Best dive operator in Coz for advanced diver

[Craig Winnerman]

I just returned from a cruise with a stop in Coz. We usually dive with a guy named Omar Gomez, but he was away at the time. We ended up with Aldora Divers Aldora Divers of Cozumel They dive 95cf Steel tanks with DINs. They can also convert for a yoke regulator. Nitrox is also available.

I wanted to do a dive again called Devil's Throat on the southend and most operators will not take you there due to distance and experience level. Hit the bottom at 80 feet and then go through swim throughs and comming out over the wall at 130 feet.

An hour surface time at a nice beach bar that also serves lunch. Then another shallower 60ft drift dive with more smaller swim throughs towards the end.

They cater to land base and cruise passengers. Everything was top notch. Fast twin outboards and never crowd the boat. They even dropped us off at the ship by boat to avoid another cab fare.

 

[TSandM]

We had a great time with Aldora in 2007. A first class operation, and the lodging they run is very nice, too.

 

[ggunn]

I wanted to do a dive again called Devil's Throat on the southend and most operators will not take you there due to distance and experience level.

Who told you that? If you are diving with newbies (or if you are one yourself) the op won't take you there, but most operators make trips to Punta Sur Reef where the Devil's Throat is if the divers aboard are up to it. I guess there could be ops who won't go all the way to the south end (and there are sites father south than Punta Sur) due to the distance involved but I've never encountered one.

If Aldora refused to take you there, it wasn't because of the distance. I'd bet that they either thought you or some other diver with you wasn't ready for it.

EDIT: I just reread your post and realized you were with a cruise ship. That's the reason; any op worth diving with is going to dive with you for a day or two before taking you to an advanced site no matter what it says on your cert card. If you want to do advanced diving at Cozumel, you're going to have to be there for a few days.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Who told you that? If you are diving with newbies (or if you are one yourself) the op won't take you there, but most operators make trips to Punta Sur Reef where the Devil's Throat is if the divers aboard are up to it. I guess there could be ops who won't go all the way to the south end (and there are sites father south than Punta Sur) due to the distance involved but I've never encountered one.

If Aldora refused to take you there, it wasn't because of the distance. I'd bet that they either thought you or some other diver with you wasn't ready for it.

EDIT: I just reread your post and realized you were with a cruise ship. That's the reason; any op worth diving with is going to dive with you for a day or two before taking you to an advanced site no matter what it says on your cert card. If you want to do advanced diving at Cozumel, you're going to have to be there for a few days.

I believe he's saying he did dive the Throat and that is his dive report.

PH

 

[ggunn]

I believe he's saying he did dive the Throat and that is his dive report.

PH

Really? I read it as he wanted to go there but they wouldn't take him. Never mind.

The part about most ops not going there or to the south end isn't factual, though.

 

[Christi]

I just returned from a cruise with a stop in Coz. We usually dive with a guy named Omar Gomez, but he was away at the time.

He wasn't "away" - he's been off the island for almost 4 years now - back in the states! He comes down for vacation - but he does not live or work here anymore.

 

[scubawife]

Glad you had a great day, but there are plenty of dive operators in Cozumel that don't charge extra for the trips to the far southern sites or for diving up north either... or to the east side and across the channel for that matter.

Most, however, won't take you to a site like Devil's Throat unless you've dived with them before and they already know your experience level, or you're on the boat for a couple days so the DM can evaluate your skills and comfort level. If Aldora did that you're lucky.

 

[ggunn]

Glad you had a great day, but there are plenty of dive operators in Cozumel that don't charge extra for the trips to the far southern sites or for diving up north either... or to the east side and across the channel for that matter.

Most, however, won't take you to a site like Devil's Throat unless you've dived with them before and they already know your experience level, or you're on the boat for a couple days so the DM can evaluate your skills and comfort level. If Aldora did that you're lucky.

And someone who has only been to Cozumel on a cruise ship is hardly qualified to judge who is the "best" operator there from any perspective. IMO, of course.

 

[DandyDon]

From your profile I take it that you are not at all new to diving, but if you don't select a Dives Logged bracket that shows up on each post then it is difficult to tell at a glance.

I believe he's saying he did dive the Throat and that is his dive report.

PH

Yeah, it's not clear, but I think you are right that Aldora did take him there even tho he was a one-day cruise boat diver.

Glad you had a good trip with Aldora and I have heard they are good. The owner posts here some and seems like a good guy.

Don't know where you heard that most ops won't go to D.Throat; you didn't say. The first time I did it was from a slow cattle boat but we eventually got there, did it, and back. Done it a few times, about one more than I want to.

The Op I used last month furnished 100 cf tanks for all of our boat dives and would take us anywhere we asked. I like Cathedral a lot more than D.Throat, but the main fill station was having CO issues that week, beyond the control of the Op, so I didn't want to go that deep. We started to go my last day but 17 ppm CO almost got me to walk; we did shallower dives instead.

 

[Christi]

the main fill station was having CO issues that week, beyond the control of the Op, so I didn't want to go that deep. We started to go my last day but 17 ppm CO almost got me to walk; we did shallower dives instead.

I know that you weren't diving with me, but your (the collective you's )posts gave me reason to look into this more.

I've been following up on this and doing my own little investigation/research on this the past couple of weeks. I have spoken to the general manager of the fill station about this and about the readings you were getting and am following up with other contacts as well. I hope to have some information and good news to share soon. Preliminary observations are that it's is probably not as bad as it appears