PDC or COZ ???

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I concur, spend your entire trip on Cozumel. As for Dressel for diving, that depends on your personal preference. As stated numerous times, there are tons of options who to dive with and each will better meet the needs of different people. People hate on dressel, they also dont seem to care for prodive whom I've had great experiences with. I like the price point, free nitrox, and we thoroughly enjoyed the staff in and out of the water on our last Cozumel trip. Enjoy and dive safe
 
The other thing to consider is that even though the beaches are nice in pdc, they have been COVERED in sarcasm the last 3 visits for us. Visits in July, October, and April. So I would enjoy the slightly less beautiful but still amazing and clear of seaweed beaches of Cozumel
 
For an upcoming trip to Coz we've booked a 2-bedroom AirBnB 2.5 blocks from the Tres Pelicanos shop; they'll drive us down to the Caleta. We're not renting a car this time.

Hmmm, me too. Wonder if it's the same place.
 
Cozumel is hands down better diving.

as far as the AOW course, you could do that and stay and dive at ScubaClubCozumel. Their instructor staff is fantastic, and its our favorite place in Cozumel for the vibe as well as the dive facilities. Plus the shore diving there is included, you just sign out a tank and walk right down stairs into water. So 2 boat dives per day and free afternoon or night shore diving included. Another thing, only divers staying there and no kids.
www.scubaclubcozumel.com

I have hundreds of photos and videos of the place and diving. Also jlyle here on SB has been going there for 20+ yrs and has even more photos.
 
Dressel @ Iberostar is much disparaged on these forums because they dive big boats vs the small boats people prefer. Their DMs are also hit and miss. Most people with negative comments have not stayed there or dived with Dressel.

My family, which has divers and non-divers, loves to stay at the Iberostar. This is a personal choice that not all here agree with but I can leave my younger non-divers behind. If my whole family was diving I'd make a different choice.

That being said, my daughter was trained by Dressel for OW. I hand picked the instructor who also happened to be a cave diver. My daughter came out of the 4th OW dive diving with good trim and nice buoyancy. What I really loved about her training (compared to mine) was that the dives were natural. To do the air share drills the DM just came up to my daughter during the dive and signaled out of air. I have no regrets and and when my youngest is ready they are on my shortlist for her training (or Bonaire).

That being said I would not do Advanced with them, even free, cause they are not well setup for it. You need some no current areas for Navigation and a night drift dive is not new diver friendly. They don't dive wrecks so that is not an option and they dont go deep so your deep would be 80ish.

I'll be there in a few weeks staying at the Iberostar. BUT, I am diving with Tres Pelicanos in the morning because it is far superior. Maybe I'd do some unplanned/unscheduled afternoon dives with Dressel in the afternoon if I don't feel like sitting at the pool.

My conclusion based on first hand experience: good for training if you pick the right instructor. diving is new diver friendly. when you get more experience, move on.
 
Aldora and Tres Pelicanos are both downtown. Aldora has a pier they can pick you up from and Tres Pelicanos will give you a free cab ride from their shop to the marina.

I've dove with both but prefer Aldora for the bigger tanks and their staff.
 
Cozumel is by far much better diving. That said I had some enjoyable dives in Playa. I dove with a guy in Playa last year that had been going there for years. He was a very good diver. He had never dove in Cozumel, his wife wouldn't let him be gone long enough and he was content with it. He didn't know what he was missing.

The people watching is much better in Playa unless you are into balloon hats.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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