Another Cozumel noob looking for advice from the regulars
- Thread starter Leejnd
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Leejnd
Contributor
Of course when the President dives with them, I am sure they surface when HE is low on air. Everyone else, hold your breath.....
LOL yeah you're probably right!
Dennis, good point about the steel tanks - that should result in long dives. I've been doing some reading, and Aldora gets truly rave reviews, among some pretty experienced divers.
At this point I'm focusing my research on Aldora and Living Underwater, the two dive ops with the best reviews. I'll let you know what I've decided. (In particular I want to hear what they say about working with disabled divers.)
I did settle on Cozumel Palace. While the Intercontinental Presidente sounds beautiful, for my purposes I'd rather be closer to town. Partly because we don't want to be stuck having to eat all our meals at the expensive restaurants there (if they are anything like the Intercontinental in Tahiti, they were great but STEEP!). I like the idea of the all-inclusive for breakfasts and lunches, and then being close to town if we want to go in and try a restaurant for dinner. I'm okay without a beach - Mom won't go swimming at a beach anyway, but she'll lie around the pool. And I'll be diving every day, so I think I'll get enough ocean time.
And finally, the $1500 credit is a great deal for me - means I can talk Mom into doing some activities/tours without having to pay additional. The price is in the budget, so...I'm booking today!
Living Underwater has steel tanks as well, LP 95s and 120s. When I dove with Aldora, they only had HP tanks and required DIN regulators, or they would convert divers' yoke regs. I wonder if it's the same today, or they also now use LP tanks.
The food at the Presidente isn't nearly as expensive as the IC in Tahiti, but then again no food on Cozumel approaches the cost of eating in French Polynesia. (We had two small individual pizzas and shared a plain lettuce salad, one local beer and one diet coke and a bottle of water at a popular roadside pizza joint in Moorea and it came to $80!) I recall eating some excellent guacamole at the Beach Club restaurant there. But it does add up. Margaritas and pina coladas at the swim-up bar probably cost $8-10 or more (excellent cocktails made with tropical-fruit-infused liquors at the Tahiti IC were $18), but at the swim-up bar at the Palace, just drink up. No need to even sign your name. Guacamole too, not as good as the Presidente's, but still good, you can order it and other snack foods along with your drinks by the Palace pool, and all still free. There isn't a sandy beach, that is one major difference between the IC and the Palace, but the pool is nice and it's handy for snorkeling with steps right into the water and (free) rental snorkeling gear available in case Mom gets adventurous or you want an afternoon salt-water fix.
BTW LeeAnne, we also dove two tanks with the Tahiti IC hotel dive op when we did a 2-night pre-cruise stay there, but had a better experience than you apparently did. Our first dive was un-memorable, but nice (I just don't remember it!) - another (French) couple was aboard and it wasn't too sociable, but nothing negative (or I would have remembered it). The second dive, however, turned out great. It was just J and me, along with the DM, and she took us to a shallow sandy bay inside the reef to see a couple small "wrecks". Crap, I thought at first, what a waste of money (and diving in Tahiti sure ain't cheap). But first we played with a huge green moray that was resident in the cockpit of the small plane wreck, then started finding a host of interesting critters in the "muck", including a leaf scorpionfish and my first ever oscillated lion fish, and they allowed us over an hour bottom time. Not a bad day at all, though the diving was better in Bora Bora and Moorea and it was obviously no comparison to Rangiroa.
The food at the Presidente isn't nearly as expensive as the IC in Tahiti, but then again no food on Cozumel approaches the cost of eating in French Polynesia. (We had two small individual pizzas and shared a plain lettuce salad, one local beer and one diet coke and a bottle of water at a popular roadside pizza joint in Moorea and it came to $80!) I recall eating some excellent guacamole at the Beach Club restaurant there. But it does add up. Margaritas and pina coladas at the swim-up bar probably cost $8-10 or more (excellent cocktails made with tropical-fruit-infused liquors at the Tahiti IC were $18), but at the swim-up bar at the Palace, just drink up. No need to even sign your name. Guacamole too, not as good as the Presidente's, but still good, you can order it and other snack foods along with your drinks by the Palace pool, and all still free. There isn't a sandy beach, that is one major difference between the IC and the Palace, but the pool is nice and it's handy for snorkeling with steps right into the water and (free) rental snorkeling gear available in case Mom gets adventurous or you want an afternoon salt-water fix.
