best learning experience in cozumel

[morecowbells]

I would also recommend skipping the certification process. Possessing ideal buoyancy will increase your dive time, pleasure etc. However, mine was all over the map until I purchased my own bcd and was able to hone on on where exactly where I needed to distribute my weights.

My recommendation is that you buy the 'Reef Fish Identification' book by Paul Humann. Diving is so much more enjoyable when you are able to identify the treasures underwater. Also periodically scan this forum http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/name-that-critter/. You really learn a lot about various critters.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

For me there are only three PADI cards that matter at all. Open Water, Rescue Diver and Dive Master (not Master Diver). All the others are just like boy scout merit badges, IMHO. Nitrox is an exception that may or may not be worth it, but easy to do and pay for. Better to pay for some personal attention to buoyancy control and air consumption.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

PS All of our Dive guides are PADI MSDTs and they do that everyday for no other charge

 

[DandyDon]

For me there are only three PADI cards that matter at all. Open Water, Rescue Diver and Dive Master (not Master Diver). All the others are just like boy scout merit badges, IMHO. Nitrox is an exception that may or may not be worth it, but easy to do and pay for. Better to pay for some personal attention to buoyancy control and air consumption.

Except that going for DM is a big step, while some Ops in some locations will not take you on some dives without AOW. I don't remember learning anything in AOW, but I got the card so I can do the wrecks, etc.

In Cozumel, no one has ever looked at my cards, for diving or Nitrox.

 

[scubadada]

Cozumel is designed for all skill levels for diving. Your dive op will customize your dives to your experience level. The certifications are really not necessary. Drift diving is awesome, just relax and make like superman. It is easy to get separated from your buddy though so keep and eye on that. By all means, do a night dive. You will thank me later. It is just like diving for the first time all over again. Aldora and Blue XTSea are huge supporters of this forum. I will be diving with Aldora in November because of their support. blue XTSea did not have any morning times available so maybe January for them. I love Blue Magic and their sleep and dive packages are very reasonable...had it not been for Aldora and Blue Xtsea's support of this site, I would be going with them again. dive With Martin is great as well and provides the same level of service as the rest....which is top notch. DWM may be the oldest op on the island for good reason. Certifications are good, but absolutely not necessary for Cozumel diving. Your DM will take care of you if you have any issues. Between dives, you can discuss anything necessary during the surface interval, and you WILL leave a better diver, no instructor necessary. Some call Cozumel Diving "babysitting diving" and to some extent that is true. dive plans are basically limited to depth maximums and dive so you surface with 500psi. If you run low, most will let you surface and your buddy takes the DM for the rest of the dive. My daughters and wife went on their first dive after ow cert in Coz, no problems and the DM took care of them like they were his own. Main rule would be stay away from the cattle boats, go with an op that uses 6-pack boats, and each will do something a little different. Aldora dives steel 120's so you will get longer bottom times, especially if your an air hog like me. Most will valet your gear if you bring your own. Surface intervals will range from boat, beach, or club. Pick up point will vary as well. Bottom line, you're going to have a great time, certs or not. After the back roll, prepare to be amazed. Relax and have fun!! Please post your review when you get back and don't forget to do a night dive!! Jay

Really excellent advice from a diver with less than 50 dives

For me there are only three PADI cards that matter at all. Open Water, Rescue Diver and Dive Master (not Master Diver). All the others are just like boy scout merit badges, IMHO. Nitrox is an exception that may or may not be worth it, but easy to do and pay for. Better to pay for some personal attention to buoyancy control and air consumption.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

ALDORA DIVERS

PS All of our Dive guides are PADI MSDTs and they do that everyday for no other charge

PADI training, with a good instructor, is well worth it through Rescue. AOW is required for many more "advanced" dives. Nitrox is more than worth it in bottom time. I dive with Aldora

 

[DandyDon]

Yea but a lot of people aren't, so need me them "MASTER SCUBA DIVER" patches to wow the newbies.


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The first time I took my home bud to Coz was in a singles group, and we agreed that he had been out too long since he got his OW that he needed a refresher course - so he signed up for one offered by the group organizer, to be done by a college scuba instructor who came as part of the group.

The group switched to afternoon dives as so many were boozing it up so much nights that they couldn't do mornings, including the organizer. Unfortunately, the instructor was a bum. He took the two who signed up for refresher training and the one who was scared of the water and never completed OW, bar hopping - for two days!

