daniel f aleman
Contributor
Agree, the caves on Cozumel are a fun dive. There are several guides on Coz, but as mentioned above, contact German at www.yucatec.com and the people at Dive Cozumel.
Cave guides in Cozumel
- Thread starter MNawman
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NorthWoodsDiver
Contributor
The only contact I have in that area is Steve Gerrard, he is a cave instructer and does guided tours. Just google Deep Horizons for his site.
Thanks for the info everyone!! I am cave certified, but my wife won't have anything to do with them. I am taking her to Coz for her birthday to dive the reefs, but wanted to get in a couple cave dives on our SI day. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to the mainland, which is why I asked about Coz. I got my cavern cert in Coz in 1990, but my instructor is gone. Thanks again to all, I will contact German and try to hit the mainland.
Augustus
Contributor
The web link for German is Yucatech Expeditions. Cozumel, Mexico. Cenote, Cave, Cavern and Technical Diving Courses and Tours.
Be aware his shop downtown has closed. Best to email to arrange any diving. Also Dive Cozumel and the Yellow Rose's shop downtown is closed as well. I believe Rollie is working from his home right now. All the benefits of the new image of downtown Cozumel.
Be aware his shop downtown has closed. Best to email to arrange any diving. Also Dive Cozumel and the Yellow Rose's shop downtown is closed as well. I believe Rollie is working from his home right now. All the benefits of the new image of downtown Cozumel.
el yucateco
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go with german from yucatech, maybe that cozumel caves are not like the one on the mainland but they are unique, only few divers dive them, due to there location.
You'll like German. He is one of the happiest and nicest people you could hope to meet. And he has an absolutely infectious love of the caves.
Another possibility is Scubatony. The cave is very nice, not the same as the mainland nor N. Fl. but well worth it, BUT imho opinion it is a bit of an "advanced" cave.
MNawman, my story is similar: I'm cave certified and its my husband (a retired US Army Special Forces colonel!) who won't have anything to do with them!
I dove Arrelito del Paraiso (sp?), a very nice cave toward the south end of the island, with German Yanez in December while I was there on a reef-diving trip. Ditto all the positive comments about German. He will have doubles for you to use. I brought my own BP/wings and cave reg set. The only fins I brought were my ScubaPro Twin Jet split fins with spring straps. Not what I normally use for cave diving, but German was OK with them.
The cenotes on Coz are not as decorated as on the mainland. Thank goodness because there is more risk of klincking your tanks against the ceiling in a cenote than in the Florida caves where I usually dive. There are 2 reasons for this: 1) the salt and fresh water layers in the cenote (halocline) and 2) you will be in double AL80 -- not steel -- tanks. Both of these factors will challenge your bouyancy skills. If you transition from the fresh water to the salt water layer you instantly become a little more bouyant. When you are in one layer, looking up, the distortion of the layer above you prevents you from seeing the ceiling. Sometimes there is no way to tell if its 2" or 20' from your tanks. You have to stay close to the floor without silting up the place. Add to that the more pronounced change in bouyancy as you breathe down your AL80s. Last month was my first time in a Mexican cenote and I was grateful to practice in one where there was less risk ruining decorations.
Be sure to stay a little to the side of of the diver in front of you -- out of his "prop wash" and not directly behind him. Finning in a halocline expands the area of visual distortion. Its like looking through poured glass and can be a little unnerving to the uninitiated. If you are to the side of the diver in front and not where the salt/fresh water layers meet, you should have gin-clear viz.
That said, the experience was fantastic! German pointed out some anemonies and sea stars that he said are found nowhere else in the world except that particular cave.
My reef-diving buddies on the trip thought I was insane. But I just grinned and was grateful to have gained admission to such a wonderous place.
coykoi, great info, thanks! I normaly dive a 5mm shorty on the reefs, and don't even own a full length wetsuit. What type of suit do you recommend in the caves? Are the doubles down there equipped with DIN or yoke valves? I will take all of my cave gear except the primary light. Can I rent a light down there?
Augustus
Contributor
the double sets normaly are DIN. I think Herman likely has some canister lights he can rent out. You need to check ahead of time. As to wet suits I like a 7 mm since your bottom times often are well over an hour. I think the 7 is about the most common type of suit people wear in the caves though the cavern divers get by on less protection.
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