TLDR - Good dive with Sand Dollar Sports. Would do again if coming on a cruise ship and port times don’t work well with other dive ops. If times work, would consider another dive op that goes father out to different sites.
I was in Cozumel on April 11, 2024 on a Royal Caribbean cruise. This was my first time in Cozumel. I chose to dive with an official shore excursion through the cruise line, due to our ship arriving too late to make the morning dives and leaving to early to ensure that I would be back on board if doing the afternoon dives with other operators. Royal Caribbean didn’t advertise who the dive was with (and wouldn’t answer when I asked before the cruise). I read on a Facebook group beforehand that Royal Caribbean used Sand Dollar Sports, which is who the dive was with.
Getting there: Our ship docked at the International terminal. The excursion met at 12.15p at the end of the pier, the 6 of us walked 30 seconds to another section of the pier, where we boarded one of Sand Dollar Sports’ boats. It was a short 3 minute ride to Sand Dollar Sports (they’re ½ mile north of terminal) where we got off and everyone got gear (I was the only one with my own gear). The gear was AquaLung BCDs and regs. It looked well maintained and I didn’t see anyone have any problems with gear during the dive.
Boat: Even though there were only 6 of us, we were on one of their larger dive boats, with rack space for at least 25 divers. There was a marine head, camera/computer and mask dunk tanks, and shade covering half the boat. The boat had life jackets, first aid equipment, and oxygen.
Dive briefing: Covered safety equipment on the boat and the dive plan, which was descend and drift as a group with the DM, then ascend whenever someone had 700 psi for a 3-minute safety stop then board the board. No buddies were established, but 4 of the group were 2 couples, so I buddied with the other solo diver.
Dive 1: Villa Blanca, max depth 65’, a short 3-minute ride northwest from Sand Dollar Sports. It was a easy drift dive along the reef. The DM did a great job of pointing out interesting creatures, as well as regularly checking that the group was still together. At the end, the DM shot a DSMB, we all ascended to 15’ for the safety stop, then got back on the boat. Total time was 45 minutes.
Surface Interval: They provided fresh fruit and water on the boat. The boat moved slowly south to the 2nd dive site, which was about ½ mile south of the International terminal.
Dive 2: Paradise Reef, max depth 35’. Again, a shallow, easy, gentle drift dive with lots of life. At 45 minutes, the DM shot the DSMB, everyone did the safety stop and boarded the boat.
Once on board, it was a 10 minute ride back to the International terminal, where we were dropped off next to our ship.
Overall I enjoyed both dives. From reading on SB, I understand that there are many other sites, including wall dives, that might be more interesting. I imagine that our sites were chosen to make sure we got back to the ship on time. If I come back to Cozumel, I would choose a different op that had small fast boats to see other sites. But if I ever come back on a cruise and time is an issue, I wouldn’t have a problem diving with Sand Dollar Sports again on an official shore excursion.
I was in Cozumel on April 11, 2024 on a Royal Caribbean cruise. This was my first time in Cozumel. I chose to dive with an official shore excursion through the cruise line, due to our ship arriving too late to make the morning dives and leaving to early to ensure that I would be back on board if doing the afternoon dives with other operators. Royal Caribbean didn’t advertise who the dive was with (and wouldn’t answer when I asked before the cruise). I read on a Facebook group beforehand that Royal Caribbean used Sand Dollar Sports, which is who the dive was with.
Getting there: Our ship docked at the International terminal. The excursion met at 12.15p at the end of the pier, the 6 of us walked 30 seconds to another section of the pier, where we boarded one of Sand Dollar Sports’ boats. It was a short 3 minute ride to Sand Dollar Sports (they’re ½ mile north of terminal) where we got off and everyone got gear (I was the only one with my own gear). The gear was AquaLung BCDs and regs. It looked well maintained and I didn’t see anyone have any problems with gear during the dive.
Boat: Even though there were only 6 of us, we were on one of their larger dive boats, with rack space for at least 25 divers. There was a marine head, camera/computer and mask dunk tanks, and shade covering half the boat. The boat had life jackets, first aid equipment, and oxygen.
Dive briefing: Covered safety equipment on the boat and the dive plan, which was descend and drift as a group with the DM, then ascend whenever someone had 700 psi for a 3-minute safety stop then board the board. No buddies were established, but 4 of the group were 2 couples, so I buddied with the other solo diver.
Dive 1: Villa Blanca, max depth 65’, a short 3-minute ride northwest from Sand Dollar Sports. It was a easy drift dive along the reef. The DM did a great job of pointing out interesting creatures, as well as regularly checking that the group was still together. At the end, the DM shot a DSMB, we all ascended to 15’ for the safety stop, then got back on the boat. Total time was 45 minutes.
Surface Interval: They provided fresh fruit and water on the boat. The boat moved slowly south to the 2nd dive site, which was about ½ mile south of the International terminal.
Dive 2: Paradise Reef, max depth 35’. Again, a shallow, easy, gentle drift dive with lots of life. At 45 minutes, the DM shot the DSMB, everyone did the safety stop and boarded the boat.
Once on board, it was a 10 minute ride back to the International terminal, where we were dropped off next to our ship.
Overall I enjoyed both dives. From reading on SB, I understand that there are many other sites, including wall dives, that might be more interesting. I imagine that our sites were chosen to make sure we got back to the ship on time. If I come back to Cozumel, I would choose a different op that had small fast boats to see other sites. But if I ever come back on a cruise and time is an issue, I wouldn’t have a problem diving with Sand Dollar Sports again on an official shore excursion.
