2 dives days in Playa del Carmen - worth doing Cozumel excursion?

[ERRN]

I hope you don't mind a question or 2 to better answer yours....

how many dives do you have roughly? and where? every dove current before? any issues with seasickness? the reason I ask is that everyone raves about coz and they should, the diving is awesome and world renowned. But depending on weather and wind, the ferry ride can be rough, and the (longer than Playa) travel time on dives boats rougher, if you are prone to seasickness, and either way it makes for a longer day of travel. The currents can be aggressive sometimes diving coz and depending on your experience level may not be relaxing, they are present at Playa but much milder in my experience. How deep do you want to dive? many of the (still relatively few) dives I have done off cozumel were deeper than off Playa. 20-35 meters max for coz vs 10-25 for playa. Exceptions being los arcos and the shrimp trawler off playa. Do you feel comfortable shooting an SMB from depth? Would be sure i could before diving Cozumel, same with knowing how to escape downdraft current. It's not that thousands of people don't go diving at Coz for OW or immediately after without problems, but it is worth thinking about.

Personally with 2 diving days I would do a morning and afternoon dives off Playa day 1, cenotes 2nd morning and afternoon dive off playa 2nd afternoon. Cozumel is gorgeous and worth doing but like another poster said, it might be easier to base off Cozumel for a later trip if you really like the area and want to return. But if you feel comfortable with the travel issues and don't struggle with seasickness, can handle current, and can shoot an SMB there is no reason you couldn't handle Cozumel.

Personally I think the topography of Cozumel's reefs is much more impressive than Playa, but have seen more wildlife, from schools of jacks crashing the reef, to octopi, to mantis shrimp, to bull sharks off Playa.

 

[jonhall]

PS - the dive shop in Playa Del Carmen I am considering using is Dressel Divers (next to the Iberostar Hotel). Good reviews on tripadvisor, but does anyone here have any experience with them?

Although ERRN gave you some good things to think about, I'll give my 2 cents. First, I think that Coz overall is better diving, as diving along the PDC coast can be hit or miss. If diving with Dressel, who were really good IMO (dove with them last year), you will most likely be limited on dive time (45-50 minutes) as they are a resort op staying on a schedule with divers of varied experience (beginner to more experienced) and, for those reasons, frequent the same sites quite often. That's the negative of diving with Dressel in PDC.

Dressel will get you over to Coz. From the ferry pier, you will, if they haven't changed, take their boat to their op at the Iberostar where you will pick up other divers from the resort. A bonus might be that Dressel gives you a wristband that lets you take advantage of the all-inclusive while you are there, but you won't have a lot of time to enjoy it. As the Iberostar is by the marine park, the dive sites are about a 5 minute boat ride. After your two dives and a brief stop back at the Iberostar, you head back to the ferry (by boat) for the ferry back to PDC. It takes a good portion of the day, 6-7 hours. My buddy and I did an 11 dive package with Dressel in PDC and the 2 Coz dives were the best. Have been lucky as the 3 times I've been diving in Coz, the water has been calm although the current varied, but nothing too difficult.

Dressel is well organized and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Have fun!

 

[PStrangerX]

I hope you don't mind a question or 2 to better answer yours....

how many dives do you have roughly? and where? every dove current before? any issues with seasickness?

Thanks for all of that information. Def gives me a lot to think about. I have 25+ dives under my belt and my fiancee has done 4 dives. Sea sickness not an issue.

The time requirements are def something I am now thinking about. About how long is the ferry ride over? I'm wondering if it would now be better to save Cozumel sites for a trip where we can stay on Cozumel instead of going back and forth.

 

[ERRN]

I think the ferry took about 45 minutes travel time but figure with tickets, loading etc about an hour each way minimum, but Jonhall posted that the actual time once you are on the dive boat is only 5 minutes or so, which is much less than I thought. I remembered closer to 20-40 minutes dive boat rides. It is doable as a day trip, but it is a long day.

Honestly with a fiance with only 4 dives she might feel more comfortable off Playa, near shore sites, short boat trips, less risk of strong current (generally), hard bottom. Do you guys feel comfortable shooting a DSMB and diving in current? Once you are used to it, it is a relaxing way to dive but the first time or 2 can be a bit nerve racking if you have problems descending or get anxious.

If you want to do Coz for sure... my suggestion would be open (no overhead environment) cenote first day morning to get comfortable in the water and with rental gear, especially for GF, afternoon dive off playa to get weighting down in saltwater and comfortable with current, and if all goes well you could do Coz the second day. I would be VERY sure to make sure they are doing shallower dives in the a.m. if you choose this option, you don't want to find out you are diving the devil's throat for your first dive off Cozumel. Like i said, plenty of people get certified in Cozumel and plenty of vaca divers do it without issue. but personally I would want at least a gentle intro/ knock the rust off (especially for GF) before hitting Coz. The other thing, honestly, with a low number of dives for you and her I think you would both still be impressed with Playa and the cenotes.

