Help finding new AI dive resort

[nodakdive]

I wasn't there this year, but Casa del Mar has dive lockers on their dock and a rinse tank. Just bring your own lock.

One reason for a dive locker is shore diving, which isn't bad at Casa del Mar. A balcony room is about $100/night, and if you get a package deal, through Delta for instance, breakfast is often included, no matter the room type. Do get a balcony room if you're diving. Non balcony rooms are too small.

 

[jrl5549]

Do anyof you have strong feelings about SCUBA Club?

 

[jrl5549]

It is my post so I can try to revive it if I want to.
How nice is Casa Del Mare? I would be taking my GF and we just want things easy and good diving

 

[cvchief]

Do anyof you have strong feelings about SCUBA Club?

Lots of people love it and rave about it all the time.


(Just don't say SS around them.....)

 

[jrl5549]

What does SS stand for

 

[DjDiverDan]

I've been staying at Casa Del Mar for each of the last 5 Decembers. It is definitely not a 5-star resort - more like 3-star. I like it, but I ALWAYS get the Superior Room - the Balcony rooms that overlook the Pool and Garden. The Standard Rooms are smaller, overlook the back Parking Lot, and, IMO, a bit dingy. I would not take my GF to one of those. It does have an AI option, but I've never done that - I don't do AI in Cozumel, too many restaurants for both Lunch and Dinner that I really like. Casa Del Mar does usually offer free breakfast with the room, and the Breakfast is not bad, although the service can be slow, and if your dive boat is leaving at 7:30, you might be hard pressed to get breakfast and get to the boat on time. I eat breakfast there on dive days, on off days I head out to somewhere else, usually the Museum for Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde. Rooms are not luxurious, but nice sized and clean. No refrigerator in the rooms (I would much prefer a fridge in room). Decent pool, hot tub (really a luke-warm tub - heater hasn't worked well in years). Convenient to diving - through pool area, over pedestrian bridge to the dock. And you don't have to use their Dive Op - I'm always there with a group, and we use Dive with Martin, which picks us up & drops us off at CDM dock.

 

[nodakdive]

I've started to suspect that the Luke Warm Tub at Casa del Mar is because they try to save money. I never mind it because hot tubs are generally too hot for me, but I've been in their tub when it's hot. If it's just warm and you want it hot, you can ask the bartenders and they'll get maintenance to turn it on, or up, or whatever. As to the non superior rooms, I can't imagine anyone would be happy in one of those. Dingy is a good word, and all that I've looked at seem small. 3rd floor on the side that faces northwest is the best, no cruise ships, unobstructed ocean view. 2nd floor and you're looking at the cabanas. I love the rooms on the point facing west. Taxi fare to town is 80 pesos.

 

[t4e]

Here's another vote for Iberostar, can't say enough about the resort and the in-house dive shop, Dressel Divers.
We stayed with them twice on Mayan Riviera as well as in Dominican, used the facilities in Cozumel for one day part of a day trip.

If you do decided to make them your choice, book your dives with Dressel Divers online before you go, you get 20% off and they have great packages that include free dives the more you get, plus in Cozumel Nitrox is FREE if you're certified.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Isn't it Drexel Divers that uses the Op as a training center for Dive Masters from all over the Caribbean? Just my opinion, but I think that Dive Masters with long experience on Cozumel are much, much better. They know the reefs, the currents, when and where currents can be funky, which dive locations are likely to be calm or wild, good vis or bad, full of life on a given day, the best precise drop off points, and where to find the sea life. They are also much better at spotting the small stuff and the the hard to find (like the Splendid Toadfish). Personally, I wouldn't dive with an Op that wasn't using long time Cozumel DMs. Not that DMs in training would be unsafe, just that they're likely to miss so much - a DM with a lot of experience can be the difference between a good Cozumel Dive and a great one. Just sayin'.

edit - sorry, meant Dressel, not Drexel.

 

[ggunn]

Do anyof you have strong feelings about SCUBA Club?

They definitely have their enthusiastic fans, but you said that you didn't want to stay in town. By some measures SCC isn't actually in town but it is very close. It is definitely not "further out on the island".