1st trip to Cozumel. Tips?

[little seahorse]

New diver (Got certified in October), and first time taking a diving centric vacation. Going with my boyfriend and local dive shop group ( I think there are 14 of us total). We leave Friday, are staying a week at Iberostar Cozumel and diving with the operator there. Have been told we will have our own chartered boat due to our group size. My boyfriend and I are flying into Cancun due it being so much cheaper and will have to do the taxi or car to the ferry to Cozumel. I haven't even packed yet as I've been working nonstop! What must haves do I need to take? What should I avoid packing? Any tips for the trip from Cancun to Cozumel and back? What do we need to see and do while there? We are doing a 2 tank dive every morning, and are also doing a cenote dive and a night dive.
Thanks for any and all information!!!!

 

[driftwood]

HI LS,

First trip, hate to say it but bite the bullet and take a taxi to the ferry dock in PDC. We use the ADO bus but no need to increase your task loading to save money.

Buy a one way ferry ticket. You won't save any money buying a two way and you minimize your wait for the ferry when you leave. Keep track of your luggage tags on the ferry leg because they do check them when you retrieve your bags.

You will need to taxi to Iberostar and there is a sign with the fixed taxi rates at the taxi stand.

You might want to hire a private DM for the two of you. You will see a lot more and it doesn't hurt to have a pro looking out for newly minted divers. I think the going rate is around $35 for two dives and you should tip generously.

Get some people from your group together and spend an evening eating in San Miguel. For late lunch, I like Pescaderia San Carlos. Dinner, I like places like El Foco or Los Oates. When on vacation,I prefer to eat like the locals.

 

[little seahorse]

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it!

 

[drrich2]

A fellow Kentuckian, eh?

Is the Iberostar an all-inclusive resort? At least whatever package you guys booked?

In the unlikely event you got separated from the main group, it'd be nice of have a safety sausage/surface marker buoy. Fits in a BCD pocket rolled up. Ideally it's nice to have on a reel so you can inflate at depth and send it up to reduce risk of getting hit by a boat surfacing well away from the dive boat, but at least take one. Cozumel diving is drift diving, and any large water body merits an SMB as at least a good idea. Little diver heads don't stick up far, they're hard to see from boats, and I hear sound doesn't travel well so don't assume those diver whistles will save you.

Pack a mask that fits you in carry-on luggage. Most gear can be rented if the airline loses your checked bags, but mask fit in personal, hard to know before you dive, and a leaky mask is a hassle. This wisdom got drummed into me the hard way on a North Carolina trip... If your dive computer has a proprietary battery, maybe pack a spare.

Somewhere on the forum is a thread on forbidden items on Cozumel trips. Somebody got busted and hassled for Sedafed, if memory serves. I rely on 12 or 24 hour Sedafed to keep my ears clearing well, so I'd want to, um, 'find a way to get my needs met.' Do they sell pseudo ephedrine in Cozumel itself? Some drops to prevent swimmer's ear are worthwhile when diving a lot; start using them before you're in pain, or they'll burn.

Leaving Grand Cayman I gave up a scuba dive tool as I learned they didn't want to let me on the plane with a carry-on with a 'tool.' Also don't pack a dive knife in carry on.

If you like taking notes, one of those little 'wet notes' type pads can be nice on a dive boat, where things tend to get wet. Ask if the boat has a big community dry box/trunk; if not, you may want a little hard dry box to put your phone & such in while you're diving. You might ask if it's a covered boat (shade), and take sunscreen regardless.

When trying to figure out what there is to do at a foreign destination, a resource I use is TripAdvisor.com. It's fine to ask here, too, but people like to do different things. If your dream excursion is strolling through a botanical garden, hearing about the best bars may not help. I don't ride scooters; I've seen people warn against newbies trying scooters in Cozumel. So, if you're picking out excursions, this might not be one to do.

Most of what I told you is about scuba tourism is general, not specific to Cozumel. Happy diving.

Richard.

 

[drrich2]

Oh, and did you see the 'What do you wish someone had told you?' thread about Cozumel trips?

Richard.

 

[driftwood]

Iberostar is all inclusive and the southern most resort on the island. The most expensive one way taxi ride, just be sure to know the published rate. When in doubt, the front desk should be able to help you/

 

[drrich2]

Cozumel Airport Forbidden Items thread.

Richard.

 

[Harro10]

Here is a link to some info for the Cancun airport to Cozumel ferry leg of your trip.
Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen/Cozumel by ADO Bus

 

[DjDiverDan]

Doing the Cancun Airport to Cozumel Bag Drag by the ADO Bus is NOT HARD. I recently shared a video that I found on the Cozumel4U Facebook page - watch the video.

Best tip I can think of is don't overpack on clothes - I don't know what the dress code is at the Iberostar Restaurants, since I do NOT do All Inclusives on Cozumel (way too many favorite restaurants that I'd miss doing AI), but most of Cozumel is very casual; shorts, T-Shirts, swim suits, maybe a pair or two of long slacks for evenings when it might get chilly. Long ago, I got a cheap airfare on one of the Charters - Apple Vacations or something like that - and there was a girl in line at the airport with 4 suitcases. I asked her why in the WORLD she needed 4 suitcases for a one-week trip. She told me that one was just for shoes - she brought 16 pairs - and the other was just for makeup. Don't be that girl.

 

[gopbroek]

Tip 1 stay in town and actually experiance Cozumel, . Baring that get out and explore Cozumel it is a safe and fun place.

Tip 2 If you use the hotel dive op try to get a DM that's been on the island awhile and not following the other dive ops around. Often they use foreign intern DM's on the dive for food model who are trying to build time but are unfamiliar with the reefs. When they occasionally get lost some will latch onto another group and follow them around.

Tip 3 A prearranged van from CUN to Playa is cheaped and nicer than a cab. If you are traveling with a group of divers the luggage capacity of a taxi can be limited. Tip 3(a) It is not rude to ask the taxi or van driver to stop at OXXO or 7/11 to pick up Cervesa, there is no open container law. and you can take any extras on the ferry.