My 1st Cozumel Trip Dec 9th - 16th!

[devoDan]

Hello Everybody!! Thanks in advance for all of the help!!

My name is Dan and I will be making my first dive trip to Mexico in less than a month! So excited! It seems like there is a whole lot of expertise out there roaming these forums, so I hope you all can help recommend the best dive company for my requirements and perhaps also provide a pointer or two about where to eat and take in some nightlife and whether to rent a scooter or car....

I will be staying in Cozumel this December 9th to December 16th at the Residencias Reef condos (about three miles north of the Iberostar Hotel), which has its own dock for boarding dive boats. I would like to be picked up and dropped off at my dock and if possible have the dive company rinse and keep my equipment overnight each diving day.

I am looking for a package of three Nitrox 32 dives per day with 100cf tanks on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, plus two additional night dives and a two tank morning outing on the 15th. That makes a total of 19 dives! I have my own equipment and will only require tanks and weights and Nitrox fills.

I am open to suggestions, but very much want to see the best that Cozumel has to offer, including Barracuda Reef, San Juan Reef, Villa Blanca Wall, C-53 Wreck, Yucab Wall, San Francisco Reef, Santa Rosa Wall, Cedar Pass, Palancar Caves and Punta Sur.

I am an experienced diver: PADI AOW EANx with 50 logged dives since June 2012, most recently diving the Komodo Islands during the September full moon aboard the KM Black Manta dive ship (very strong current).

What is my best bet, based on the requirements above? I would be willing to pay up a little extra for smaller groups, faster boat, better service, less newbies, etc.

Also, nightlife-wise, what are the best bets for a professional 31 year old white American male? Any of you ScubaBoarders going to be down there when I am and want to meet up? It is going to be only me down there....

Finally, is renting a scooter totally insane? I have rented scooters in Bali and Mumbai and lived to tell the tale....

All the best and thanks again!

DevoDan

 

[redacted]

You definitely want one of the small boat ops. Two to try are Blue XT and Bottom Time.

 

[mstevens]

Most of the dive shops favored by frequent posters here will fit your requirements perfectly. Blue XT Sea, Aldora, and others are sure to be mentioned. Even with your cards and 50 dives, you're a newbie. Don't be offended if whatever shop you select wants to see your skills before they sort you into a group for the rest of the week.

I can't figure out why nightlife questions might depend on your being white. For me, nightlife means hanging out in the pool or sitting on the porch, so I can't really make much in the way of recommendations. I'm vehemently opposed to dancing, but I have to admit I had a good time with salsa lessons from Laura Johnson. There are several bars with very active salsa nights and a lot of very fit and attractive dancers.

Yes, renting a scooter in Cozumel IS totally insane. Others will surely disagree. This is a common hot topic here. Factors include: fairly bad roads, fairly bad rental scooters, bad to nonexistent safety gear, island full of tourists in rental cars driving too fast on unfamiliar roads while liquored up.

 

[DandyDon]

I am looking for a package of three Nitrox 32 dives per day with 100cf tanks on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, plus two additional night dives and a two tank morning outing on the 15th. That makes a total of 19 dives! I have my own equipment and will only require tanks and weights and Nitrox fills.

I am open to suggestions, but very much want to see the best that Cozumel has to offer, including Barracuda Reef, San Juan Reef, Villa Blanca Wall, C-53 Wreck, Yucab Wall, San Francisco Reef, Santa Rosa Wall, Cedar Pass, Palancar Caves and Punta Sur.

I am an experienced diver: PADI AOW EANx with 50 logged dives since June 2012, most recently diving the Komodo Islands during the September full moon aboard the KM Black Manta dive ship (very strong current).

What is my best bet, based on the requirements above? I would be willing to pay up a little extra for smaller groups, faster boat, better service, less newbies, etc.

Also, nightlife-wise, what are the best bets for a professional 31 year old white American male? Any of you ScubaBoarders going to be down there when I am and want to meet up? It is going to be only me down there....

Finally, is renting a scooter totally insane? I have rented scooters in Bali and Mumbai and lived to tell the tale....

Yes, renting a scooter is insane there - just don't. You'll be far enough south of town that you will probably like having your own rental car. The most popular agency on SB seems to be Isis. It'll be particularly helpful for diving the sites north of those of those condos as dive Ops don't like backtracking in boats.

Many Ops can supply 100 cf tanks on request, altho maybe not Nitrox 100s so commonly. Most Ops are organized with 2 tank morning trips and then maybe 2 tank afternoon trips, so you may want to rethink your 3 tank days. If you plan some days with 2 in the morning, then a 2 tank trip late in the day to include twilight & night dives, you really do not need to mess with Nitrox given the multi-level of most dive plans.

