Are there dive shops in Cozumel that will accommodate shallower dives tailored towards beginners?

[boulderjohn]

Even if the planned dive is to 80 feet, if you have a private DM, the DM can go to whatever depth you want. When I led a group trip to Cozumel years ago, I did some training dives with members of our group that way. The main group did their planned dive, and I stayed shallower and above them while working with the student within the limits of the course standards. We were on beautiful reefs the whole way. As the main group's dive continued, they came shallower and shallower until we were diving as one group.

 

[ggunn]

We took our first dives in Cozumel after OW class in San Diego. They took us to 78' on our 3rd dive, neither kid even knew they had been that deep. 78' is still inside a safe zone, assuming the currents aren't crazy that day.

True, diving to 80' around Cozumel is not the same as if it were somewhere else where conditions were not as idyllic, but many new divers still want to work up to it by diving more shallow and more supervised at first. Hiring a personal DM at least in the beginning is a great way to do that.

 

[wmperry]

Just go super bougie and charter a private boat and dive master.

 

[wnissen]

Just because the conditions in Cozumel make it less intimidating to go deeper doesn’t mean you should. This is a key part of being an independent diver, following your training even when others are discarding it. Given the currents, you’re likely to be going a different speed than a group on the bottom, especially if they take a position behind a rise.

I would definitely talk to Aldora and explain the situation. They will provide a quality private DM at a reasonable price, and their boats are small enough that I bet they could accommodate a shallower site easily. I wouldn’t go with a random op because I have had a very poor “private” DM who didn’t stay with me while I was descending in Cozumel. The other possibility would be to tag along with an “Advanced” class, there’s not much instruction and you would mainly just dive.

Truly, I get that many if not most divers feel comfortable going deeper in Cozumel than they otherwise would. In our local diving 30 m / 100 ft. is dark, cold, and scary. Cozumeleño conditions will certainly reduce the risk of panic, but depth is still depth.

 

[cozcharlie]

Mostly seconding what has already been said . If you are just diving by yourself (which is how it sounds) or with your partner I would hire a private DM the first couple of days. Relative to flights , hotels and other diving costs a private DM really isn’t bad. If you are with a group of 4 or more you might inquire about renting a private boat since the incremental cost probably will not be that high .

Just as Dave and others have mentioned , most of the deeper dives are multi-level dives . The dive might start at 80 feet but they will probably work back up to 50 feet or even 20-30 feet depending upon the reef layout . If you have a private DM you can simply not descend as far as the rest of the group . The group will likely rejoin you in 30 minutes or so. As you have probably also heard , almost all Cozumel diving is drift diving. The boat follows your bubbles and picks you a mile (or two ) from where you got in. Most people find this relaxed diving enjoyable and acclimate quickly , but it doesn’t hurt to have a private DM just in case it takes you longer to get the hang of it than most (main thing is not to kick more than necessary, and duck behind a coral head if you need to slow down for a minute . Also current is usually a little stronger closer to surface so don’t try to drift 20-30 feet above reef where you will have to fight current to keep from getting pushed in front of the group )

 

[Karloss]

Hi, I am planning on hiring a private guide because I am a beginner, but I understand that most dive shops will go to 80 ft for their first dive. If I am more comfortable around 40 - 50 ft are there certain dive shops you would recommend? Or as long as I hire a private guide do you think I should be good with any dive shop?

ixna this .

 

[scorpiofish]

It's always an issue, as there is always the deeper dive first, more often at Palancar. We have well over 30 years each and thousands of dives, live on the island, but prefer to just tool around in the shallows rather than hang on a fishless wall at 80'. Even with a boat of beginners, there is a still the norm of deeper dive first. You can vote for shallower sites, but you might not win. You can also vote for shallower "deep" sites, like Cedral Wall, San Francisco, or LaFrancesa, Palancar Gardens but it might not go over. If you hire a private dive guide, you still may be on a deeper site, but you will have a buddy with you if you dive it shallow. We dive the top edge of the walls where there is a lot more fish action when we go to the deeper sites. It's pretty easy. You are still within easy visual distance of the group. You may also find by the second day that 70' isn't much different than 40'.

Back in the day, our favorite dive day, was Cedral followed by Cedral, LOL Tomorrow we will dive Yucab and Paradise grass, saving tons of fuel for the boat while hunting for small critters. Good luck and don't fret. It will all work out.