Kudos! Blue Angel Dive Resort & Dive Shop - We will return!

[Flutter]

We recently returned from our first dive trip to Cozumel, stayed and dived with Blue Angel, and they were great!
My husband & I were 2 of a 5 diver group, with mixed diving experience. The dive masters were helpful (as needed), professional (catching & solving potential gear issues before hitting the water), good at quickly acessing skill levels, at finding the "tiny creatures", and they were Friendly.
We stayed 9 nights, and dived 7 2-tank dives with them (2 days we shore dived). (3 of our party took the "Refresher" course recommended, before beginning the boat dives, getting their wts figured, and their bouyancy and other skills brushed up - very beneficial to their satisfying dives later in the week.) We were able to dive a full hour or until the preset psi was met (diving elsewhere we/ve found this is not always the case). Each trip out, we were asked which sites we had already been to, and which we'd still like to dive (the boat vote decided). During our time with them, we dived great sites: Palanchar Caves, Gardens, & Horseshoe, Santa Rosa, Chakanaub, Tamentos (sp?), El Cedral, Yucab, Paradise Reef, San Clemente", La Francesca, & Pasa El Cedral. (The boat dock is just steps from the resort). MY husband & I have boat dived elsewhere, and shore dive (which we love), but really didn't know what to expect in Cozumel. Our LDS recommended we check COZ out (Thankyou!).
We loved the varieity, the walls were awesome, and we even saw 2 reef shark

amongst the turtles, eels, nursesharks, squid, seahorses, toad fish, octopus and regulars.
BA is a smaller resort, but they truly delivered satisfaction (to 5 out of 5) - we will return!

 

[blue steal]

Glad you had a good time. Looks like you may be back again.

 

[cicopo]

Easy to understand why you like it & the DM's. You didn't mention the restaurant but I'd bet you liked it too.

 

[Flutter]

Thanks, Blue Steal. And Cicopo, you're right - the staff seemed very aware of which mornings we were trying to "eat up" and catch the 8 am dive boat. They served us (delicious, filling meals) quickly and always with a smile! The week we were there, a local musician came and played from 7- 9 or 10 eves, and it was great unwinding at the restaurant overlooking the water, the water rippling below, gentle music filling the air.

In addition, we asked a number of questions regarding pkgs, Nitrox cost, additional courses, etc. prior to our arrival (email). BA was always quick to respond. We were Not on our anniversary - but it would have worked for me! (We had not seen the queen triggerfish before, either, and saw quite a few.)
I loved it & cannot say enough -but I'll shut up now.

 

[diverjen]

Thank you so much for the report. We are considering Coz and Blue Angel is at the top of our list due to the reputation of the restaurant, dive masters and the potential to shore dive. Can you comment on the shore dive and the availability of afternoon or night dives? We are much newer divers than you guys but hopefully they would be able to accommodate us.

 

[blue steal]

When I have stayed at the BA, I do shore dives quite a bit. Tanks/weights are free and I like to go straight out and follow the bottom of the sting ray prison, then head up towards villa blanca, turn around and just drift on back. Not as good as the reefs, but fun for me with actually lots of life to see if you just slow down and watch. It is shallow, 15-20' for the most part. I have done shore dives in the late afternoon/sunset/ and at night. If you are asking about boat dives in the afternoon or night, I think they need a certain number of people signed up to go on these.
I think it is 4 divers, but not sure.

 

[islanddream]

You're now admitted into the Blue Angel family! We got back a couple weeks ago from our third trip to the BA and have already booked our fourth trip which will be in November. We love it there for the same reasons you do....very friendly, efficient, great dive shop, great DMs, good food, great rooms (not fancy!), etc.

diverjen: Many people shore dive at the Blue Angel. Let the dive shop know before they close for the evening and they'll give you weights. The tanks are just sitting outside the shop and you help yourself. You enter at the shore and dive around the stingray pen on the left and go as far south as you want. People see lots of "night" critters when they dive in the evenings.

As far as night dives are concerned---they have a scheduled 1-tank night dive on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. However, if you have more than four people, you can request a night dive any night of the week. We requested a twilight/night dive as there were four of us who wanted to go. Another couple signed up, too. The twilight dive was great because it was still light enough to see without a flashlight but towards the end of the dive the night critters started coming out. We then did a surface interval and after that the night dive. Spectacular!

 

[Flutter]

diverjen, some in our group started the week with 12 dives to their credit before our arrival (and we informed BA of this. They were Thrilled to more than double their dives that week). If you advise the dive shop staff of your experience (where you have dived, in what conditions, and when you dived last - along with your cert card) I'm thinking that they will be able to help you out. (If deemed neccesary), my sisters said the refresher course was quite beneficial. (It allowed them to swim in current/drift conditions, along with what I mentioned above).

While we were there, BA offered 2 morning dives (an 8 and 9 am), an afternoon dive (3 pm) Daily, and 2 eve dives a week (Tues and Sat, I believe), or if you can get enough people to fill a boat another night - minimum of 5, I think.

Shore diving was/is right outside the property, or just down the road a bit (you start against the current and drift back to BA); and is where the refresher course is taught. Although I didn't think it compared with the boat dives (at just 20-30" deep, and no reef, we still saw plenty of creatures in the "shallows" - an eagle ray, southern rays, several yellow rays, spotted & brown eels, a sea snake, ballon fish, schools of sargent majors, grunts, and the usuals during our 2+ shore dives. In addition, it is a good location to brush up on general diving/bouancy skills before hitting the boats. (For the shore diving, I think you would want a dive flag, dive sausage or some kind of marker due to heavy boat traffic. We used 2 for the 5 of us, and stayed together.) All shore dives are Free when you dive with BA (assuming you are not using Nitrox, have your own gear and/or are renting gear during your stay).

I hope this has helped. Also check their website Blue Angel Resort | Hotel : Restaurant : Dive Shop, and do not hesitate to email them. Huit (the resort front desk) was very nice as was Matt (from the dive shop).

---------- Post added April 27th, 2013 at 09:55 PM ----------

Does anyone know if whale shark, mantas, or the turtle population is more present during a specific time of the year in Cozumel? (someone mentioned this during our stay).

 

[blue steal]

I was hoping to return the first week in November, but alas the resort was booked up. Not sure what to do now.

 

[Flutter]

blue steal - Well, I'd be bummed; and then I'd start planning. (It's almost as much fun! - When you are from the "frozen tundra" the planning and anticipation is as good as it gets, sometimes.)