Best of both worlds - Stay in Coz, Dive the Bullsharks in PDC

[TEERLKAY]

Mau of ScubaMau.com can take you to dive with the bullsharks in PDC - what a GREAT dive! To top it off - our second dive of the day was Eagle Ray alley!!!!

[video=youtube_share;R41tOBUpElM]http://youtu.be/R41tOBUpElM[/video]

 

[DiverG]

How long was the boat ride to the mainland? I assume you have to have the right weather to make the crossing. Are the bullsharks a seasonal thing or yearlong?

 

[ggunn]

How long was the boat ride to the mainland? I assume you have to have the right weather to make the crossing. Are the bullsharks a seasonal thing or yearlong?

The weather is of course a factor, but the mainland is actually closer to the central hotel zone than are Punta Sur and Colombia reefs.

 

[DiverG]

The weather is of course a factor, but the mainland is actually closer to the central hotel zone than are Punta Sur and Colombia reefs.

Isn't like 12 miles to the mainland? so you are never more than 6 miles from land?

 

[ggunn]

Isn't like 12 miles to the mainland? so you are never more than 6 miles from land?

You are correct, sir. It's about 20 miles to the south end from town.

 

[soonerwink]

That is cool, I have to try and schedule a dive with the "bulls" on my next trip. Do you know of any other dive ops that do this trip?

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Most anyone can with the right kind of boat from Cozumel...don't try it in a Panga. Otherwise take the ferry over and find someone else to take you out from Playa. The crossing can be brutal or unsafe even at just 10 miles. We only do it with our 40 ft Falicity.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[MMM]

Do you know of any other dive ops that do this trip?

Yes, there are a number of other ops who will go there. However, they don't make a big deal of it publicly (i.e. on Scubaboard) for a number of reasons. First, the ops on the other side REALLY don't like the "encroachment". I'm told that if you run into ANY trouble there, they won't help you. Second, to prevent people from coming in and catching/killing the sharks, they are trying to keep this whole activity fairly low key.

I've done many, many crossings (with at least 2, maybe 3 different ops) in a 30 foot six-pack with no problems whatsoever. A captain with half a brain won't attempt the crossing if there is any sign of weather disturbance and/or rough seas. I have never found the crossing rough or illness-inducing. But then I don't get seasick, even in rough weather. The last time I went, we didn't find any bulls and all we ended up doing is killing lionfish. And as you can see from the video, there ain't much there to look at otherwise.

I would suggest that rather than put the question to Scubaboard, you ask your favourite dive op. If you don't have an op you dive with regularly, you probably will not get a very clear answer for the reasons I noted above and because they haven't seen you dive.

 

[firstdive2005]

COZUMEL AND PLAYA/CANCUN side captains would never abandon a boat in distress unless their own boat would be in peril. Not too many ocean/sea locals abandon their own for any reason.

 

[fishi]

Two things I wouldn't be comfortable doing this dive with.

1. Crossing the channel with one outboard motor. One diesel would be ok, but I would want two outboards.

2. Spearfishing in a area known for bullsharks. I wouldn't want food anywhere near me.