Woo Hoo! Finally going to Cozumel!

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KristenK

Contributor
Messages
155
Reaction score
216
Location
Cape Coral, Florida
# of dives
100 - 199
I'm so excited. I just booked 9 nights at the Occidental (kids love AIs.) Our family hasn't been to Coz yet, so we are all super excited. We haven't taken a family vacation in a couple of years (Roatan was 2 years ago). Our kids are officially adults now, 18 and 20. It is so much fun to dive together as a family.

Any recommendations for a dive shop? Other things to do/see? Thanks in advance!!
 
Congratulations. You're going to get addicted to Coz.

I love Pelagic Ventures. 6 pack boats (they have two), great DM's, great SI snacks, and attract a good crowd. They are a small operation so you get very personal treatment.
 
Congrats. It's where I want to stay sometime. The easiest and closest place to dive would be Pro Dive which is the resort op. Being right there by the marine park, it's only 5-10 minute boat rides to dive sites. The price is a little more than some of the other ops, but also a little less than others. What stands out to me, especially in your case, is that one can purchase a package of dives, which lowers the price, but can be shared by all family members. With 4 of you, your cost per 2 tank dive would be $76.50 before taxes and fees (based on 2020 prices per website.) I dove with them several years ago and enjoyed it.

Cozumel Dive Shop at Occidental Cozumel | Pro Dive International
 
Any recommendations for a dive shop? Other things to do/see?
Many of us have our favorite dive shops, but I'm not going there. There are many outstanding ops.

Among other things, the baby turtle rescue trips can be very rewarding.
 
Congratulations. You're going to get addicted to Coz.

I love Pelagic Ventures. 6 pack boats (they have two), great DM's, great SI snacks, and attract a good crowd. They are a small operation so you get very personal treatment.
There are numerous good smaller ops, but Pelagic Ventures is also my go-to operator.
 
We really enjoyed Scuba With Alison - small and fast boat - very personalized service. Lots of bottom time. When are you going?
 
We stay at the GO each year..love that place...ProDive is ok..cheapest dives as Nitrox is free. If you like to get picked up I'd go with Aldora for 90 minute plus dives.
 
Would you mind elaborating more on this?
You travel to the east side late in the afternoon where you meet up with people from the Ecology Department I think it is. They give you plastic gloves, tell you the basics, and assign you and others in your party to take turns digging out the bottom of a nest that has already had a group hatching and escape looking for bad eggs (then you really appreciate the gloves!) and live stragglers. You will dig as deep as you can reach, sticking your head down in the hole while trying to avoid knocking the sides in as you'll have to dig that out too. Members of your group take turns digging, collecting a pile of bad eggs, and surviving baby stragglers. You get very sandy but it's fun. All collected babies are usually grouped together for a joint release, and you might help move seaweed out of the way and redirect babies going the wrong way. These babies actually have a better survival chance than the earlier escapees who had to find the ocean and avoid predators on their own. Last time I emptied my pockets and went into the ocean to rinse the sand off as it had just rained and I got especially grungy, forgot the camera on my belt and ruined it. I think they may furnish some drinks but I take a vacuum bottle of water in a backpack, and next time I will try to remember to empty my pockets and camera pouch into it before wading into the sea.

Advance booking is needed and you can contact the Ecology Department on Facebook or go thru a tour operator posting on FB under turtles. You do need to arrange transportation, in a rental, or with a taxi (roundtrip!), or friends.
 

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