SB'ers in Cozumel for April

[japa-fi]

(My first post in scubaboard)


Going to cozumel on 20th, flying out on 29th. Never been there, never been in Mexico. I still haven't booked my place to stay because I've been thinking about splitting the stay in two parts: one part in coz, other in tulum. Mainly because a) i want to see more, b) 7-8 diving days in one place: doesn't that get boring going to the same sites?

Anyway, if someone needs dive buddy from Finlanfd with 100+ (actual figure 101/102 or so ), confident in water, PADI AOWD + nitrox certified, send me a PM.

I'm not broke, but I live modestly. I'm not looking for five star dive boats etc, I just want five start dives. So hints of dive operators who are not insanely expensive, yet have the personal feeling (I'd say personal = DM + 6) to diving.

Oh, don't have own gear either, so rental is a must. (I have dive computer + mask + camera...)

 

[howdyhog]

Howdy yall, me and wife nondiver will be there mar 28-april 5 staying at park royal and diving with bluextsea. 5 salt and 6 fresh dives loged will be doing my advanced and 1st night dive also doing cenotes dive last of week. hope to see you there

dive deep and be safe.::

 

[shawrg]

(My first post in scubaboard)


Going to cozumel on 20th, flying out on 29th. Never been there, never been in Mexico. I still haven't booked my place to stay because I've been thinking about splitting the stay in two parts: one part in coz, other in tulum. Mainly because a) i want to see more, b) 7-8 diving days in one place: doesn't that get boring going to the same sites?

Anyway, if someone needs dive buddy from Finlanfd with 100+ (actual figure 101/102 or so ), confident in water, PADI AOWD + nitrox certified, send me a PM.

I'm not broke, but I live modestly. I'm not looking for five star dive boats etc, I just want five start dives. So hints of dive operators who are not insanely expensive, yet have the personal feeling (I'd say personal = DM + 6) to diving.

Oh, don't have own gear either, so rental is a must. (I have dive computer + mask + camera...)

I was looking at Dive with Martin but eventually picked another op. The price includes equipment rental and they didn't seem to me to be insanely expensive. I'll be arriving on the 29th otherwise I would be glad to dive with you. Good luck.

 

[japa-fi]

Thanks for the tip about dive with martin. Looks exactly what I'm looking for. Now I have hard time making a decicion between two options:
a) BlueAngelCozumel. 5 days, 10 boat dives + unlimited shore dives + lunches
or
b) Tamarino Cozumel (Bed and breakfast) + Dive with Martin. 15 boat dives. No lunches.

Option b is $120 cheaper though doesn't cover the wetsuit rental, but perhaps i'll myself one before the trip (fullsize 3mm).

Question being: unlimited shore dives versus 5 additional boat dives? Any other shores to dive besides the one in front of blue angel? how difficult and expensive is it to get to those? How many (shore) dives can one even make/endure?

I've been in liveaboards at thailand with 3-4 dives a day, but there was nothng else to do besides diving.
Last year I was at bunaken and did 22 dives in 10 days and then I felt like having a day off from diving...


Last but not least: How important is it to prebook diving?

 

[sharky60]

(My first post in scubaboard)

b) 7-8 diving days in one place: doesn't that get boring going to the same sites?

Umm, no...I could dive the same dive site every day for a week and not get bored...the reef changes every day, every hour for that matter, so it's not the same dive day in and day out...it's just the same long. & latt.

Having said that, there are 26 "named" dive sites in the "Cozumel Dive guide & log book", and there are several others sites not included in the book... you would be hard pressed to cover all of them in a week.

Not trying to talk you out of Tulum, or the Mayan Riviera, by any means, just pointing out that you should not get bored with the diving on the island in just a short weeks' time.

There are lots of great dive ops on Coz, and the going rate for most is a lot lower than diving in other parts of the Caribbean from what I've seen.

Blue Angel & Dive with Martin are 2 very reasonable priced ops I recommend.

Blue Angel is associated with the Blue Angel Resort (formerly Caibe Blu), and has dive/hotel packages at very good rates.

Dive with Martin will give a great rate for a cash payment and will throw in a night dive with a min. 5 dive package, (or something like that).

Other reasonable places to stay: (very short list)

Casa del Mar: loooong time "divers" hotel
Villa Blanca
Tiki Village
Hotel Baracuda
Casa Mexicana...the list goes on forever!!!!

 

[weking4]

I well be down 4/18-4/26 staying at Hotel Cozumel diving with Dive Paradise.

 

[jpomerantz]

April 4-11
Casa Mexicana
BlueXT Sea

it can't come soon enough!!!!!!

 

[Reg Braithwaite]

Update: My wife and I will be at White Sands (formerly the "Allegro") and I just booked with Aldora, March 28-April 4. They are definitely more expensive per dive, however I was swayed by the nice things people have said about them and the fact that they boast of having small groups with steel 100s and 120s on every dive. I detest the idea of paying ruinous premiums for Nitrox fills (see the thread elsewhere) only to be yanked out of the water because someone else has hit their NDL or is low on air in an AL80. And I have no idea how to do any of the showpiece deep dives on a single AL80. No matter which way I do the math, I've hit my minimum gas reserve just splashing into the water.

All that being said, "The Emperor may not share my optimistic appraisal of the situation." I have never dived with them before so we will find out how it goes in a few weeks. We would love to hook up with other SBers diving Aldora.

By the way, any idea of water temperatures?

 

[nigelfromramsgate]

Pam and Nigel (Minneapolis). First time divers, taking open water certification (Dressel Divers at Iberostar) and then a few extra dives I expect. Would be great to meet SBers.

 

[Dive Junky]

I well be down 4/18-4/26 staying at Hotel Cozumel diving with Dive Paradise.

There will be a group of 14 of us down there the same time coming in the 19th. Our dive shop is Aqua-Tech and we are from NJ. We will keep an eye open for you.