March 2019 Cozumel Dive Trip Question Extraordinaire

[ANDREW INGRAM]

After visiting Cozumel about 14 time as cruise trash, my wife and I have finally decided to take the plunge and spend 5 days on the island. I have a couple of questions that I hope you experts can help me out with:

- We are staying at the Barracuda. Are shore dives allowed from here? Where could we rent tanks from? I'm not expecting to see anything amazing but would just like to get wet when we're done with the boat for the day.

- We will be diving with Aldora Divers (Based on recommendations I saw on here). I spoke with Matt and it looks like they wont be doing any night dives during our stay (1-6 March). Are their any shops that have regularly scheduled night dives? We would like to at least get one in during our stay

- Aldora does not have availability for the two of us for one day (2 March). Any other shops that this board can recommend for booking?

- Are their any dive shops that regularly dive the C-53 wreck? Is this one that is worth doing?

Thanks so much for helping us out.

 

[Snoweman]

Besides Aldora, look at Tres Pelicanos or Living Underwater. Blue XT Sea is another option.

 

[drrich2]

Hotel Barracuda isn't all that far from Tres Pelicanos shop where people gather to be transported to the marina for the boat. When I dove with them, we stopped and picked up a guy staying at Cozumel Palace; I doubt picking up at Barracuda would be a problem, but walking might not be, either. Shoot an e-mail to Jeanie at Tres Pelicanos and ask.

Richard.

 

[horn34]

After visiting Cozumel about 14 time as cruise trash, my wife and I have finally decided to take the plunge and spend 5 days on the island. I have a couple of questions that I hope you experts can help me out with:

- We are staying at the Barracuda. Are shore dives allowed from here? Where could we rent tanks from? I'm not expecting to see anything amazing but would just like to get wet when we're done with the boat for the day.

- We will be diving with Aldora Divers (Based on recommendations I saw on here). I spoke with Matt and it looks like they wont be doing any night dives during our stay (1-6 March). Are their any shops that have regularly scheduled night dives? We would like to at least get one in during our stay

- Aldora does not have availability for the two of us for one day (2 March). Any other shops that this board can recommend for booking?

- Are their any dive shops that regularly dive the C-53 wreck? Is this one that is worth doing?

Thanks so much for helping us out.

me and my buddy might be interested in a twilight dive with Aldora in your time frame, we're diving with them from 2/23 - 3/10. The twilight 2 tank dive lets you sleep in for the morning, have a nice relaxed breakfast someplace that opens later and go shopping/whatever. Then you hop on the boat around 4pm. PM me if you're interested.

Are you set on staying at the Barracuda? It doesn't get much love around here.

Also, you might want to ask the mods to move this to the Cozumel forum to get more replies.

 

[motorref]

I just got back from a week in Coz, and every time we went out I saw Aldora boats with 12 -15 people on them - not my idea of fun, but they do have a great reputation. Big operation,a nd we usually saw 3 or 4 boats from them.
Friends of friends used Scuba Tony and spoke very highly of them.
A guy named Lou (from Ill.) recommended Home | Bottom Time Divers Cozumel but I didn't get a chance to try them out.

KevinL

 

[horn34]

I just got back from a week in Coz, and every time we went out I saw Aldora boats with 12 -15 people on them - not my idea of fun, but they do have a great reputation. Big operation,a nd we usually saw 3 or 4 boats from them.
Friends of friends used Scuba Tony and spoke very highly of them.
A guy named Lou (from Ill.) recommended Home | Bottom Time Divers Cozumel but I didn't get a chance to try them out.

KevinL

lol. You might need glasses. I've been diving with them for the past week and have never seen any of their boats with more than 8 people (6 divers, 1 DM, 1 captain). We begged to get a 7th diver on our boat today and they said no, even though we are all friends, plus we're friends with the DM and captain. 6 divers is their limit.

 

[Pelagicsal]

The only time you’d see a dozen people on an Aldora boat is if the boat is Falicity, a boat that could easily run 20 divers, but I believe 16 is the maximum Aldora sends out on her. Those would be divided into at least three groups with three dive masters.

@ANDREW INGRAM Something was missed in communication. Aldora has guaranteed night dives on Wednesday and Saturday.

If you’ve never done a wreck dive, C53 is worth doing. If you have done any notable wreck dives, you may wish to give it a pass.

Hope your trip is going well!

 

[horn34]

The only time you’d see a dozen people on an Aldora boat is if the boat is Falicity, a boat that could easily run 20 divers, but I believe 16 is the maximum Aldora sends out on her. Those would be divided into at least three groups with three dive masters.

@ANDREW INGRAM Something was missed in communication. Aldora has guaranteed night dives on Wednesday and Saturday.

If you’ve never done a wreck dive, C53 is worth doing. If you have done any notable wreck dives, you may wish to give it a pass.

Hope your trip is going well!

Falicity is waiting on a long block replacement and was not in service last week.

 

[Pelagicsal]

Yes, I thought of mentioning that, but the whole comment about seeing multiple Aldora boats with a dozen people was so ludicrous that I didn’t even bother.