Diving Cozumel

[scubawife]

I go to Akumal and Cozumel at least a couple times a year each. Usually one or the other, but we do one trip a year with a week in both. A taxi from Akumal (if you're staying at a villa or condo in Half Moon Bay or Akumal Bay) will be about $20 each way and you should plan on about 30-45 minutes. You can usually find a driver who will do the trip for $15 from PDC, but in Akumal you won't have much like trying to bargain with the taxi. The ferry is $11 each way. Don't let them talk you into a roundtrip. There are two companies and if on your return trip the other company is running you will have to either buy another one way ticket or wait. Depending on the time of day and how busy it is, the wait could be two hours.

Depending on how the ferry is running that day and traffic on 307, a trip from Cozumel to Akumal (or the other way around) usually takes about 2hrs.

If you can swing it, the more enjoyable way to do it would be to go over to Cozumel in the afternoon and spend the night then dive in the morning and head back to the mainland after your diving. Or stay a 2nd night to enjoy the island. There are several affordable places to stay in Cozumel. You won't have a problem finding something under $75/nt.

I've always enjoyed the diving in both Akumal and Cozumel. They are very different places both above and below the water. While you're in Akumal, I'd highly recommend booking a day of cenote dives with Dennis at Diablo Divers. He's based out of Aventuras, but he picks you up anywhere in Akumal. If you add in a day in Coz and a cenote day with a few days of nice and relaxing Akumal diving, you will have fabulous trip!

 

[scubawife]

Great idea about spending the night there, although since we already have our lodgings paid for in Akumal we might not end up doing that. However, I like the thought. We'd take our own gear, but not such a problem. Reading your posts makes me really want to take the trip! Hope it works out.

BTW, maybe I'll hijack my own post, and ask if there is any duty fee required for bringing in personal SCUBA equip? They never bothered us before but here's what the Dept of State reads:

"Tourists are allowed to bring in their personal effects duty-free. According to customs regulations, in addition to clothing, personal effects may include one camera, one video cassette player, one personal computer, one CD player, 5 DVDs, 20 music CDs or audiocassettes, 12 rolls of unused film, and one cellular phone. Any tourist carrying such items, even if duty-free, should enter the "Merchandise to Declare" lane at the first customs "

No problem bring your gear. Just check with your carrier and make sure you don't exceed the max weight and size on checked bags.

 

[EvaL]

Hi. I've just returned from 8 days of diving in Cozumel (my 4th trip to Coz). You should definitely do at least a 2-tank dive in Coz since you're so close. I believe you're only minutes from Playa Del Carmen and a ferry ride away. I second the suggestions to stay overnight on Cozumel (there are several decent hotels for $60-70/night for that time of year). Cozumel's reefs are still much better than Cancun's even after Hurricane Wilma. They aren't as rich as before - with storm damage to soft coral and lots of sand moved to reefs (it's better in the deeper reefs) - but the fishlife is as good as before. I'd say Coz still has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. Just avoid the slow cattle boats (>10 divers) as they don't go far and they'll probably take you to the shallower and heavily-damaged reefs.
Also, you might be able to skip the ferry trip and still dive Cozumel from Playa Del Carmen - while I was out on a dive in Cozumel I recall seeing a dive op from PDC with twin-engined (fast) speedboat taking divers as far as Punta Sur. I forgot the name of the dive op, maybe someone reading this can ID a few ops. You'll save nearly 2 hours by getting on a fast diveboat at PDC.
Have fun on your trip and Dive safely.

P.S. After a quick search online, I found Tank-Ha, based in PDC (on 5th Avenue between 8th and 10th Streets) offer $120 trips to Cozumel (9am to 1:30pm) from the mainland. It's a little more expensive than diving from Coz, but saves you significant time and effort.

