NullNullSem
Registered
Hello Cozumel Forum.
I've been reading this forum for a while looking for as much info as possible to plan an upcoming dive trip. I will be going diving for TWO weeks between the middle of Feb and March of this year. I have only been on a couple of dive vacations (with approximately 30 dives under my belt and my AOW cert). I've always gone to Roatan (for the incredible diving and the exceptional bang-for-buck factor).
When I was diving, I was quite comfortable with it -- but I do know the bounds of my experience. Unfortunately, I haven't been diving since 2009. While I think that I'll have no issues once I get in the water and clear a mask, or two, I'm sure the first dive back will be a bit jittery.
That's my background.
While I could, and still may, just-go-back-to-Roatan, I would like go somewhere new. Cozumel has caught my interest. I stopped there once while on cruise, but that was before I got into diving.
My understanding is that Cozumel has some awesome diving (mostly drift), a plethora of outstanding dive shops, and a diving trip there can be done on the relatively cheap side.
Regarding the cheap... well... it's not that I'm cheap, it's just that I don't need a lot of "frills". I tend to take care of myself.
What I do need is:
* Safe accommodations, with AC and hot water. I don't -really- need that much more. I'm there for the diving, to sip some rum, and enjoy the nitrogen . I'll go out a bit, but reading in a hammock, or researching critters I saw, is fine with me.
* Accommodations located convenient to dive departure site AND convenient to some place where coffee and "something" can be had in the AM. I'm not much of a morning person, and I don't like having to run around to make arrangements, find a ride, etc.. A 15 minute walk is usually not a big deal, but it is NOT something that I want to do at 6 or 7 AM every morning.
* Small dive groups -- I really don't think that I'd enjoy 10+ person dives as much as 8, or less, person dives.
* Customer oriented DM. None of the macho, I'm a totally cool dive guy types. The best are the ones that truly enjoy sharing their experience with others.
* Rental gear -- I have mask, fins, snorkel, and I could buy a wet suit -- but I'd rather rent equipment.
Thanks to this board, I think I've found a few really good candidates in Cozumel to contact re: diving and accommodations.
Alas, it looks like I'll be doing this trip alone since my former dive buddy was my ex GF. This seems the hardest part. I know at least one dive shop in Roatan where going as a solo diver is REALLY easy. This is partly true because many of the shops have plenty of student divers doing interns to buddy a solo person up with. Of course, you also run into the "I'm so much cooler than you because I'm doing an intern" attitudes as well, but, honestly, I didn't see that very often.
I don't know how it works in Cozumel. Is it feasible to go as a solo diver there? I will ask the places I am interested in diving with about this, of course, but what sort of problems are there that I might be overlooking? What else should I be asking about?
(I did read, here, that someone did Scuba Club in Coz as a solo and had a great time... But, that op seems to do more big boat dives AND that person seemed to be looking for a lot of community stuff. While I don't mind making friends, I could go there, dive, de-the-f-compress from my job and 'real life', check stuff out all by myself -- and have a grand old time.)
Thanks for reading all of that, and for any feedback.
I've been reading this forum for a while looking for as much info as possible to plan an upcoming dive trip. I will be going diving for TWO weeks between the middle of Feb and March of this year. I have only been on a couple of dive vacations (with approximately 30 dives under my belt and my AOW cert). I've always gone to Roatan (for the incredible diving and the exceptional bang-for-buck factor).
When I was diving, I was quite comfortable with it -- but I do know the bounds of my experience. Unfortunately, I haven't been diving since 2009. While I think that I'll have no issues once I get in the water and clear a mask, or two, I'm sure the first dive back will be a bit jittery.
That's my background.
While I could, and still may, just-go-back-to-Roatan, I would like go somewhere new. Cozumel has caught my interest. I stopped there once while on cruise, but that was before I got into diving.
My understanding is that Cozumel has some awesome diving (mostly drift), a plethora of outstanding dive shops, and a diving trip there can be done on the relatively cheap side.
Regarding the cheap... well... it's not that I'm cheap, it's just that I don't need a lot of "frills". I tend to take care of myself.
What I do need is:
* Safe accommodations, with AC and hot water. I don't -really- need that much more. I'm there for the diving, to sip some rum, and enjoy the nitrogen . I'll go out a bit, but reading in a hammock, or researching critters I saw, is fine with me.
* Accommodations located convenient to dive departure site AND convenient to some place where coffee and "something" can be had in the AM. I'm not much of a morning person, and I don't like having to run around to make arrangements, find a ride, etc.. A 15 minute walk is usually not a big deal, but it is NOT something that I want to do at 6 or 7 AM every morning.
* Small dive groups -- I really don't think that I'd enjoy 10+ person dives as much as 8, or less, person dives.
* Customer oriented DM. None of the macho, I'm a totally cool dive guy types. The best are the ones that truly enjoy sharing their experience with others.
* Rental gear -- I have mask, fins, snorkel, and I could buy a wet suit -- but I'd rather rent equipment.
Thanks to this board, I think I've found a few really good candidates in Cozumel to contact re: diving and accommodations.
Alas, it looks like I'll be doing this trip alone since my former dive buddy was my ex GF. This seems the hardest part. I know at least one dive shop in Roatan where going as a solo diver is REALLY easy. This is partly true because many of the shops have plenty of student divers doing interns to buddy a solo person up with. Of course, you also run into the "I'm so much cooler than you because I'm doing an intern" attitudes as well, but, honestly, I didn't see that very often.
I don't know how it works in Cozumel. Is it feasible to go as a solo diver there? I will ask the places I am interested in diving with about this, of course, but what sort of problems are there that I might be overlooking? What else should I be asking about?
(I did read, here, that someone did Scuba Club in Coz as a solo and had a great time... But, that op seems to do more big boat dives AND that person seemed to be looking for a lot of community stuff. While I don't mind making friends, I could go there, dive, de-the-f-compress from my job and 'real life', check stuff out all by myself -- and have a grand old time.)
Thanks for reading all of that, and for any feedback.