Iberostar or Villa Aldora for family with non-diving kids?

[jonhall]

Dressel gave me a quote of $1150 for 5 days of diving (2 tank per per person, per day) including BCD/reg. rental. Their 2 tank dives are around the same price as Aldora but for convenience, we may stick with Dressel since it's our first time here. Thanks again for the guidance!

I need to update my Cozumel Dive Op spreadsheet - both of these ops have increased their rates. I'm very surprised that Dressel works out to be the same as Aldora - they used to be a lot cheaper. Convenience usually trumps everything else for me. You'll like Dressel keeping your rental gear in a basket ready to use the next day. Guessing you really purchased a total of 10 dives each for your wife and you - gives you a little freedom to do your dives any time of the day if some other activity comes up during the trip. You'll have a great time.

 

[wateraddiction]

jonhall, I've cut/pasted what Dressel sent me for diving costs. Charging us per dive (and not per day) for BCD/Reg rental seems excessive, I'm accustomed to being charged by the week. Neither me nor my husband consume very much air (I'm petite and he's fit) so we're hoping to still get 60-ish min bottom times even if we can't dive with Aldora this time.

From Dressel:

10 Two Tank Package x 110 USD = 1100 USD > this is for 5 days of diving, 2 dives a day, 2 divers.

10 BCD rental per two tank X 12 USD = 120 USD

10 REG rental per two tank x 12 USD = 120 USD

20 hyperbaric chamber contribution per dive x 1 USD = 20 USD

Subtotal: 1360 USD – 20% prepayment discount = 1088 USD

+ 10 Cozumel Marine Park Fee per divign day/person x 6 USD = 60 USD

Total diving portion : 1148 USD

 

[ReefHound]

I've heard that Dressel cuts off dives at 45 minutes to maintain to their schedule.

 

[ggunn]

In general, Cozumel diving has gotten a lot more expensive over the past several years. It's still a pretty good deal, all in, for those of us living in the south and southeast US, but it seems to me that the rate of increase in price has been a lot more than can be explained by inflation in the US$.

 

[jonhall]

@wateraddiction Crazy!!! I dove with a Dressel in Playa del Carmen in 2016 which included a day (2 dives) in Cozumel. We had a 11 dive package that worked out to be $36.50/dive - but we also had our own gear. There was no charge for nitrox and the marine park fee was covered for the day in Coz. I also got AOW certified since it was "free" - had to purchase the manual - We were there 2 weeks so didn't have to rush through it.

Our last trip in 2021, I dove with 3 different ops in 2 weeks. Two charged ~$100 and the other $84 for 2 tank dives. Quite a range. There are so many good ops in Coz - I'll get it back in the travel plans soon.

 

[ReefHound]

You could book a ten dive package with Dive With Martin for $375 cash. Times 2 is $750. Package includes rental gear. The chamber and park fee might be extra so maybe another $60. I've used them on 4 or 5 trips and they are just fine. You can dive your profile - we always get 60 to 70 minutes. Boats are 6-10 passenger and are covered. I would prefer them over a larger boat like Dressel. Are they "better" than Aldora? For my purposes, there is little difference. All I basically want is a water taxi to the dive site. We have our own boat coats when needed and we prefer to dive AL80.

Dive With Martin

Serving the World Class Dive Resort of Cozumel, Mexico

divewithmartin.com

 

[ggunn]

You could book a ten dive package with Dive With Martin for $375 cash. Times 2 is $750. Package includes rental gear. The chamber and park fee might be extra so maybe another $60. I've used them on 4 or 5 trips and they are just fine. You can dive your profile - we always get 60 to 70 minutes. Boats are 6-10 passenger and are covered. I would prefer them over a larger boat like Dressel. Are they "better" than Aldora? For my purposes, there is little difference. All I basically want is a water taxi to the dive site. We have our own boat coats when needed and we prefer to dive AL80.

Dive With Martin

Serving the World Class Dive Resort of Cozumel, Mexico

divewithmartin.com

The Aldora proponents will often make the $/minute of bottom time justification for their higher prices because of the larger tanks, but after an hour or so on an AL80 I am usually ready to come up.

 

[ReefHound]

The Aldora proponents will often make the $/minute of bottom time justification for their higher prices because of the larger tanks, but after an hour or so on an AL80 I am usually ready to come up.

Maybe on a good day you get more minutes. On a bad day, someone is low on air in less than 60 minutes and their policy is everyone ascends. We used Aldora twice and our dives were no longer than with TP.

 

[wateraddiction]

You could book a ten dive package with Dive With Martin for $375 cash. Times 2 is $750. Package includes rental gear. The chamber and park fee might be extra so maybe another $60. I've used them on 4 or 5 trips and they are just fine. You can dive your profile - we always get 60 to 70 minutes. Boats are 6-10 passenger and are covered. I would prefer them over a larger boat like Dressel. Are they "better" than Aldora? For my purposes, there is little difference. All I basically want is a water taxi to the dive site. We have our own boat coats when needed and we prefer to dive AL80.

Dive With Martin

Serving the World Class Dive Resort of Cozumel, Mexico

divewithmartin.com

I've heard great things about Dive With Martin, thanks.

I actually don't mind paying more if it means high quality and safe diving - a 45 min max dive time would be frustrating.

 

[living4experiences]

You could book a ten dive package with Dive With Martin for $375 cash. Times 2 is $750. Package includes rental gear. The chamber and park fee might be extra so maybe another $60. I've used them on 4 or 5 trips and they are just fine. You can dive your profile - we always get 60 to 70 minutes. Boats are 6-10 passenger and are covered. I would prefer them over a larger boat like Dressel. Are they "better" than Aldora? For my purposes, there is little difference. All I basically want is a water taxi to the dive site. We have our own boat coats when needed and we prefer to dive AL80.

Dive With Martin

Serving the World Class Dive Resort of Cozumel, Mexico

divewithmartin.com

From their website, it looks like Dive with Martin is now $435 for a 10-dive package. Not sure if that's cash or credit price. It certainly is becoming more expensive to dive in Cozumel. Plus, with all the extra taxes they're collecting from airfare (50%), one would think that in the 21st century they would have drinkable water.