 

[scubawife]

Hi. I've just returned from 8 days of diving in Cozumel (my 4th trip to Coz). You should definitely do at least a 2-tank dive in Coz since you're so close. I believe you're only minutes from Playa Del Carmen and a ferry ride away. I second the suggestions to stay overnight on Cozumel (there are several decent hotels for $60-70/night for that time of year). Cozumel's reefs are still much better than Cancun's even after Hurricane Wilma. They aren't as rich as before - with storm damage to soft coral and lots of sand moved to reefs (it's better in the deeper reefs) - but the fishlife is as good as before. I'd say Coz still has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. Just avoid the slow cattle boats (>10 divers) as they don't go far and they'll probably take you to the shallower and heavily-damaged reefs.
Also, you might be able to skip the ferry trip and still dive Cozumel from Playa Del Carmen - while I was out on a dive in Cozumel I recall seeing a dive op from PDC with twin-engined (fast) speedboat taking divers as far as Punta Sur. I forgot the name of the dive op, maybe someone reading this can ID a few ops. You'll save nearly 2 hours by getting on a fast diveboat at PDC.
Have fun on your trip and Dive safely.

P.S. After a quick search online, I found Tank-Ha, based in PDC (on 5th Avenue between 8th and 10th Streets) offer $120 trips to Cozumel (9am to 1:30pm) from the mainland. It's a little more expensive than diving from Coz, but saves you significant time and effort.

Taxi from Akumal - $40 round trip (and at least 30 min, can be up to 45 with traffic or construction on 307)
Ferry to Cozumel - $22 pp round trip (30-40 min ride, depending on which ferry is running the trip)
2-tank in Cozumel - $50-85pp , depending on what dive op you go with

$120pp for a 2-tank departing from PDC really isn't that expensive once you add up your time and transportation costs coming to/from Akumal. However, before you make the decision, find out which sites the mainland shop visits. With the added gas needs and expense to them of the crossing, they may not be going too far south once they get there. If I only had one day to dive in Cozumel I would want to dive Palancar or south. (based on my post-Wilma trips)

 

[Christi]

Taxi from Akumal - $40 round trip (and at least 30 min, can be up to 45 with traffic or construction on 307)
Ferry to Cozumel - $22 pp round trip (30-40 min ride, depending on which ferry is running the trip)
2-tank in Cozumel - $50-85pp , depending on what dive op you go with

$120pp for a 2-tank departing from PDC really isn't that expensive once you add up your time and transportation costs coming to/from Akumal. However, before you make the decision, find out which sites the mainland shop visits. With the added gas needs and expense to them of the crossing, they may not be going too far south once they get there. If I only had one day to dive in Cozumel I would want to dive Palancar or south. (based on my post-Wilma trips)

Historically speaking, Tank-Ha goes to Santa Rosa and Paradise...I've never seen them at Palancar.

 

[ggunn]

Taxi from Akumal - $40 round trip (and at least 30 min, can be up to 45 with traffic or construction on 307)
Ferry to Cozumel - $22 pp round trip (30-40 min ride, depending on which ferry is running the trip)
2-tank in Cozumel - $50-85pp , depending on what dive op you go with

$120pp for a 2-tank departing from PDC really isn't that expensive once you add up your time and transportation costs coming to/from Akumal. However, before you make the decision, find out which sites the mainland shop visits. With the added gas needs and expense to them of the crossing, they may not be going too far south once they get there. If I only had one day to dive in Cozumel I would want to dive Palancar or south. (based on my post-Wilma trips)

Another thing to consider is the weather. Even when the seas in the Caribbean are rough, most of the dive sites around Cozumel are in calm(er) water, because the island shields them from the open ocean. On days like that, however, it could be a very rough channel crossing in a small boat.

 

[paperdesk]

I've been in several small boats on high seas in the Philippines, not fun! If it's calm though, I'd be up to the trip on a smaller boat.
Are you saying that the mainland dive ops might not visit the good places though? That doesn't sound good. Maybe you know Christi? Thanks!

 

[Ron Brandt]

You might consider going over to Cozumel the afternoon before and staying the night. Most ops have office hours in the evening until 8 or 9; you could do the paperwork and meet them then, catch a meal at one of the great Coz eateries, and then have an unhurried morning meetup with the boat.

Thats pretty much what we tell people unless thay are saying at or near PDC.

Ron