First of all, there are always going to be people in ANY business that cut corners and don't obey the rules.
The key for divers is to find a reputable dive op that DOES play buy the rules and takes all the safety measures required for you to come back from a dive safe and healthy.
for someone who is new to a location this is very hard, even with such great resources as SB... who's opion do you trust?:O
It's really quite simple, keep a running tab of the dive ops you see most often with positve remarks about them, not just cheerleading, but real, reasons why folks dive with these ops.
When asked, I usually post a short list of 5 dive ops, these are people I have either personally dove with or have observed the exceptional service and care they give to thier customers. by the way, only 2 dive ops have earned the later recommendation.
For the amount of divers that dive on Cozumel every day & the amount of boats heading out to dive, fish, parasail...whatever, the safety record overall is quite remarkable.
Accidents will happen, that is for sure, but the first thing you need to realize is that your safety is YOUR resposibility first and foremost.
Be in good health, obey the rules of diving, watch your limits, know your personal limits, make sure and have all safety equipment you should have, continually educate, (not just collect cards, but LEARN STUFF),and gain experience as a diver.
Do some muck diving occaisionally, bad vis is a very good training ground to make you a better diver overall.
I wouldn't let the latest "news" get you down and keep you from coming back to a place you obviously like to go to. Remember, bad news travels faster than good news and also gets more attention. There are still many more positive reasons to come back to Cozumel then anyone can come up with negitive reasons not to go back...