Cozumel recommendations please

[robint]

Thanks for all the input everyone.

To clarify, I am an AOW diver with 43 dives logged. I will either be travelling with a friend (also AOW diver), or by myself. I would prefer to stay in or close to town. All inclusive is not really my thing I don't think; I'll likely stay in a hostel, although a reasonably priced AI with service from a suitable operator is something I might be willing to try. I want long dives and an abundance and variety of sea life. Sharks, Rays, Turtles, Dolphins, etc. I prefer to boat dive over shore diving. I'm not bad on air, but I'm told there are good currents around there so the bigger the tanks the better I suppose.

What do you think the best DC/ accomms/ sites are for me?

Gopbroek mentioned Tres Pelicanos. They seem well reviewed and affordable. Any one else have an opinion? Do they have 120's?

Also, I will be there at the end of June, I understand this isn't the busiest time. Do any of the dive centers offer deals in the summer?

The reefs of Cozumel are no where near the shore, you need to boat dive to go to the reefs. Some hotels have shore diving, but it is coral rubble, very shallow, with fishlife, nothing deep.

Bigger tanks do not make current easier. All boat dives are drift, you go with the current and come up to surface the boat is there to pick you up. No navigation or kicking against current to get back to a boat. The boats drop you off at one end of a reef, you drift down the reef with the DM leading, when people get low on air they go up to safety stop. Boats follow the divers bubbles and in fact on many reefs they can see the divers as the water is so clear. REALLY easy to do, just takes a few dives to get used to it. As I said, bigger tanks do not make diving current easier! Most dive ops limit the down time to 60 minutes, so they can get everyone back onboard and move to the next reef, giving divers a full hour surface interval. Then repeat... drop off divers, divers drift, come up to boat, boat returns to drop divers off at their hotel pier.

And ALL dive ops dive the very same reefs.

here is one of my videos to give you a taste:
[vimeo]40235717[/vimeo]

 

[Skittl1321]

Most dive ops limit the down time to 60 minutes

Most?
Seems like most talked about on scubaboard let you dive your tank (though I can see how, unless you are a major air hog, they wouldn't encourage a patron to have a bigger tank than the rest of the group so as to not extend everyone else's surface interval)- are they actually in the minority?

 

[Mossman]

Most?
Seems like most talked about on scubaboard let you dive your tank (though I can see how, unless you are a major air hog, they wouldn't encourage a patron to have a bigger tank than the rest of the group so as to not extend everyone else's surface interval)- are they actually in the minority?

Probably. The dive ops routinely talked about here on Scubaboard are really a small fraction of the dive ops on Cozumel. They're popular here because there are divers here who know what they want in a dive op and often that includes being able to dive your tank. I prefer a dive op without a set schedule. The day before they let me know what time to be at the dock in the morning and I never plan to be back at a certain time. Surface intervals are usually 1.5 hours after a long deep first dive. And while they may dive the same reefs as the other dive ops, going to the more remote "advanced" sites is more routine than "most ops". But they don't have to worry about getting back to pick up afternoon divers.

I do disagree with her contention that a bigger tank isn't helpful for drift diving in current, at least when shooting macro

 

[Skittl1321]

Probably. The dive ops routinely talked about here on Scubaboard are really a small fraction of the dive ops on Cozumel. They're popular here because there are divers here who know what they want in a dive op and often that includes being able to dive your tank.

Interesting. I kind of thought that only cattle boat/hotel house ops did the timed dives. Most of the small ops I looked at (through google too, not just from here) were dive your own computer types.

An hour and a half surface interval would be way too long for me. Especially since I tend to start my SI early (I was never the first up though)

 

[cvchief]

Probably. The dive ops routinely talked about here on Scubaboard are really a small fraction of the dive ops on Cozumel. They're popular here because there are divers here who know what they want in a dive op and often that includes being able to dive your tank. I prefer a dive op without a set schedule. The day before they let me know what time to be at the dock in the morning and I never plan to be back at a certain time. Surface intervals are usually 1.5 hours after a long deep first dive. And while they may dive the same reefs as the other dive ops, going to the more remote "advanced" sites is more routine than "most ops". But they don't have to worry about getting back to pick up afternoon divers.

I do disagree with her contention that a bigger tank isn't helpful for drift diving in current, at least when shooting macro

Interesting. I kind of thought that only cattle boat/hotel house ops did the timed dives. Most of the small ops I looked at (through google too, not just from here) were dive your own computer types.

