rainmaker
Contributor
There's a great little reef between Blue Angel Resort and Villablanca Hotel (about 1.5 miles south of the ferry pier). They'll let you shore dive from Blue Angel without a DM.
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I'm glad that you think you have it all figured out...but I'll sum up the way it works here for you, from a dive shop owner/Instructor/Marine park guide's perspective.
The marine park starts at Paradise reef (at the Carnival cruise ship pier) and extends around the south point of the island to Punta Molas. It includes the shoreline and extends from the shoreline outward for 2 nautical miles...much further than you can swim.
"Sneaking" through hotel property to get to the shoreline to dive is not going to be as easy as you seem to think. The resorts have tight security that doesn't allow non-guests onto the property. Furthermore, if you do get through...how do you plan to get tanks, weights and equipment if needed?
There are a few places for shore diving outside the park that are accessible to pretty much anyone and have a shop there that will rent you tanks and weights for a nominal fee with proof of certification. However, unless you are an experienced diver, I don't recommend this as even shore dives can have some wicked current. Some of these places are: Caribe Blu/Blue Angel, Barracuda/Dive Paradise, VillaBlanca/Dive Paradise, VillaBlanca/Papa Hogs, Casa del Mar/Del Mar Aquatics, Hotel Cozumel/Dive Paradise. If you are foolish enough to attempt to swim out into the channel towards the reef, you will find yourself in a very dangerous position due to currents and heavy boat traffic...boat captains that are not expecting or looking for divers in this area between the reef and the shoreline...even if you do have a buoy deployed.
If you come all the way to Cozumel and only shore dive, you're going to go away with a severely warped perception of Cozumel diving, and that would be very sad. As others have said, this is not Bonaire or Curacao. The reefs here are something special and shore dives don't come close to representing the Cozumel reef system.
If you book diving with a dive operator, as do 99% of divers that come here to dive...they will be boat dives and a divemaster (not necessarily an instructor) WILL be on the boat and in the water with you. You don't pay extra for this...it's part of the charter and should be no more than 8 divers per DM...less is obviously preferrable. The DM's are GUIDES not BABYSITTERS. They will give you a briefing and tell you the rules/policies of the operation and how the dive will be conducted. Every DM is different and has a different style. If you get in the water and prove that you're a safe and responsible diver...most will leave you alone and do your thing. If on the other hand you have problems, and/or are molesting marine life, not following the dive plan, etc....you'll be monitored more closely.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of diving Cozumel.
There's a great little reef between Blue Angel Resort and Villablanca Hotel (about 1.5 miles south of the ferry pier). They'll let you shore dive from Blue Angel without a DM.
You are...very nice! We ARE diving off boats, but would like to experience some shore dives as well. Thanks for the info but next time don't treat people like idiots and the advice might be taken better!
I do appreciate the advice you gave though...thanks
Would that be north of Blue Angel? I took a cab from Blue Angel to Casa del Mar and drifted back north to Blue Angel. It took about 1 hour and it was a lot of fun.
Hey - your response to her should have been "Thanks"You are...very nice! We ARE diving off boats, but would like to experience some shore dives as well. Thanks for the info but next time don't treat people like idiots and the advice might be taken better!
I do appreciate the advice you gave though...thanks
The area I'm referring to is south of Blue Angel and north of Villablanca.