Need recommendation for small boats

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Give Bottomtime Divers a try.Raul Platas is the owner operator and dive master.He offers premium service at an affordable price and is an all around good guy and divemaster.We have used him for several years with no complaints.
 
There are alot of reputable dive ops in Cozumel, so should be easy to find one you will be happy with. Probably the list of who "not to dive with" would be shorter.

Agreed.

I always advise people to thoroughly read an ops website, then after one or two emails, you'll have a pretty good idea whether or not you have a match.


Another op on my shosrt list: Buena Ventura.
 
I will add another vote for Blue XTSea. Christi's DM Pedro is one of the most well respected DM's on the island. Miguel her other DM is probably one the best underwater photographers around and can really give you good tips for taking shots. They have topped my list for a number years and have had no reason to consider anybody else. The surface interval snacks are really good too!
 
Scuba With Alison doesn't have a six pack, but she does take only one group of 8 or less and the Maximus is one of the fastest on the water. The Maximus is a converted sport fishing boat, so there is more room and comfort. Alison is the owner and DM. Carlos is her long time Capitan. They are both wonderful.
 
There are a lot of "six pack" dive operators to choose from. To find one that you'll be happy with, you need to consider more than just the size of the boat and how many divers they put on a boat. You can get a more budget priced, less or no frills shop, or you can go up to a boutique or valet diving type shop, or something right in the middle. While all the shops mentioned so far have decent reputations and an established, repeat client base, their prices, service extras, diving style, types of tanks they use, etc., etc., will vary.

What are you looking for price wise? $60-65 for 2 tanks, or $85-95? Regular AL 80s, HP or LP steel 95, 100 or 120? Do you want beach surface intervals at a beach club or just on shore, or does that matter? Do you want snacks, drinks, towels provided? Do you want the shop to rinse and store your gear for you? Where are you staying and is pier pick-up/drop off a factor or can you go to the caleta to meet the boat? Decide on these things then look for the shop that best matches your criteria. There are shops in all price and service ranges in Cozumel that have the six pack boats.

Totally agree with scubawife. Everyone cheers for there favorite dive op and boy there are loads of them in Cozumel. You must first decide what you are looking for in a dive op - personal service, price, tank size, pick up times just to name a few then ask for fellow scuba board members for their recommendations base on what you want not on what they want.
 
Not all "small boat' operators limit their dive groups to 6 max. Indeed few do..

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
 
I, too, really like the 6-packs. When I'm in Coz, if I have the choice of operator (not always the case), I'll go with Aldora. Its not just the small boats; among the reasons I choose Aldora are: (a) great dive masters - I've never had a bad experience with an Aldora DM; (b) steel 120 tanks - I'm big, and I'll suck air on the first few days at least, and I really like the bouyancy characteristics of the steel tanks; so far as I know, only Aldora and Blue Bubble Divers use the steel tanks; (c) everyone dives computers, much longer bottom times; (d) long surface interval on the beach at a club - time to relax, outgas, for a longer second dive; and (e) Aldora's level of service - they take care of everything. I have also dived with Dive with Martin, and I do like the DMs and the boats - they do not have the steel tanks, though I can get an AL 100. They do surface intervals on the beach, but not at a club. For budget conscious divers, Dive With Martin is an excellent choice. For my money, I'd rather pay more for the extras that Aldora provides.
 
"Six pack" is a term that's familiar and used for the small boat operators. Reality is most are "eight-pack." Yes, the high-end of the "valet diving" shops are fantastic... and one of them is my personal first-choice, but they aren't the best choice for everyone. Not everyone wants to pay $80-95+ for a 2 tank trip. Not everyone wants to have the dive shop rinse and store their gear, provide towels, fruit, water & soft drinks, SI's at beach clubs, have steel 95s, 100s or 120s, etc., etc. There's no shortage of dive shops in Cozumel. It's one of the few Caribbean destinations that I've been to that has such a vast selection of shops to choose from, regardless of where you decide to stay. Most places in the Caribbean that I've dived, your dive shop is decided by your choice of accommodation. The resort, condo complex, time share, or villa community has it's on-site shop. Choosing to dive with someone else adds cumbersome logistics to your vacation. In Cozumel, if you stay anywhere from town and south, you can pretty much choose any dive operator on the island and get pier pick up/drop off. It's almost impossible to have a dive vacation in Cozumel and not find your perfect combination of accommodations and dive shops. The downside is that as I recall, the first Cozumel dive vacation can be difficult to plan. Sooo many options and it's tough to sift through the cheerleading for various shops and finding which shop will really be YOUR best fit.

Definitely decide what you want in every aspect of your diving experience, then look for the shop that can check the most number of your boxes. The leg work is well worth it. Cozumel is a fantastic dive destination. If you can get through the selection process and make your best choices, you will surely be back again and again, and never be disappointed.
 
Blue Angel's Boats don't fit more then 8 people, so you have that guarantee.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

Back
Top Bottom