1st trip to Cozumel. Tips?

[SandyRobinson]

I would take the ADO bus - inexpensive, nice buses, and very simple to do and it is non-stop. The bus station in Playa is 1.5 blocks from the ferry. As you walk out the bus station, the ferry ticket booth is across the street. A taxi or van will not get you any closer.

After you pack, leave 1/2 of your clothes at home.

Try to visit some restaurants off the main road.

 

[jonhall]

Out of curiosity, what was so fun about it? It seems like the most touristy lame thing you see in areas like the Yucatan. Not trying to hate, I'm curious.

Fun is in the eye of the beholder. It provided, for us, a very entertaining evening. Nice cruise on a pirate ship replica for a couple of hours with a great crew of pirates who kept passengers engaged. We also had fun dancing after the meal on the way back to the pier. And to repeat myself, the food was great. May be touristy, but wouldn't say it was lame. There aren't a lot of touristy things like this to do in Coz.

We did the Pirate ship thing a couple years ago and it was kick, ya a bit touristy but still fun. We did it with 6 twenty-something kids so was more of a party thing than a dinner cruise. It is a party boat with the pirates dancing, sword fights pushing booze shots on everybody and looking for for "volunteers" for comedy\embarrassment. Dinner was surprising good (excellent). Would not consider it for a romantic couples dinner cruise though and definitely a PG-13 thing for kids.

This is how I remember it.

 

[Pepe Suarez]

Hello Little Seahorse first of all I am sure that whatever you do you will have a great time! Cozumel is a fantastic island and even more if you are diving.
To go form Cancun to Playa there is a bus just outside the terminal called ADO and it should cost you about 150 pesos (more or less) but if there is four of you I recommend a Taxi which will end up costing almost the same and it is faster. The ferry is only a few blocks away from where you will be dropped off and if you are not too tired I recommend to walk around a little bit on 5th street in Playa del Carmen (but seeing that you are going to the cenotes I would probably recommend planning to stay in Playa and walk around fifth street and maybe get some lunch or dinner there) The ferry is only about 40 minutes long. When you arrive to Cozumel just take a taxi right in front of the exit from the ferry.
Diving wise I would recommend you ask for a local DM because usually big companies like that have a lot of foreigners that don't know the reef very well and that could change the whole experience.
If you can get the group to go to town to get dinner and walk around I highly recommend it. There are some fantastic restaurants all over town.
I see a lot of other people have given you a lot of info but I hope this is helpful to you.
LAst thing, if you want to make your trip from cancun to Cozumel or the other way or even both a bit shorter there is a small local airline that does the trip for around 35 to 40 usd and it is a 15 minute scenic flight. It is worth the extra money just for the view!

 

[Pepe Suarez]

Hello Little Seahorse first of all I am sure that whatever you do you will have a great time! Cozumel is a fantastic island and even more if you are diving.
To go form Cancun to Playa there is a bus just outside the terminal called ADO and it should cost you about 150 pesos (more or less) but if there is four of you I recommend a Taxi which will end up costing almost the same and it is faster. The ferry is only a few blocks away from where you will be dropped off and if you are not too tired I recommend to walk around a little bit on 5th street in Playa del Carmen (but seeing that you are going to the cenotes I would probably recommend planning to stay in Playa and walk around fifth street and maybe get some lunch or dinner there) The ferry is only about 40 minutes long. When you arrive to Cozumel just take a taxi right in front of the exit from the ferry.
Diving wise I would recommend you ask for a local DM because usually big companies like that have a lot of foreigners that don't know the reef very well and that could change the whole experience.
If you can get the group to go to town to get dinner and walk around I highly recommend it. There are some fantastic restaurants all over town.
I see a lot of other people have given you a lot of info but I hope this is helpful to you.
LAst thing, if you want to make your trip from cancun to Cozumel or the other way or even both a bit shorter there is a small local airline that does the trip for around 35 to 40 usd and it is a 15 minute scenic flight. It is worth the extra money just for the view!

www.mayair.com.mx

 

[lamarpaulski]

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate it!

Ditto on the private Divemaster for first dive or two. Watch your air and depth (super clear water can fool you)

Things are well set up for easy diving and a good time in general so relax and don't overthink. I have always felt safe on Cozumel. Get over to the backside of the island/Punta Sur in rental car for a day or afternoon at least. Bug spray bring it and use it. Restaurants are very impressive and there is an amazing variety. I always bring a decent but not large dive light -LED rechargeable for looking in crevices and swim-thrus. They are so bright these days that they can double as a primary light and you might opt for a night dive after you get comfortable diving - really good easy nite dives on Coz.

 

[ggunn]

@ggunn I understand the theory... putting theory into practice may be a bit more difficult for a new diver, which I am.

It's all part of experience building. You won't get good at diving in current until you dive in current a few times, but it's really not that hard if you think about what you are doing. Any time you find yourself kicking against the current, stop doing that and find another way. If it results in your drifting away from your buddy for a bit, don't panic. Make change slowly. Do it a few times and you'll get the hang of it.

 

[mmmbelows]

Yeah like Gordon said. Average divers can pick up the drift diving skills pretty quickly, by the end of a week of diving you're a pro. Coz drift diving is an adjustment and you can speed the process by reading some tips in advance, its a good experience to learn if you're going to continue diving in more places. The more comfortable you already are with your 'normal' diving the easier it will be to pick up the new skills. But if you're a mess, and you're dealing with your mask fogging up, leaking, your buoyancy is all over, you're losing a fin on your dives, you're grossly over weighted or under weighted, trying to figure out your new go pro.... well you'll have a lot on your hands with adding drift diving to the mix. Personally don't think the current in Coz is in the challenging realm compared to many other locations around this world of ours, but Cozumel is a great place to dip your toes into 'current' diving. Eventually you should find the drift diving element of Cozumel diving is a plus, making it a relaxing experience.

 

[guruboy]

How long does it usually take to go from landing to walking out the airport terminal?

30? 45?

 

[ggunn]

How long does it usually take to go from landing to walking out the airport terminal?

30? 45?

It depends on how many planes come in at once and how many Immigration kiosks are manned. The shortest it's been for me was about 20 minutes. The longest was about 3 1/2 hours, but that was an unusual occurrence when 4 planes landed in rapid succession (I was on plane #3) and at first only two kiosks were manned. That time I was in the CZM Immigration line longer than I was in the air from Houston.

 

[guruboy]

OP is flying into CUN and not CZM.