AOW, Stay and General Advice for Cozumel/Cancun?

[whaleshark112]

oh also, anyone dove with Maple leaf scuba? I have been corresponding with them over email and they seem to be pretty highly reviewed on google but haven't seen them mentioned in any of the forums. What's the average cost per night in Casa Mexicana? Just so I have a reference to go off of?

 

[whaleshark112]

I died LOOOOOL xD

 

[Failed captcha]

My advice:

Stick Figure @ Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya

Dec 07, 2023 - Maya Riviera, Mexico

www.bandsintown.com

 

[EdC]

oh also, anyone dove with Maple leaf scuba? I have been corresponding with them over email and they seem to be pretty highly reviewed on google but haven't seen them mentioned in any of the forums. What's the average cost per night in Casa Mexicana? Just so I have a reference to go off of?

Depends on the season and the website you book on, I have seen anything from 70-130.

Also if you end up going to Cozumel contrary to a lot of others advice, I find renting a scooter a great way to see the island if you are comfortable on a motorcycle.

 

[DandyDon]

Figuring out the logistics between Cancun and Cozumel is getting complicated with only so much time I can spare to do everything on my own.

Not really. Grab luggage, walk outside, buy cheap bus ticket to Playa del Carmen, be on the ferry dock in a couple of hours, be in Cozumel in 45 minutes, take the next taxi in line to your hotel.

Getting back to the Cancun airport In time requires extra allowances for time. Fly home from Cozumel if possible.

Since I will be reaching Cancun on the 22nd, it leaves me with 2-3 days to fill before I can get any diving started in Cozumel.

You have your OW card and DAN insurance? Go ahead and dive those days.

I was gonna go with 3P but I was reading their reviews and in one of the replies the shop said this below, which makes me kinda nervous, especially as a novice diver (which I am) as they are saying if you want 100% safe gear use your own... which I kind of get, but I am not at that point yet.

Owning your own gear is best if you know how to take care of it and do so, but it's costly. I know 3P and I would dive their rental gear. I'd also call their attention to any problems. The owners are readily available if needed.

Alsooooo as I am in the area for 10 days I wanted to do both diving and some land based exploration Given that I don't get to take a ton of time off in the year, unfortunately have to squeeze everything I can out of a trip.

Do you want to visit the ruins? The Ado bus system is easy to use. Spend a couple of days seeing Tulum ruins, Coba, Chichen Itza, and others nearby.

What's the average cost per night in Casa Mexicana?

For Dec 22 to Jan 1, pricey! $188 plus taxes & fees = $229/night which is well out of my range. I stay at Hotel Mary Carmen maybe three blocks away. A comfy little hotel that goes for about $50/night plus taxes.

Also if you end up going to Cozumel contrary to a lot of others advice, I find renting a scooter a great way to see the island if you are comfortable on a motorcycle.

No, just don't - ever!

 

[EdC]

No, just don't - ever!

Every single time...

 

[DandyDon]

If you're going to rent scooters, learn about the hospital and ambulance system: Diver shares experiences with ambulance and hospitals

 

[Rob9876]

I asked around a few shops already and looks like they wont be starting courses on the 24th/25th Dec because of the holiday. Since I will be reaching Cancun on the 22nd, it leaves me with 2-3 days to fill before I can get any diving started in Cozumel......

I do not have my own gear, reading some of the posts on scubaboard / r/scuba I have been feeling a little anxious about which op to go with from a safety perspective. I was gonna go with 3P but I was reading their reviews and in one of the replies the shop said this below, which makes me kinda nervous, especially as a novice diver (which I am) as they are saying if you want 100% safe gear use your own... which I kind of get, but I am not at that point yet.........

Alsooooo as I am in the area for 10 days I wanted to do both diving and some land based exploration Given that I don't get to take a ton of time off in the year, unfortunately have to squeeze everything I can out of a trip.

If you want to sight-see on the mainland, the ruins at Chichen Itza and/or Ek Balam (near the town of Valladolid) to the west of Cancun could be of interest. Or you could go south-southwest down the coast to the ruins at Tulum and then inland to the ruins at Coba (which I believe may be the only ruins one can still climb). There are tours available through a number of providers. We've used this travel company a number of times over the years in both Cozumel and Cancun: Cancun Tours -- Cozumel Tours
Those sites should give you some ideas for activities. I also like the San Gervasio Mayan ruins on Cozumel -- my son and I toured those one afternoon after our morning dives (they're not as big as the mainland ruins, but still a pretty cool town of Mayan ruins). I'd advise avoiding the El Cedral ruins on Cozumel - tiny single ruin of maybe 500 square feet surrounded by tourist trap vendors selling at higher prices than in town.

Other than the Mayan ruins, there's not that much that would keep me in Cancun or Playa del Carmen versus coming over to Cozumel, but folks younger than me may want to check out the night life over there. Personally, I'd go ahead to Cozumel and do a dive or 2 before your class starts. The guided shore dive with ScubaJuan from Barracuda might be a good refresher -- believe it was less than 30 feet deep the whole dive, and little to no current (a bit rare for Cozumel). Jungle Divers also does a somewhat similar guided shore dive from the Tikila Beach Bar area.

By the way, whichever dive op that you decide to go with on Cozumel for your class and/or boat dives, you should check to see what kind of package deal rates you might get through the dive op for your hotel room. Even though December is high season, I believe a package deal would possibly have your lodging under $100/night at Casa Mexicana or Barracuda, and they'll have other hotel options also, depending on the dive op.

I don't know the full context of that 3P review response, but it seems like they could just be saying that all rental gear with any dive op is going to be used often and therefore not necessarily in new condition. I have a buddy that has rented gear from 3P on two trips we took together (and 1 trip by himself) and the 3P gear has been in good condition. So, personally I would not let that concern me. I do happen to know (since my family will be in Cozumel that week also) that 3P is diving on the 24th and the 25th (there is a $25+tax surcharge on the 25th, Christmas Day).

 

[Failed captcha]

The only reason I would spend any time in Cancun along the way to the diving is if I was trying to score some illicit psychoactive substances and if the homies didn't want to come to Tulum.

But I really must stress that if it were me, I would regret not getting to that Stick Figure show if it were possible. If you're doing cenote diving you'd have more than one reason to go to Tulum.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Or you could go south-southwest down the coast to the ruins at Tulum and then inland to the ruins at Coba (which I believe may be the only ruins one can still climb).

No more climbing at Coba. I was there February 2023.