is obviously not right so guys unless you have been there yourself dont believe all the reports out there.

What I got out of the info posted was that Dive Paradise isn't doing night dives, but it's not because it is somehow prohibited, since Blue Angel is doing it. Chankanaab Reef has a couple of sections, and what I have heard is only the inshore section is closed.