Puerto Morelos vs. Cozumel for beginner divers

[jennfl]

My boyfriend and I are new divers. Our first and only dive trip was two years ago in Cozumel. We loved it. We hired a private DM to go along with us since we were newly certified. It was a nice continuation to our training. Next summer we plan to back to Mexico and are trying to decide between Cozumel or Puerto Morelos.
We would like to do some easy shallow dives. Not sure if Cozumel offers this type of diving.
Can anyone compare the two destinations and give any advice?
Thank you.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

The diving is excellent throughout that region.
You will see essentially the same critters off the mainland and Cozumel, but there seems to be more of the big stuff (sharks, large rays) off the mainland, but that could be perceptual; there's certainly no formal count to support that impression.

Cozumel tends to have more current than the mainland. although there are certainly mainland dives (such as the minesweepers) that have notable current.

Cozumel tends to be deeper than the mainland. The only commonly used deep sites I can think of off the mainland are Arches (100+FSW) and the minesweepers (about 80FSW). But there are still plenty of shallow sites off Cozumel.

Cozumel tends to have more spectacular reef structure, i.e. swimthroughs, but mostly on the deep sites. The shallow sites look pretty much like the reefs off Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Akumal.

And the mainland has the cenote dives. We don't think any trip to that region is complete unless we get into at least one cenote.

Frankly, I don't think you're likely to be disappointed by the diving at either place, and your choice may be made on other criteria. If you're a big nightlife fan, you're likely to prefer the mainland (Go to CocoBongo!). If you dislike crowds (I do...) then that might be a factor too. Unless you're rich, price will also probably be a factor. For me, one factor is how easy it is to get there. We're going to Cozumel in 8 days. We were considering several other locations, and one reason Cozumel won out was that Frontier has nonstops from DIA to CZM on Tues/Thurs/Sat. Compare that with a trip to Bonaire which would have required us to fly to Miami, change to fly to Curacao (which is a lovely place to dive) and then hop yet a third flight to Bonaire.

 

[jennfl]

Thank you for the information. I emailed a couple of dive shops in Cozumel to see if it is possible for us to do a day or two of just shallow dives before going a lot deeper. We went to 80 feet when we were there last time, but want to ease back into it and prefer to stay shallower at first. We'll see what they say. I know it depends on the desires of all of the divers on the boat.

Thinking we may have a better chance in Puerto Morelos since most dives are shallow.

One question about the cenotes. We've snorkeled in them before, never dove. Do you have to dive way back into them, or can you stay where you can still see light? Any open cenotes to dive that aren't dark and scary? How deep usually?
Thanks so much.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Thank you for the information. I emailed a couple of dive shops in Cozumel to see if it is possible for us to do a day or two of just shallow dives before going a lot deeper. We went to 80 feet when we were there last time, but want to ease back into it and prefer to stay shallower at first. We'll see what they say. I know it depends on the desires of all of the divers on the boat.

Thinking we may have a better chance in Puerto Morelos since most dives are shallow.

The larger dive ops, with multiple boats, try to put people who have similar skill levels in each boat. Dave Dilehay (Aldora Divers) and Christi (BlueXTsea) are both shop owners and regular posters here, and have lots of fans. You might want to include them in your list of people to email.

One question about the cenotes. We've snorkeled in them before, never dove. Do you have to dive way back into them, or can you stay where you can still see light? Any open cenotes to dive that aren't dark and scary? How deep usually?
Thanks so much.

Because the cenote tourist dives are aimed at people who are NOT trained for overhead environments, there are rules in place to maximise safety.
All dives are done in the cavern zone. This means that you are always within sight of sunlight.
Guides must be full cave certified and dive in full cave gear - long hose, doubles, etc.
No more than 4 divers per guide.
All divers have their own light source.

Cenotes like Chac Mool and Dos Ojos are very popular for tourist cavern tours. Most of them are shallow. 30-40 feet. The water is clear, with visibility 500+ feet. It's cooler, with water temps in the upper 70's. There is no current.
Your bouyancy needs to be good enough that you can keep from slamming into the top or bottom, but the tour areas are generally difficult to silt up.
Tours are in areas where divers can always go 2-across. No narrow restrictions. But if you're claustrophobic it's probably best to stay out.