Your favourite Cozumel dive site, and why?
- Thread starter DeepSeaPirate
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So you hate most Cozumel diving? CZM is not a great dive destination for you, I guess. Being the lazy diver that I am, I love drift diving. YMMV and DSFDF.
AdivingBel
Diver
Pretty much anything Palancar. I've had many adventures deep around and through the "pinnacles" plus the colorful safety stops around the tops are some of my favs. I also luv diving deep into the filet with peppercorn sauce at New Especias surrounded by the "usual suspects." Oops, sorry...food porn...
I haven't dined at Especias since they changed their format and Adrian pulled back from the daily management. My favorite entree before the change was the Indian shrimp; the first time we went there after it all I saw was Italian non-seafood dishes on the menu, so we went somewhere else. Next trip I will give it another try.Pretty much anything Palancar. I've had many adventures deep around and through the "pinnacles" plus the colorful safety stops around the tops are some of my favs. I also luv diving deep into the filet with peppercorn sauce at New Especias surrounded by the "usual suspects." Oops, sorry...food porn...
My favorite 1st-dive reefs were either Santa Rosa, or the northern end of Palancar, like Gardenas.
I always loved rooting through the little caves and swim-throughs at Palancar, and the northern end got so shallow at the top, that you could gradually lead the group shallower and shallower, and end up pretty close to safety-stop level, while drifting closely over the top of healthy, active reef. This nearby reference point also made it easier for divers to maintain a safety-stop level (versus someplace real deep, like Columbia, Punta Sur, etc.)
For the 2nd-dive, non-wall locations, my favorite was Tormentos.
I always loved rooting through the little caves and swim-throughs at Palancar, and the northern end got so shallow at the top, that you could gradually lead the group shallower and shallower, and end up pretty close to safety-stop level, while drifting closely over the top of healthy, active reef. This nearby reference point also made it easier for divers to maintain a safety-stop level (versus someplace real deep, like Columbia, Punta Sur, etc.)
For the 2nd-dive, non-wall locations, my favorite was Tormentos.
Ray and Pam
Contributor
This was a pretty scenic dive....don't remember the name of it ....maybe someone will recognize it?
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Double mounds?
SandyRobinson
Contributor
All the ocean sites and all the cenotes
deepsea21
Contributor
Horseshoe. 'Nuf said. And don't even mention that fly-over, fly-by Paso del Cedral where I get to drift with 100 of my closest diving friends who seem to drop like depth charges all over the place and can't stay with their group.
Hmmm . . . It’s really hard to pick one. To start, I tend to prefer the sites that are less crowded, which generally rules out anything that starts with “Palancar.” Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of things to like about the Palancar system, but I prefer to avoid the crowds. For the first day of the trip, I always like Columbia Deep. Very scenic, great reef structure, nice swim-throughs, and not too challenging. A good way to start a week. Often, we start on Columbia Deep and finish at Palancar Bricks, which gives you a nice shallow finish near the sand. This is the one time I really like Palancar a lot. Punta Sur is another favorite, for many of the same reasons, but it is a little more challenging and weather-dependent. I don’t need to do Devil’s Throat, at least not all the way down. Sometimes we just swim through the upper portions. After a few days of diving, when I get really comfortable again, I like Maracaibo, starting on the wall, coming through the arch, and up to the shallows. The wall is amazing and the long ridges of the shallows provide some great variety. If the weather is really cooperative, it’s always nice to get around to Los Islotes for a change of scenery. I’ve only made it to Barracuda a few times, but it is also a highlight, because it is so different. Those are the first dives. For second dives, my favorite is Dalila, followed closely by La Francesca. There is always a lot to see if you bring your focus in, and maybe bring a magnifying glass. Columbia Shallows is great for piddling around for two hours. Total relaxation. It’s also hard to go wrong with a critter hunt at Yucab. It’s really hard to go wrong, as long as you stay away from the C-53.
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