Shore diving in Coz

[SoccerJeni]

Beats the heck out of Beaver Lake, even in a good year, trust me ;-)

I bet it does! I was just down at Beaver Lake last weekend. Vis was really bad, around 5'.

 

[Mike]

Thank you for all the info guys! It's great to learn about what people enjoy about the shore diving. And it actually sounds like something I would really enjoy.

The reason why I started this thread is while discussing the trip with someone she acted like it wasn't that great of a deal, the price was high and the shore diving wasn't any good because of the distruction of the hurricane and that I'd basically be looking at sand only on shore dives. That's why I wanted to get opinions. Of course I'm going to do the 2 inclusive boats dives a day, it's part of the all inclusive amount. But, you bet your butt I'm getting more dives in a day than 2! Which means I'm moving onto the unlimited shore diving after the morning boat dives. Thus the reason for this thread because I want lots of diving time. Make sense?

I understand what you are saying. But does it make sense? Not really, at least not financially. The cost of boat diving (especially in Cozumel) is relatively inexpensive when compared to the rest of your costs surrounding your dive vacation. Adding a 1/2 dozen ala cart boat dives to your stay is going to amount to peanuts compared to the large outlays you already had to spend to get there, stay there and eat there.

But anyways, obviously that's just me. Let us know how it turns out. You might report back you're a Cozumel shore dive convert and will be going back next time planning on a twenty shore dive vacation like some of those replying here. However, I'm gonna venture that won't be the case.

You'll have a blast however it turns out. I hope you report back.

 

[driftin' by]

Adding a 1/2 dozen ala cart boat dives to your stay is going to amount to peanuts compared to the large outlays you already had to spend to get there, stay there and eat there.

Peanuts? Not picking nits, but we just booked 8-nights AI with R/T air from Denver in November for $2200 for 2 adults and 1 minor. Our diving budget is $1000 which is based on 10 tanks each, a couple boat night dives and tips. That's almost half... more than peanuts. If all we could afford was the air and room and if I needed some blue water diving, I'd be totally happy with the shore diving... but then again, I'm one that likes it or thinks it is "good". And for what it is worth, I honestly don't think you can dive blue water for a better price.

 

[ReefHound]

Sometimes people with money to burn have a hard time understanding that others may have a tight budget, for whom the extra bucks is just not there. Regardless of whether it is relatively minor to the overall cost or really "worth the extra". But my own experience is similar, my diving expenses are usually the highest cost item of my trip. I went 7 nights in June for $500 air/hotel on Orbitz and my boat dives were $350. The shore dives saved me about $200.

 

[Tunaman68]

No, I wouldn't skip boat diving, I just love to dive, and doing it in the clear, warm, blue waters of Cozumel is a joy, from the boat or the shore.

AMEN!! This pretty much says it all!!! Free tanks to search for critters in 80 degrees where you can stay down two hours if you want is an EXCELLENT AUGMENTATION to a week of stellar boat dives!!!

But anyways, obviously that's just me. Let us know how it turns out. You might report back you're a Cozumel shore dive convert and will be going back next time planning on a twenty shore dive vacation like some of those replying here. However, I'm gonna venture that won't be the case.

How trollish.....

 

[scubafanatic]

It's kind of a weird question to answer because of the way it's stated. Asking if Cozumel doesn't have good shore diving anymore intimates that it had good shore diving at one time.

Cozumel's non-shore diving is a 9 out of 10, its shore diving is a 2 out of 10 at best. Maybe it was a 2.5 before at best. So we are still talking about shore diving that's a 2-2.5 out of 10, which is nothing to write home about. Cozumel's shore diving now or before -- it's like going to the prom with your sister. It gets you to the dance, you might make the best of it, but the evening isn't going to end with a bang. Shore diving then or now, it's there to some degree, if you do some, fine, but shore diving wouldn't be a factor in booking a trip to Cozumel. It would be like booking a trip to Cozumel because there's a McDonalds there. It's simply not really relevant.

