Shore Diving...Cozumel??
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There are a few places with decent shore diving but nothing that will compare with a place like Bonaire. The reefs in Coz are too far out from shore to get to due to distance and currents. The shore diving is close in and mainly consists of rubble and small clumps of coral along sandy bottoms. There is still a lot to see but if shore diving is going to be the focus of your trip then maybe Cozumel isn't your best bet. If you want to do a good mix of boat and shore dives then you should be fine. Also, even the shore dives have current and you will want to get local advice as to how the currents are running in particular locations. Swim into the current and drift back to your starting point. Some divers are known to take a taxi up the coast a ways and then drift with the current back to their hotel. Hope this helps.
robint
Contributor
I hate to tell you this but Cozumel is probably the cheapest place to boat dive in the world!
The reefs with pretty coral and such are too far off the shore to dive them in MOST cases. The shore diving at all resorts are limited to tiny coral clumps and rubble, as stated by BTravlin. There are usually quite a few critters living around them and fish, but nothing like the reef diving from a boat.
Get the Cozumel Map here: Cancun information
It is a travel guide, color maps, shows where the resorts are located, the reefs are located, the restuarants.... everything you need to know for a trip to the island. It might be easier for you to decide on where to stay if you have this first.
robin
There is some decent shore diving to be had but not enough to make a vacation out of, IMO. My wife and I did a pretty fun shore dive near the entrance to the marina south of town, and there were some nice reefs and plenty of wildlife. We saw the biggest sea cucumber we've ever seen on that dive, and there were quite a few eels swimming around! But it involves doing your entrance/exit under a LOT of boat traffic and snorkelers and a 10 minute swim out to the reef. Not for the faint of heart and would be difficult/impossible if there was any decent current running.
sharky60
Contributor
It's true that Cozumel isn't known for it's shore diving, to really know what Cozumel diving is all about, you need to get out on the reefs...and that means a boat ride.
Almost any dive op or hotel with a dive op on the island will give you unlimited shore diving if you are also doing boat dives with them, it is pretty much island wide policy.
"Dive with Martin" has some of the best prices on the island. "Blue Angel Resort" with their hotel/dive packages are very comperable. These are 2 that I have and still use and can highly recommend.
Having said that, there is some nice shore diving to be found on Coz. Sure, you won't get any of the awe inspiring coral formations you will out on the deep reefs & walls, but if you are a treasure hunter and don't mind poking your nose around small coral heads and rock scatterings, there is a lot to be found out there in the shallows. Just find a coral head and stop, spend 5 minutes or more being still around it, you will be amazed at what you find. You will find mostly juvinile versions of the same critters you find in the deeper water.
Generally the best shore diving is from the International Pier, moving north to just before you get to town. (or if you prefer from just south of town, south to the I.P.)
Basically anywhere from El Cid La Ceiba resort up to the Cozumel Princess. The middle area of that stretch is called Villablanca Shallows and before Wilma passed through, it was a beautiful garden shore dive, now in recovery mode is starting to come back very nicely.
This shallow stretch is also some of your best bets for finding sea horses, particularly around the Scuba Club.
Almost any dive op or hotel with a dive op on the island will give you unlimited shore diving if you are also doing boat dives with them, it is pretty much island wide policy.
"Dive with Martin" has some of the best prices on the island. "Blue Angel Resort" with their hotel/dive packages are very comperable. These are 2 that I have and still use and can highly recommend.
Having said that, there is some nice shore diving to be found on Coz. Sure, you won't get any of the awe inspiring coral formations you will out on the deep reefs & walls, but if you are a treasure hunter and don't mind poking your nose around small coral heads and rock scatterings, there is a lot to be found out there in the shallows. Just find a coral head and stop, spend 5 minutes or more being still around it, you will be amazed at what you find. You will find mostly juvinile versions of the same critters you find in the deeper water.
Generally the best shore diving is from the International Pier, moving north to just before you get to town. (or if you prefer from just south of town, south to the I.P.)
Basically anywhere from El Cid La Ceiba resort up to the Cozumel Princess. The middle area of that stretch is called Villablanca Shallows and before Wilma passed through, it was a beautiful garden shore dive, now in recovery mode is starting to come back very nicely.
This shallow stretch is also some of your best bets for finding sea horses, particularly around the Scuba Club.
rromero2
Registered
Cozumel is known for its drift diving, little to do during the dive, just relax and enjoy the scenery and let the current take you for a ride. We have done shore dives around the international pier south of town. We mainly use shore dives to get ourselves ready, check dive, before a week of boat dives. We have tried doing night dive from the shore as well as getting additional bottom time in the afternoon. I think that a combination of boat and shore dives will stretch your vacation bucks a little farther. Good Luck and enjoy the dive. :cool2:
Thanks everyone!!
I was looking at staying at El Cid La Ceiba resort as sharky60 mentioned. I will certainly do boat dives, but would luke the option to just jump in whenever ehr bug bites
Does anyone know about their on-site dive center, Babieca Dive Center??
I was looking at staying at El Cid La Ceiba resort as sharky60 mentioned. I will certainly do boat dives, but would luke the option to just jump in whenever ehr bug bites
Does anyone know about their on-site dive center, Babieca Dive Center??
blue steal
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Although the shore diving is not as good as boat diving, I really enjoyed my shore dives by the Blue Angel resort. Access to the water was easy, obtaining gear was easy at the shop, and even some very helpful advice on what to see and where to go was given.
For the most part it was less than 30 feet so bottom time was long 76+ minutes on AL80.
It also gave me a chance to "dial" in equipment, adjust weights, practice using a SMB, etc.
Next to the Blue angel is a large pen (or prison) for rays. If you follow along the bottom of the pen all the way around there are quite a few critters to see. Plus with a few mounds of rocks/coral formations there were eels, lobsters, small crabs.
For the most part it was less than 30 feet so bottom time was long 76+ minutes on AL80.
It also gave me a chance to "dial" in equipment, adjust weights, practice using a SMB, etc.
Next to the Blue angel is a large pen (or prison) for rays. If you follow along the bottom of the pen all the way around there are quite a few critters to see. Plus with a few mounds of rocks/coral formations there were eels, lobsters, small crabs.
There is a great wall dive off shore from Scuba Club Cozumel, but I'm sure you could reach it further up-current from the lighthouse.
It's a long and difficult swim against the current to get out to the edge, but it's at 100 feet and it drops straight down, I mean vertical, more vertical than any other wall I've seen in Cozumel.
The problem with starting at Scuba Club is that it doesn't take long to end up downtown at the cruise ship piers. Better to start further up, at the lighthouse.
Other than the wall, there's not much else out there, mostly sand and a few coral heads.
It's a long and difficult swim against the current to get out to the edge, but it's at 100 feet and it drops straight down, I mean vertical, more vertical than any other wall I've seen in Cozumel.
The problem with starting at Scuba Club is that it doesn't take long to end up downtown at the cruise ship piers. Better to start further up, at the lighthouse.
Other than the wall, there's not much else out there, mostly sand and a few coral heads.
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