Paradise Divers

[Kryssa]

Arriving on a cruise ship (not our usual MO) and saw that Paradise Divers has a 10 am cruise ship charter.

Would love any feedback on this shop or if you have suggestions for other cruise-friendly shops.

Thanks!

 

[DandyDon]

I searched the forum for trip reports on Dive Paradise, but most hits were about Paradise Reef. I found one: Trip Report - Hotel Cozumel / Dive Paradise / Aldora
Including this comment that sounds familiar,,,

Dive Paradise is generally known for their large "cattle boats" but for a small surcharge like $10-15 you can get on a smaller faster boat

I think that Blue Angel has a 10am boat that caters to cruisers. It's a more popular op on this forum, probably because of one particular fan, but I'd expect it to be more agreeable altho it may also book snorkelers and stick to shallow reefs.

Tells us who you usually dive with to give us an idea of what you like.

How many divers in your party? If four or more, you could charter your own private boat with any of the most popular ops.

 

[ggunn]

Arriving on a cruise ship (not our usual MO) and saw that Paradise Divers has a 10 am cruise ship charter.

Would love any feedback on this shop or if you have suggestions for other cruise-friendly shops.

Thanks!

If you are referring to Dive Paradise, they are among the oldest and well established dive operators on the island. One advantage of dealing with an operator arranged for by the cruise company is that they will be coordinated with the ship's schedule, so you won't miss either boat. One disadvantage is that the op won't know anyone in the group of divers they are taking out, so they will assume the lowest common denominator in skills level.

 

[ggunn]

I think that Blue Angel has a 10am boat that caters to cruisers. It's a more popular op on this forum, probably because of one particular fan, but I'd expect it to be more agreeable altho it may also book snorkelers and stick to shallow reefs.

Are you referring to me? The agenda for the No Problem (Blue Angel's larger boat) is flexible. It normally leaves later then the small boats, but not always. It could carry some cruise divers, or a large group that wants to dive together, or a mixed group of divers and snorkelers, and where they go is determined by whom is aboard that day. FWIW, I have not seen many divers going out from BA who come from cruise ships; most are staying at the hotel.

BTW, it's not just me; BA has many fans. We have to make our reservations months in advance.

 

[El Graduado]

Dive Paradise is old, but not that old. I remember when I got a call from an American with a deep, Nawlins accent. He asked me if I could come over to the Hotel Aguilar and talk to him about advertising a dive shop he wanted to start in Cozumel. That was Tommy Hartdegen. His wife Dusty was with him. That was 1983. He opened his dive shop, Dive Paradise in 1984. I sold him his ad and later sold him the rights to the Blue Guide to Cozumel in 1990 after he and Dusty had parted ways and he had a new Mexican wife. They put the business in her name. When Tommy died in 1994, his new wife got the Blue Guide, and his shop manager, Renee "Apple" Applegate, took over the dive business. She had been the manager since 1986. Apple died in 2017, and the business changed hands again, this time taken over by the Penwardens, Apple's niece and nephew.

 

[Kryssa]

I searched the forum for trip reports on Dive Paradise, but most hits were about Paradise Reef. I found one: Trip Report - Hotel Cozumel / Dive Paradise / Aldora
Including this comment that sounds familiar,,,


I think that Blue Angel has a 10am boat that caters to cruisers. It's a more popular op on this forum, probably because of one particular fan, but I'd expect it to be more agreeable altho it may also book snorkelers and stick to shallow reefs.

Tells us who you usually dive with to give us an idea of what you like.

How many divers in your party? If four or more, you could charter your own private boat with any of the most popular ops.

(Yes, sorry - the op name is Dive Paradise!)

We are two intermediate divers and have 200/250 dives. On Roatan we've always stayed at Coco View.

Any idea what the costs on chartering the boat would be, even for just the two of us? Maybe this is a situation where it makes sense to spend the money.

We are very laid back divers, not looking to do the deepest or longest dive possible, but want to avoid beginners that have difficulty with buoyancy, chase wildlife, stir up sand, and go low on air after a short dive.

 

[DandyDon]

Any idea what the costs on chartering the boat would be, even for just the two of us? Maybe this is a situation where it makes sense to spend the money.

I think a private boat costs about the same as four divers altho you may get different quotes if you email various ops.

 

[ChuckP]

Most private boats start in the $525 range with everything included for 4 people.

Depends on when your ship docks and when they open the gates but if you can get off at 8, you can make a shop that has 9am departures or one that will change departure time to 9am - they need to know you are on a cruise ship because communication is limited.

 

[ggunn]

We are very laid back divers, not looking to do the deepest or longest dive possible, but want to avoid beginners that have difficulty with buoyancy, chase wildlife, stir up sand, and go low on air after a short dive.

That may be a bit of a tall order. Most ops will try to group divers of comparable skill levels, but an op who doesn't know you may not just take your word for it that you are experienced divers. Even if they do, you could still find yourself on a boat with new divers. If you absolutely cannot tolerate diving with newbies you may have to charter a private boat.