I'm gonna side with mfinley here.....and likely bear the wrath of the Coz pom-pom squad. Anyone who thinks Cozumel has shore diving of any consequence needs to get out of the house more often...seriously! Coz shore diving was a joke, even before Wilma in 2005. Even the boat diving is pretty average (and yes, I've been to Coz recently......a week in Aug 2010 with 19 boat and 1 shore dive, stayed-dove with Casa Del Mar) I'm gonna rate Coz shore diving a 0.5 and the boat dives a 4. I go to Coz 'cause it's an easy, no stops 2 hr flight for me, I've been there a few times and feel comfortable there, and it's pretty affordable on all fronts (dives/food/hotel)...it's just a nice place to go blow some bubbles with good vis and easy drift diving. Many reefs were pretty much destroyed by Wilma in 2005, although the deeper walls survived better, but the shallows were devastated and will never recover in any realistic timeframes and certainly not within the lifetimes of anyone alive today....coral grows VERY slowly !!!! On my 08/10 trip, I actually had a DM recommend I go deep (like 150' range) on one reef to see a cool place on one wall where there was a strand of old growth forest, as it were...there was a nice giant scooped out wall segment where lots of GIANT sponges and other very old growth had survived Wilma, which was a little microcosm of the pre-Wilma 'old growth' Cozumel.....a little snapshot of a time gone by...pretty but a bit sad too. I'm not saying not to go to Cozumel...I am saying keep-it-real.....the free shore dives are good to doing weight/gear checks, especially if you're a newbie and have new (or newly serviced gear) to check out....and I'm a scuba gear head by nature, so actually I'm not super demanding with respect to the critters I need to see to make me happy...I just like being on scuba and seeing stuff is just a bonus...but if you are a 'stamp collector/bird watcher' type, (those how have a check list/score card of what they want/expect to see for the trip to be a success) then you're not gonna like Cozumel.....the boat dives will be average Carribbean level diving, the shore diving is for the muck diver crowd.

I was impressed with one fairly shallow reef...Las Palmas, and dove it several times, it's a 45 degree slope where the coral starts at about 30' deep, it's about a 50/50 mix of coral and small white sand patches with very modest current, this site seems to have survived Wilma just fine, so I can recommend this reef if you're not into the deeper stuff.

...it appears the 'cheerleaders' also forgot to mention that Feburary is an 'El Norte' month, where you stand a pretty high chance of getting blown out by a strong cold front blowing down from the north (USA) ...hence the name 'El Norte'.

 

[driftin' by]

What's with all the name calling?

(and yes, I've been to Coz recently......a week in Aug 2010 with 19 boat and 1 shore dive, stayed-dove with Casa Del Mar).

Bless your heart for enduring such average diving! 19 boat dives during a 1-week stay?!?!? You're amazing!

I'm gonna rate Coz shore diving a 0.5 and the boat dives a 4..

That is of course, your opinion when Cozumel is consistently voted/ranked among the top destinations in the Caribbean. Add some perspective as to what YOU think is better. Educate us as you already seem so willing to do.

...it appears the 'cheerleaders' also forgot to mention that Feburary is an 'El Norte' month, where you stand a pretty high chance of getting blown out by a strong cold front blowing down from the north (USA) ...hence the name 'El Norte'.

What is there to forget???? OP didn't ask about the weather in "Feburary" which is actually spelled February.

No wrath intended.

Regards,
Muck Diving Cheerleader of the Coz Pom Pom Club who seriously doesn't get out of the house enough

 

[boulderjohn]

OK, I have to admit that I haven't been to Coz too much in the past few years, but I used to go a lot. My situation is a little different from most because my wife is a non-diver, so I can't just dedicate myself to diving while I am there. Given that background, I have a couple of points to make:

1. The boat diving is great, and it was generally all I needed to make the trips worthwhile. I have many, many boat dives there--I know a lot of the reefs really, really well. I have done only a handful of shore dives, and I don't feel any real sense of loss.

2. I am not a fan of the all-inclusives. I feel they are ruining the island. I like to stay close to town and go to the many great restaurants there. I bet you can save a lot of money that way--and get a better experience to go with it.

3. Pick your dive operators carefully. You want an operator that will give you the kind of dives you want. There are quite a few excellent operators on the island. There are some that are not as good. If you automatically go with whatever you find at your all-inclusive...well, how lucky do you feel today? (That happened to me on Grand Cayman. I started with the on-site operator and switched after the first day to a much better operator only a few miles away--night and day difference in quality!)