Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

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I don't like this list, sorry. I started diving before the net. Was so much fun locating a dive op back then. These list miss out on so much. This list is missing so many single operators without their own boats and many with them. It's close I suppose and for those that don't have a place to start looking this is a start, but too confusing. It's seems to be pitting the companies against each other, hard on a small island in my opinion.
You are a seasoned diver, and I suspect you enjoy the networking to find a provider (particularly if you thought locating a dive op. was so much fun before the Internet). The way you prefer to go about investigating trip options might not benefit from this. But it can be very useful for others.

A few thoughts on this write-up:

1.) Many divers want to quickly research and find (one of the) best operator(s) for his/her agenda, and struggle with info. overload and the anxiety that comes with not knowing what you don't know. Having someone knowledgable tie major known reputable providers together in a compare & contrast form is very efficient.

2.) Everyone's process of finding a provider will miss out on so much, as hardly anyone has the will to thoroughly vet every option.

3.) The major highly reputable providers and some not as talked about on ScubaBoard can be found there. Yes, a number of smaller and/or lesser known op.s might not, but that's okay. Many people planning their 1st Cozumel trip aren't interested in those. They want to find as close to a 'sure thing' as they can, not take a chance on someone with a lot less name recognition.

4.) You're right, picking a dive op. in Cozumel is confusing, because even if we ignore the ones we've never heard of, comparing and contrasting the popular ones is labor intensive.

5.) The companies are pit against each other every time a customer decides between them.

6.) I think the purpose of the report is to help divers, not the op.s. Op.s that look good in it may benefit, but the purpose is to aid the diver.
 
I'll just add that in my opinion most of the differences between dive ops on Cozumel are superficial, and most of them are about the boat ride.
 
Great resource! Thank you for putting the time and energy into it. Bumping it up
 
First let me reminisce: a year or so after joining SB in 2009, I read a thread about the best dive op in Coz with people cheerleading for their choice. I found myself looking at the different websites of those dive ops and was surprised by how many claimed, on their webpages, to actually be the best.

Two older threads caught my attention: 1) “best Cozumel dive operator?” from 2015, started by @BFEIII; the idea of a spreadsheet with info about the different dive ops was suggested with a list of criteria that grew to 38 items divers might want to know about 2) @drrich2 has a thread from 2018 with really good information about Coz dive ops - My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip.

Quite often, threads still pop up about the best dive op or “who do you recommend”, so I thought I’d make my contribution and put a spreadsheet together providing information mainly for first time Coz divers to give them a starting point to find the best op for them. Interestingly, 9 of the first 13 I looked at (still) claimed to be the best in some way or another (best experience, best shop, best sites, best boats.)

My spreadsheet is of 31 ops that seem to be mentioned often in the SB threads from trip reports, roll calls, and other Coz threads. All of the info comes from the dive ops website, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and a couple of recent SB trip reports. Of course due to the pandemic, there may be discrepancies as to what is really offered at the moment. I limited the criteria so the spreadsheet could more easily be shared on SB in a pdf format. My master list is in Numbers since I have Apple products and I can share that also so a person can have it to make changes or additions for themself. The font size is 8 pt but, of course, you can zoom in to enlarge the print.

