Who to dive with in Cozumel??

[sharky60]

I'm not a cheerleader, but a defensive end...try and stop me :cool2:

The usual top recommendations. I have used 3 out of 4 of these ops, the 4th is just such a well runned operation I can't help but recommend it, the group offers a range of services and prices, but all do a great job in the water and I would dive with any of them any day...

... (I wonder how one is supposed to make recommendations without actually making recommendatons?)

Here we go in alphabetical order:

Blue Angel Resort and Dive op: our current dive op and hotel, small 22 unit hotel, semi-AI, with breakfast and lunch included on dive days with a hotel/dive package.
If you want advanced diving, a few days with DM Jorge will satisfy that. I am usually one of the first to go to safety stop, because I burn more air than most shooting pictures, (getting better at it), he has always allowed the group to dive thier limits...even when he was stung by a lionfish this past April, he let the entire group finish thier dives.

BlueXTSea: Besides having one of the most clever dive op names ever, Christi Courtney and crew are exceptional. As Ann mentioned before "boutique" diving, a small operation of 2-3 boats (sorry Christi I forget), she keeps it small to give the client more personalized attention and top notch service.

Bottom time Dives: Raul Platas is an excellent DM, a great guy and one of the most safety minded people I've
ever dove with. He's also great at finding critters, especially little ones. It's pretty much private diving as it is just him and his captain, a one boat op.

Dive with Martin: A long-time Coz favorite. More on the line of less frills, although they almost always had some kind of fruit or pastry for surface interval snacks. Very good DM's and Captains. One of the lowest "cash only" priced operations I've run accross on the island.

There are over 70 dive operations on Cozumel, last I heard, finding the one for you is quite daunting, that is why I have no problem naming names. These are people I have experience with and am proud to try to send business their way.

The key to finding the right dive op is, like anything in life, communication, by phone or e-mails (which can be sketchy at times to get thru to Mexico, so have patience there), you need to convey all your concerns and needs to any dive op you consider using and make the best educated choice based on the information you have gathered...if those folks don't work out, keep trying.

 

[BTravlin]

I'm not a cheerleader, but a defensive end...try and stop me :cool2:

The usual top recommendations. I have used 3 out of 4 of these ops, the 4th is just such a well runned operation I can't help but recommend it, the group offers a range of services and prices, but all do a great job in the water and I would dive with any of them any day...

... (I wonder how one is supposed to make recommendations without actually making recommendatons?)

Good post! And you're right, you're no cheerleader.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Um, both of those operations are in Cancun - the OP is asking about diving in Cozumel. I would suspect that they are looking for a local operator.

Actually, both of those ops very explicitly dive all of Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel. Alvaro, as a matter of fact, has a shop in Playa. Their commute to Cozumel is shorter than my commute to work.

 

[judydivescoz]

Actually, both of those ops very explicitly dive all of Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Cozumel. Alvaro, as a matter of fact, has a shop in Playa. Their commute to Cozumel is shorter than my commute to work.

With the abundance of great local dive ops based right in Cozumel, I can't imagine why anyone would choose one that is based in Playa or Cancun to dive Cozumel. Despite the fact that the mainland is a quicker commute than your job, that makes little to no sense.
Let the cheerleading resume!!
:cheerleader::cheerleader::cheerleader:

 

[DandyDon]

The usual top recommendations.

Oops, I was not aware of any actual studies done needed for such a claim?

I've dived with two of those and certainly agree that they are good Ops, as are the other two probably and others mentioned here - and probably as are dozens of others. I could list my current favorite and why but the fact remains that we do not know what aspects the Original Poster deems important.

Therefore it's all still cheer leading, and I really think most cheer leading is based on personal relations more than any perceived quality difference, hence useless in my opinion. Everyone is allowed opinions of course.

 

[Sue Sue]

We are thinking of a week in Cozumel in early October. Any ideas on where to stay and dive? We want to be able to do our own thing or at least be with other experienced divers. Last time we had to stay with the crowd with bottom time limitations. We dont want to repeat that again!

