Dive shop for solo, <7 dive

[tooez]

Your going to have a great time regardless who you choose. I really like Blue Magic and Dive With Martin, but there are probably 25 top operators in Coz and many many more that just aren't as popular. Once your on the boat, you will be buddied up with someone...this will be a loose buddy system for the most part unless you get with someone that takes it more seriously. On our last trip, we dove with two single divers and they were never even remotely close together. One was almost attached to the DM and the other was always the last in the group, way to far away to render assistance if needed. Best advice would be stick close to the DM.

I like the idea of being close to DM. That's exactly what I did when I was in St. Thomas. I've being reading good thing about Aldora. I like the fact that they use high capacity thanks, more air for me. haha. I'm still reading the reviews from the different ops.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

By the way....book a night dive if you haven't before. The color change from light to twilight to far is amazing and all kinds of different critters come out to play at night. Possibly my favorite dive so far. Trust me on this one!!

Jay

 

[tooez]

By the way....book a night dive if you haven't before. The color change from light to twilight to far is amazing and all kinds of different critters come out to play at night. Possibly my favorite dive so far. Trust me on this one!!

Jay

I guess I'll trust you on this one and book for one night dive. Do I need to bring my own light?

 

[ggunn]

I guess I'll trust you on this one and book for one night dive. Do I need to bring my own light?

Most dive ops have them, and some may not charge you for using theirs on a night dive, but I take a light on every dive.

 

[DandyDon]

Has anyone mentioned the importance of hiring your own, private DM for your first two tank dive? Maybe I missed it, but that's some the best advice you'll get about diving Coz as a newbie. Money well spent.

 

[Saltyhawg]

Lots of great advice here. Private DM for first dive is a good idea and not very expensive at all. It will allow you to get your weight right without holding up a group if you've only dove fresh water before.

Night dive is a must! Paradise Reef (where most of the night dives are done) seems to have a bunch of octopus. They put on a show for us.

We used Paradise Divers and were well pleased. Very safety conscious and small groups (six was max in our group and 14 max total on the big boats). Almost all the shops will pick you up at the dock by your hotel.

 

[MMM]

I guess I'll trust you on this one and book for one night dive. Do I need to bring my own light?

If you are only newly certified, with less than 7 dives under your belt, I would give the night dive a miss. Night diving is covered in the Advanced Open water course, and there are different protocols for a night dive. That said, if an op is willing to take you on a night dive, I would just rent a light for the one time you would use it on the trip. They are heavy with the batteries in them and they take up valuable real estate in your suitcase.

---------- Post added March 5th, 2015 at 01:34 PM ----------

I've being reading good thing about Aldora. I like the fact that they use high capacity thanks, more air for me. haha. I'm still reading the reviews from the different ops.

There are at least two other ops that have high capacity (120 cu.ft) steel tanks...Living Underwater and Liquid Blue; I think perhaps Deep Blue also???

There are other ops that will provide (for an additional fee) 100 cu.ft aluminum tanks. I don't like their buoyancy characteristics though. I GREATLY prefer steel tanks over aluminum although I don't use the 120s...just the 95 cu. ft.

 

[ggunn]

If you are only newly certified, with less than 7 dives under your belt, I would give the night dive a miss. Night diving is covered in the Advanced Open water course, and there are different protocols for a night dive. That said, if an op is willing to take you on a night dive, I would just rent a light for the one time you would use it on the trip. They are heavy with the batteries in them and they take up valuable real estate in your suitcase.

Not to contradict Marg, but IMO it depends on the length of your stay and how much you will be diving. My first dive trip to Cozumel (my first dives after certification) I went on a night dive, but I was there for two weeks and diving nearly every day. I went on a night dive the next to last night I was there, and I was pretty comfortable by that time.

 

[DandyDon]

Or hire a private DM for a night dive. I remember after one night dive there, another diver who may have been new - I don't know, asked why the coral looked so different at night, we those tentacles and all? :laughing:

Don't shine your lights in the eyes of the fishes or disturb them. Some make a mucous cocoon they sleep in, and if you wake them up - they can't make another one until the next night.

Others love to eat the little animals attracted to the light, and some others will eat those fishes.

 

[sharky60]

Most dive ops should be able to buddy you up with the DM or another diver. I wouldn't think that should be a problem. A lot of folks come down there to dive "solo" (looking for a buddy, not diving alone).

All the dive ops that DjDiverDan list are great ops and I also recommend them along with adding Blue Angel to the mix. BA has afternoon trips to El Cielo several times a week, that could be a snorkel trip option.

don't know if any of the others, other than possibly BlueXTSea, doing Cielo trips or snorkel trips in particular, you'd have to check with them.

Albatros Charters does regular snorkeling excursions & if you don't necessarily need to get on a boat, there is some fairly good snorkeling at Playa Corona. Good food, great place to relax, never very crowded.

sometimes we have people on the boat that will snorkel while we are diving. I've seen this on Blue Angel's late morning dives that cater mostly to mainlanders and cruisers.