A few notes about the spreadsheet and things I learned (if you look and see something that needs correcting - @ChuckP you would be a good source since you're there!):
  • Although I used info mostly from a dive ops website, that doesn’t mean it is current. As it gets closer to when I go to Coz later in the year, I will be contacting the ops I’m going to dive with to get the latest info I want to know.
  • Row 2 shows the address of the dive op and pier it (first) leaves from. Added distance from ferry pier as people who may cruise in the future or those who ferry over from PDC often wonder which ops are nearby. Also the nearer one stays to the south generally means shorter boat rides as you are closer to the marine park.
  • If one stays at a hotel/resort with a pier that your chosen dive op picks up from, there may be a small ($2-4) pier fee to pay. It seems most of those are paid to the resort. There was at least one op website with a current list of hotels/resorts with a fee. Didn’t include it in the spreadsheet as I don’t pick where I’m staying based on a few dollar pier fee.
  • Rows 3 & 4: There are many SB requests on where to dive based on where one is staying, therefore my attempt to show hotels/resorts nearby. I could use some help on improving this info.
  • Row 5: Showed prices as they were indicated on the op website. Several have no indication whether tax is included or not. Also only showed for up to 5 days although a few ops offer a little more discount beyond that. One op showed a cheaper rate on their FaceBook page than on their website!
  • Dive With Martin, the 2021 “Best Overall” op according the Scuba Diving magazine (Marine World has the best boats), currently has a $15 surcharge per dive package until things are back to 100%. Blue XT Sea, one of the often mentioned and well-liked ops has shut down operations.
  • Row 10: The daily marine park fee price varies from website to website (whether it has updated info or not) but the current fee is US $4.50/day. Some ops show it is included in the dive price.
  • Row 11: Shore diving is often asked about on Coz, so I included whether or not shore diving is available - most at the hotel/resort that the op is located at and a few that take you to a site.
  • Row 14: Diver limit is important for many. I believe there is a marine park rule that, even if one is on a larger boat with many divers, the maximum number that can be in a group is 8. The current pandemic rules may be limiting number of divers on boats anyway.
  • Row 15: Showed dive times which are mostly the time leaving the pier. A possibility is that if one is diving with an op that leaves downtown and picks up from other hotel/resort piers the actual dive time may be 30-50 minutes from the time shown.
  • Row 16: Only a few ops use larger tanks for longer dives, 70+ minutes. Many divers can get 60+ minutes with the smaller 80cf tanks. If one is diving with a resort op, dive time, generally (but not always), is cut down to 45-50 minutes as those ops try to stay on a schedule.
  • Row 17: Did not show types of entry an op used (only 1-2 websites provided that info) but did list, where I could, boat size (large/small) and if an op had a fleet of boats. Figured small boat would be back roll and large a stride. Read that sometimes, because of weather, small boats are prohibited from going out but larger boats can. Some ops with a fleet have small and large boats. All boats indicated there was shaded area. I also indicated if there was a head available when info was provided.
  • Row 20: Showed what dive ops do during surface intervals. The first time I dove in Coz, the surface interval was at a beach bar - didn’t like it then - today I wouldn’t care.
  • Row 25: Showed courses offered by the op. Some of the OW courses are e-learning. Most ops offer much more than what I listed, but again, I am gearing this more towards first timers to Coz.
  • Row 27: A few ops indicate that they give a % discount if you pay in cash which is generally equal to the service fee they will charge on credit cards. The service fee could also be charged if using PayPal. Only 1-2 ops indicated they do not charge a service fee.
  • Row 32: I indicated if the op had a current footprint on FaceBook and TripAdvisor. Mainly it let me know people are currently diving. Of course, with TripAdvisor, all of the ops are the best, but I was able to glean a little extra info about a few of the ops.
  • Many regular Coz divers have their personal favorite op and DM. Most ops have a highly recommended DM, so didn’t list any by name.
  • Most ops show they will go to more advanced sites , such as Maracaibo or Punta Sur for a surcharge.
  • Most of the dive ops that aren’t located at a hotel/resort offer stay and dive packages with other hotels/resorts.
  • Tipping is mentioned by several ops on their webpage, with only one suggesting $10/tank and the others suggesting anywhere from $5-10/tank.
Although I’ll probably keep the number of criteria the same (I might be able to add one more row) I will include any updated info anyone has. Can also add other ops I may have missed.
What is the current COVID situation in Cozumel. How is it impacting diving?
 
