Returning to Cozumel in June- Need advice!

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

susan6868

Contributor
Messages
283
Reaction score
3
Location
New York
# of dives
I'm a Fish!
Our first trip to Cozumel was a 2 dive day trip while we were staying on the mainland.
The mainland was lovely but Cozumel took our breath away. We vowed to return to Cozumel and are planning a trip for the last week in June with our two teenagers, 14 and 15 years old.
Here's the question. Since we've not stayed on Cozumel, we need advice from you seasoned Cozumel lovers on where to stay and which dive op to use.
On our last trip we dove the Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa wall. We would like to dive there again, and have no real interest in the Cenotes. We are looking for color and marine life, and will probably not look for dives over 80 or 90 feet.
Our son is certified but our daughter is training and may choose to do her open water cert dives while there.
We aren't familiar enough with Cozumel to know where we need to stay to be near the dive sites we'd like to most frequent. We recently returned from Utila and found that although our resort was wonderful, we were on the wrong side of the island for the really great dive spots and had boat rides of an hour each morning to reach them.
The kids don't need additional entertainment other than maybe walking around town when not diving. We're really looking to book a trip to ensure we get the best diving, with a great dive shop, in the right location.
Can't wait to go back to Cozumel. I'll book the airfare to Cancun today but will hold off on the dive/lodging stuf until I hear from our friends at Scubaboard.
Thanks. And by the way, I've read the positive and negative reviews of Cozumel post Wilma and if it's half the Cozumel we saw last year, it will STILL be one of the most beautiful places on earth..................
 
susan6868:
Our first trip to Cozumel was a 2 dive day trip while we were staying on the mainland.
The mainland was lovely but Cozumel took our breath away. We vowed to return to Cozumel and are planning a trip for the last week in June with our two teenagers, 14 and 15 years old.
Here's the question. Since we've not stayed on Cozumel, we need advice from you seasoned Cozumel lovers on where to stay and which dive op to use.
On our last trip we dove the Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa wall. We would like to dive there again, and have no real interest in the Cenotes. We are looking for color and marine life, and will probably not look for dives over 80 or 90 feet.
Our son is certified but our daughter is training and may choose to do her open water cert dives while there.
We aren't familiar enough with Cozumel to know where we need to stay to be near the dive sites we'd like to most frequent. We recently returned from Utila and found that although our resort was wonderful, we were on the wrong side of the island for the really great dive spots and had boat rides of an hour each morning to reach them.
The kids don't need additional entertainment other than maybe walking around town when not diving. We're really looking to book a trip to ensure we get the best diving, with a great dive shop, in the right location.
Can't wait to go back to Cozumel. I'll book the airfare to Cancun today but will hold off on the dive/lodging stuf until I hear from our friends at Scubaboard.
Thanks. And by the way, I've read the positive and negative reviews of Cozumel post Wilma and if it's half the Cozumel we saw last year, it will STILL be one of the most beautiful places on earth..................

The questions of where to stay and who to dive with are the most asked questions here. If you read here on this board there are lots of opinions on both and everyone has their favorites.

Mine are Hotel Cozumel and http://www.bluextseadiving.com

Matt
 
susan6868:
Our first trip to Cozumel was a 2 dive day trip while we were staying on the mainland.
The mainland was lovely but Cozumel took our breath away. We vowed to return to Cozumel and are planning a trip for the last week in June with our two teenagers, 14 and 15 years old.
Here's the question. Since we've not stayed on Cozumel, we need advice from you seasoned Cozumel lovers on where to stay and which dive op to use.
On our last trip we dove the Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa wall. We would like to dive there again, and have no real interest in the Cenotes. We are looking for color and marine life, and will probably not look for dives over 80 or 90 feet.
Our son is certified but our daughter is training and may choose to do her open water cert dives while there.
We aren't familiar enough with Cozumel to know where we need to stay to be near the dive sites we'd like to most frequent. We recently returned from Utila and found that although our resort was wonderful, we were on the wrong side of the island for the really great dive spots and had boat rides of an hour each morning to reach them.
The kids don't need additional entertainment other than maybe walking around town when not diving. We're really looking to book a trip to ensure we get the best diving, with a great dive shop, in the right location.
Can't wait to go back to Cozumel. I'll book the airfare to Cancun today but will hold off on the dive/lodging stuf until I hear from our friends at Scubaboard.
Thanks. And by the way, I've read the positive and negative reviews of Cozumel post Wilma and if it's half the Cozumel we saw last year, it will STILL be one of the most beautiful places on earth..................

Susan there are lot's of great dive shops on Cozumel, and most of them will pick up at any hotel. Since you want to be shorter rides to the dives site you'll probably want to stay on the South part of the island. I believe the southren resorts where hit the hardest, but I think most of them are open now. I'll let others chime in on the resorts.

There are also many dive ops that are well mention in these forums. Do a search and find the ones that seem to do the type of diving that you like? Do you want to be on a small fast 6 pack or a bigger, slower more comfortable boat? Do you like a cattle boat operation with lots of other divers where everyone comes up at the same time whether you have 1200psi of air left, or do you prefer the dive opperations that let's you dive your computer.

As far as dive ops go, like I said there are many great ones. Scubabboard's own Christi's dive shop seems to be a favorite. I've never dove with her, but she just confirmed with me for my July trip. She doesn't conduct business through the message boards so contact her through her website which is:

www.bluextseadiving.com

Dive with Martin is also a good shop, and I have used him several times. I always had a good time with this shop. His web site

www.divewithmartin.com

Hope this helps a little bit. I'm sure the more seasoned Coz vet will chime in.
 
There are several recent threads here asking the same questions. Cozumel has many great dive operators and several choices for accommodations. Everyone seems to have their favorites.

