Shore dives in Cozumel

[JohnnyRay]

Hey all. We are headed back to Cozumel in a couple of weeks on yet another cruise. LOL We are fairly new divers, I only have 2 open water dives myself, 1 in Cozumel a year ago and 1 in Grand Cayman 6 months ago. On this trip, my son will be making his first open water dive with me. So, I am looking for a great location. We obviously arent staying at any resort but we need to rent all the equipment except mask. The dive I did there ast year was pretty plain. I know they had some hurricanes wipe a bunch of their reefs out. So I would like to find a spot with nice underwater scenery. Im trying to find something to reserve a couple spots if needed pretty quick to be safe. Thanks for the info and advise.

 

[ggunn]

Hey all. We are headed back to Cozumel in a couple of weeks on yet another cruise. LOL We are fairly new divers, I only have 2 open water dives myself, 1 in Cozumel a year ago and 1 in Grand Cayman 6 months ago. On this trip, my son will be making his first open water dive with me. So, I am looking for a great location. We obviously arent staying at any resort but we need to rent all the equipment except mask. The dive I did there ast year was pretty plain. I know they had some hurricanes wipe a bunch of their reefs out. So I would like to find a spot with nice underwater scenery. Im trying to find something to reserve a couple spots if needed pretty quick to be safe. Thanks for the info and advise.

There is no great shore diving from Cozumel. There are some OK spots, and one of the better of those is at Blue Angel. There is a dive shop there where you can rent all your gear, and you can find some unusual critters around the base of the stingray pen. South of the pen there are some small coral heads and rubble piles where you'll see morays, rays, reef squid, etc.

 

[Trailboss123]

Agree with @ggunn - Shore dives will leave you with a very wrong perspective on one of the best dive locations in the Western hemisphere. If there is any way you can get out for a 2 tank morning or afternoon boat dive, you will have a wonderful experience that you and your son will always remember.

 

[JohnnyRay]

Thanks. I shouldnt have said Great. I know there isnt any there at this point, but I was looking for the best location. I watched a youtube video at Villa Blanca and it really looked nice. Corals and lots of life. It was posted in 2015 so im not sure if it was before or after the hurricane damage. I will check out Blue Angel online to see what I can find out about it.

I thought about the boat 2 tank dives but they go to 60ft and my son isnt wanting to do that until after his first open water dive. I went to 60ft in Grand Cayman and it was fine. I dont mind staying more shallow and just having a little fun with him the first time out. I want him to feel comfortable.

 

[ReefHound]

I'm a big fan of shore diving and look for shore dives wherever I go, but I would only shore dive in Cozumel to complement the boat diving. Your best bet, being pretty much brand new divers, would be to not only book a boat charter but hire a private DM who will make sure you have a safe and enjoyable experience. I hesitant to recommend a dive charter as there are many excellent ops but a scan of this forum will turn up a recurring handful of names.

If there is some reason you must shore dive then Blue Angel mentioned above probably offers the best combo of service and convenience. The area by Casa del Mar dock probably has nicer underwater scenery and there are several places to rent tanks and gear.

 

[Stingrayvilla]

There are great shore dives in Cozumel that I do all the time. This is my home and I hunt for places like these. I will give you this one, but the rest I keep for myself. Cozumel Shore Diving: Playa Las Casitas Rubble & Shipwrecks

 

[Trailboss123]

Thanks. I shouldnt have said Great. I know there isnt any there at this point, but I was looking for the best location. I watched a youtube video at Villa Blanca and it really looked nice. Corals and lots of life. It was posted in 2015 so im not sure if it was before or after the hurricane damage. I will check out Blue Angel online to see what I can find out about it.

I thought about the boat 2 tank dives but they go to 60ft and my son isnt wanting to do that until after his first open water dive. I went to 60ft in Grand Cayman and it was fine. I dont mind staying more shallow and just having a little fun with him the first time out. I want him to feel comfortable.

Points well taken-- Thanks for the clarification. Given the circumstances, I'd agree with @ggunn and @ReefHound
Another option would be to shore dive from Tikila Restaurant. They also rent all equipment and it is a nice shore dive. It is cattie corner and across the street to Casa del Mar and on the shore.

Here is a dive map that I scribbled together of the site:

Scuba Shack is another option- you can look them up online and can see their location in this map:

 

[JamesBon92007]

There are great shore dives in Cozumel that I do all the time. This is my home and I hunt for places like these. I will give you this one, but the rest I keep for myself. Cozumel Shore Diving: Playa Las Casitas Rubble & Shipwrecks

Greetings. Judging from your avatar you must be Greg. Mary and I stayed at your place a couple of years ago. Say "hi" to Silvia for us.

How many nights does someone have to book to get more secret locations?

 

[northernone]

Points well taken-- Thanks for the clarification. Given the circumstances, I'd agree with @ggunn and @ReefHound
Another option would be to shore dive from Tikila Restaurant. They also rent all equipment and it is a nice shore dive. It is cattie corner and across the street to Casa del Mar and on the shore.

Here is a dive map that I scribbled together of the site:

View attachment 497239

Scuba Shack is another option- you can look them up online and can see their location in this map:

View attachment 497241

Nice recommendation, thanks for the map too. Mario has gear and tanks available as mentioned. Kind man.

My friend has been doing some photography in that site. Click “community photos" to see them:
Tikila Bar Cozumel

 

[JamesBon92007]

There is no great shore diving from Cozumel. There are some OK spots, and one of the better of those is at Blue Angel. There is a dive shop there where you can rent all your gear, and you can find some unusual critters around the base of the stingray pen. South of the pen there are some small coral heads and rubble piles where you'll see morays, rays, reef squid, etc.

A mediocre dive in a great place can be better than a great dive in a mediocre place

One thing I do like about the shore diving there is that in some places it's so shallow that an AL80 can last up to two hours. One dive we finally ended after about 1 hr 50 minutes because we were getting hungry.