Advice re Easy Quick Dive Access / Liveaboard Like Experience

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John Trecker

Contributor
Messages
142
Reaction score
59
Location
Bay Area
# of dives
200 - 499
Dear Wise Scubaboard Sages:
Hoping to spend 7-10 days diving and working remote from Cozumel. I am trying to figure out a situation where I could have quick / easy access to dive boats / sites so it might be possible to have access to place staying to work between morning / afternoon trips.
I have done this before for example in Anilao and Puerto Galera where the dive sites are so close that boats return to the resort between morning and afternoon dives and access is very quick. It was possible to return to room to catch up in between excursions and little time spent going back and forth.
Any recommendations for options for similar situation in Cozumel? Any suggestions for resorts, hotels, apartment buildings, or dive ops appreciated. For places to stay we are looking at El Cid, Landmark, and others along the water perhaps were boats could stop by and do pick ups. Seems like most of the dive sites are quite a ways south of the main town.
Very appreciated!
 
Dear Wise Scubaboard Sages:
Hoping to spend 7-10 days diving and working remote from Cozumel. I am trying to figure out a situation where I could have quick / easy access to dive boats / sites so it might be possible to have access to place staying to work between morning / afternoon trips.
I have done this before for example in Anilao and Puerto Galera where the dive sites are so close that boats return to the resort between morning and afternoon dives and access is very quick. It was possible to return to room to catch up in between excursions and little time spent going back and forth.
Any recommendations for options for similar situation in Cozumel? Any suggestions for resorts, hotels, apartment buildings, or dive ops appreciated. For places to stay we are looking at El Cid, Landmark, and others along the water perhaps were boats could stop by and do pick ups. Seems like most of the dive sites are quite a ways south of the main town.
Very appreciated!
The southern resorts are very close to many of the dive sites; I have heard that they often return to the resort between tanks of a two tank trip. Afternoon dives are not nearly as popular on Cozumel as the morning dives, though; arranging diving in the afternoons will likely be a bit more challenging than in the mornings.
 
Thank you. Hoping there is not huge tradeoff of being close to dive sites and diving quality. See reports of many of the dive ops having large cattle car situations.
 
like ggunn said, if time is the primary consideration then being south of town is your best option. there are a bunch of resorts like sunscapes, iberostar, occidental etc if you are considering the area near el cid, take a look at park royal. really nice place. food was great when i was there. a couple of dive ops right across the street and you would have the option to shore dive right there as well.
 
Thank you. Hoping there is not huge tradeoff of being close to dive sites and diving quality. See reports of many of the dive ops having large cattle car situations.
The quality of diving around Cozumel is mostly homogeneous, at least for the sites that the dive ops frequent, though there is variability in the terrain and wildlife. It's all good.

That said, some of the most impressive coral structures are close to the southern resorts.

A downside of the southern resorts, for me at least, is the distance from town and all the great restaurants that are there.
 
Right now cattle boats are few and far between. I usually dive with Tres Pelicanos, if you book afternoons ahead of time. They also drop people at whats called beach clubs. You buy lunch and relax for 2-2.5hr and then they pick you up for the afternoon dives. Also you talked about Southern diving. Almost all the dives are south so the quality would not drop off. I might recommend a hotspot just to be safe. Internet is good but does go up and down. If you have any question please ask.
 
I stay on the south end because I get sea sick and want the shortest boat ride possible. In addition to the short boat rides, I prefer the dives on the south end. Staying south has the disadvantage of being further from the restaurants and shops. My preference is at Residencias Reef condos. Not everybody's cup of tea. Very quiet, tranquil (may be dull for some) strong wifi have had surface intervals at the condo where I can use my own bathroom and change into a dry swimsuit. In a perfect world, I would pack an additional wet suit to get changed into during the surface interval. I think that would push my husband over the edge with all my packing...
 
I would look into Blue Angel, if I were you. They are on the southern edge of town, there is good shore diving in front, and they usually have morning and afternoon boats.At least they used to, pre-covid. There is a restaurant on site but your lunch will be pretty rushed if you are trying to make both the morning and afternoon boat. I actually enjoy lots of sites mid-island, but that is just me and who knows what the rest of the people on the boat are going to want to dive.
 
quick / easy access to dive boats / sites so it might be possible to have access to place staying to work between morning / afternoon trips.

For places to stay we are looking at El Cid

Stayed at El Cid several years ago (staying there again for a week in late fall.) Dive sites you are likely to go to are still farther south. If you use a dive op that picks up at EC's pier (which I did), it's possible you would make another stop to pick up divers at another pier and then have stops on the way back to drop them off before you get back to El Cid. The surface interval is likely to be at a beach or beach bar. Babieca is EC's onsite dive op - although my notes show they have picked up from other resorts in the past, I'm not sure if they do. Babieca shows they do afternoon dives but they, as well as other ops, may be limiting those right now or have to have a minimum number of divers to go out. Shore diving is an option here. El Cid has an optional AI (don't have to take for length of stay) and there are places to eat within walking distance.

As already mentioned a place such as an AI towards the south, like Occidental/Allegro (Pro Dive) or Iberostar (Dressel Divers) puts you right in the marine park where the dive sites are a 5-10 minute boat ride. The ops at these resorts have larger (cattle) boats - I dove with both (didn't stay at the resorts.) The number of divers on the boats don't bother me (it will be smaller anyway right now) as there is generally a DM for every 4-8 divers. The negative is that dives generally don't last as long (~50 min) as they stay on a schedule. In the plus column for you are the short boat rides to the same good sites other ops go to and they return to their piers even during surface intervals - could give you options of splitting dives up depending on your work schedule.
 
I stay on the south end because I get sea sick and want the shortest boat ride possible. In addition to the short boat rides, I prefer the dives on the south end. Staying south has the disadvantage of being further from the restaurants and shops. My preference is at Residencias Reef condos. Not everybody's cup of tea. Very quiet, tranquil (may be dull for some) strong wifi have had surface intervals at the condo where I can use my own bathroom and change into a dry swimsuit. In a perfect world, I would pack an additional wet suit to get changed into during the surface interval. I think that would push my husband over the edge with all my packing...
I'm looking at staying here. Who did you use for dive op and did the pick you up/drop you off here?
 
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