BTW LeeAnne, we also dove two tanks with the Tahiti IC hotel dive op when we did a 2-night pre-cruise stay there, but had a better experience than you apparently did. Our first dive was un-memorable, but nice (I just don't remember it!) - another (French) couple was aboard and it wasn't too sociable, but nothing negative (or I would have remembered it). The second dive, however, turned out great. It was just J and me, along with the DM, and she took us to a shallow sandy bay inside the reef to see a couple small "wrecks". Crap, I thought at first, what a waste of money (and diving in Tahiti sure ain't cheap). But first we played with a huge green moray that was resident in the cockpit of the small plane wreck, then started finding a host of interesting critters in the "muck", including a leaf scorpionfish and my first ever oscillated lion fish, and they allowed us over an hour bottom time. Not a bad day at all, though the diving was better in Bora Bora and Moorea and it was obviously no comparison to Rangiroa.
OP
Leejnd
Contributor
Mossman, your trip to French Polynesia was relatively recent, if I recall...right? Mine was in 2007, and I understand that the onsite dive op at the IC Papeete has changed since then. The one I used got LOTS of bad reviews (I should have checked in advance but didn't). The one they have now, I hear, is getting much better reviews. I had a TERRIBLE time - two completely boring dives basically over sand and boulders with very little actual life. The DM was unfriendly if not downright hostile.
But it was all made up for by diving with Dominique on the PG. And Rangiroa...OMG! There are no words...
Anyway...back to Cozumel...you bring up another great reason why the Palace is my choice: the free booze! (Well, not free per se...but you know what I mean.) I do enjoy being able to just indulge without having to sign a chit or think about how much it's all going to add up to when I check out. And I like that they have a shallow snorkeling area - Mom isn't a very good swimmer, but she LOVES sticking her head under the water and seeing the fishies. If it's shallow I will be able to take her in the water for some easy snorkeling.
But it was all made up for by diving with Dominique on the PG. And Rangiroa...OMG! There are no words...
Anyway...back to Cozumel...you bring up another great reason why the Palace is my choice: the free booze! (Well, not free per se...but you know what I mean.) I do enjoy being able to just indulge without having to sign a chit or think about how much it's all going to add up to when I check out. And I like that they have a shallow snorkeling area - Mom isn't a very good swimmer, but she LOVES sticking her head under the water and seeing the fishies. If it's shallow I will be able to take her in the water for some easy snorkeling.
July 2009. Our expectations were low for the Tahiti dives, so that probably helped. We really just wanted to get wet and get in a couple more dives than the handful we were able to make on the PG after dragging our gear all that way (only did 5 off the PG: Bora Bora, Moorea, 2 x Rangiroa, and Nuku Hiva - they canceled our night dive in BB since J and me were the only divers). Also, Dominique was on vacation during our trip
I'll report on the Palace when I go - we'll be there two weeks from today - hopefully providing more detail than I can remember now, like restaurant menus and such. I do remember a few touches, like bartending demos at the swim-up bar where you got to liberally sample all the creations, waiter service for drinks and snacks/lite lunch at the pool loungers so no need to get your own, and one afternoon when we were in the pool, a few waiters came out parading different home-made chocolate dipped ice cream bars, somehow exactly at the perfect moment for a sweet treat. Sitting at my desk here, trying to keep to a strict healthy (and sober) diet before I go blow it all, it's gonna be a tough two more weeks.
I'll report on the Palace when I go - we'll be there two weeks from today - hopefully providing more detail than I can remember now, like restaurant menus and such. I do remember a few touches, like bartending demos at the swim-up bar where you got to liberally sample all the creations, waiter service for drinks and snacks/lite lunch at the pool loungers so no need to get your own, and one afternoon when we were in the pool, a few waiters came out parading different home-made chocolate dipped ice cream bars, somehow exactly at the perfect moment for a sweet treat. Sitting at my desk here, trying to keep to a strict healthy (and sober) diet before I go blow it all, it's gonna be a tough two more weeks.
