Cozumel shore diving?

[AcornMan]

My family is staying at Scuba Club Cozumel in early June. We'd like to find a place elsewhere on the island where we can enjoy the beach and do some shore diving in the afternoons. Where's a good place to do that? Scuba Club offers unlimited shore diving, but 'm not sure whether we can leave the hotel with their tanks, so a location where we can rent tanks would be handy. TIA.

 

[BRT]

One of my favorite subjects. Blue Angle has a great shore dive and will supply tanks. Across the street from Villablanca you can rent tanks and do some good dives. You can even ride the current from Villablanca to Blue Angel. You can rent tanks at Tikila and dive. Meridiano will rent you tanks and you can find your own spots. We really enjoy these shallow, slow, life filled dives.

 

[ggunn]

My family is staying at Scuba Club Cozumel in early June. We'd like to find a place elsewhere on the island where we can enjoy the beach and do some shore diving in the afternoons. Where's a good place to do that? Scuba Club offers unlimited shore diving, but 'm not sure whether we can leave the hotel with their tanks, so a location where we can rent tanks would be handy. TIA.

Beach and shore diving are a bit mutually exclusive; if there's a beach there is likely sand out as far as you'd care to swim.

 

[redacted]

Yes, you can remove tanks from SCC. But you are unlikely to find a better shore dive than right there. Go out into the grasses or even out to Villa blanc reef. Requires good nav skills.

 

[robint]

best shore diving is right at SCC. When we go there, we dive the house reef at least once a day, sometimes twice.

My video tour:

you never know what you will find every time you dive there...one day you may find octopus, another day 5 different kinds of eels (yes, happened to us). And you can get an hour dive there every time, without worry. Sometimes there is current, so you have to plan the dive according to that.

 

[waynel]

Like awap said. Can't tell what your experience level is but you really need to be able to handle current and navigation. It's not like shore diving in Bonaire, which has sites specifically set up for shore divers. Most divers don't really consider Coz to be a place to shore dive. Yes, I've done that little shore dive stretch BTR mentions but it's not something I would suggest if you're a relatively new diver, especially if you have family members shore diving with you. Not trying to dissuade you from it, just passing along some safety advice from a long-time Coz diver.

 

[ReefHound]

Places I shore dive are:
Hotel Barracuda - there's tons of life on the rubble of a collapsed pier to the south and a small airplane and some artificial structures. Easy in and out. Sandy area with tables and chairs and food/drink service, swinmming pool, and pool bar. Dive Paradise on site to rent tanks/wts.

Blue Angel - not as much rubble but next to stingray pen. Easy in and out, just slightly trickier getting through the rocks. Tables and chairs and food/drink service. I think the pool is only for hotel guests. Dive shop on site to rent tanks/wts.

Villa Blanca - light rubble but plenty of life. Easy in, climb a ladder to get out. Restaurants nearby for food/drink service. Dive shops across the street to rent tanks/wts. They have always carried the tanks over to the dock for us.

Casa del Mar / Bar Tikila - nice mini-wall but longer swim out. Easy in and out. Restaurant/bar nearby for food/drink service. Onsite rental tanks/wts.

Getting out to the wall from any shore site will be a long swim. Takes me 500-700 psi so if you start back with 1500psi to have a margin, you won't have much time out there. Best bet is to leave the wall for the boat dives and enjoy the rubble for the shore dives.

 

[BrewingDiver]

No reason to stray too far from SCC, but please do yourself a favor and do at least one night dive there. Go slow because there is so much life to see if you look into the holes. Completely different from daytime.

 

[SETX scuba]

This is great info and thanks! I am going 5/24-6/2 and my buddy had to cancel last minute so I am looking to do some shore dives in the afternoon to keep busy. I will try and post some info after my trip. I am doing Blue Angel for sure-it's like $6 for tank and maybe a few more for weights. I really want ot do a night dive from shore so hopefully I can meet up with some other divers as I don't want to do that solo.

Like awap said. Can't tell what your experience level is but you really need to be able to handle current and navigation. It's not like shore diving in Bonaire, which has sites specifically set up for shore divers. Most divers don't really consider Coz to be a place to shore dive. Yes, I've done that little shore dive stretch BTR mentions but it's not something I would suggest if you're a relatively new diver, especially if you have family members shore diving with you. Not trying to dissuade you from it, just passing along some safety advice from a long-time Coz diver.

 

[BRT]

You can make arrangements to have tanks left out a BA to do a night dive too. Very nice. Villablanca to BA , or any place there, you need to be aware of boats and not be popping to the surface but if the current is the right way you can't miss the stingray pens at BA if you don't exceed about 19'. If the current is not the right way just swim into it towards Blue Angel and then return to Villablanca. When we did it this year the current was out of the North for awhile and I thought we would have to return to Villablanca but it changed and carried us right to Blue Angel in about 45 minutes. Anytime you are diving without adult supervision you have to be thinking for yourself but you could manage to get out of the water most places between VB and BA.