What is the current COVID situation in Cozumel. How is it impacting diving?
There is still COVID - don't know the numbers other that what I keep seeing in the news for the state of Quintana Roo which includes Cozumel. As far as diving, there were a lot of boats out late Nov/early Dec, so other than an op following protocols for numbers (7 divers was the most on any boat I was on - all small boats), cleaning, etc..., people were diving morning, afternoon, and night. From what I saw and from reading SB reviews of recent Coz trips, as long as Mexico stays as easy to enter as it is, I would say COVID isn't a major factor preventing people from diving.
 
Here is, once again, an updated version of my chart of Cozumel dive ops. I was able to add a few new criteria (such as, offers shore dives) and in many instances, more detailed info for several ops, but some are still lacking info - so I will still gladly take any current info anyone has to offer. For those of you seeing this thread and this post for the first time, you can go back to post #1 to see why I have included the information that I did although there are a few changes from that first version.

My first trip back to Coz is getting close - end of November. I plan to dive with several ops. I was pleasantly surprised when I emailed the in-house ops at the resorts I'm staying at and both responded back within 24 hours. Hope the chart helps some of the new SB members as well as the experienced travelers to Coz.
As much as I hate google sheets, How would you feel about posting a sheets version that others could contribute to. The mods might be inclined to include your information in the scubaboard Knowledge base. Personally, I think it's the perfect content for a KB. I suspect if you just posted a sheet (or uploaded an xlsx) and reported your post, one of the mods would gitter done.
 
How would you feel about posting a sheets version that others could contribute to. The mods might be inclined to include your information in the scubaboard Knowledge base. Personally, I think it's the perfect content for a KB. I suspect if you just posted a sheet (or uploaded an xlsx) and reported your post, one of the mods would gitter done.
Had a suggestion for something like this before - I guess I just need to figure it out. I'll try to get it done. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Had a suggestion for something like this before - I guess I just need to figure it out. I'll try to get it done. Thanks for the suggestion.
Google Sheets is pretty easy to use and lots of similar functions and features to Excel. You can either import the Excel sheet into Google Sheets or just copy and paste your whole Excel worksheet into a blank Google Sheet. You’ll have to do a bit of formatting after importing but it shouldn’t be too bad.

BTW, thank you for the awesome resource!!
 