The nights you want to party, maybe just do the 2 tank morning trip, then rest up for the night - and use cabs as you do not want to drink and drive there! It'd be pricey to run cabs alone that far, and you might want to save the partying for when you get home, but your choices.

I think you want to order Can-Do maps now so you can get them before your trip: Cozumel Map and Travel Guide

I assume you have DAN dive insurance and surface signaling devices. Have a good trip. ilot:

 

[Rescue Diver68]

Hello Everybody!! Thanks in advance for all of the help!!

My name is Dan and I will be making my first dive trip to Mexico in less than a month! So excited! It seems like there is a whole lot of expertise out there roaming these forums, so I hope you all can help recommend the best dive company for my requirements and perhaps also provide a pointer or two about where to eat and take in some nightlife and whether to rent a scooter or car....

I will be staying in Cozumel this December 9th to December 16th at the Residencias Reef condos (about three miles north of the Iberostar Hotel), which has its own dock for boarding dive boats. I would like to be picked up and dropped off at my dock and if possible have the dive company rinse and keep my equipment overnight each diving day.

I am looking for a package of three Nitrox 32 dives per day with 100cf tanks on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th, plus two additional night dives and a two tank morning outing on the 15th. That makes a total of 19 dives! I have my own equipment and will only require tanks and weights and Nitrox fills.

I am open to suggestions, but very much want to see the best that Cozumel has to offer, including Barracuda Reef, San Juan Reef, Villa Blanca Wall, C-53 Wreck, Yucab Wall, San Francisco Reef, Santa Rosa Wall, Cedar Pass, Palancar Caves and Punta Sur.

I am an experienced diver: PADI AOW EANx with 50 logged dives since June 2012, most recently diving the Komodo Islands during the September full moon aboard the KM Black Manta dive ship (very strong current).

What is my best bet, based on the requirements above? I would be willing to pay up a little extra for smaller groups, faster boat, better service, less newbies, etc.

Also, nightlife-wise, what are the best bets for a professional 31 year old white American male? Any of you ScubaBoarders going to be down there when I am and want to meet up? It is going to be only me down there....

Finally, is renting a scooter totally insane? I have rented scooters in Bali and Mumbai and lived to tell the tale....

All the best and thanks again!

DevoDan

Try Aquatic Sports Cozumel- Sergio Sandoval Aquatic Sports - Cozumel Scuba Diving and Fishing With Sergio Aquatic Sports and Expeditions

 

[devoDan]

I can't figure out why nightlife questions might depend on your being white.

Sorry, I am new to Cozumel but not at all new to international travel, and there are plenty of places on the map where being white - particularly American and white - makes you very unpopular with the locals and creates a safety issue (many parts of the middle east, africa, indonesia, etc.). Sounds like that isn't an issue so close to home! I may just have to try those dance lessons!!

---------- Post Merged at 12:31 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 12:25 PM ----------

Thanks. I don't drink, so that won't be an issue, but I see your point. I just like to use Nitrox when I'm doing so many dives so close together. I don't know if it's nitrogen building up in my system or what, but 19 dives in a week is really exhausting on air...anyone know of a shop that provides n32 or n36 100s?? How strict are the various operators with dive times? I am a big guy but can make a 100 last a long, long time....

 

[Ms. Ann Thrope]

I don't rent or ride scooters, but I've seen the traffic in Bali (and also the underwater scenery in Komodo--nice, eh?). I doubt it's any more of a risk, even though people on this board are generally anti-scooter. I know there are some terrific accidents now and then, but it's your neck. Don's point about possibly needing to transport yourself elsewhere to get up to Barracuda is probably something to consider, and definitely something you want to discuss with any potential dive ops. Any other time of the year I can take or leave the northern reefs, but it is the spot in winter for eagle rays. The currents can be very swift up there--I don't remember Komodo being as fast, but we may have had a different experience.

I haven't looked at the websites of every operator out there, but I'm not sure many operators can promise exactly three tanks a day, every day--as mentioned, the two-tank trip, sometimes done a couple times a day, is more the norm. So it might actually be easier to arrange 24 dives in a week than 19. But wow, that's a lot of diving.

Are you looking at the bigger tanks because you need them to make an hour, or because you're looking to get longer dives? If it's the latter, definitely choose carefully and go with an operation that cultivates a long-dive culture and will truly let you dive your limits, or all that Nitrox and/or cubic footage may do you little good. We tried an op once that said they let you dive your air and computer, but they always signaled "time's up" after an hour, no matter how shallow the dive. On the other hand, we tend to not stay much longer than an hour with our usual favorite, in part because we don't want to mess up their schedule for the afternoon boats.