 

[Charles2]

I don't think that you will have any big problems no matter what you decide. Keep in mind that both the excursion to Cozumel as well as the Cenotes will be all-day trips. You will be tired at the end of either trip.

One other thing that you might want to consider is that the diving at Playa del Carmen is going to be a rather easy dive - you will not go that deep, nor will you encounter any significant current - it will give you an opportunity to get comfortable with your weighting requirements in salt water and just might be a good check-out before venturing over to Cozumel. The Cenotes, although a great dive, will be in fresh water (unless you go down past the halocline) and your weighting will be different than you will need in Cozumel.

I took my recently certified (less than 10 dives) grandson to Cozumel this past summer where we dove with Dressel. I found the operation to be quite professional and safety conscious. The dive guides at Dressel are very observant, especially if you are forthcoming with regard to your experience. I just checked my log from this trip and found that most of the dives were in the 40 to 70 foot range. Palancar Caves and Palancar Bricks were the deepest at 89 and 85 feet respectively.

Most important, and I don't think that I can stress this enough - make sure that your fiancée has a great and enjoyable experience. You will want her to want to come back as well as joining you on other diving adventures. I would suggest that you save the Cenotes for a later trip.

 

[ERRN]

I think the cenotes can be done as a half day if you choose El Jardin del Eden or somewhere close to PDC, but I agree if doing 2 different cenotes or those further south or north would be an all day trip. I know we did a morning 2 tank dive in El Jardin and still made it back in time for a quick lunch and to catch the boat for the afternoon dive in Playa.

But like Charles2 said, biggest thing is make sure the SO has a good, safe time. My reasoning for suggesting the cenotes as the first dive is that they are like a swimming pool in terms of difficulty and a very safe, calm place to practice skills, ensure comfort. I personally love them, but a lot of people might consider them boring. I love the light show and just having a relaxing weightless chill time. Unlike a boat dive, it will just be you guys and a DM most likely, no rush to descend, plenty of time to practice skills, and since it is fresh water, gives you a chance to play with buoyancy control. I did this with the SO since she can get a bit anxious and this was a relaxed way to get her comfortable underwater after a bit with no diving.

 

[KeriMe]

I absolutely love diving in Cozumel but I don't particularly like dragging my gear around on ferries or stressing about departure times. For the really new diver, stay in Playa and get comfortable. Next trip book Cozumel and get the full experience. It's a great spot that's worth diving more than just a couple tanks.

 

[PStrangerX]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses everyone! This is why Scubaboard is the best community on the internet.

We decided to do 1 day of diving in Cozumel - it'll be a 9am - 7pm type of day. We'll do Playa for our other day. (The fiancee doesnt want to do cenotes so I have to miss out there)

I hear differing opinions on whether split fins are inadequate for Cozumel currents. Any thoughts?

 

[Streydog]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses everyone! This is why Scubaboard is the best community on the internet.

We decided to do 1 day of diving in Cozumel - it'll be a 9am - 7pm type of day. We'll do Playa for our other day. (The fiancee doesnt want to do cenotes so I have to miss out there)

I hear differing opinions on whether split fins are inadequate for Cozumel currents. Any thoughts?

Depends if you are going with the current or against it, LOL. I have never tried split fins but have seen plenty use them in Cozumel. I am sure they will be fine.

 

[ERRN]

LOL people have VERY strong opinions about the worth of split fins (hint... generally seem to hate them like poison) having said that I dive apollo splits and have for the last 5 years and am still alive lol. if you get good acceleration, control and power with the fins you have now and you know you are comfortable with them i would say keep them, you should be fine. I'd be more concerned about cramping or blisters on new fins than slightly less power with my current fins. the reason they are hated on is they are much less adept at frog kicking, back finning, basically fine positioning etc... and there are stiff fins that can easily overpower most splits for short sprints with strong legs. but at the risk of getting flamed, i love them and they work fine for me in Cozumel and Playa. And honestly most of the full foot rental fins i have seen used in mexico are junk anyway.

I'm sure you guys will have a blast! I would make sure you know the dive sites you will be hitting in Cozumel and that they work for you (depthwise and difficulty wise) and make sure you have an SMB and are comfortable using it. Would still suggest if possible do Playa the first day, little easier, little less hassle with logistics, nice break in dives, then Coz the second day. Also good chance to practice shooting a SMB in Playa if the DM is okay with you doing it. either way enjoy the trip, i was just down again in September and miss it already.