Are shore dives legal on Cozumel?

[firstdive2005]

Hola! I am diving with Blue Angel in 2 weeks. They advertize free shore diving after paid boat trips. Last year they let me out alone(had buddie),without dm. Now I hear that it is illegal to dive without a dm on any type of dive. thanks for the help. kev

 

[ReefHound]

Where did you hear that?

 

[firstdive2005]

Christi was saying this, on the thread about the dude that just about got run over. Do you need me to tell you which thread, I dont want to advertize it.

 

[Christi]

Now I hear that it is illegal to dive without a dm on any type of dive. thanks for the help. kev...

...Christi was saying this, on the thread about the dude that just about got run over. Do you need me to tell you which thread, I dont want to advertize it.

Um, no...that is not what I said. I said marine park regulations require all dives within the marine park to be led by a local DM/Instructor.

Caribe Blu's shoreline is not within marine park boundaries.

 

[ReefHound]

I know the thread, I posted in it, no that's not what she was saying. She said to dive in the Marine Park Sanctuary you need to have a local guide/DM.

And to be honest, I'm not convinced her interpretation of the DM requirement is accurate. I suspect it's intended for commercial charters taking groups to sites. She says this rule is in the literature the park service passes out to all the *local dive shops* but never quotes it. Seems odd that the park service would pass out the rules to charter ops but not to hotels, travel info sites, kiosks, etc. I've seen no evidence that this rules exists other than the claims of dive ops, and dive ops have a financial interest in you not shore diving.

 

[diveborg]

<snip>
And to be honest, I'm not convinced her interpretation of the DM requirement is accurate. I suspect it's intended for commercial charters taking groups to sites. She says this rule is in the literature the park service passes out to all the *local dive shops* but never quotes it. Seems odd that the park service would pass out the rules to charter ops but not to hotels, travel info sites, kiosks, etc. I've seen no evidence that this rules exists other than the claims of dive ops, and dive ops have a financial interest in you not shore diving.

The shore diving just isn't that big a deal that dive OPs would be worried that you'd shore dive rather than do the traditional 2 morning boat dive trip.

Other than that, you're just wrong about Christi.

 

[firstdive2005]

Hi- Christy I am sorry that I did not research this. I truly value all your posts, I WAS NOT trying to tarnish your cred. It is so difficult to post sometimes and be harmless. Thank-you for letting me know they are out of bounds. please keep posting, you make people like me better people.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

IAnd to be honest, I'm not convinced her interpretation of the DM requirement is accurate.

Uh...Christi lives on the island and runs a dive op....I believe she probably knows a whole bunch more about the Marine Park Rules than you or any one who just visits the island on vacation...

 

[Christi]

I know the thread, I posted in it, no that's not what she was saying. She said to dive in the Marine Park Sanctuary you need to have a local guide/DM.

And to be honest, I'm not convinced her interpretation of the DM requirement is accurate. I suspect it's intended for commercial charters taking groups to sites. She says this rule is in the literature the park service passes out to all the *local dive shops* but never quotes it. Seems odd that the park service would pass out the rules to charter ops but not to hotels, travel info sites, kiosks, etc. I've seen no evidence that this rules exists other than the claims of dive ops, and dive ops have a financial interest in you not shore diving.

It's not my "interpretation" of the regulations...they are not open to interpretation. You're welcome to contact the marine park to verify. I posted the website, the address and the director's name, who as I said speaks perfect English. It's on "that other" thread.

I'm hardly threatened or impacted financially by those who want to shore dive, and I think I can speak for other shop owners with that statement as well. That's a ridiculous claim/accusation....but hey, what do I know about the laws/regulations that govern the business I'm in? I guess I MUST have an ulterior motive other than simply trying to provide accurate and helpful information

 

[old gaffer]

While on a cruise in 2003 I did a snorkel excursion in Coz through the cruise line where they loaded us up on a big party boat and basically just went around the cruise pier and had us snorkel near shore probably no more than several hundred yards from the cruise ship! I was expecting that we would be reef snorkeling! We were in about 15 feet of depth with just a sand bottom with one coral stump. But the surprising thing was how many different critters we saw such as a seahorse, numerous squid, and lots of parrotfish, angels etc.

I visited Cozumel again this past November on a cruise and this time I went diving with Scuba with Alison going to Santa Rosa Wall on our deep dive and then Paradise as our shallow dive. I loved it so much that I convinced my Wife (non-diver) to go back to Coz this coming April for a week at the Occidental Grand.

My question is this: How is the snorkeling near shore for seeing critters? Are you allowed to do this? What about snorkeling around the hotel pier at night when more critters might be around? I would like to expose my non-diving spouse to some of that but want to know the ground rules up front. And please no flaming! I have noticed too much of that on these boards!

Gaffer