101 Grand Slam 10 Aquadventures 2304058824-9
102 Gurna 6 Bluedream Cozumel 2304139914-9
103 Gypsy 16 Chili Charters 2304027414-3
104 Hatza Ha 6 Pelagic Ventures 2304022514-6
105 Hatza Ha II 6 Eco Divers 2304033814-5
106 Hatza Ha III 6 Deep Blue 2304022614-6
107 Heat Wave 10 2304038014-5
108 Heaven 6 Papa Hog 2304016414-3
109 Hindsight 8 Pelagic Ventures 2304040514-7
110 Horus 10 Glass Bottom Snorkel 2305159824-8
111 Iguana 7 2304016614-5
112 Intrepido 20 Dimi 2304011614-4
113 Isabel 16 Del Mar Aquatics 2304021114-5
114 Island Reef 60 Explora Tours 2304038924-9
115 Jew Fish 8 Living Underwater 2304110114-7
116 Jibara 8 Blue Angel 2304019414-7
117 Jo & Lo 47 2303087314-2
118 John'y 6 Paradise Divers 2304004111-2
119 Julieta 6 Bottom Time Divers 2304002614-6
120 Kailani 12 2304151614-9
121 Kapaalua 8 Papa Hog 2304022914-6
122 Kiahuna 8 Scubadu 2304020914-4
123 Kilich Kay To God 14 Cozumel Charters 2304110414-7
124 Krystal 6 Cozumel Charters 2304019114-8
125 La Bestia 18 2305210424-4
126 La Buena Vida 14 Papa Hog 2304016514-3
127 La Nina 10 Eco Divers 2304000814-5
128 La Perla 6 Papa Hog 2304016114-4
129 Let It Be 10 Scubadu 2304021014-2
130 Loan Shark 10 Tres Pelicanos 2304004514-7
131 Lucero 12 Cozumel Charters 2304019014-2
132 Luciana 16 Challenge Diving 2304029114-8
133 Lucky 6 Eagle Ray Divers 2304020014-7
134 Maire 18 2304008314-5
135 Mambo II 6 Sea Urchin Divers 2304011814-9
136 Manati 24 Cozumel Marine World 2304058414-4
137 Mantaraya 6 Manta Ray Divers 2304027014-0
138 Maria del Mar 6 Phocea Divers 2304006514-5
139 Maria del Sol 6 2304020114-2
140 Marya Louna 12 2304158914-9
141 Marinita I 6 Fernando Salazaar 2304037214-3
142 Maryfer 17 2304151414-6
143 Matilde 6 Scuba Xoc 2304151714-4
144 Maximus 8 Dive With Allison 2304112114-7
145 Mayte 14 Charro and Sons 2304014114-7
146 Mayte II 6 2304041914-7
147 Medusa 6 Deep Blue 2304024714-3
148 Mental Floss 6 Salty Endeavors 2304002414-4
149 Mestizo 6 Mestizo Divers 2304111524-6
150 Michelle 8 Cozumel Sports 2304043214-4
151 Miguelito 16 Eagle Ray Divers 2304006014-6
152 Miss Allison 12 Cozumel Fishing Center 2304049314-4
153 Miss O 12 Sand Dollar Sports 2304047314-5
154 Mohanna 28 2304153914-6
155 Monica 10 2304047414-4
156 Montserrat 6 2304123814-2
157 My Way 14 2304008214-5
158 Nai'a 6 Pepe Scuba 2304157714-2
159 Nassau Sun 16 2304057314-5
160 Nazareno 14 Palancar Beach 2304023614-6
161 Nena 14 Dive With Cristina 2304005514-6
162 Neptune 50 Glass Bottom Snorkel 2304040014-5
163 Nereida 6 Diving Adventures Cozumel 2304032414-4
164 No Problem 20 Blue Angel 2304011714-6
165 Nuria 18 Cozumel Marine World 2304001521-8
166 Observer 10 Scuba Club Cozumel 2304007114-1
167 Ocean One 12 Aqua Safari 2304003311-7
168 Ocean Two 16 Aqua Safari 2304003411-8
169 Ocean Three 16 Aqua Safari 2304003511-5
170 Oceano 4 16 Alex Scuba 2304003614-6
171 Octopus 10 2304078614-4
172 Odalis II 4 Nachi Cocom 2304117414-9
173 Odysea 6 2304013914-5
174 Orca 6 Eco Divers 2304000514-7
175 Orion 10 Parasail Boat 2304023914-3
176 Oystier 20 Dive Palancar 2304057714-3
177 Palancar 60 Dreseel Divers 2304013814-5
178 Pacha 8 2304138914-1
179 Pachanga Tours 8 2304117014-6
180 Palancar Divers 16 Paradise Divers 2304017914-5
181 Paradise Diver 20 Paradise Divers 2304003914-4
182 Paty 8 El Pulpo Divers 2304006811-3
183 Pegasus 10 Deep Blue 2304024814-8
184 Pescadito 12 Cozumel Scuba Planet 2304059514-1
185 Playa Sol 1 8 Betasail Adventures 2304013414-8
186 Porites 51 2301526924-1
187 Principe II 30 2303087414-3
188 Queen Angel 6 Paradise Divers 2304004011-5
189 Radali III 6 Cozumel Cruise Excursions 2304026214-6
