Best "shallow" dives on Coz

[Grajan]

Given that there are plenty of good shallow dives in Coz. How do you get to (exclusively) dive them?

All the operators I have been with are fixed in the 'deep first dive - shallow second dive' routine. We would much rather do two longer, shallow dives instead but could not find anyone working that routine.

 

[Valwood1]

My limited experience is that, at least, Blue Angel and Scuba with Alison (and, I suppose but don't know, many other smallish operations) will ask you where you want to go. If you explain pre-booking that you want shallow dives, they may be able to match you with unexperienced divers who would like the same.

I'm sure that more knowledgeable members on this board could give other recs on dive shops that will be equally accommodating.

Bill

 

[Grajan]

I prefer shallow diving but I have been diving for nearly thirty years and the LAST thing I am interested in is dragging around with a boat full of novices.

I guess I am just tempermentally unsuited to public boat diving. I need to go to places where we can do our own thing.

Chartering our own boat in the BVI cost us little more than a dive / acommodation package - seems like the way to go. That or a truck in Bonaire.

 

[Charlie99]

Grajan once bubbled...
I prefer shallow diving but I have been diving for nearly thirty years and the LAST thing I am interested in is dragging around with a boat full of novices.

Aquasafari, and probably others, have an afternoon boat that does a shallow dive, usually Paradise. 2:30PM departure IIRC. Unfortunately, it is just a 1 tank trip.

If you are experienced and comfortable, but just don't want to go deep, most boats should be able to accomodate you the same way I've seen some divers stay shallow on the last day before flying. They would just stay on top of the reef at 50' or less, while the rest of the group went over the dropoff to dive Columbia or Santa Rosa. They would drift along above and inshore of us, and rejoin the group at about the 15 or 20 minute point as we came off the wall and started going shallower. If you do this, you should be sure and carry your own surface signal tube to deploy in case you get separated from the group surface by yourself.

Good luck,

Charlie

 

[ggunn]

Grajan once bubbled...
Given that there are plenty of good shallow dives in Coz. How do you get to (exclusively) dive them?

All the operators I have been with are fixed in the 'deep first dive - shallow second dive' routine. We would much rather do two longer, shallow dives instead but could not find anyone working that routine.

I can't speak to your experience, but sometimes when we first get to Cozumel, we (my buddywife and I) haven't been diving since the year before, and she wants to start off with two shallow dives. When we get on the boat and the "where do you want to go" discussion starts, she brings that up, and never has there been a problem for the dive shop. That's been with Cozumel Equalizers, and they never have shown up with a preconceived agenda.

Since there are tons of great dives off Cozumel at 60 fsw and less, and most divers know that, we've never had a prob with the other divers, either.

As always, YMMV, of course.

 

[jepuskar]

Colombia Shallows was my favorite shallow shallow dive at 30 feet max, Tormentos, Yucab, and Punta Tunich are excellent shallow dives at 60 or above.

Now Colombia shallows can give you 70-80 minutes of bottom time if your good on air and if the dive master lets you...ours let us stay there for 60 min and I surfaced with 1300psi.

I wish I could go back now.

 

[5615mike]

Paradise has to be no. 1 for me with Chankanaab 2nd. They both have abundent life and wonderful lighting for taking great photos in natural light. Have always loved both locations.

 

[jepuskar]

Ok, I think I got screwed on Paradise Reef....we most have been dropped in a bad location.

I hated that reef...there was nothing to see...a bunch of isolated reef patches, but boring at that.

something tells me I need to go back and investigate further.

 

[ALS7657]

We dove 14 dives there last week. Two dives and depths recorded were ; Paradise Reef, max depth 43 feet and Chancanab Reef, max depth 46 feet were very good, lots of fish and sea life.
There were a couple more shallow dives, Chancanab Shallows, 29 feet and Columbia Shallows, 31 feet that were also great dives at shallow depths.
Enjoy !!

 

[cxg31s]

I was just there last week and my 2 fave shallow dives were Tormentos and Chankanaab reef. Both dives were spent mostly at 30-40 feet and not only had gorgeous coral but TONS of stuff to see. Tormentos had a slight current in spots and would slow to almost nil in others and Chankanaab had almost no current to the point where you could hover over a coral head and look at stuff for as long as you liked. I saw more GIANT king crabs and lobsters at Chankanaab reef than I've seen in 4 other visits to Cozumel combined, and Tormentos had more unusual critters, from feather worms to a tiny baby nudibranch that wasn't even an inch long.

You can't really go wrong with any dive site down there---just talk to the shop and the DM before the dives and they can accommodate whatever you need. Have a great time!