best dive boat on cozumel

[mediumone]

I dive with Opal's Dream dive Op. That's a long, involved story that started before the divorce, before Opal's fatal dive accident on an off day, etc. Her mom & I are still FB friends, as is the shop, but I hated that they moved into town. They still pick me up and serve me well, but I just don't go visit at the shop like I did when they were below Hogtown Cafe.

Find some cute, funky, charming, (or whatever floats your boat), place in town close to the shop. I have a lengthy list, but won't have any personal recommendations (or pans) for a couple of weeks.


As an aside, I'm anxious to see them again --- haven't post divorce. Made a trip down since then, but had to make reservations not too long after the accident, and didn't want to take the risk that the whole operation would go South.

The alternate was a disappointing choice.

Edit to add: I do have a pan.

 

[cvchief]

Kat was posting while I was.

Alison's boat is very nice, with two big engines. It's an awkward size for a dive boat really, too small to take 2 DM with 12 to 16 divers, too large to run into town twice a day picking up and dropping off divers at docks, and I bet Alison regretted buying it at times, but she has made it work out for her well even in the very competitive market. And she is indeed fun to work with & dive with. Chief, his nephew and I were supposed to be a 3 man team that day, but they turned into same ocean divers - I could not keep the 2 in sight at the same time. She let them go where they wanted, and I followed her.

I don't think she every had a moment of regret. She doesn't like to waste time and the Max is about as fast a they come. In the years I have been diving with her, I can't remember EVER getting passed on the way out and back. I have been able to get a look at a lot of other dive boats over the years as we flew by them. Yea, the Max does like a little fuel, but Alison hates a long commute. Just remember to remain seated until the ride has come to a complete stop! Which I had a picture handy to show you....

As for the same ocean, I still contend you left us. I was taking a picture..... Besides I thought with a pony, a greater separation between buddies was allowed?

And I am glad you finally stopped mentioning the extra trip around the block when I took you back. It is a well know Mexican custom to always circle the block twice before arriving. Oh, dear, now I mentioned it.....

 

[blue steal]

Im a competitive open water swimmer also and looking for a nice pool to swim laps after a long day fighting drift diving currents!! !! Im serious about this too!! haha

---------- Post added March 17th, 2013 at 11:49 PM ----------

Clueless on Caleta? Can you give me more info on this? Much appreciated.

I take my swims out of the blue angel resort and swim down to La Hatch and back.
Great for an early morning swim, water is warm, lots of fish to see while swimming and some even follow me most of the way. Way better than any pool.
Not sure how far, maybe a mile round trip.
Caleta is a few miles south of town.
It is the marina where most dive ops keep their boats.
a few dive ops will provide a taxi to and from, and some you would have to pay.

 

[mstevens]

you are probably going to enjoy not having to go to the caleta everyday!

But some of us *like* going to the caleta!

I totally agree with your point about shops with fast boats and boutique service, though. Those little touches make such a big difference when it comes to how you feel when you get home after a morning of diving.

---------- Post added March 18th, 2013 at 11:27 AM ----------

Im paying the $2000 grand for this trip!

I agree that for 2 million bucks you ought to get exactly what you want.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't think she every had a moment of regret. She doesn't like to waste time and the Max is about as fast a they come. In the years I have been diving with her, I can't remember EVER getting passed on the way out and back. I have been able to get a look at a lot of other dive boats over the years as we flew by them. Yea, the Max does like a little fuel, but Alison hates a long commute. Just remember to remain seated until the ride has come to a complete stop! Which I had a picture handy to show you....

It's a marvelous boat. I do bet she questioned the idea of making such a big one pay for itself with the business from only one DM group, but she's seemed to make it work well.

As for the same ocean, I still contend you left us. I was taking a picture..... Besides I thought with a pony, a greater separation between buddies was allowed?

