Wife wants to book CDM and I'm leaning towards outside dive operators.
I have stayed at Casa Del Mar numerous times, and I like the hotel. TIP: Upgrade to a Superior Room, the Standard Rooms are all at the back, overlooking the Parking Lot, are smaller, and, IMO, a bit shoddy. My preference is a ground level floor on the Garden, so I can just step off the little patio and walk to the pool for a quick dip, a long swim, or an afternoon siesta by the pool without trekking through the Lobby. I still hang my wet dive gear on the patio, and have never had a problem with anything being taken. Some people prefer upper level rooms with a private balcony for greater security of hanging dive gear or for a better view, but that means going through the Lobby every time you leave the room - up to you. It serves a decent breakfast, included with the room, though it doesn't start until 7:00 a.m., and its sometimes a little late getting started, so if your dive pickup is at 7:30 or 7:45, you'll be rushed.
I've NEVER used Dive House, as I too hate cattle boats. Most times I've stayed at CDM I've been with a group where we all used Dive with Martin, and I highly recommend DWM. It's convenient, an easy walk down to the International Pier to drop off your dive gear when you first arrive, and DWM will keep and rinse your gear (sort of - you pack up gear in a mesh bag at the end of the dive trip, and the whole bag will be dunked in a rinse tank and hung to dry until the next day), and pick you up at the CDM pier. And DWM has some excellent DMs (though my favorite, Miguel Estrella, who I dove with many times, left DWM about 18 months ago). While I like DWM as an excellent bargain operator, if I'm picking my own dive op, I'll go with Aldora, as I LOVE the HP Steel 120 tanks - DWM offers AL 80s, and you can upgrade to AL 100 for an extra charge, but if you want Nitrox, its AL 80 only - the long dives, the long surface intervals at a beach club, the excellent DMs, and the valet service. Aldora will also pick up at CDM pier, as will other downtown dive ops.
