March 2019 Cozumel Dive Trip Question Extradonaire

[ANDREW INGRAM]

After visiting Cozumel about 14 time as cruise trash, my wife and I have finally decided to take the plunge and spend 5 days on the island. I have a couple of questions that I hope you experts can help me out with:

- We are staying at the Barracuda. Are shore dives allowed from here? Where could we rent tanks from? I'm not expecting to see anything amazing but would just like to get wet when we're done with the boat for the day.

- We will be diving with Aldora Divers (Based on recommendations I saw on here). I spoke with Matt and it looks like they wont be doing any night dives during our stay (1-6 March). Are their any shops that have regularly scheduled night dives? We would like to at least get one in during our stay

- Aldora does not have availability for the two of us for one day (2 March). Any other shops that this board can recommend for booking?

- Are their any dive shops that regularly dive the C-53 wreck? Is this one that is worth doing?

Thanks so much for helping us out.

 

[ReefHound]

That's hardly a plunge but is progress. Did you mean "extraordinaire"?

There is a pretty good shore dive at Hotel Barracuda. There used to be a Dive Paradise kiosk there to rent tanks but I heard they moved a block or two down. If they are no longer now, I'd be surprised if the hotel is keeping up with the rinse tanks and dive lockers.

Since you're diving with Aldora, an idea for a day would be to ride their boat back to Aldora Villas and do their little shore wall dive there. You might even arrange to leave your dive gear there. Then just cab it back to your hotel.

 

[MMM]

AFAIK, Dive Paradise is located there and you should be able to rent tanks from them for shore dives and set up a night dive. A few years ago I tried to get some accommodation for me to be picked up at their pier by another op and was told that it could only be DP unless I was staying at Barracuda Hotel. YMMV.

 

[sinistar]

I love the Hotel Barracuda shore dive and have probably done it once every year for the past 15 years. Jump off the pier. Go left (south) against the current. Cross over the dorky fake coral thing and tiny airplane wreck. You'll start to see a larger structure. It's a collapsed pier and old dolphin enclosure. You will find puffers, eels, lionfish, lots of great macro stuff, often a barracuda (look up) and my favorite..seahorses. I have found seahorses there 4hrs in a row now.

It's a fantastic night dive....but watch out for the fence and rebar. And coming back don't miss it or you wind up in the Navy pier.

Unless something changed since last March, Dive Paradise has a small desk at the Barracuda to get tanks and weights for shore and night dives. Their main office is about a half block north next to the Rock N Java.

They often run night dives snd pick up at the Barracuda Pier. Where they ate a bit lacking on day dives they do a grate job on night dives.

I think the wreck is over rated and sometimes the current makes it better to drop on the stern, float down it and the off the bow for a nice picture and then a fairly nice reef dive.

 

[divingjd]

Wednesday and Saturday are the normal nights for night dives, might be different because it’s Carnaval. They will normally do a night dive other nights if you have four people who want to go. Again, Carnaval might be an issue.

IMHO, the C53 is a waste of time and gas. It’s not that interesting as a wreck, the surrounding environment is not great, except that there are garden eels in the sand, and there are just so many other things to see that are really worth the time. Use your time for other things.

 

[Streydog]

Sometimes if you can get enough people to go you can arrange a night dive on a non scheduled night. Talk to the rest of the people on your boat and mention to Denise or Jorge during the SI that you would like to get a night dive in. I have only dove the C-53 once, it was on an afternoon dive. We spent half the dive on the wreck then the other half on a slow drift hitting different coral heads. I enjoyed the dive but would rather dive other sites in the area.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

After visiting Cozumel about 14 time as cruise trash, my wife and I have finally decided to take the plunge and spend 5 days on the island. I have a couple of questions that I hope you experts can help me out with:

- We are staying at the Barracuda. Are shore dives allowed from here? Where could we rent tanks from? I'm not expecting to see anything amazing but would just like to get wet when we're done with the boat for the day.

- We will be diving with Aldora Divers (Based on recommendations I saw on here). I spoke with Matt and it looks like they wont be doing any night dives during our stay (1-6 March). Are their any shops that have regularly scheduled night dives? We would like to at least get one in during our stay

- Aldora does not have availability for the two of us for one day (2 March). Any other shops that this board can recommend for booking?

- Are their any dive shops that regularly dive the C-53 wreck? Is this one that is worth doing?

Thanks so much for helping us out.

There must have been a misunderstanding with Matt who handles our reservations. We guaranty night dives on Wednesday and Saturday nights—even if only one person wants to go. As for shore diving, the suggestion to do so at the Villa Aldora is a good one. We have on hand plenty of 80CF HP steel tanks and they are free to anyone diving with Aldora and we can take care of your gear as well. It really is a cool mini wall with lots of stuff in the rubble of my 5 submerged docks. Indeed. it is an even better night dive…and free.

The Villa Aldora should be a short $5 taxi ride from the Barracuda.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS I'm in Texas just now and if you would like to discuss any aspect of your trip feel free to call me 830 460-0667

 

[DandyDon]

We are staying at the Barracuda.

Are you committed there? Well, if it's during Carnival, I guess there are not as many choices as usual, and it is like it says - in town and on the water.

We will be diving with Aldora Divers (Based on recommendations I saw on here). I spoke with Matt and it looks like they wont be doing any night dives during our stay (1-6 March).

As Dave (Aldora owner) said, they guarantee Saturday night dives. Or as others mentioned, if enough request, they might do one another night. Dave gave you his phone number so I'd call him.

Aldora does not have availability for the two of us for one day (2 March). Any other shops that this board can recommend for booking?

How many recommendations would you like? Well, since it's Carnival, some may already be booked. There are several dozen good choices. Look over this forum at thread titles and see who sounds great.

Are their any dive shops that regularly dive the C-53 wreck? Is this one that is worth doing?

My last choice in dive sites there, but if you do it - wear gloves (it's outside of the park) and take a light. Look closely as the stuff growing on the wreck. Beware Sargent Majors protecting their nests.

 

[lionfish-eater]

If you want to get a feel for what the c-53 dive is like, go find a rusty dumpster bin. Then walk around it, crawl around the base of it and finally go inside of it and explore. YMMV

 

[ChuckP]

If you want to get a feel for what the c-53 dive is like, go find a rusty dumpster bin. Then walk around it, crawl around the base of it and finally go inside of it and explore. YMMV

It's not that bad! It's different, definetly not the reef though.