jryana6e
Registered
Here is a quick Cozumel trip report from 3 relatively new divers. I did a lot of pre-trip research here on Scubaboard, which really helped. I recently completed the local AOW class with my two kids, ages 16 (daughter) and 20 (son). My son and I had been to COZ once before, two years ago. This trip for the 3 of us was a big success, despite weather challenges mid-week. We flew to Cancun - not as convenient as directly to Cozumel, but I was able to use airline points, which were not available for COZ. There is also a direct flight to/from Phoenix (our home), which we used on the way back. We took the ADO bus from CUN to Playa Del Carmen for about $13/person (used the ATM at the airport to get pesos first). It's a comfortable bus that takes an hour and drops you very close to the Ferry terminal for Coz. We got in late so stayed in PDC for the night and took the ferry to COZ the next morning (also $13/person). We stayed downtown at the Casa Mexicana for $84/night including a nice breakfast buffet. We ate in town at a variety of restaurants - no taxis needed.. The combo of an inexpensive in-town hotel and nearby restaurants works out to be less expensive than the all-inclusives, and let us spend the afternoons walking around town. We dove with Aldora, which was right around the corner from Casa Mexicana, and gets good marks from Scubaboard divers. Their dock was a couple of blocks north of the hotel. We only had to take our wetsuits to the dock in the morning, as the shop took care of everything else. We took the Nitrox class while we were there, which we would not have had the confidence to do without the recent AOW class. Aldora uses Steel 120 tanks (or 100s for smaller women), which when combined with Nitrox, gave us some amazing and long dives. Most dives were about an hour, even when reaching 100 feet on 32%. They went to places (e.g., Punta Sur), further away than other shops including the one my son and I used last trip. They are a bit more expensive than other shops in Cozumel, but at $89 per 2 tank boat trip is still less than places like Key Largo or So Cal, and when you do a per minute calculation, works out cheaper due to the 120's. COZ dives are all guided, as mandated by the Park, so that also makes it much cheaper than other places if you want a guide. Steel tanks also meant we needed less weight (5-6lbs for me). Nitrox meant we had plenty of time at the 60-100 depths. We generally dove 32% for the first dive and 36% for the second, shallower dive. Even on our first day, on air, we had long dives due to the 120s. We did have two days of windy weather from the northeast that shut down the port, but we were able to move our flights and get in all the diving we had planned. Sometimes, Aldora is able to dive the east side of the island when the wind shifts, but on this trip, the wind was aligned with the island, creating problems for both sides. Our dives included a warm-up shore dive the day we arrived (no charge), 4 morning 2-tank boat trips, and one night boat dive. On one of the port closure days, we took the ferry to PDC and did guided dives of one of the Cenotes. It was interesting, but I wouldn't skip a day in Cozumel to do it again. It was $120 for two tanks, the guide, and transportation to/from the Cenote. Aldora arranged it for us and sent us with the rental equipment that my kids were using. Ferry round trip was not included (and was a rough ride!). So we completed 12 dives during the week long trip. On the return trip, we took the ferry to PDC after our morning dives, stayed near the ferry terminal, and took the bus early the next day. The only real inconvenience for the bus was that it dropped as at one terminal, but USAir was at the other one, so we had to wait for the airport shuttle. All the bus/ferry/PDC hotels sounds like a lot of logistics, but it wasn't bad at all, and the savings were huge. A couple of dinners in PDC also added some variety. As for the diving - it was just amazing. The swim-thoughs and vertical developments of Punta Sur and Palancar Caves is stunning. The wall dives are dramatic, and the marine life was great. On one dive, we saw 5 large turtles and 2 sharks. We saw a Spotted Eagle Ray and the elusive Splendid Toadfish on another. Overall, we had a great time and can't wait to return.