There are so many good dive operators and divemasters on Cozumel, and we've only tried six. We are diving with Aldora for the first time this trip, though we're still big fans of our usual hotel/dive op combo (just no room at the inn for our dates). Aldora does indeed advertise a one-tank afternoon trip in addition to their two-tank morning dive. They do use big tanks, offer Nitrox, care for your gear and have enough boats to group divers by experience/ability. They have a great reputation. They might be good for you, too. Top prices, though.

I'll leave any real bar/nightclub suggestions to others, but if you're on Cozumel on a Sunday evening, and you have easy transportation, it would be a shame not to check out the main square, where there's usually a band and plenty of dancing and mingling. If you find Cozumel nights too quiet, you can always hop the ferry for Playa del Carmen.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Sorry, I am new to Cozumel but not at all new to international travel, and there are plenty of places on the map where being white - particularly American and white - makes you very unpopular with the locals and creates a safety issue (many parts of the middle east, africa, indonesia, etc.). Sounds like that isn't an issue so close to home! I may just have to try those dance lessons!!

I've found that being a white American leads locals in some parts of the world to view me as a walking wallet and pretend to be friendly when they have ulterior motives, but this has never been so in Mexico, and I've traveled the length and breadth of the country. The first time I was in Cozumel I did more partying than diving and one night I made some Mexican friends. I assumed they were locals, but come to think of it, I never asked, so they could have been visitors like me. We visited some bars, strip clubs, and late-night taco stands, and I never got the feeling they wanted any more than to show this gringo some Cozumel fun. Speaking Spanish helps, of course. You'll have a great time.

 

[Fatterboy]

I have ridden scooters in Cozumel, it is very similar to some parts of Europe and the Middle East. In the US one stops in line at the stop sign, in Cozumel it is not infrequent that when an auto stops it is surrounded by scooters/mopeds and they ALL go when it is the auto's turn to go. Also the autos have LITTLE (or no) respect for the scooter/moped's presence on the road, almost like you're in their way and have no right to be, clearance is very little when they round you. One has to be very confident with their skills on motorcycles.

My wife and I were there in April and rented a jeep as it was VERY comparable to the price of a scooter (less than $15 US/day). We rented the jeep for 5 days for around $300 US (including the fuel) and we went all over the south end of the island.

We have been out with Scuba Du and Dive Paradise, both had great divemasters but did not stow and rinse our gear for us (don't know if they offer to). We took classes with Juan "Porfirio" Gonzalez thru Ocean Tours. We were his only students in a small, fast boat and he was very professional and attentive. We like the larger boats for comfort even if they are slower.

By the way, motorcycle helmets there are a JOKE and you HAVE to wear them. I am an ER nurse and do not wear a helmet on my motorcycle, but the batting helmets they make you wear in Cozumel I believe would be very ineffective.

 

[Oldbear]

By U.S. driving standards, riding a scooter in Mexico is a very BAD idea. By southern Europe or Asia driving standards, riding a scooter is just another place to ride...no big deal. Cozumel is no different than most parts of the world when it comes to driving...the bigger you are, the more “right-away” your circumstance becomes; the quicker and more maneuverable you are, the more negotiable the bigger guy’s right-aways are. I do agree with the crappy road conditions, many times worse than I drove in Thailand. I would go with the Jeep. I have done the Jeep thing twice on Coz and it was worth it both times.

This link might be interesting to you: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/409337-rental-cars-cozumel.html


Most dive operators that I have seen, tend to dive the more calmer/easier sites. When they have a lot of divers of mixed skill levels these calmer/easier sites makes keeping an eye on the novice diver a lot more manageable for them. With 50+ Dives, do not be surprised if you are first taken to one of these sites. But do not be put off by it either...they are fantastic dive sites, this is what makes Coz so special for diving. I have heard (from SB) that Scuba-Du is very reputable operator and they have a set "Schedule" on which sites they dive; this avoids the last minute decisions on the boats in which the DM usually decides on the same calm/easy site they did the past 10 days. While I do not have personal knowledge of Scuba-Du, on my next trip I plan on giving them a try.

Most resturants are pretty good, especially in the evenings when the cruise ships leave. Do NOT eat from the deli in the supermarket. I got so sick last time from the guac...I just don't have the right immunity system built up for that. Try Coconuts on the only major cliff there; the view is nice and the food is not bad.

Good luck and enjoy the Land of Coz.

~Michael~