What pony? Neither of you had one. You mean the empty one I left in your funny rental car after DP had refused to fill it, which I wanted to take to Opal's shop afterward? It was my first day in the ocean remember? Reminded me much too much of another first day a few years prior when I'd gotten in too late to send it to get filled, went out one day without it, screwed up this & that (I think I've read that the first day is the most dangerous of trips overall?), then noticed that sucking hard feeling on my reg and finally looked at the needle on my Spg. :shocked2: Well, if a diver can't do a CESA well from 50 ft, he shouldn't be there huh? I surfaced with enough left to inflate and blow my little inline whistle. Just hate to skip SSs or pop up without listening for traffic.

And I am glad you finally stopped mentioning the extra trip around the block when I took you back. It is a well know Mexican custom to always circle the block twice before arriving. Oh, dear, now I mentioned it.....

I appreciate you picking me up, getting me to the marina & back, then to Opal's and back, but wondered about that. I know you like that funny rental car and driving it gives you thrills, but the locals felt like they were being harassed.

 

[cvchief]

1. I love going to Caleta too. Get to meet some peeps from other boats. Fishing guys and other DMs and Capitans. Caleta feels 'local', if you know what I mean? If you are lucky the Kibbi guy will come by on his moto. And they do have cold cerversa in Caleta. Sort of like a backstage pass....

2. Don, I still think maybe I owe you a bucket of cervesa. (Or maybe you owe me one?)

3. Ok, maybe circling the area isn't a local custom. In that case I was make sure we weren't being followed. Standard dignitary protection. Wasn't going to let anything happen to you on my watch!

4. Oh yea, you didn't have the pony. Hehe. I do wear slingshots, so I can cover a greater distance in a hurry in case of an issue? (Anyone buying that?)

 

[dmoore19]

I suggest Blue XT Sea. I like the boat(Bandido), the divemaster(Pedro) and the seamless ease with which the operation runs. Thanks Christi



But what do I know I only have 80 dives.

 

[njones259]

I dive with Opal's dream and just came back from another great week of diving.I have been diving with them since they opened and they treat me like family.In fact last week 1 day they had a very inexperienced group of divers and decided I would be better off that day diving with Tres Pelicanos as they had a experienced group of divers.In my opinion that was a classy thing to do,granted they know me and know I will not jump ship.
Tres Pelicanos turned out to be an excellent shop with a fantastic boat and excellent crew that will let you dive your tanks,We did 2 dives in 70 to 80 minute range.

 

[gopbroek]

The best dive op in CZM is the dive op you enjoy the most. Sounds like a Yogi Berra quote but it is true, CZM has a surplus of great dive ops and it is so competitive that that a ‘bad dive op’ would be out of business pretty quick. All of the previously recommended ops have great reputations and will do you right. I personnel y settled up on Tres Pelicanos after a couple I was diving with in November , who have dived CZM for thirty years, saw their new boat and told me that it had one of the best DM’s and Captain on the island on it. They were correct; Tres Pelicanos has not let me down on my last 2 trips back. They usually run a backup assistant, who runs drag, in case the group strings out so they do not rush you, I would say they cater to the intermediate level diver. They let you dive your bottle, no ‘its 45 minutes and up’ with 1000 PSI in your bottle, I normally get 60-80 minutes even with an initial intermediate (90&#8217 start to the dive. Plus their boat, the Skinny Shark, is very fast (300HP Yamaha) and extremely comfortable. It’s a new op with very experienced staff; they seem to be very positive and happy and still are enthusiastic about diving, from the office to the boat.

 

[bottom dwell]

thank you for the info and the detail you wrote- I appreciate it!

---------- Post added March 18th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ----------

Don, Thanks for all your info and your help. I will let you know who I go with and my experience with them. So many ops and so many reasons to pick the best one for me. Cheers

---------- Post added March 18th, 2013 at 11:43 PM ----------

Nice! Very Nice-now I know where this infamous Caleta is and what its used for!. I will definitely consider a ocean swim but concerned about the boat activity. Please respond with any more info I need to consider if taking a swim from blue angel to la hatch. thanks

---------- Post added March 19th, 2013 at 12:02 AM ----------

thank you for the tres pelicanos referral. it was helpful and informative!