Cozumel or Roatan?

[alleyrlt]

Hi, We're new to diving and new to the board. We got our Open Water certification last summer and took a trip to Belize for our first time diving for real. We'd like to take a quick trip early April and do our Advanced Open Water. We don't want to break the bank, but want to go somewhere safe with reasonable accommodations, good diving with a really good dive operation. It's going to be hard to beat Ramon's in Belize!!!

If anyone can offer a suggestion of somewhere either Roatan or Cozumel. For us, Cozumel will probably have better airfare. Thank you for any help you could give! Bob and Rhonda

 

[Streydog]

Cozumel is my go to destination for a budget trip. Roatan can be very inexpensive except for the flights, it is a good destination to use airline miles to get to. For Roatan check out the stay and dive packages on West End Divers site. I think the diving at either place beats the diving around Ambergris cay. In Cozumel there are several hotels in town that are very reasonable and several great dive shops to choose from.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Both Cozumel and Roatan are favorites of SB’ers. Many of us have been to both. Both are great. I will gladly return to either. Being a cheapskate, I often let airfares guide me. Cozumel is usually cheaper.

 

[KathyV]

Hi, We're new to diving and new to the board. We got our Open Water certification last summer and took a trip to Belize for our first time diving for real. We'd like to take a quick trip early April and do our Advanced Open Water. We don't want to break the bank, but want to go somewhere safe with reasonable accommodations, good diving with a really good dive operation. It's going to be hard to beat Ramon's in Belize!!!

If anyone can offer a suggestion of somewhere either Roatan or Cozumel. For us, Cozumel will probably have better airfare. Thank you for any help you could give! Bob and Rhonda

Early April is often the peak travel season in the Caribbean because of Easter and Spring Break. Many flights and hotels book up well in advance, so it may be hard to find availability - and prices are often at their highest. If you could travel during late April or early May then you would probably find more availability, cheaper prices, warmer water, and fewer crowds at many Caribbean destinations and venues.

But if early April is best for you, then I just want to mention that about a month ago the Cobalt Coast resort on Grand Cayman posted that they had a group cancel last-minute for Easter Week and they still had rooms available. CCGCR is all-inclusive resort with accommodations, transfers, meals, and a dive op, boat dives, and unlimited shore diving onsite. We can usually find reasonable prices on airfares to GC from the midwest.

I don't know if they still have any available spots for that week but see the link and post below. They were offering a free Nitrox upgrade as part of the package, but you could ask for something else, like maybe Nitrox certification with your AOW. Or maybe do a Nitrox certification at home and take advantage of the free Nitrox upgrade on vacation?

Cobalt Coast

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I'm biased....horribly. We've been to Cozumel over a dozen times, as well as Roatan, Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, Cancun, Playa, and Florida. Everywhere we go I keep thinking "this is nice...but it's not Cozumel". That being said, our travel group is going back to Roatan in April. Chalk that one up to Happy Wife, Happy Life.

Airfare to Coz out of OKC is around $350. A room at Casa Mexicana runs $50 to $80 a night and includes a great breakfast. Diving will run $65 to $100 depending on dive op and number of dives. We dive with Aldora, but there are at least a dozen absolute world class dive ops on the island and probably 80or more others. (I think someone on this board said there were 100 or so ops and individuals offering dive trips)

We just love everything about Cozumel...everything. We stay at Turquoise Bay Resort in Roatan and it's a great place, but we really don't leave the resort much. The diving is good, but I've never had amazing diving in Roatan...maybe I just have not been at the right time.

Again, I'm biased. Admittedly horribly horribly biased. Either place, your blowing bubbles and I can guarantee you it will be better than Table Rock lake.

Safe travels,
Jay

 

[USdiver1]

Check out CocoView Resort on Roatan. Known by many as Scuba camp, it is affordable, has diving similar to what you've experienced in Belize and may become a part of your permanent dive vacation rotation.

 

[CathyE]

I did my AOW in Coz, and re-did a few of the specialties in Roatan.
It is very difficult to do the navigation portion in the Cozumel current when you are to kick ten times and turn etc., maybe if you are staying in town it is better, but even a shore dive by our southern hotel the current did not allow a proper instruction environment.

 

[drrich2]

CathyE raises a good point; Cozumel is famous for current, hence drift diving. For the in-water skills portion of an AOW course, where navigation I assume is required (as it was in my PADI course years ago), anyone know what the going practices are?

I haven't been to Roatan; if I were going, I'd probably aim for CocoView Resort, or Turquoise Bay Resort for a less expensive trip, if going alone. That's based on others' input, trip reports, etc...

Cozumel I made it to -
Tres Pelicanos & Casa Mexicana, Cozumel Sept. 2018 Report - Tres Pelicanos/Casa Mexican Trip Report Sept. 2018
My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip - My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip

 

[Scubagolf]

My wife and I are always travel and dive together. Many trips, many places. Cozumel is our favorite dive destination in the Caribbean outside of Turneffe Island Resort which is in a wholly different price range. We have been to Coz 10 times in past 15 years, the last six to Scuba Club Cozumel. We are there again this year April 2 -10. Check it out.
Scuba Club Cozumel Dive Resort - Cozumel, Mexico

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'll second the recommendation for West End Divers on Roatan.