Anybody going to Iberostar Cozumel in December

[KatieMac]

I'm booked at the Iberostar and Dressel Divers for the week of December 15th and wondering if any of you will also be heading that way

 

[rsingler]

Thread December Roll Call 2024

 

[Shawn C]

Have you stayed there before and have you dove with Dressel in the past?

 

[KatieMac]

Have you stayed there before and have you dove with Dressel in the past?

No and no

 

[Shawn C]

Would be interested in your thoughts post trip. Just so you're aware: Are you OK with large boats with lots of divers and time limits, as opposed to tank limits, on your bottom time? You also do not get any input on which reefs you'll dive.

 

[KatieMac]

Thanks for the info @Shawn C and for setting my expectations. I'm already booked so I suppose I will see a growing gap in my number of dives and bottom time on this trip.

Thankfully, I in Roatan for 3 weeks in March and I can make it up.

 

[KatieMac]

Actually @Shawn C my hotel is booked/paid for but not my dives. Would you recommend another dive shop that I can get to easily from the hotel?

 

[ggunn]

Actually @Shawn C my hotel is booked/paid for but not my dives. Would you recommend another dive shop that I can get to easily from the hotel?

Other ops can pick you up but there may be a docking fee.

 

[Bookworm11]

Actually, I've dove with Dressel extensively. I've dove there three separate years with at least 60 dives. I rarely had this happen (dive 45 minutes and have to come up) until I dove there this past April. And then it was only with some of the freelancers. This information is NOT always true. It depends on how busy they are AND what DM you get. The full time DMs usually let you dive your tank, or at least most of it. The contracted DMs are almost always the ones who make you dive 45 minutes and you are up.

I've actually had a number of dives there where it was just the DM and me. I've had quite a number of dives where it was 4 of us. Usually the afternoon dives are less crowded, and tend to have 4 divers or so. However, that being said, I went there and dove 3 dives November 11th, and it was very busy, including the afternoon dives.

The BIG problem there now is that the hurricane destroyed the dock and so they can only board one dive boat at a time instead of two. This REALLY SLOWS THE DIVES DOWN. Normally you get an hour to an hour and a half break minimum between the morining and afternoon dives. I was scheduled for a 9: 30 dive, and i ended up with 30 minutes between my 2nd morning dive and my first afternoon dive. I wasn't staying there, so I didn't have time for lunch.

And I don't know how well Iberostar will handle other dive boats using their pier with how busy they are. The day I was there, I think 8 boats went out in the morning, and at least six in the afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a pier fee with the dock beign broken. The marine park is holding up Iberostar's repair of the pier.

 

[Bookworm11]

Also, you do have some control over the reefs you dive. If you are only diving 2 dives a day, there is a schedule listed. So you can choose between diving morning or afternoon. So, for example, if Palancar Caves is your bag, and that is the first dive in the morning, you pick the morning dive. But if Yucab is the first afternoon dive, then you pick the afternoon dive instead.

And there are talented DMs there. I saw the only seahorses (3) I've seen in Cozumel through Dressel (and I've had 31 dives with Aldora-including 6 private ones!), and the best dive featuring swim thrus, and the two best night dives!