Question How does Cozumel compare to other dive destinations?

[boulderjohn]

Do you want to do real dives and not the 45 minutes or shorter ones, don't go to Cozumel.

I gave an off-the-top-of-my-head summary a little earlier. I am going to give you specifics of my last dive week in Cozumel. All of the following dives were done with EANx 32.

June 19, 2022 (Get the rust off dives)

1. Palancar Gardens--79 feet max; 87 minutes.
2. Santa Rosa Wall--80 feet; 85 minutes

June 20, 2022

1. Punta Sur, Cathedral + (DM called it Punta Sur tour)--103 feet; 81 minutes
2. Palancar (???--couldn't understand DM-- Not one of the main ones)--82 feet; 88 minutes

June 21, 2022

1. Columbia Deep--96 feet; 81 minutes
2. Cedar Pass--56 feet; 94 minutes

June 22, 2022

1. Columbia Pinnacle--86 feet; 88 minutes
2. Yucab Wall + more--83 feet; 88 minutes

June 23, 2022

1. Devil's Throat--126 feet; 83 minutes
2. Palancar (??? another one I could not understand)--88 feet; 92 minutes

Please let me know what Caribbean sites give you "real dives" that routinely go beyond that. I'd like to check them out.

 

[ReefHound]

I will find out for sure on June 23.

I'll let you know my findings on April 21.

 

[ChrisM]

I see on that a lot of people like diving Cozumel. We've never been. I'm trying to convince my husband to try it because it's relatively close for us to travel to. But after a bad experience in Mexico 20 years ago (not diving related), he isn't especially keen to go. I'm wondering..... How does Cozumel compare to other dive destinations? We're fairly new divers -- we have about 200 dives each. We've been to Belize, Turks & Caicos (LOB), Grand Caymen, Kona, Maui, Bali, Cairns (LOB)/ Heron Island/ Hamilton Island Australia, Rottnest Island Australia, Raja Ampat (LOB), Fiji, Bora Bora, Rangiroa & Loreto (Baja). I know every place is unique but I was just wondering where on the spectrum it falls. I hear people rave about Belize (and other places in the Caribbean), but we thought those places were just ok for diving when we went. Is Cozumel better than the Belize? Does it rival Fiji or Cairns? I'm just interested in evaluating the diving, not the topside/ restaurants/ nightlife or budget considerations.

I haven't read all of the replies, so forgive any repetition. We've done a lot of diving similar to yours, have 1K plus dives, based in L.A. Earlier in our dive career, we didn't get why everyone goes to Coz all the time, bit of a PITA to get there, hotel was fine (Casa Mex usually). Then we found a hotel we really liked, and figured out that traveling thru Cancun was a bit faster overall, the hotel gave good rates, the food was AMAZING on the island, and the diving was generally good to very good. We also had a DM that we used for years and years, and really liked. I personally think it's better than Belize or Caymans, or Roatan etc. Compared to Indo or Fiji or Coral Sea tho, it's not even close, but it's also a lot closer and a lot cheaper. So it's good for a quick week getaway at a relatively good bargain. We went back to Maui two years ago and the Coz diving is waaaaaaay better (best dive was a shore dive) and waaaaaay cheaper (not a Maui dive fan, even tho we got certified there)

 

[Germie]

I gave an off-the-top-of-my-head summary a little earlier. I am going to give you specifics of my last dive week in Cozumel. All of the following dives were done with EANx 32.

June 19, 2022 (Get the rust off dives)

1. Palancar Gardens--79 feet max; 87 minutes.
2. Santa Rosa Wall--80 feet; 85 minutes

June 20, 2022

1. Punta Sur, Cathedral + (DM called it Punta Sur tour)--103 feet; 81 minutes
2. Palancar (???--couldn't understand DM-- Not one of the main ones)--82 feet; 88 minutes

June 21, 2022

1. Columbia Deep--96 feet; 81 minutes
2. Cedar Pass--56 feet; 94 minutes

June 22, 2022

1. Columbia Pinnacle--86 feet; 88 minutes
2. Yucab Wall + more--83 feet; 88 minutes

June 23, 2022

1. Devil's Throat--126 feet; 83 minutes
2. Palancar (??? another one I could not understand)--88 feet; 92 minutes

Please let me know what Caribbean sites give you "real dives" that routinely go beyond that. I'd like to check them out.

That sounds good. So if we go again, let me know which dive center you used.

 

[boulderjohn]

That sounds good. So if we go again, let me know which dive center you used.

It was Aldora.

 

[ggunn]

That sounds good. So if we go again, let me know which dive center you used.

As I said before, there are only a couple of dive ops I have heard of who restrict their divers to rigid shorter dives. Most let their customers dive their tank/computer and come up in buddy pairs as they get LOA. Aldora uses larger tanks, so their dives tend to be longer, but all their divers come up as a group.

 

[boulderjohn]

but all their divers come up as a group

We had the same people on the boat every day, including a couple who ascended long before the rest of us on every dive, sometimes as much as a half hour before the rest of us.

 

[Lorenzoid]

We had the same people on the boat every day, including a couple who ascended long before the rest of us on every dive, sometimes as much as a half hour before the rest of us.

I noted the same a few years ago. Aldora may have a policy of ascending as a group, but it seems they tolerate some exceptions. I would guess they just don't want everyone having the idea they can ascend at random times without regard to the rest of the group.

 

[mcpowell]

Does anyplace do “boutique” diving like Cozumel? I don’t want to carry my gear back and forth from the boat to my condo or storage locker. I am completely spoiled with taking my gear to the boat the first day, and not having to deal with it again until the last day of diving.

Also, I love having the boat pick me up at the pier, which is 100 steps from the condo. I just don’t know how it could be much easier.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Does anyplace do “boutique” diving like Cozumel? I don’t want to carry my gear back and forth from the boat to my condo or storage locker. I am completely spoiled with taking my gear to the boat the first day, and not having to deal with it again until the last day of diving.

Also, I love having the boat pick me up at the pier, which is 100 steps from the condo. I just don’t know how it could be much easier.

Barefoot Cay Roatan