Female first time travelling solo, first dive trip. I think Cozumel is the way to go?

[ohsomeday]

Hi SB,

I am still a new diver, aside from getting my OW, I did the 2 tank Manta Ray dive in Kona, Hawaii, that's it. I'd like to get more experience, and I think I can get lots of great diving in Cozumel. Costs are a concern because of the Canadian dollar, which is why I am choosing Cozumel over Roatan or other islands in the Caribbean. I want to take a refresher course, and do about 4 days of diving and a night dive. I am leaning towards Dive with Martin because of the free rentals, open to other suggestions for a new diver who will be renting equipment. I am a little stuck on where to stay, leaning towards airbnb because of budget (would like to possibly stay under $1500 CAD total IF possible). Planning on getting a direct flight from Toronto to Cancun, then heading over to Cozumel. Is this fairly easy to do? I have a fair amount of travelling under my belt, but this is my first time solo. I understand if I have accommodations downtown, I will need to taxi to Dive with Martin - any idea how much I should take in pesos/USD? Or would it be better to rent a car? Also, how do I get DAN insurance as a Canadian? Has anyone spent time in Playa del Carmen? Thinking of maybe spending a day or two there. I appreciate any advice. Is this do-able as a solo female? Thanks very much.

 

[diversteve]

Planning on getting a direct flight from Toronto to Cancun, then heading over to Cozumel. Is this fairly easy to do?

I believe this is pretty current info on the bag drag - last updated this past summer: Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen/Cozumel by ADO Bus and Ferry (Cozumel)

I've never done it...

 

[Insta-Gator]

Hiya, Steve. Thanks for the info.

 

[Aquavelvet]

If you go through Houston, it's also possible to fly directly to Cozumel from there. Shore diving around Playa Del Carmen won't be nearly as good as the diving around Coz. The main reason people would stay around Playa del Carmen or south of there is the Cenotes. You would need more training and experience to take full advantage of those...


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[MMM]

Westjet flies directly into Cozumel from Toronto. Not every day however. And probably Air Canada does as well. I usually fly into Cozumel from Toronto but occasionally (usually off-season) need to fly into Cancun. Bag drag is easy enough but I would try to fly into Cozumel. Schlepping dive gear gets old.

Dive with Martin would be a good choice for you, I think, if you don't have your own gear. You're probably looking at about 80 pesos to get to their pier from downtown, one way; probably you can find someone to share a cab with you on the way back..just be aware that you want to get off together or they will charge each of you a fare.

I wouldn't bother renting a car; you will need to find a place to park it, will probably be overcharged for gas, and you won't need it to get around for anything other than your trips to the marina. My brother just had a bad experience yesterday and ended up rejecting the car that was waiting there for him when he went to pick it up. (He had booked a VW Jetta automatic and was presented with a sub-compact manual crap-box plus the insurance wasn't in order.)

I just withdraw from a bank ATM here and that way I don't need to worry about if I have enough money with me, or are taking too much home. You should be able to find decent budget accommodations for about $40-50/night. Check out the Hotel Pepita.

I have had Dan coverage for years. No issue whatsoever being a Canadian. Just go to their website and purchase.

While your miles may vary, I actually don't care for Playa del Carmen. Too touristy, commercial, busy for me. Nice beaches though. I made several trips to Cozumel as a single woman, no problems.

Hope that answers your questions but ask away if you have more.

 

[cicopo]

As Marg says fly direct to Coz. Westjet's flight times are perfect with no layovers even for me who needs to get to & from Toronto from Ottawa, however they end around the beginning of May. You may also be able to book a flight & hotel package with Westjet that works out budget wise or try some of our other popular travel companies like Sunquest or Signature etc.

 

[gopbroek]

The optimum is a direct flight to CZM but it also sounds like you are on a budget. The time / cost difference for the Cancun is about $300 MXN (24 CAD) and 2-3 hours connection time. Lots of cheap (and safe) hotels downtown and if you pick one with breakfast, like the Bahia or Colonial, it will also reduce costs. A late lunch at one of the many restaurants offering a 'comeda del dia' will give you a full meal with drink for 70 - 80 MXN a day. Haven't dove with Martin but I also haven't heard any negative reviews.

 

[ggunn]

Since you are a first time visitor to Cozumel, I'll join with the others who advise you to fly into Cozumel directly rather than into Cancun, even if it costs more. The bag drag is not that bad, but it's better done once you have been to the area and seen the lay of the land. There are a lot of moving parts to a bag drag plan and flying direct to Cozumel is a lot simpler.

My wife and I flew into Rome last year and neither of us had been to Italy before. We had a money saving plan to get to our B&B by taking the train into the city and catching a cab from the train station to the B&B. It looked good on paper but it ended up taking hours longer to get there than it would have if we had just taken a cab the whole way. We had to find our way out of the airport, find the train station, figure out the schedule, figure out where and how to pay for the tickets, figure out at which stop to get off... all when we were worn out from traveling with no knowledge of where anything was, hauling all our baggage around with us, and no knowledge of the Italian language or how to do this stuff over there. It would have cost more to cab it the whole way, but it would have been a whole lot less stressful.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't know when you want to go or your time requirements - but I see round-trip fairs (rejecting any plans that require overnight stops) from Toronto to Cozumel as low as $441CA/$318US Wednesday in February and March. Great fares, so much cheaper than I get in nearby Texas. Those are non-stop too, just super! You couldn't save enough going thru Cancun to even consider it, in my opinion. Flying non-stop is especially nice for you as you get to avoid our I&C that treat you as if you were entering the US since we have few airports with true international terminals.

Training is often a good idea, but hiring a private DM for the first day or two of diving would probably work. For hotel shopping, I use online sites like Kayak, etc.

 

[Queen Triggerfish]

I've traveled to Cozumel as a solo female, and think it's comfortable to do. I recommend staying in town even if you have to taxi to the marina. When you're staying in town, it's easy to walk anywhere for meals, shopping, drinks (and hopefully a Scubaboard meet-up!) I've stayed at Mi Casa en Cozumel the last two trips, including once solo. They provide free breakfast and rooms start at $40 USD.

I've been to Playa del Carmen, but not in years. I just don't feel drawn to go there when my alternative is Cozumel. You could consider just going for a day trip to scope it out.

I wouldn't hesitate to go again as a solo female - I think it's a perfect destination.