Has anyone stayed at Sabor Cozumel/dived with Dive Palancar?

[ColoDale]

Sabor is the hotel portion and Sabor Exclusive is the adults only section. I wish they hadn't named them that way as it is confusing to those who have never been there. Aura is next to those to the south and as Cobra269 said, Dive Palancar has a small building in front of Aura where the wooden pier is located. They say they are located at Sabor and their website shows it is the old Sand Dollar site near the concrete pier at the north end. I think the also occupy a small booth near the main Sabor lobby where they give information and sign people up to dive/snorkel though they didn't always seem to be there.

We usually stay at the northern property, Reef Regency, and as of May, Dive Palancar was starting to occupy the old Sand Dollar building near the concrete pier at the north end of the property but it didn't look like they were fully setup in May. You may wish to ask them about their locations and services if you are staying in the hotel portion. The walk may be shorter depending on where your room is located and if they will pick up their divers at northern concrete pier.

There was no charge to use the concrete pier and we use a different Dive OP. The path from building to the pier needs a bit of maintenance but is still good.

I recall some divers from Feb or May of this year saying that Dive Palancar did one dive then returned to the pier then went back out for another tank so check that out as well. My recollection of that is a bit fuzzy but it seemed to me that they kept to a schedule so the dives times are limited to the schedule. I would definitely ask them - I could be mistaken.

I haven't heard any complaints from other divers about Dive Palancar when we were at Aura last year nor in Feb or May of this year. However I don't know the expectations of those divers.

 

[diveprof]

For me the 45 min bottom time limitation was the deal breaker a year ago when I stayed at Aura. So I did what I usually do (probably would have done it anyway), dove with Dive with Martin.

 

[gorock]

We are staying at Sabor Exclusive. What are some of the other reputable dive ops in the area? I talked to my LDS operator, who is actually going to Cozumel in October, but he always uses Scuba Club Cozumel there. I do not know if they do pick ups or not. I guess that would be an option for me. I do not really like be pressed w/ a 45 minute max bottom time. I also prefer a bit of a smaller boat than it sounds like Dive Palancar uses. Thanks for all the insight so far. I will check out that other thread.

 

[DandyDon]

We are staying at Sabor Exclusive. What are some of the other reputable dive ops in the area? I talked to my LDS operator, who is actually going to Cozumel in October, but he always uses Scuba Club Cozumel there. I do not know if they do pick ups or not. I guess that would be an option for me. I do not really like be pressed w/ a 45 minute max bottom time. I also prefer a bit of a smaller boat than it sounds like Dive Palancar uses. Thanks for all the insight so far. I will check out that other thread.

You are getting lots of good replies from members who know the place better than I.

I'm pretty sure that Scuba Club only takes their own hotel/club divers out and does not do pick ups, but there are many panga boat operators, often called six-packs even tho many can take eight customers at a time, who will pick you up - most are reputable and well liked. Just go over the forum pages looking for discussions on dive Op suggestions. Lots of cheering.

 

[cobra269]

This is my favorite dive op for the last 4 trips.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/422733-dive-martin-review-25-dives-picture.html

 

[ColoDale]

Assuming that you have never stayed at any of these properties and staying at Sabor Exclusive then your nearest pier will be the wooden pier at Aura. There is a Dive Palancar building on the beach in front of the wooden pier.

Here's a tip, you can go behind the restaurant, Mosaique, at Sabor Exclusive, go through the employee parking lot to save walking around or throught the hotel portion to the beach and then down to Aura. Sabor Exclusive is not on the beach. Note if you use the parking lot method, you will have to pass in through Aura's reception and once in awhile they start asking who you are since your not guests.

If challenged at either the lot or reception, I would politely ask to be able to pass - they are generally accomodating but you never know.

And if you ask about dive ops you will get dozens of answers. I would, as DandyDon said, start with past dive op suggestion threads. ps here's mine Cozumel Scuba Diving | Go diving in Cozumel with BottomTimeDivers dive operator

Good luck

 

[jeremyandelsa]

We stayed at Sabor in Cozumel for New Year's 2010. I think we got our money's worth and go back if we decided to go back to Cozumel. We dove with an independent dive operator who was recommended by some friends of ours who have gone diving in Cozumel multiple times! Her name is Allison. We enjoyed it because it was a small boat of no more than 8 people. She was very attentive to all the divers (mainly me and my husband, as we are still novice divers with less than 50 dives) There is a dock fee to get picked up...and I believe that all docks in Cozumel have that dock fee. We paid $3 per person per day then, so make sure you have cash on you...otherwise you will not be allowed on the boats. Not sure what the price is these days. I can give your Allison's email address if you are interested.

 

[DandyDon]

There is a dock fee to get picked up...and I believe that all docks in Cozumel have that dock fee.

No, dock fees are rare, regardless of lies you may have heard there - and I think it was mentioned above that they stopped charging here.

 

[cobra269]

Used the wooden dock 11 days last May and was never asked to pay a dock fee nor did I see any of the other divers ask to pay.

 

[jeremyandelsa]

really??? no dock fees for you guys...well, I wonder why we were asked to pay. We dove 4 days and each day they asked us for it!!! That is upsetting, but nothing we can do about it now. :-/