Lee Anne, if you're so inclined, you can snorkel north of the Palace past El Cantil next door and past the adjacent open lot up to Margaritaville. Straight out from there is a pier that was destroyed by a hurricane. Follow it out into deeper water and it will curl back around in the shape of a J. At the end of the J you'll be pointed back toward the Palace. Too much for your mother but might be a fun little side trip for you one afternoon. Probably about 20' deep or so and lots of fish and other stuff to see. Just keep your eyes and ears open for boat traffic. Not very many boats go through that area in the afternoons after the morning dive trips have returned but you still need to be alert.
Calculated how? There is no "top op" on Cozumel in any sort of absolute sense, there are only preferences.
But wouldn't you rather they send that guy on the hose up at some point and continue your dive regardless of that guy's air consumption? (I realize they group divers by air consumption...) Do they have 95s? As far as bottom time goes I can pretty much out-dive any guy on a 120 with a 95 being a skinny female. And it's not as much crap on my back. If I dived with a 120, I'd be coming up with lots of air on most dives! Kind of a waste in addition to diving longer than most of the guys on the 120s.
Different strokes for different folks.
And you know what else? Truth be told, after an hour or so, I'm ready to come up and breathe some uncanned air. I'm wrinkled like a prune, my teeth don't fit together right, and I'm way up in the yellow on my computer. The pesos per minute of bottom time argument doesn't work for everyone; I am happy with an Al80 and a no-frills op. As you say, DSFDF.
drrich2
Contributor
Dove 1 day with Living Underwater back in January during a cruise ship stop; wife, brother-in-law & a friend were with me, and there were 2 other divers on board. Major points:
1.) Jeremy and the crew were excellent.
2.) I dearly love steel 120's.
3.) My regular yoke reg. went on the tank just fine.
4.) They changed out tanks for us, which is very nice.
5.) Boat ride was fairly smooth. We had room. They had some food for us, no extra charge.
6.) Jeremy didn't make the whole group come up at once.
7.) Customer service was excellent and they handled our needs quite well.
Jeremy asked us what we wanted to see, and picked dive sites. We dove Palancar Gardens (okay) and Santa Rosa (which I really liked, but when a big eagle ray swims under you right away, and then a large black grouper swims up to about arm's length hoping for a hand-out, well...). Jeremy found us a channel-clinging crab. I also saw a southern stingray and a yellow stingray, a yellowfin grouper & some other things. Couple of divers further back saw a huge green moray eel, but I didn't see that rascal.
I haven't dove Aldora or other op.s, so this is not a 'my op. is better than your op.' bit, just a one shot testimonial and if I'm blessed to make it back to Cozumel, I hope to dive again with Living Underwater.
Richard.
P.S.: I learned when backrolling to straighten my legs, because one time I smacked a calf on the side of the boat.
1.) Jeremy and the crew were excellent.
2.) I dearly love steel 120's.
3.) My regular yoke reg. went on the tank just fine.
4.) They changed out tanks for us, which is very nice.
5.) Boat ride was fairly smooth. We had room. They had some food for us, no extra charge.
6.) Jeremy didn't make the whole group come up at once.
7.) Customer service was excellent and they handled our needs quite well.
Jeremy asked us what we wanted to see, and picked dive sites. We dove Palancar Gardens (okay) and Santa Rosa (which I really liked, but when a big eagle ray swims under you right away, and then a large black grouper swims up to about arm's length hoping for a hand-out, well...). Jeremy found us a channel-clinging crab. I also saw a southern stingray and a yellow stingray, a yellowfin grouper & some other things. Couple of divers further back saw a huge green moray eel, but I didn't see that rascal.
I haven't dove Aldora or other op.s, so this is not a 'my op. is better than your op.' bit, just a one shot testimonial and if I'm blessed to make it back to Cozumel, I hope to dive again with Living Underwater.
Richard.
P.S.: I learned when backrolling to straighten my legs, because one time I smacked a calf on the side of the boat.
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