Cancun and Cozumel - 1st timer - PLEASE ADVISE - Best Resort w Diving......??????

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I'd second Karibelle's suggestion of Blue Angel. It is a small hotel, neither high nor low end price-wise, very friendly and has about as good a shore diving as you are going to find in Cozumel. Good location in that it's close enough to town so that you can walk should you feel so inclined, and check out the nice, local Mom and Pop restaurants that I love there. I don't think I have seen or heard a bad review in years. Cozumel's shore diving ISN'T what has made it a dive destination.

There are some very inexpensive accommodations in town, but then you forfeit the shore diving ability.
 
I have never stayed in or dove from Cancun, so I can't give you any meaningful comparison. However, IMHO, the diving on Cozumel compares favorably to just about anywhere in the Caribbean. I've been going to Cozumel for over 20 years now, and I keep going back because I love the diving. And no, Cozumel is most definitely NOT more expensive than Cancun -- its the other way around. You can find quite acceptable lodging in Cozumel for as little as $35 US a night -- not on the beach or waterfront, but still nice. As to waterfront resorts, hotels, there are several choices that fit your needs, including Scuba Club Cozumel, Hotel Cozumel, Blue Angel, Casa Del Mar, and any of several Resorts to the south. All have very close access to the water, and shore diving. Of these, I have only stayed at Hotel Cozumel (very nice resort and close to town, but I would NOT do the AI Plan, as the food simply stinks) and Casa Del Mar (smaller and more intimate than Hotel Cozumel, farther south and closer to dive sites but a taxi ride into town where most of the restaurants are, breakfast included with room). My personal preference is NOT to go AI, because I really enjoy good food, and Cozumel has a wealth of good restaurants, most of which are downtown. You can eat well even at the cheaper locally owned spots - the Loncherias (not open for dinner) that serve the Comida Corrida, a fixed price full lunch, are some of the best bargains. Or you can splurge, and for $40-$50 per person, you can have a great dinner at places like Kinte, Kondessa, La Cocay, or others. But if you are not into food, then maybe an AI would fit. Best thing I can say about the AI at Hotel Cozumel is that alcohol is included, so if you like to drink a lot on vacation, you can get your money's worth at the bar and still eat the occasional lunch or dinner out if you can't stand the tasteless buffet it serves up.

Which dive op to use is a whole new discussion. You do NOT need to use the house dive op at any of the resorts - all will allow other Dive Ops to pick up at their pier (though some will charge a pier fee). The house dive op at Hotel Cozumel is Dive Paradise, and while they are a perfectly acceptable operator, and I have been diving with them, they would not be my own first choice - I like a valet operator like Aldora, which uses HP Steel tanks (I get a Steel 120, lots of air, better buoyancy characteristics than Aluminum), dives small fast boats, spends a long SI on the beach for better outgassing & longer second dive. Which Dive Op is right for you depends on your own likes and preferences, so please don't ask "which is the best Dive Op" without giving specifics as to what you are looking for.
 
Deep Exposure is one of the best dive operators in Cozumel. Check them out theyll set you up in a hotel too.

Posts like these are one of my pet peeves - they give absolutely no useful information. IMHO, there is no one "best dive operator in Cozumel." First, I doubt that anyone could have been diving with all of the 100+ Dive Ops on Cozumel to make any kind of useful comparison. I have only been diving with about 7 dive ops in over 20+ years of coming to Cozumel. I'll tell you which ones I like, and why. But different divers are looking for different experiences; some like small fast boats, some like the socializing on big boats with lots of divers; some want full valet dive ops that take care of everything, some never want to let anyone else set up their rig; some like long SIs on the beach, some want to get done with 2 dives and get back for lunch by noon. Some like long, leisurely dives at 60 feet with a lot of bottom time, some want the wild dives, like going to 140 feet at Devil's Throat or ripping along over Barracuda when the current is racing. You can't make an informed decision on which Dive Op is right or best for you without knowing which ones most closely match your preferences. So please, if you really like a Dive Op, tell us why. And none of this "Fernando is the best DM on the island" UNLESS you have been diving with EVERY OTHER DM on the Island!
 
I think everybody understands that posts are opinions of the poster...

when somebody says XYZ is the best, and doesn't give any examples of why so that someone can judge for themselves, then it's safe to assume this is their opinion and it should be taken as so. You previous post while it's based on an opinion, was also backed up with examples of why you like who you do...
 
I know, I know, I was a bit harsh. Please forgive me if I get a little bitchy in the morning before my fourth cup of coffee. It's just that I scan these threads to learn something, or, when I can, try to offer some useful advice (and, once in a while, make an attempt at humor - some hits, lots of misses). And while everyone is entitled to hold an opinion, too many times people forget that not all opinions are worth listening to. I was just trying to remind jkyle, and other posters, that pure cheerleading for a favorite dive op, Hotel, Resort, or restaurant, without any details, is nothing more than noise. It doesn't add one iota to anyone else's base of knowledge. The internet is a wonderful place; when someone asks for advice, if all you have is cheerleading, you at least owe us an entertaining routine in skimpy clothing and pompoms.
 
Here is a map of the Cozumel hotels that should give you a perspective on their location.

Cozumel, Mexico map with hotel locations

Note that the brown at the waters edge is ironshore...not sand.

While flying into Cozumel is nice, you also have the option of flying into Cancun and flying Mayair to Cozumel or getting to the ferry in Playa del Carmen. I use the ADO bus and that process is described here

Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen/Cozumel by ADO Bus

Picking a hotel and dive op is a process of pitting sometimes conflicting requirements. You will not get a nice wide sandy beach with Bonaire style shore diving and a three minute walk to dozens of places to eat.

As for diving, I prefer a fast shaded boat, larger than 80 cu ft tanks and a nice surface interval at a beach club.

PS, I suggest skipping Cancun. If you want to see ruins, go ziplining and maybe dive cenotes, stay on the mainland for a few days. Playacar, Playa del Carmen or points south.
 
PS, I suggest skipping Cancun. If you want to see ruins, go ziplining and maybe dive cenotes, stay on the mainland for a few days. Playacar, Playa del Carmen or points south.

I spent a couple of days in Cancun at a nice resort and really didn't like it. Too big, loud, crowded and flashy and I felt like I couldn't ever get out of the Vegas-like managed universe. But I don't like Vegas for similar reasons.

If someone offered me an all expenses paid week in Cancun I'd try to trade it for two weeks in Coz.
 

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