I became increasingly irritated and told my home bud to bring his gear onto the boat the next day, that I would get him going. The other refresher student brought hers as well, and once I got my bud in the water floating with the rest of the group, I held the girl's hand at the gate until she got the nerve to drop in - which took a while. We got everyone else to shut up and she made it in, so the DM held her hand on the dives while I paired back up with my home bud - who blew thru air so fast that he used my pony on ascents. We got him bigger tanks anyway, and on the next trip we got him a fitted mouthpiece. The nervous nellie went on to keep diving I think, but I don't know whatever happened with the scardycat girl who never completed OW.

My anger continued with those failures and some others, like 11% of the group 3 out of 28 or so) ending up in chamber rides, and once back home I got my bud to insist on refunds for his refresher course fees paid. The instructor sent him several Padi cards instead, for Boat diver, Deep diver, etc. even tho the instructor never got in with him or anyone. I guess he stole the Padi cards from the college?

So there is my struggling bud with less than 50 dives, but now with enough cards that he could pay for one more and get Master Diver. I told him I'd never dive with him if he did.

 

[Max Speed]

Cards don't matter? I've never taken a course where I didn't learn something. AOW required for lots of dives. Deep- good start for deeper diving. Wreck- good start for cavern. Nitrox- required for advanced Nitrox. Cavern- required for cave. Deco procedures- required for deeper/longer and cave. Rescue- just plain good. Dry suit-required to rent. And so on....

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

I used Alex from Del Mar Aquatics to teach my 10 year old little girl. I have known him for 10 years. He is excellent.

 

[sharky60]

Hi,
Im a newer diver and have just finished my AOW course. I wanted to go down to cozumel in the spring but wanted to get some more certs like night diving, drift diving etc done so I feel more comfortable. I was wondering if you guys had any opinions about the best instructors in cozumel or the dive shops who have a good instructor staff. Also would be good if they were good at teaching about the various corals and animals etc as well as one of the reasons I got into diving is to really try and learn the various marine environments Ill be visiting.

Thanks for all your help

Matt "Mateo" Moran at Blue Angel.

 

[Mariner11]

thanks for these suggestions.
I am one of those people who like to get plenty of training / experience before proceeding to more complex tasks etc so thats why I would like a bit of training/instruction at first. I like the idea of a private DM, how much does that usually run and which dive ops would do that for you or do they all?. Secondly I am planning to take the kids and wife with me. My 10 year old does want to try her hand at scuba and try and get OW certified ( she already swims >1000 m races for her school etc ) . But the younger kids and the wife would need to be kept entertained . My priority is to first find a dive op for march but then next one would be to find a kid friendly resort which has a beach and if they have some kids day camp sort of thing that would be better.
Again thanks for all the responses

 

[mstevens]

Sandro, at Deep Blue, comes to mind.

He sure does. I've dived with him for years and still learn a lot.

Cards don't matter?

Agreed!

I've never taken a course where I didn't learn something.

I should hope not. However, I think you'll agree that learning and getting a card are not necessarily the same thing. Plenty of people take a class, put in the minimum effort, and leave having learnt nothing of note.

I'm not arguing against taking courses. Training is good. I'm arguing that classes aren't a substitute for experience. I'm also arguing that once someone has a few dozen Cozumel dives, getting a Boat Diving or Drift Diving certification is really just badge collecting.

AOW required for lots of dives.

I just don't get how people think that there's any sort of "requirement" in the real world outside of a given agency's policies. There is no depth police, gas police, or even cave police. I'm not saying anyone without cave training should attempt cave diving, but if such a person really wanted to it wouldn't be difficult to do.

I have NAUI AOW from 1982. Nobody has ever, EVER, asked to see it. All anyone has ever wanted to see since I got certified in 1980 was whether I had a C-card of any sort at all. I've been asked if I have a nitrox card (I do, from IANTD), but nobody has actually wanted to see it.

It might be worth keeping in mind that there are many certification agencies worldwide, and several in the US. They all have different training requirements for their levels of certification. The words they use to describe them sound similar but mean different things, and those terms change in meaning over time. My NAUI basic OW certification in 1980 required weeks of things such as ditch-and-don drills at depth, which I don't think any agency requires even for advanced certification now. My NAUI AOW course went far beyond any AOW requirements now. My personal opinion is that my son's AOW certification most definitely did not make him an advanced diver. A couple hundred Cozumel dives with great divemaster/instructors has made him one.

Cards are just rectangles of plastic and certification levels are just words. Taking classes can be great, but someone who's collected all the patches to become a "Master Diver" in the minimum time and with the minimum dives can very easily be a much worse diver than someone with many dives and many years of experience who has paid attention and learned from others but never bothered to sign up for a Shark Diver class.