El Cantil - Shore Diving - March/April

[llBuckshotll]

I'll be heading to Cozumel end of March for a week with 9 of us. I've read what I can on hear about shore diving, pros/cons...ect. One of my buddies is pretty intent on doing it and I'm for anything.

We will be staying at El Cantil condos. Can anyone comment on this.
Do they have a dive center on site where we can get tanks? Prices? Nitrox?
Can we shore dive right there in from of the Condos, or is there a better place to head too?

Any other info on El Cantil is welcomed as well. This will be our first trip to Coz and Mexico. We're also newbs at diving

 

[sinistar]

I have always wanted to stay at El Cantil (just never managed a big enough group like you have). Their location in town is awesome. Right across from the new Mega store for all your grocery needs. Only a few blocks walk (north) and you're at the town Plaza.

I have dove for many years with Dive Paradise, often being picked up at the Hotel Barracuda which is a few blocks north of El Cantil. I have done the shore dive at the Hotel Barracuda more times than I can remember. After Hurricane Wilma an old pier or some type of old pen collapsed out in front of what is now Margaritaville. It has become a favorite shore dive and I have seen just about everything out there you can see except sharks and Toadfish. Last year I found two seahorses. Many years ago, as we swam out we saw an Eagle Ray. Now, all that was over many years and many dives. That shore dive site would be harder to dive from El Cantil as you would have to swim up current to return to your pier. But it gives you an example of what a shore dive can be like in Cozumel right in town. Others really like the shore dives at Hotel Cozumel and a few other spots farther south before you get past the marina (Caleta).


However, after just one boat dive the shores dive will seem quite lacking. I would recommend Cozumel shore dives as the "extra dive" you do where you want to dive unsupervised and be able to tinker (ie camera!). Also, the shore dives as night dives are awesome. You can start later and since its shallower you can get in a longer dive. We usually hit close to 2hrs and then get cold, tired and worry about a restaurant still being open!

I hope others will chime in regarding what El Cantil has on site for diver operator as I am curious too. I am sure just about every operator on the island will pick up at El Cantil so unless they have something arranged, try out any of the operators mentioned [positively] over and over again on the forum.

You're going to love Cozumel.

 

[DandyDon]

It's a little over a mile to Blue Angel where you can rent tanks & weights. I think you'll find better shore diving just south of there.

 

[bradmond]

Here's the view from a room In El Cantil. Stayed there last May. You can see there is a ladder to access the water. We only used it once to snorkel. I didn't see any facilities at the condo for providing or filling tanks.

 

[dmoore19]

It's a short walk from El Cantil to Hotel Cozumel. You could rent tanks and dive there (Dive Paradise) if you are determined to do a shore dive. I have done that dive a few times. It is alright and you can see lots of stuff but nothing compared to an extra boat dive or 2.

 

[llBuckshotll]

Thanks for the info guys.

This would be bonus dives. We plan to do 2-tank boat dives in the am with one of the top notch ops recommended here on SB.
The shore dives dont necessarily have to be at our back yard either. A small walk or cab ride would be no problem if it was worth it.
Just looking to get the info before we get there so we can be prepared if we'd like to hit some extra cheap dives.

 

[ggunn]

Thanks for the info guys.

This would be bonus dives. We plan to do 2-tank boat dives in the am with one of the top notch ops recommended here on SB.
The shore dives dont necessarily have to be at our back yard either. A small walk or cab ride would be no problem if it was worth it.
Just looking to get the info before we get there so we can be prepared if we'd like to hit some extra cheap dives.

Blue Angel is a short cab ride away and the shore dive there is pretty good. Tanks and weights there are about US$6, I believe. The restaurant there is excellent and stays open late enough for you to eat there after a night shore dive. The dive shop closes at 5, though, unless they are running a night boat dive.

One thing: for shore diving without a guide, especially at night, I highly recommend taking a compass because it's easy to get turned around out there, and if the current changes direction on you, which it does sometimes, you could end up heading out to sea instead of into shore if you are using the current as a reference. Those cheap fluid filled hiking compasses on the plastic plates work just fine.

 

[ReefHound]

I love shore diving in Coz. I do them as a supplement to boat dives. The spots I usually hit up are Hotel Barracuda, Blue Angel, and Villa Blanca. I've dived at Hotel Cozumel when I've stayed there but I've heard they don't welcome walk-in divers.

You won't see the huge coral formations and larger marine life but some advantages of shore diving are it's much cheaper (cost of tank and a cab), flexible schedule (dive when you want), you can park in one place and viedo/photo without keeping up with a group, and get up to two hours bottom time. I've seen things on shore dives that I haven't on boat dives.

 

[B_D]

We've stayed at El Cantil twice, its a GREAT place and you will love it there. El Cantil does not have a dive shop on site but it does have rinse tanks and storage lockers for each condo (bring a padlock). Next door to El Cantil is the Cozumel Palace, and they do have a dive shop onsite. 2 years ago while staying at El Cantil we rented tanks and weights from the shop at there at Cozumel Palace and had a good warm up/check out dive in front of El Cantil. Not a whole lot to see but it works fine for an easy warm up. This would save you the trouble of cabbing somewhere else like Blue Angel. Have fun!

 

[DandyDon]

Blue Angel is a short cab ride away and the shore dive there is pretty good. Tanks and weights there are about US$6, I believe. The restaurant there is excellent and stays open late enough for you to eat there after a night shore dive. The dive shop closes at 5, though, unless they are running a night boat dive.

One thing: for shore diving without a guide, especially at night, I highly recommend taking a compass because it's easy to get turned around out there, and if the current changes direction on you, which it does sometimes, you could end up heading out to sea instead of into shore if you are using the current as a reference. Those cheap fluid filled hiking compasses on the plastic plates work just fine.

If your eyes are better than mine maybe.

A few years ago I was there with my home bud who never was one to think about details on a dive. I'd promised his mom several times that I'd always make sure he came back alive from our dive trips. (He's pushing 60 now I think, I'm older, his mom is older yet - but still.) It was last time staying at the Blue Angel and we did a nighttime shore dive around the stingray pen, then southerly along the shore, heading into the current. About the time we got close to the steps where some locals have laid sand bags over the ironshore, and I thought we should turn around to head back - the current changed. It's not the main Cozumel current that is almost always south to north more or less, part of the great North Atlantic Gyre, but close shore eddies that come and go.

Anyway, we stood up near the stairs, looked back towards the hotel, and I told him to shoot his compass for the sting ray pen and we'd swim back to it, then around to crawl out. I know that he is also lousy about following me, so I was planning on following him to make sure we both got there and not heading out in the channel. He looked at his compass for a minute - in the dark, then asked "How does this thing work again?"

I said, "See the stairs? Go thataway!" We walked back to the hotel.

It's a little over a mile to Blue Angel where you can rent tanks & weights. I think you'll find better shore diving just south of there.

As Gordy said, they have a nice cafe there. You can leave your dry bag with the shop; just make sure you get back before they close. Money hidden in the bag will probably be safe enough. Cozumel's low crime rate does seem to be growing, but it's still low - especially for tourists. Most prefer to protect tourists so they can overcharge the masses as much as possible rather than steal from them and give the place a bad name. Cabbies are the most common about overcharging. Most seem pretty nice, but enough aren't - so agree on the price each way before you ever board one. It's also nice to be dry and in dry clothes, or you may not get a cab.