You'll probably get more useful recommendations if you can narrow down what type of dive operator you prefer - big boat, small boat, no more then 6 divers, don't care how many divers are onboard, who you dived with last time and if you liked them, etc.

Almost all the dive operators will pick you up at from town or any hotel pier south of town. So, for convenience, don't stay north of town. If you want to enjoy San Miguel and try different restaurants, do some shopping, etc, don't go any further south then Fiesta Americana or you'll be paying $20+ each way for a taxi. You might also be limiting your choices of dive sites if you are further south since the boat won't want to pick you up then go north to dive and back south to drop you off.

In Cozumel you can rent a house or apartment in town, stay at affordable diver hotels south of town, or spend more on resort hotels. It depends on what your family wants. And again, everyone has their favorites. Give a little detail on what type of accommodations you usually like and you'll get responses that will better suit what you're looking for instead of just having everyone suggest their favorites.

You will notice differences post-Wilma, but even with the damage Cozumel is still better diving then most of the Caribbean. You won't be disappointed.
 
South of town seems to be the concensus and Fiesta Americana was mentioned by some friends but the dive op Juan Leca's is a mystery. Anyone dive with them?
Also, i Fiesta within walking distance of town?
Thanks for the input, I'll get this thing honed down yet!
 
susan6868:
South of town seems to be the concensus and Fiesta Americana was mentioned by some friends but the dive op Juan Leca's is a mystery. Anyone dive with them?
Also, i Fiesta within walking distance of town?
Thanks for the input, I'll get this thing honed down yet!

Fiesta Americana is a $6 taxi to town and is not walkable. The location was great for diving - short trips to the best sites. In the afternoons when we were done diving I like to sit by the pool or on the balcony and do my dive log, read, etc. What I didn't like at FA is that by 1:30-2p it was impossible to get a chair, and the activities crew drove me nuts with their constant music, bingo and games over the loud speakers. The balconies are overlooking the pool area and even several floors up there was no getting away it. The AI at Fiesta Americana was worth it for breakfast, lunch and drinks, and the unlimited litre bottles of water. We at a few dinners here - the a la carte restaurant was actually quite good. The buffet always had something we liked.

Hotel Cozumel is walking distance to town, and when we stayed there the activities were kept to one part of the very large pool. Never a problem finding a place to sit in the afternoon. But, this was in December and business was still very slow after the hurricane so it might not be that way all the time. Breakfast was ok. I'd go into town for other meals. The in-house shop is Dive Paradise. I haven't used them but many people are happy with them, especially if they book the fast boat package (6 divers/boat). With a family of 4 the hotel & dive package would work out really well price wise.
 
Remember to eat at Guido's!
 
Thanks Scubawife, the loud pool thing killed Fiesta Americana for me immediately!
We are looking at Casa Mexicana as well, it got great reviews for being right in town, spotlessly clean, and a wonderful breakfast included each day. I think that we have our choice of dive operators. The closest being Crissi's outfit, "BlueXtsea" or AquaSafari.
Both have awesome reputations, I just want to see who has the better package and who won't make me back roll off the boat. I can, I just don't like it.................
Other than that, I'm sure both are great. Neither sounds like a cattle car and they all seem to go to the great locations.
I'm going to write to both and see what they've got to offer.
Catherine- Guido's? I'm definately there! Where is it?
 
I can understand the loud pool thing! If you don't have anything to do for a 14 and 15 year old though besides diving it might make for a long week. At one time we took a 15 year old down there and stayed at a different resort but the activities for the teenager also helped make for a more enjoyable vacation for my wife and I.
Caribe-Blu is a small inexpensive hotel just south of downtown. I have stayed at quite a few different places down there and one of my favorites is The Corral Princess just north of town. Diveshops will not pick you up there but we always rent a car for the week anyhow and is about a 10 minute drive to the Calleta where most of the dive boats are stored.
As far as a diveshop is concerned, I would recommend www.seaurchindive.com There are other very good ones but I have not had the opportunity to use any of them.
You have come to the right place for information as I believe that this is the best site on the web for Cozumel information.
 
susan6868:
Thanks Scubawife, the loud pool thing killed Fiesta Americana for me immediately!
We are looking at Casa Mexicana as well, it got great reviews for being right in town, spotlessly clean, and a wonderful breakfast included each day. I think that we have our choice of dive operators. The closest being Crissi's outfit, "BlueXtsea" or AquaSafari.
Both have awesome reputations, I just want to see who has the better package and who won't make me back roll off the boat. I can, I just don't like it.................
Other than that, I'm sure both are great. Neither sounds like a cattle car and they all seem to go to the great locations.
I'm going to write to both and see what they've got to offer.
Catherine- Guido's? I'm definately there! Where is it?

If back roll entry is a deal breaker for you, then you've just ruled out almost all the smaller operations, (including Blue XT Sea, which you mentioned), that have the best service. Giant stride entry is limited to the big boats. You could have up to 20 people on the boat, and your bottom time will be limited to the times set by the DM. The good thing though is that in the marine park, regardless of how many divers are on a boat, there must be a DM for every 6 divers, so, you will be in the water with a group of 6.

I did love the FA location and no complaints about the room or the service at the hotel. I just prefer to spend my afternoon in a bit quieter setting. I spend my work week in Manhattan so I savor time away, seeing the ocean, relaxing, and if I want music I'll turn on my iPod and listen to the music of my choice. Or, could be that I'm just getting old :wink: Alot of people love the pool activities, bingo, contests, etc. It's just not for me. I go more for the smaller places.

I checked out Casa Mexicana in Feb. A nice choice if you want the convenience of being of town but still want a bit more then budget accommodations. And everyone seems to love the breakfast buffet.
 

Back
Top Bottom