Cozumel March 26th-April 3rd

[kwickert]

Hi,

This will be my first trip to Cozumel, wooohooo! :jump013:

I have done Blackbeards 3 times, so this will be something completely different.

Should I book a flight directly to Cozumel or go to Cancun, and take the ferry over?

I am diving with Aldora, and will be staying at the Villa Aldora as well.

I am also looking to do a couple afternoon dives, because 7:30AM can come a bit early on vacation. :wow_2:

Does any other op use din valves with the 120's? I am just thinking it would be nice not to worry about adapting back to yoke.

Thank you guys for all the info! Dave has been nice and very helpful.

Ken

 

[ggunn]

Hi,

This will be my first trip to Cozumel, wooohooo! :jump013:

I have done Blackbeards 3 times, so this will be something completely different.

Should I book a flight directly to Cozumel or go to Cancun, and take the ferry over?

Go direct if you can, but if there's a significant diff in air fare, the trip to and from Coz from Cancun is not bad. If money is not much of a consideration, then you can book a RT flight from the Cancun airport. If it is, there are several ways to go overland to Playa del Carmen to catch the Waterjet to Cozumel. The quickest and most straightforward (and most expensive) way is to just grab a cab for the trip. Cheaper than that is to get a group of folks together and hire a van. Cheaper still is to catch a bus. There's a transportation desk at the Cancun airport that can help you with any of those options.

I've done it before; it's about a 45 minute drive to PdC from CUN, and the ferry is another 45 minutes. To be realistic, count on about 3 hours each way transit time. Check the ferry schedule to minimize the wait, or just grab a cervesa at Senor Frog's (right next to the ferry dock) and chill.

 

[kwickert]

GGUN,

I have been scouring the posts for Cozumel. :buggy: Yup, simple is what I am looking for.

I have read that I need to walk several hundred yards to catch a cab? I believe I will try that.

Thanks for the info, as I said this is all pretty new to me, :book2: and I am trying to pick up all the information I can.

Ken

 

[ggunn]

GGUN,

I have been scouring the posts for Cozumel. :buggy: Yup, simple is what I am looking for.

I have read that I need to walk several hundred yards to catch a cab? I believe I will try that.

Thanks for the info, as I said this is all pretty new to me, :book2: and I am trying to pick up all the information I can.

Ken

The long walk (about 100 yards, I'd guess) to catch a cab is if you fly into the Cozumel airport and want to avoid the airport shuttle service; cabs on Coz can drop fares on the airport grounds but they can't pick one up. Personally, I have no prob with taking the shuttle.

There were plenty of cabs at the Cancun airport the last time I flew in there (5 years ago, maybe).

 

[Wristshot]

fly to Cancun, then take the bus from Cancun airport to PDC and take the fast ferry across to Cozumel. $8 for comofrtable bus ride. 65 pesos for the return trip. $8 each way on ferry, or $15 for round trip ticket. Just make sure that you get the fast ferry, not the super slow smelly diesel slug.

Airfare to Coz was about $150-200 more than to Cancun from San Jose Ca. last June. A friend did the Cancun-bus-ferry routine 2 weeks ago (xmas 2003) and he said he saved $400-500 in airfare due to the holiday cost to fly to Coz.

If you have enough people, a shuttle/taxi could be cost effective.

Just a my dos pesetas,

Wristshot

 

[ggunn]

fly to Cancun, then take the bus from Cancun airport to PDC and take the fast ferry across to Cozumel. $8 for comofrtable bus ride. 65 pesos for the return trip. $8 each way on ferry, or $15 for round trip ticket. Just make sure that you get the fast ferry, not the super slow smelly diesel slug.

Airfare to Coz was about $150-200 more than to Cancun from San Jose Ca. last June. A friend did the Cancun-bus-ferry routine 2 weeks ago (xmas 2003) and he said he saved $400-500 in airfare due to the holiday cost to fly to Coz.

But by all means, do your homework. Sometimes, and from some places, flying directly into Cozumel is not more expensive (and on rare occasions it's cheaper) than flying to Cancun and getting to Cozumel by land and sea. One thing you might consider is flying into DFW and hooking up with a charter like Adventure Tours/Funjet.

 

[5615mike]

If at all possible IMO direct to Coz is much more convenient and you avoid possible hassles. By all means don't fly from Cancun to Coz. Last time/first time I did it they would not leave until the plane was full. Waited over 2 hours. Very nice to leave your home city and within 45 minutes of arriving Coz you are on the beach. Looking forward to hearing about Villa Aldora. Emailed Dave about it and sounds neat. Only wish they had a pool. Aldora is a fine operator. You'll love the bottom time you rack up. Have a great time. Try to dive with Bill "Memo" LaRosa if possible. He'll find many critters.

 

[kwickert]

I will definately shoot for direct to Coz.

It's a vacation so price is not always the most important thing to me, but if it were several hundred dollars difference, well.....

My Olympus 5050 is supposed to arrive today so hopefully I will have a nice trip report complete with pictures when I return.

Although, I read where Villa Aldora has high speed internet :inlove: so perhaps I will post some pictures while I am there.

I am definately looking forward to diving with Aldora, I have read so many good things.

Ken

 

[spthomas]

I have been to Cozumel several times, and have dove with Aldora several times.

I have flown Dallas to Houston then direct to Coz from Houstion on Continental, and liked that best.
I've also flown American from Dallas direct to Cancun, then flew to Coz on the small plane. Didn't like that much.

Mostly, I fly to Cancun, bus to Playa Del Carmen, then ferry to Coz. It has been a bit cheaper for me so I do that mostly.

As for Aldora, they have really treated me well. They set up the equipment, including the DIN fitting. Then they wash and set up my equipment every day! When I got there I gave them my regs, and they set it all up. I dove all week, and they had my gear ready to go every morning. As for the Steel 120s with DIN, I got a lot of bottom time. Seems like around an hour on the 80' dives, and more on the shallower dives. I know I did the math at the time and it was great. Everyone using computers and big tanks makes for nice bottom time!

I really like diving with Aldora.

=Steve=

 

[kwickert]

Well, I decided to go directly to Coz, and to use my home town airport as well, since this is my first trip.

I also got a great map of Cozumel from a tip on this board, gotta love the Scuba Board, what a resource.

Thank you guys for the help, and for sharing your experiences.

Ken