Cozumel dive center recommendations for base OW PADI certification?

[asaldanha]

I'm wanting to head to Cozumel next month and take an OW Certification course (inclusive of the book and pool work as I live in a remote area). I was in Cozumel last month and spoke to ProDive at the Melia Hotel, but after reading a lot of related posts here it seems they may not be the best option if only because of their location in the north of the island. There is lots of info here that goes back years, but shops close or go under new management, instructors move, and so on, and I was hoping to get some advice and recommendations that is up to date? Thanks in advance.

 

[-JD-]

Pro-Dive also operates out of 2 of the sourhern all-inclusives, the Allegro and the Occidental (under the Barcelo Group properties). When I dove with them previously in 2018, boats were all guests from the 2 resorts (which are 5 minutes apart). The were running classes in the (very shallow) pool at the Occidental where we were staying. Very convenient if you are staying there.

It is a pretty high volume operation. My only "training" exposure is that they did a pool check-out for my 14yo son who had limited dive experience and had been out of the water for a while. The one instructor was unhappy because my son found it trivial and was less than focussed. They then paired us with the head-instructor as a DM (private by luck of circumstance) for our fist trip. He was great at mentoring my son.

[Edit: just arrived at the Occidental this afternoon and had the absolute worst customer service experience that I have ever seen. I will update once there is a final resolution and have some time. Note that this relates to the Hotel, staff & corporateb nothing to do with Pro-Dive.]

If you are looking at going into more advanced (technical) diving in the future and want to build a relationship, I would look into Deep Exposure Dive Center. I'm here now diving with them for SDI Solo and TDI Intro to Tech. They have been running a mixed boat with straight recreational divers to rebreather training. They list NAUI and PADI for recreational certification agencies, but since they are also SDI\TDI, SDI might be possible. Depending on conditions - (we dove the north end yesterday where there boat is docked to beat a mid-day port closing so folks had to get themselves to the marina) they will pick up at the in-town piers and others on the way south.

 

[ManaDoug]

Have a look at Blue Note Scuba in Cozumel. Blue Note is a PADI 5 Star and recently voted as one of the best Dive Operators in the Readers Choice Awards.

Scuba Diving

digitalmagazine.scubadiving.com

 

[ggunn]

Have a look at Blue Note Scuba in Cozumel. Blue Note is a PADI 5 Star and recently voted as one of the best Dive Operators in the Readers Choice Awards.

Scuba Diving

digitalmagazine.scubadiving.com

Cheerleading notwithstanding, I don't think an op's location on the island has much to do with the quality of the instruction they provide.

 

[Doc Harry]

Don't waste your time in Cozumel reading books and doing pool dives. Get as much of that done at home, if you can. As a student, you're going to be lowest priority for instructors and they may not have all the time you need to get through the course fast. You may face a lot of down time waiting for the instructors to return from guiding boat dives.

 

[nodakdive]

I'm wanting to head to Cozumel next month and take an OW Certification course (inclusive of the book and pool work as I live in a remote area). I was in Cozumel last month and spoke to ProDive at the Melia Hotel, but after reading a lot of related posts here it seems they may not be the best option if only because of their location in the north of the island. There is lots of info here that goes back years, but shops close or go under new management, instructors move, and so on, and I was hoping to get some advice and recommendations that is up to date? Thanks in advance.

That's a pretty quick time frame. I'd agree with others about doing what you can from home. If you can get some of it done at home, it might make for a better experience when you're there. Though you are remote, if you have internet access you can do the "classroom" work from home with PADI. You'd get to Cozumel and have to do the "pool" work, and then the checkout dives.

To determine a "best option", there are a bunch of factors that have to do with what you want. Upscale hotel? Do you want AI? What is "best" for you when it comes to doing the pool and classroom stuff? Do you want to do it onsite? Are you willing to take a taxi? Is money a consideration? You'll wind up on a dive boat. Do you want to get on and off at your hotel? Do you mind taking a taxi to the marina to get on the boat?

The Melia is quite a way from the Marine Park, where the vast majority of the diving is done.

In a vacuum, I'd say a better option is to stay further south than the Melia, preferably south of the ferry pier.

 

[digdug87]

Check out Cozumel Marine World. I've been diving with them for over 10 years. They're a good operation. I too would agree with the other posters in that I would do as possible before arriving in Cozumel.

Another option maybe to use one of the many independant instructors that are on the Cozumel.

 

[Pressurehead]

Don't waste your time in Cozumel reading books and doing pool dives. Get as much of that done at home,

I gave the same advice to someone only yesterday [ a guy going to Lady Elliott island for 8 days], do the whole course at home if you can, before you go, or as above if that is not possible.
Learn here, dive there and I will recommend an instructors here, how much is it a day on the island?
My not be Cozumel, but same advice.

 

[-JD-]

Promised update from our Dec 2023 trip:

We had a miserable experience with Corporate and Management aspects of the Occidental during this stay, so will be forever shunning the Barcelo (Occidental and Allegro) properties in the future. If you want the blow by blow ... Trip Report - Barcelo's Occidental Grand Dec 2023 (WARNING - Booking/Check-in/Management - May apply to the Allegro also)

Nobody from our group ended up diving with Pro-Dive due to the 3-day port closure and subsequent impossibility of scheduling at the last minute. One caution I will state is that the folks who were trying to get their OW checkout dives were getting different pricing from the Pro-Dive Occidental office and the central sales office and then they kept trying to pawn the divers off on the other. Instead, they finally got to do a couple of the dives with Deep Exposure who I was training with for Solo and Intro To Tech.

 

[asaldanha]

JD I did see your post, and appreciate you bringing it to attention, as well as the several other suggestions and advise offered above. There seem to be a *lot* of well liked dive shops in Cozumel, making it difficult to vchoose just one among them. After reading the replies here, and other relevant posts on the board, I'm down to choosing amongst the following shops:
- Tres Pelicanos
- Maple Leaf
- ScubaJuan
- TrippyDivers
- Salty Endeavors
- Deep Exposure
I could be wrong, but these seem to be smaller operators - as compared to ProDive or the also well liked BlueNote - and are possibly more suitable for a novice? Any strong opinions on any of these operators, given I'm a complete novice?