190 Raquelita 6 Eco Divers 2304023814-4
191 Reef Cat 20 Scuba Club Cozumel 2304007714-7
192 Reef Diver 15 Scuba Club Cozumel 2304007614-8
193 Reef Explorer 60 2304166414-5
194 Reef Explorer I 28 2301552214-6
195 Reef Star 20 Scuba Club Cozumel 2304007214-0
196 Renegado 16 Paradise Divers 2304040914-1
197 Roman Holiday 15 Sand Dollar Sports 2304037114-6
198 Sagitario 20 Paradise Divers 2304049214-7
199 Samantha II 40 Pro Dive 2303042224-7
200 Samari 45 Cabillito del Caribe 2304010614-1
201 Sand Dollar Diver 30 Sand Dollar Sports 2304047214-3
202 Sand Dollar Express 33 Sand Dollar Sports 2304043611-3
203 Scualo I 30 2301538914-8
204 Scualo VI 27 2301553214-6
205 Scualo VII 51 2301531314-4
206 Scuba Du I 20 Scubadu 2304020714-0
207 Scuba Du II 12 Scubadu 2304020814-5
208 Scuba Du IV 12 Scubadu 2304095714-1
209 Scuba II 10 Scuba Club Cozumel 2304007814-9
210 Scuba Shack II 6 Papa Hog 2304016314-4
211 Sea Maiden 10 Opal's Dream 2304019614-6
212 Sea Master 6 Sea Scuba 2304019514-4
213 Shamu 6 Blue XT Sea 2304012014-2
214 Siete Mares 25 Explora Tours 2304012014-2
215 Silmar 10 Chac Choc Tours 2304024014-2
216 Sirenita I 6 Chichi Divers 2304019214-8
217 Skinny Shark 10 Tres Pelicanos 2304004611-0
218 Sleeping Shark 9 Challenge Diving 2304005014-7
219 Sonador 8 Paradise Divers 2304005211-6
220 Splash 12 2304012614-7
221 Studio Blue I 8 Studio Blue 2304027714-1
222 Studio Blue II 10 Studio Blue 2304027814-6
223 Swordfish 30 Aquatic Sports & Expeditions 2304015914-4
224 Tango 28 Dive Paradise 2304012314-5
225 Tara II 8 Babieca Dive Center 2304023714-3
226 Teresa del Mar 8 Dive With Martin 2304006914-2
227 The Big Splash 30 Del Mar Aquatics 2304013114-8
228 The Legend 14 Tiger Adventures 2304025214-6
229 The Lions 10 David (Mechanic) 2304120014-2
230 The Lions II 14 David (Mechanic) 2304140314-8
231 The Lions III 8 David (Mechanic) 2304004714-9
232 The Yellow Rose 22 Dive Cozumel 2304157924-1
233 Themis 10 Dive With Martin 2304047514-5
234 Tintorera II 8 Cabillito del Caribe 2304010314-5
235 Tormenta 8 Victor Brito's El Gran Azul 2304024214-8
236 Tortuga Carey 6 Tortuga Carey 2304038714-3
237 Vicky 10 Sand Dollar Sports 2304001614-1
238 Volador 8 Parasail Boat 2304042514-4
239 Xaman Ha 10 2305030624-3
240 Xtabay 10 Xtbay Diving 2304026614-4
241 Yucab II 23 Phocea Divers 2304021814-9
242 Yucab III 18 We B Divin 2304012214-8
243 Yucatan 6 Dive Palancar 2304038114-5
244 Yucatan Fury 60 Fury Catamarans 2304166314-8


Total 3687
Wow, now I'm really overwhelmed. How could we choose? Location? We're staying at a villa near Sting Ray beach. Hoping to skip car rental. Any ideas?
 
Wow, now I'm really overwhelmed. How could we choose? Location? We're staying at a villa near Sting Ray beach. Hoping to skip car rental. Any ideas?
You were replying to a boat identification discussion, so that won't help I don't think.

I think you're staying close to Blue Angel hotel and the Stringray prison. You certainly do not need the headache of a rental car. The shared van tickets can be purchased at the airport (ignore the timeshare salesmen who offer to help) and taxis are plentiful. Discuss rates before you get in tho, and I'm not shy about haggling on high rates.

jonhall worked up a study on dive Ops recently in this thread. I think this link will take you to the latest update; yes, it seems to work. Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

Several Ops will pick you up at a nearby pier to take you diving.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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