Trip Report Cozumel, February/March 2025: diving and lots of restaurants

[Johnoly]

.... the op I was scheduled with placed me on another boat in time for me not to miss a dive day. YMMV.

Not just Coz, but worldwide......if a boat operator has such a great reputation with their fellow operators to switch guests to, you can bet you picked one of the best in the area. It happens in Florida sometimes for those operators that are always recommended here.

 

[rmssetc]

This time around I chartered my boat dives through a family-run operation via divemaster Geiser (pics 1 & 2). Geiser was a DM at Scuba Club Cozumel for many years before Scuba Club folded. He now runs independent charters with family-owned boats.

...

[SARCASM]
Using only boats that have Marine Park permits, right?
[/SARCASM]

The biggest monetary advantage of chartering with Geiser was that I did not pay the $12 USD marine park fee for each day of diving. No wrist bands needed!

...
Um, you post like you're proud of that? Really?

Avoiding any discussion of what happens to the funds after they are collected (MX govt inefficiency and corruption, etc), why would a diver publically advertise that they are breaking the law to avoid a minimal fee that supports a protected marine park (while simultaneously hurting legitimate dive operators who have a higher charge through paying the fee)?

The other disadvantage is that no analyzer was on the boat to analyze the nitrox cylinders. I just trusted the fill and rolled with it.

That's not just "a disadvantage", but a reason to disqualify the operator and a violation of what you were taught when you were Nitrox trained.

Thanks for giving the divemaster's name & details. I will be certain to avoid giving him business in the future.

 

[OregonDM]

Been diving with Geyser a few times back in the Scuba Club days. Good dude and good DM.

I was going to say though, no wristbands is no bueno.

 

[Shawn C]

It sure sounds like Geiser is running a pirate boat - no licence to operate the boat in the park and not paying for the required wristbands to dive in the park.

 

[Cornbread O'Malley]

Um, you post like you're proud of that? Really?

Avoiding any discussion of what happens to the funds after they are collected (MX govt inefficiency and corruption, etc), why would a diver publically advertise that they are breaking the law to avoid a minimal fee that supports a protected marine park (while simultaneously hurting legitimate dive operators who have a higher charge through paying the fee)?

There exists a difference between who is charged the marine park fee and who does not. The folks chartering through the commercial dive operators get charged the fee or tourist tax. The folks chartering through privately-owned vessels do not get charged.

That's not just "a disadvantage", but a reason to disqualify the operator and a violation of what you were taught when you were Nitrox trained.

I chartered through Aldora Divers and Tres Pelicanos on this trip also. The days I was on their boats neither operator had an analyzer available either.

 

[eelpout]

That's not just "a disadvantage", but a reason to disqualify the operator and a violation of what you were taught when you were Nitrox trained.

On day trip boats I have been on outside of the US they usually don't have analyzers. They may have it at the shop, on in the case of Bonaire they have they on the walls for divers to use before they go on a beach dive on the beach/ premises. If you are intending to dive Nitrox inform them that you want to analyze the tanks before diving. If you don't want to deal with that hassle, buy your own analyzer.

 

[rmssetc]

There exists a difference between who is charged the marine park fee and who does not. The folks chartering through the commercial dive operators get charged the fee or tourist tax. The folks chartering through privately-owned vessels do not get charged.

You seem to be conflating a few things:

• boats permitted to operate commercially within the park (Listado de embarcaciones autorizadas del Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel (periodo 2020-2022)) -- maybe there's a more current list
  
  
• fees charged to individual divers for use of the park

IANAL, but my understanding of the national park regulations are that only boats with park permits are allowed to use the park for commercial purposes...and yes, if you're paying someone to use their boat, that's a commercial charter -- the word "private" in "private charter vessel" simply means that the paying customer isn't sharing the boat with strangers.

Separately, the CONAP regulations seem to state that all visitors must pay the fee, regardless of the ownership of the vessel (subject to exceptions for senior citizens, the disabled, etc). https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/swb/conanp/ANP?suri=4

I chartered through Aldora Divers and Tres Pelicanos on this trip also. The days I was on their boats neither operator had an analyzer available either.

Did you ask?

When I've been on Aldora boats, there's always been an analyzer...though few divers ever ask to check their tanks, so no one is waving it around, but it's there.

It's been a while since I dove with 3P, and my vague recollection is that they had an analyzer in the shop for customer use, though they may also have one on the boat.

 

[lowwall]

I dove with Aldora last month. One person asked for an analyzer and they didn't have one. On a different day someone had brought his own analyzer to test out his new adapter which lets the analyzer plug into the BCD inflator hose. Both the tanks tested a bit over 1% richer than the labeled mix. I do wonder if the difference is due to the sampler being only exposed to the tank gas, instead of trying to sample from a gas stream in air.

 

[Cornbread O'Malley]

Did you ask?

I do/did.

You seem to be conflating a few things:

• boats permitted to operate commercially within the park (Listado de embarcaciones autorizadas del Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel (periodo 2020-2022)) -- maybe there's a more current list
  
  
• fees charged to individual divers for use of the park

IANAL, but my understanding of the national park regulations are that only boats with park permits are allowed to use the park for commercial purposes...and yes, if you're paying someone to use their boat, that's a commercial charter -- the word "private" in "private charter vessel" simply means that the paying customer isn't sharing the boat with strangers.

Separately, the CONAP regulations seem to state that all visitors must pay the fee, regardless of the ownership of the vessel (subject to exceptions for senior citizens, the disabled, etc). https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/swb/conanp/ANP?suri=4

Thanks for this info. Looks like I have to relook my decision process when selecting charters.

 

[scubadada]

I dove with Aldora last month. One person asked for an analyzer and they didn't have one. On a different day someone had brought his own analyzer to test out his new adapter which lets the analyzer plug into the BCD inflator hose. Both the tanks tested a bit over 1% richer than the labeled mix. I do wonder if the difference is due to the sampler being only exposed to the tank gas, instead of trying to sample from a gas stream in air.

Or, perhaps was calibrated a bit differently. Ideally, calibration should be corrected for temperature and humidity