Trip Report Blue Angel Resort trip report Feb. 2021

[ReefHound]

Sounds like Blue Angel's approach is somewhere in between. I'm glad to see it described here, as for some people it's an issue in choosing a Cozumel dive op. (which says a lot about Coz.; it's got enough strongly reputable op.s that divers can get picky).

I was mostly joking. If you went in as their buddy you made that deal up front. That's just how this game is played. 40 minutes into the dive, 20 minutes or just 2 minutes into the dive. If your buddy has to call the dive, you both call the dive. No questions asked.

You may have two pairs, each being a big guy and his petite wife. If one of the big guys runs low fast, the DM might assume the other big guy is next lowest and send the two big guys up and let the ladies have a long dive. And he is probably right though there are exceptions. But if you are requested to ascend with someone you ascend with them. If you don't like it, discuss it with the DM on the surface. At depth is not the place to have an argument about it.

 

[dflaher]

Thanks OP for the well-written review. I typically stay in town when diving in Coz but this review might make me consider an exception for my next trip, whenever that is. I think I would miss the myriad of restaurants and activities located in town, but not sure. For those of you who have stayed at BA and in town, how would you compare/contrast?

 

[ggunn]

Thanks OP for the well-written review. I typically stay in town when diving in Coz but this review might make me consider an exception for my next trip, whenever that is. I think I would miss the myriad of restaurants and activities located in town, but not sure. For those of you who have stayed at BA and in town, how would you compare/contrast?

Blue Angel is not far from town; it's close enough for us to go to all our favorite restaurants in town when we are staying there.

 

[Saxonjd]

We have a group of 5 that dives together. Three of us are kinda close in terms of air consumption. We dive with the same company and they know us so normally they let us go up on our own. Typically the dive master sends up the DSMB and we hang with that waiting for boat pick up, and the rest of the group ascends on their own, or at the dive limit. However, If visibility is bad or if there's a crazy current that can change the equation and how we surface. I appreciate that they lean towards overall safety even though they know us and our skills well. I can't imagine if visibility was bad because of current and he couldn't keep an eye on those towards the surface that he wouldn't bring the group up together. Safety always has to be the top priority, even in a place like Cozumel where we have dove over a 100 times and feel super comfortable there. It just takes one time for things to go wrong and it can happen super quick.

 

[Blues Runner]

Nicely detailed report. Thank you for taking the time to share. Glad you had a great experience.

 

[ChrisM]

Thanks OP for the well-written review. I typically stay in town when diving in Coz but this review might make me consider an exception for my next trip, whenever that is. I think I would miss the myriad of restaurants and activities located in town, but not sure. For those of you who have stayed at BA and in town, how would you compare/contrast?

I've stayed at BA a lot, and previously at Casa Mex and Bahia Suites. It did not feel like a tropical vacation until we started staying at Blue Angel. For me, neither CM nor BH had any real place to just relax outside the room. BA has tons of options

We use a separate op, but our usual post dive schedule is either walk to town for lunch or dinner, and then do the other meal at BA, after happy hour of course.... I've measured it, it's just about 1.25 miles from the hotel to the square. We'll typically walk one way and if feeling tired take a cab the other. IIRC it's about 75 or 80 pesos one way?

The one thing not mentioned is the traffic noise, unless you are on the bottom floor. There is a speed bump just outside, and it's not very soundproof, and that might bother some people. Doesn't bother us much as the AC usually drowns it out, and we just get used to it.

Also,if you are diving another op, the shore dive is $5 as I recall, you have to set up nightdives before hand if you don't have weights arranged.

Have they replaced the ladder on the dock, or is the dive exit all now over the urchin forest ?

 

[GirlonFire]

I've stayed at BA a lot, and previously at Casa Mex and Bahia Suites. It did not feel like a tropical vacation until we started staying at Blue Angel. For me, neither CM nor BH had any real place to just relax outside the room. BA has tons of options

We use a separate op, but our usual post dive schedule is either walk to town for lunch or dinner, and then do the other meal at BA, after happy hour of course.... I've measured it, it's just about 1.25 miles from the hotel to the square. We'll typically walk one way and if feeling tired take a cab the other. IIRC it's about 75 or 80 pesos one way?

The one thing not mentioned is the traffic noise, unless you are on the bottom floor. There is a speed bump just outside, and it's not very soundproof, and that might bother some people. Doesn't bother us much as the AC usually drowns it out, and we just get used to it.

Also,if you are diving another op, the shore dive is $5 as I recall, you have to set up nightdives before hand if you don't have weights arranged.

Have they replaced the ladder on the dock, or is the dive exit all now over the urchin forest ?

No ladder at the dock still.
The sea urchins were very sparse last week coming in after night dives.

 

[Jake 10]

Nice review! Good info.
Thank you for sharing

 

[dflaher]

The floors are concrete, which is nice because you don’t have to worry about setting down wet gear. My room had a cool octopus design cut into the floor. I was in a single bed room, which had an AC unit, small table with chairs, sizable dresser, mini fridge, a futon couch, and I’m guessing a king size bed. The balconies even have drying racks for hanging your gear outside!

So if you dive with BA, do you need to take your gear back to the room after each day of diving? Or only at the end of the trip?

I've stayed at BA a lot, and previously at Casa Mex and Bahia Suites. It did not feel like a tropical vacation until we started staying at Blue Angel. For me, neither CM nor BH had any real place to just relax outside the room. BA has tons of options.

We use a separate op, but our usual post dive schedule is either walk to town for lunch or dinner, and then do the other meal at BA, after happy hour of course.... I've measured it, it's just about 1.25 miles from the hotel to the square. We'll typically walk one way and if feeling tired take a cab the other.

Thanks @ChrisM. Exactly what I was looking for.

 

[ChrisM]

So if you dive with BA, do you need to take your gear back to the room after each day of diving? Or only at the end of the trip?
.

I don't dive with them, but no, there are gear lockers.

We will take our gear off our op's boat (Blue XTsea) when they drop us off, if we're considering a shore dive. Otherwise we'd leave it on the boat.