An hour and a half surface interval would be way too long for me. Especially since I tend to start my SI early (I was never the first up though)

I dunno about the small fraction thing. I wouldn't think by number of ops. Maybe by number of divers.

Well regardless of if it is a few or a lot or whatever, you should consider if you can dive your tank, especially if you are pretty good on air. If you aren't it probably doesn't matter.

And big tanks don't seem to have anything to do with drift other than to lengthen the dive?

And the filler on Coz short fill 100AL by 10% every time.

 

[robint]

Probably. The dive ops routinely talked about here on Scubaboard are really a small fraction of the dive ops on Cozumel. They're popular here because there are divers here who know what they want in a dive op and often that includes being able to dive your tank. I prefer a dive op without a set schedule. The day before they let me know what time to be at the dock in the morning and I never plan to be back at a certain time. Surface intervals are usually 1.5 hours after a long deep first dive. And while they may dive the same reefs as the other dive ops, going to the more remote "advanced" sites is more routine than "most ops". But they don't have to worry about getting back to pick up afternoon divers.

I do disagree with her contention that a bigger tank isn't helpful for drift diving in current, at least when shooting macro

If I were going to "dive my tank" then I would be in deco. Seriously, on a 1 hour dive on the deeper reefs, I still come up with half a tank left. And that is on nitrox, too.
I have zero interest in diving more than 60 minutes on most reefs. After that time I am ready for a break, starting to get chilly in my 5mm fullsuit, and need to pee (which I don't do in my suit most of the time). The ONLY time I ever do more than 60 minutes on a boat dive is when waiting for the others to get back on the boat so I stay longer on my safety stop (I always try to do 5 min minimum) OR if we are very shallow the whole dive. Just no reason to stay longer unless there is a whaleshark giving birth.
Now shore diving is a whole different animal... 90 min is usually my average and once again, plenty of air left but need to get out to pee and eat.

PLus.... I always do afternoon or night dives, or both every day in Cozumel.... that is after my 2 morning dives.

robin

 

[mstevens]

on a 1 hour dive on the deeper reefs, I still come up with half a tank left.

Color me impressed! There's no way I can eke out an AL80 to longer than an hour on a dive to a 140-foot reef, let alone surface with half my gas left.

I've had some really superb 90-100 minute dives on 70-80 foot reefs, though, that were well worth feeling a bit tired and chilled at the end (though, again, I'm low on gas by then). There's plenty to see even if it's not a first-in-history event such as witnessing whale shark pupping.

 

[Tunaman68]

I don't mind having the DM say "try and keep it to 60 minutes". Usually on an AL80 I'm running low if we've done a deeper dive after 60 mins. I also like to hang at safety stop until everyone else is in the boat (extra safety and my daughter dive buddy gets sea sick). It has been our experience that on the second dive with a 60 min surface interval, unless we're at Columbia Shallows, it's the no deco time and not the gas that usually dictates dive length. Almost all our dives last trip were between 60-65 minutes (often we'd hang an extra minute at SS to watch the dive time hit 60). Also, even with my 5mm after 70 mins, I'm cold and thirsty. We also have had it happen that if the current is pulling hard, you just run out of reef.

I guess doing a 90 minute dive with a 90 minute SI and then another 90 minute dive with 120cf's and only doing two dives a day is just another approach to diving Coz. We have yet to try a '90 minute' op. We do a minimum of 3 tanks and usually 4 (last trip a couple of 5's) every day and I would personally rather hit more sites with shorter dives (60 minute) during my all too brief stays in Coz!!

 

[Mossman]

I guess doing a 90 minute dive with a 90 minute SI and then another 90 minute dive with 120cf's and only doing two dives a day is just another approach to diving Coz. We have yet to try a '90 minute' op. We do a minimum of 3 tanks and usually 4 (last trip a couple of 5's) every day and I would personally rather hit more sites with shorter dives (60 minute) during my all too brief stays in Coz!!

Yep, it's called the quality over quantity approach.

 

[Tunaman68]

Yep, it's called the quality over quantity approach.

Hmmm, so the only way to get a quality dive in Cozumel is to have a 90 minute bottom time?

Now that you mention it, you're right, I've never had a quality 60 minute dive in Cozumel - quick get Aldora on the phone.....



Ooh, being snarky is contagious! All in good fun.