Trip Report Cozumel- December 20-31, 2020

[mcohen1021]

Here is the reef closure calendar:

View attachment 633468

Thanks man - that pic is freaking confusing at best.

Does it mean if it is listed it is closed Only the boxed? Only the dot? And it looks color coded?

Leave it to Mexico to publish something that confusing...

 

[Trailboss123]

Thanks man - that pic is freaking confusing at best.

Does it mean if it is listed it is closed Only the boxed? Only the dot? And it looks color coded?

Leave it to Mexico to publish something that confusing...

This might be easier- the following reefs will be closed to dive access in the corresponding months each year- apart from the corresponding months, they are open to diving. If not on the list below, they are never closed:

December and January: Chankanab and Chankanab Bolones
February and March: Cedral Wall, Paso del Cedral and La Francesa
April and May: Dalilia, Palancar Gardens and Palancar Horseshoe
June and July: Paradise dive sites
August and September: Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites
October and November: All San Francisco sites and Santa Rosa sites (including the wall)
August 17th to the end of September: El Cielo is closed

 

[Andrew Dawson]

I am hoping to go in Aug, ~16-27th...how terrible is it to miss those sites closed during that time?

El Cielo, Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites

 

[flyboy08]

I am hoping to go in Aug, ~16-27th...how terrible is it to miss those sites closed during that time?

El Cielo, Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites

I wouldn't cancel a trip over these closures..there are plenty of other dives I would be happy to do!

 

[ReadyTo Dive]

I am hoping to go in Aug, ~16-27th...how terrible is it to miss those sites closed during that time?

El Cielo, Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites

Those are actually some of my very favorite sites, I would probably be bummed out. Plenty of other decent sites though and it would not stop me from booking a trip during that time frame

 

[Trailboss123]

I am hoping to go in Aug, ~16-27th...how terrible is it to miss those sites closed during that time?

El Cielo, Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites

I have never dived El Cielo- not sure that anyone really dives there- more of a beach and snorkeling spot (i stand to be corrected though).
Even though Palancar Caves and Bricks will be closed, you have the adjacent Palancar dive sites of Horseshoe and Gardens that will be open; so you are not getting shut out of all the Palancar sites simultaneously. The Columbia dive sites are not dived nearly as often by most and a lot of the dive ops charge an additional fee of $10-$20 to take you to them, as they are a bit further to get to. Most popular dive sites in the Columbia area seem to be The Cathedral and Devil's Throat (Both are deeper dive sites) and Columbia Shallows, which currently does not seem to be all that appealing. The reef there seems to be getting negatively impacted by environmental or some other factors, according to some dive guides.

 

[flyboy08]

There are a few "Bricks" dives so I doubt the whole reef will be closed at any one time? The swim throughs are my favorite.

 

[mcohen1021]

This might be easier- the following reefs will be closed to dive access in the corresponding months each year- apart from the corresponding months, they are open to diving. If not on the list below, they are never closed:

December and January: Chankanab and Chankanab Bolones
February and March: Cedral Wall, Paso del Cedral and La Francesa
April and May: Dalilia, Palancar Gardens and Palancar Horseshoe
June and July: Paradise dive sites
August and September: Palancar Caves, Palancar Bricks, and all of the Columbia dive sites
October and November: All San Francisco sites and Santa Rosa sites (including the wall)
August 17th to the end of September: El Cielo is closed

Much easier to follow! Thanks!