July - Diving Solo - Cozumel, then Mujeres or Holbox - Looking for Op, Advice, Etc!

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Miffy

Registered
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
# of dives
100 - 199
Hi all,
I'm quite new to ScubaBoard but have spent the past 3 hours reading posts and threads. My eyes have dried up from all the reading :p

Questions for you all:

Traveling Solo (maybe)
I may be heading there solo, in July (yes I'm female). Still working on a friend of mine to come with me. Anyone need a buddy or someone to share a room?

Best Dive Op & Best Place to Stay recommendations
1. I've heard staying in the southern part is best as you'll have access to the southern / more interesting sites. True?
2. I'm also looking for a dive op who offers Rescue Diver course, and maybe 1 other Specialty Course as I'm working towards my Master.
3. Prefer smaller, faster boats diving with small groups, and boats with shade is preferable if possible.
4. Will probably eat on site, unless its not too dangerous / far to walk into town alone for meals.

Isla Mujeres or Isla Holbox
I'd like to whale shark swim as well. Mujeres or Holbox? Any personal recommendations?

Whaleshark Festival at Mujeres
Anyone been to this in previous years?

Length of Stay
2 weeks total is my goal. Is 1 week Cozumel and 3-4 days Mujeres or Holbox good?
Haven't really thought about other touristy things to do, esp when I'm not even sure how safe it is to travel alone as a female in Mexico.

When
Haven't decided this yet but will probably be anytime after July 12!

Would love to get onto Sue Sue's roll-call list.. I hope you fellow divers can help me :)

Miffy
 
Hi Miffy ! It would be so wonderful to add you to the BEST EVER July 2014 Cozumel Scubaboard Roll Call List ! As soon as you get your dates firmed up, just let me know ! In the meantime, I will give you MMHO on your questions:

1-If you ask 10 people who dive with 10 different Dive ops you will get 10 BEST answers...My advice is to, as you have already done, read the reviews and choose the top 3 -5 dive ops that interest you. Then contact the Dive Op directly with your questions and diving needs. Such as: Perhaps diving solo, Interested in Rescue Diver and maybe 1 other Specialty Course, 6 pack boat with shade, can they recommend/arrange a Whale Shark trip to Isla Mujeres. Once you confirm with a Dive OP, then select your hotel.

2-As far as visiting the best dive sites..yes, the Southern sites are good and for the most part are visited by everyone, however, you do not need stay in a Southern hotel to do so. In fact, as a first time visitor you may want to stay for instance in town and dive with a Dive op that will pick up at the Town Pier. This way, you can easily walk about town and visit San Miguel (The Main town on Cozumel) without the need of taxi's. If you are at a southern hotel, the taxi cost, which can be $30 - $40 USD roundtrip can be to pricey to do. Keep in mind, some dive ops will charge extra to visit the Southern MOST sites.

3-Safety...You will be as safe as you are anywhere you travel. I have made a solo trip to Cozumel, I have walked around town solo, I have gone to restaurants solo and never have had trouble. Just we aware of your surroundings, keep track of your personal items, and follow common sense.

4-A Two week visit is great ! 1 + week for Coz and 3-4 Days Isla Mujeres would be wonderful. In that time you can dive, visit the sites and even relax a bit.

Best Wishes to you Miffy and do let me know when you are set to go !

Sue Sue
 
Hi Miffy. I am a female travelling solo to Cozumel in mid June to early July so will miss you by a few days. I have gone there many times alone. I agree with what Sue Sue says about staying in town. I own my own house there, in El Centro and walk or cycle pretty much everywhere by myself...and feel perfectly safe. Although, if I were a partier, I probably wouldn't go night clubbing alone. There are some good budget options for accommodations in town (around $35-40/night) if you need to pinch pennies. Only a few ops will pick you up in town however and they aren't the ones with bargain-basement prices! I never tire of the dive sites in Cozumel even after many years of diving here, so I don't think you need to worry about which ones you hit. I like them all (except the C-53).