Carol[/QUOTE

Carol, there are so many local ops based in Cozumel to choose from that meet your criteria, especially regarding your concern with bottom times limits. There are also many combination's of hotel location/dive op/activities that may or many not fit your needs. My recommendation is to look through the last 4-8 weeks of trip reviews as well as "My Bests". Then first choose your top 3 - 5 dive ops and send them an email with your specific requests. I would also recommend you get on board quickly as the first week of October is upon us and finding a reservation with one of your top choices may be difficult. Once you are booked with a dive op then choose your hotel site based on your budget, pier pick up as well as what other activities you may want to do. Just as a tip, hotels on the north end of the island may incur high taxi fares in order to get to a pier. Hotels on the South of the island may incur high taxi fares to get into town. If you decide to rent a car, consider the cost of the car AND full insurance. You may find using a taxi from a centrally located hotel will be more cost effective. Your dive op may also have hotel recommendations. Once you are set then all that is left will be your countdown and fun ! Have a FANTASTIC time !!!

Sharky, I like your style..For me, I'd choose to be a tight end, my skills change at times depending on the game I am in. Cheerleading is for spectators, I prefer to be a member of the team. :blinking:

10/2010 El Cid La Cieba/Blue XT Sea Diving

 

[judydivescoz]

Oops, I was not aware of any actual studies done needed for such a claim?

I've dived with two of those and certainly agree that they are good Ops, as are the other two probably and others mentioned here - and probably as are dozens of others. I could list my current favorite and why but the fact remains that we do not know what aspects the Original Poster deems important.

Therefore it's all still cheer leading, and I really think most cheer leading is based on personal relations more than any perceived quality difference, hence useless in my opinion. Everyone is allowed opinions of course.



Gotta disagree Don.
I think you are nitpicking and over analyzing again.
Sharky made a very helpful post without the obnoxious shameless cheer leading that some (who will remain nameless) continue to do. He did not have to inclue every dive op on the island. All mentioned are based in Cozumel and have great reputations. He recommended calling or emailing questions or concerns as well and commenting on the abundance of dive ops on the island. The specific requirements of the poster were not needed to make his post informative or relevant. His post meets the standard definition of "recommend" according to Websters:

Definition of RECOMMEND
1a : to present as worthy of acceptance or trial <recommended the medicine> b : to endorse as fit, worthy, or competent <recommends her for the position>
2: entrust, commit <recommended his soul to God>
3: to make acceptable <has other points to recommend it>

I would like to think of myself as the Tight End but I would only be dreaming!!
Back to the real cheer leading

 

[annlaur]

OK then :
give me an A
give me an L
give me a D
give me an O
give me an R
give me an A&#8230;


Valet op with experienced guides (all instructors), nice boats, small groups of similar experience divers, steel tanks, early morning departure so you never find another group on the reef, surface intervals at a nice beach club, long dives&#8230;
If you haven't booked your hotel yet, they have a special offer in october :
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/trips-local-marketplace-cozumel/349177-free-lodging-w-aldora.html
All the info about the op, their villa, and their diving procedures can be found on their website (in the link above).

They're the only op I used in my 2 times 1 month stays in Coz, so I can't compare to others on the island, but I definitely recommand them.

PS : don't flame me Don, or I'll hit you with those pom-poms :mooner::cheerleader:

 

[DandyDon]

PS : don't flame me Don, or I'll hit you with those pom-poms :mooner::cheerleader:

That sounds like fun actually. I don't mean to flame anyone tho; sorry if my dry personality comes across like that.

Aldora has a fine reputation and the free room offer is certainly appealing as I've heard they are nice, but - and correct me if I am in error here, isn't their policy for all divers to stay together and ascend as a group...?

We are thinking of a week in Cozumel in early October. Any ideas on where to stay and dive? We want to be able to do our own thing or at least be with other experienced divers. Last time we had to stay with the crowd with bottom time limitations. We dont want to repeat that again!

Carol

I sometimes wonder if my DMs even knows where I am before I shoot my own sausage? :silly: I like a small, fast boat, schedules that can be changed for when I want to go where I want to go, valet equipment service, $60 trips including taxes & fees, no charge for 100 cf tank upgades, $7 Nitrox - and I don't mind that the small boats don't have heads or camera tables. But what I think is important may not agree with others. All I know about what Carol wants is what she said in post 1.

 

[annlaur]

Ooooooops !
You're right, Don, I misread the original post and thought "we want to be able to do our own thing" meant something along the lines of "we don't want to be stuck in a AI resort far from everything with set times for meals" (just read the food poisoning at an AI thread, so that might be why ).

Aldora's policy is for divers to stay together (at least for intermediate beginners like myself), but they are great about making groups of same experience divers together&#8230; so I don't know what the policy is on the "big kids boat". There are quite a few long time Aldora fans here that should be able to answer that better than I can.

I don't think they charge extra for the bigger steel tanks.