Need advice on cozumel drift dive op and a cheap pkg !

[caruso]

All diving in Cozumel is drift diving

$500 says you're wrong. I take PayPal.

 

[Christi]

$500 says you're wrong. I take PayPal.

By definition, yes, all ocean diving in Cozumel is drift diving. Drift diving does not automatically mean there is a ripping current, drift diving means that you "drift" with the current. The current can be fast or it can be practically non-existent, but it's still drift diving. In cases of boat diving, the boat follows and picks the divers up as they surface, it does not anchor and there is not a designated return point. This is true even on the wreck dive here.

Shore diving here is also drift diving, but without a boat. You may have to fight a current in order to get back to your starting point, unless the current is very mild on any given dive.

I've provided several definitions from others in case you doubt my knowledge.

"enjoy going with the flow as you scuba dive down rivers and use ocean currents to glide along" (source: PADI website)

What is drift diving? "Drift diving is a type of diving where instead of fighting a current, we go with it" (source: DIVE.in)

Dive Hacks: Expert Tips for Drift Diving (this entire article is really good, so I will just leave the link right here)

"Drift diving is a type of scuba diving where the diver is transported by the water movement caused by the tide,[1] an ocean current or in a river." (Wikipedia)

"Many of the best dives in the world are drift dives. Divers will descend to a reef, position themselves near the wall, then join the current and let nature propel them along the face of a wall. The views are generally stunning, the marine life varied and often large pelagic like sharks, barracuda and tuna are doing the same thing you are, except they are shopping for dinner. At other locations, you lock yourself into a position and watch that parade go by. Or just drift slowly over a reef." (Source: deeperblue.com)

If you would like some more scholarly sources, I am sure I can find them

 

[Christi]

Sorry guys, I'm looking for 5 nights in cozumel..... budget around $500 to $600... total incl stay, food, scuba...(drift dive) pkg...

Pls lmk if my nephew 15 yo can get PADI certified in cozumel...

Thanks

Emailing Christi too.. thx

Hi Kris - received and replied to your e-mail. Just need some clarification - is that your per person budget, or total budget for both of you including OW certification, diving, lodging and food? I will tell you, that regardless of who you do it with, the OW will eat up $350 - $500 depending on how you do it (is it OW referral or FULL OW course? e-learning? etc.) I'll wait for your reply with clarification.

 

[cbm32]

My go to shop is Tres Pelicanos.
You might want to contact them and see what they can offer you.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I don't recommend getting certified in Cozumel. Why spend vacation days in training when you could spend them diving? Find a local shop and get certified then spend your days diving. It will probably be cheaper too. At least do your class room and pool work at home. 600 a person for everything is going to be hard, but not impossible to do, if you throw out the certification. You may be able to save several hundred dollars flying into Cancun and doing the bagdrag over to Cozumel. That could free up some "powder" to burn on the island.

Vis and current will vary by the day...if not the hour. I've seen it go from incredible to suck balls in a matter of minutes. It can also go from bad to good just as fast.

In general, Dive with Martin has some of the cheapest multi day packages around. Meals and hotel can be what ever they need to be and there a multitude of cheap places to eat. Lodging runs from $10 a night on up. Suites Bahia will include breakfast and include one of the best breakfasts on the island at Casa Mexicana and is usually around $40 a night. The location is great(for me) as well. 5 days at DWM is $315. I just booked Casa Mexicana on Hotels.com for $50ish a night. There are cheaper hotels. 350 for hotel, 650ish for diving, breakfast is free, 200 for meals, taxes, and tips would be tough, but 400 is doable. If you have to cab to the pickup point to dive, that could kill your budget.

Blue Magic has some competitive dive packages too. I have dove with DWM and Blue Magic and can recommend them without hesitation. Christi at Blue XTSea has already replied and I would not hesitate to dive with her if our regular op closed.

I know that there are some cheaper options than a regular dive op on the Island, but I don't know of any "a guy with a boat" options.

Good luck, safe travels. Drink a Bohemia Obscura for me.

Jay

 

[ggunn]

$500 says you're wrong. I take PayPal.

I don't know what you are driving at. I have been diving Cozumel for over 20 years and I can safely say that there has been at least some current on virtually every dive. But as Christi says, it's not just the current that makes it a drift dive, it's the way it's done from boats. The boat drops you off and drifts with you, and that's the way of all boat dives on Cozumel, irrespective of how far the current (or lack of it) takes you. I feel pretty safe to say that you won't find a boat dive from an anchored boat anywhere around Cozumel.

Beyond that, why do you feel the need to be so combative? If you dive Cozumel, chances are it will be all drift dives, and that's a true statement.

 

[caruso]

The boat drops you off and drifts with you, and that's the way all boat dives on Cozumel, irrespective of how far the current (or lack of it) takes you

C53.

By definition, yes, all ocean diving in Cozumel is drift diving. This is true even on the wreck dive here.

Aldora tied off to the wreck when we dived it last April.

 

[Lorenzoid]

C53.



Aldora tied off to the wreck when we dived it last April.

Ding ding! Looks like we have a winner. So clever.

 

[caruso]

Ding ding! Looks like we have a winner. So clever.

Not trying to be clever. Sweeping generalizations trigger me. Probably due to repressed childhood trauma or something.

 

[ChuckP]

C53.



Aldora tied off to the wreck when we dived it last April.

I've also dove the wreck and drifted off it too.........