Cozumel = "hell on earth?!"

[sharky60]

'B 'for diving?!?:11:

Ok, my diving career although long, is somewhat geographically limited, Midway Island, Hawaii,(kind of the same thing), Grand Bahama & Coz(and some lakes, yuck!)...at least B+ to A-DON'TCHATHINK! Maybe I'll change my mind when I finally make it deeper into the Pacific rim.

I recently had more than one person tell me they didn't like Hawaii!!!...what's with that! Someplace where a full 1/3 of the fish species you encounter can only seen there!! How awsome is that! So I guess it's al in the eye of the beholder.

...but I digress, (as usual)

'A' for cabbies from me, I've never been treated rudely, they get me where I'm going, I've NEVER been "taken for a ride"(kind of hard anyway with fixed prices) & They've given me great suggestions for beaches, Playa Corona is still a favorite afternoon getaway & restaurants, Capt. Navagante, Casa Denis & Prima's for sure were all originally cabbie suggestions for us.

 

[Cacia]

at least B+ to A-DON'TCHATHINK!

No...just a nice solid B

Palau, Little Cayman, BVI gets my A threshhold.

But, hey, you are going to pay three times as much...so the Coz *overall* score gets a bump.

Hawaii has the problem of everybody looking for colorful soft coral, and it ain't there. When you catch the 200 ft viz days, it can be an A, very condition dependent.

 

[caseybird]

(I have a bad way with cabbies everywhere really.)



If I am paying on the meter, they need to go the way I want to go.--sometimes I want to drive by something.

Coz taxis don't have meters. They go by fixed price. If you want to go to Central from Scuba Club by way of Mescalito's you are costing them a hell of a lot of money.
Maybe, just maybe, from the taxi driver's point of view, going out of the way just might not be fair. Did you offer a little extra cash to drive by something?

 

[sharky60]

No...just a nice solid B

Palau, Little Cayman, BVI gets my A threshhold.

But, hey, you are going to pay three times as much...so the Coz *overall* score gets a bump.

Hawaii has the problem of everybody looking for colorful soft coral, and it ain't there. When you catch the 200 ft viz days, it can be an A, very condition dependent.

mmmmmm Palau, someday!

I guess since I learned to dive in Hawaii, (Midway), the "fish hunt" verses the "OOH AHH" color factor doesn't effect me like those who learned to dive in the Caribbean. I love Hawaii, just can't get there as much as I'd like to.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
BTW, as to the shopkeepers' attitude - of course, I wasn't there, but if a customer came into my shop, expressed interest in an item, talked me down to half of my asking price (or whatever), and then just walked, I would feel like my time had been wasted. I might even let him know it to try to keep him in the game. Do you want to play or don't you?

In all the cases we didn't even start to negotiate, while browsing we just asked the price and then started looking at other things or moved on. Something all shoppers do all the time. The reaction was completely disproportional.

 

[scubawife]

You do have the option of doing a 3rd and 4th dive with most operators if you choose.

Usually only applies if you choose to dive with one of the larger, resort based dive ops. The smaller dive ops tend to allow you to dive based on your computer and air consumption, and also give you a longer SI (often at the beach). They're often not back earlier enough to load up the boat again for an afternoon trip.

Not saying you can't do 3 or 4 tanks with a smaller op, just that you shouldn't book with them expecting to be able to do that daily unless you have a group chartering the boat and setting your own schedule.

 

[scubawife]

A + for sneaking a brew on a three hour laid back lunch surface interval and everybody minding their own business

A 3hr SI and drinking (even if it's just a beer) isn't the norm with Cozumel dive ops.

 

[scubawife]

I wouldn't rate them so low, either. Sure, I've had them play the "I don't have change" game with me, and sometimes they drive a bit erratically for my tastes, but they provide an effective way of getting around on Cozumel and they are fairly cheap. Most of them are friendly and courteous, and I've had a couple of them go way beyond the call to help me and my family on occasion.

Overall, I'd give them a B.

Yes, they are still fairly cheap. A couple places I go on the mainland a cab is $5 for going about a mile! (We walk alot on Coz and even more in other places...) On Cozumel a 3mi ride from the hotel to town is $4-5.

 

[Cacia]

A 3hr SI and drinking (even if it's just a beer) isn't the norm with Cozumel dive ops.

Oh...okay. Do you follow people around when they go have lunch? I'm sure nobody thought we had a beer, and yes, our SI were almost three hours. Our crew often took naps. (they were fantastic)
I only go with the smallest boats.

Did you offer a little extra cash to drive by something?

yes, I tip cabs about 20%. (unless the windows are stuck shut and there is no air and they are blasting metallica)

People are really radical about Coz.

If you think it is the crem de la crem dive destination---that's great considering flights are quite easy.

I have to say, I might not always be the "safest" diver but I have very little tolerance with reckless driving, no matter how cheap the cost. We could argue all day about deep air, solo diving, etc and I will still insist the ride in car with a bad driver is way more dangerous. I don't put up with it.

 

[SterlingDiver]

No...just a nice solid B

Palau, Little Cayman, BVI gets my A threshhold.

But, hey, you are going to pay three times as much...so the Coz *overall* score gets a bump.

Hawaii has the problem of everybody looking for colorful soft coral, and it ain't there. When you catch the 200 ft viz days, it can be an A, very condition dependent.

Palau (still in future plans) BVI B+, Little Cayman solid A, Coz B+.

I am off to Coz next Tuesday for the six time. I have had about every experiance there described in this thread, both good and bad. Why are we going again, it is close, good diving and a good value. If I had more time and a little more money I would be off to another destination. I am even staying in an AI this time so I don't even have to go to San Miguel if I don't choose to. I guess it comes down to what we all are all looking for at any given the time.

Good Diving ,

Dave