A good option for singles (I think) is Blue Angel resort (within walking distance to town), a pretty good restaurant on-site, and a few others in the vicinity. I haven't seen Villa Aldora, but it is probably another option (a bit more pricey than Blue Angel when everything gets factored in) north of town but I don't think there are many restaurant options nearby. I have never been to Isla Mujares but was thinking I would try to go this time just for one day. There are some INCREDIBLE ruins on the mainland if that appeals to you and I'm not talking about Chichen Itza! Ek Balam and Uxmal are much less touristy and are fascinating, but you would probably need to set aside a couple of days to visit them by bus.
 
MMM - What makes BA a good spot for single divers? Just curious as I will be staying there the first week of August on my first solo trip to CZM.
 
3. Prefer smaller, faster boats diving with small groups, and boats with shade is preferable if possible.
I'd say shade is essential. Avoid any Op too cheap to put necessary sun protection overhead. Still, the sun will be intense including reflections off the water so use eco-friendly sun block often and/or protective clothing and hat.

Looking at air fares for 12-15 night trip from Toronto and/or nearby cities to Cozumel and Cancun, you have some nice options - cheaper than for me in Texas. :sad: Some dates pairs are cheaper than others, I use Matrix.itasoftware.com to shop - but the range is not very big so you can go when you want to for not much more than the cheapest, and I see no need in originating outside of Toronto.

With your plan, you could use an Open-Jaw ticket, flying into Coz and returning from Cancun. Ado bus service on the mainland is safe, dependable, and cheap. However, I can see a lot of appeal flying non-stop to & from Cancun. You save a little verses flying to Coz, not much - but you can avoid US Immigration, Customs and TSA usually required just for changing planes in the US.

Who is Air Transit? Are they ok? It may be pricier to fly non-stop to Cancun than some of the US connections, but maybe worth it. I see West Jet and Air Canada have nice times for non-stops, but Air Transit is the cheapest I think. For one example...

Leave Toronto at 8am, arrive Cancun at 10:50am (1 hour time change), catch the bus to Playa del Carmen for lunch, nice ferry to Cozumel, private cab to your hotel instead of a packed van - arrive early to mid afternoon.

A week later, ferry back to PDC and catch the bus to IM. DO NOT BUY ROUND TRIP FERRY TICKETS, as it does not save any money but can force you to take a later ferry on return!

Finally, ferry from IM to Cancun, leave Cancun at 11:50am, less than 4 hour flight to Toronto. Simple and economical. :cool:
 
I imagine BA would be great as a single as there is a real sense of family/community there. Each and every trip we've met some really great people that we spend the week with both Scubaboard and non Scubaboard alike. You won't be alone for long, unless you want to be. Also, the staff is excellent, there is a top shelf instructor on site, great shore dive (for Coz), boats are small and fast, and the view can't be beat! However, there are MANY ways to have an amazing experience in Coz - be careful, you will get hooked!
 
Here is a map of Cozumel hotels to help you understand where things are. Select Cozumel from the map. One thing to consider is that weather can cause problems. It might make sense to stay on Cozumel and do a day trip whale shark trip to Isla Mujeres or the nearby mainland early in your trip. That way if weather cancels the trip you have time to do it later in your stay.

Cancun and Riviera Maya hotel locator
 
Aldora Divers would meet your dive op criteria. They are very accommodating for solos as well. If you dive with Aldora, you also have the option to stay at Villa Aldora. Rooms can be had for as little as $85/night. All have at least a fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. It's 1/2 mile north of town. Unfortunately, no restaurants in the immediate area, but not too far from town. The Villa is pretty friendly for solos, too. Everybody there is diving with Aldora, so you tend to get to meet everyone. Anyone you're not diving with is likely to greet you at the palapa waiting for the boats or hanging out later in the day. I will be there solo earlier in July. I've been diving solo with Aldora before. This will be my first time staying at the Villa solo. Been there four times with my wife and some friends. No on-site food or beverages, other than the beers you are frequently greeted with at the dock in the afternoon by the managers, Debbie and Brent. They will take you into town to stock up your fridge and are extremely courteous and helpful. Very safe neighborhood. The President of Mexico has a vacation home just a few doors down the street.


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Basically what Tunaman said. It's small, friendly, and easy to meet people just sitting around in the lobby or the pool or the restaurant/bar.

MMM - What makes BA a good spot for single divers? Just curious as I will be staying there the first week of August on my first solo trip to CZM.
 
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