Cozumel marina dispute leaves scuba divers without parking

[Sloeber]

This will generate a significant loss of income for all the industries at the marina.

Assuming the blog owners:

A) Are local (they drove to harbor)
B) Don't understand the overwhelming majority of divers arrive to Fonatur by taxi
C) Or get picked up at a pier to the south (or downtown)

Not to mention Fonatur roads are fully paved with plenty of parking on the streets.

To state this will cause a "significant loss of income" is comical. Unless we are assuming people will stop diving because they refuse to walk an extra 25-50 yards from parking?

 

[JulieM]

Stayed at Palmar for eight months total. We walked to the marina and back every other day to dive. It is a nice walk with sidewalks all the way.

 

[Sloeber]

That adds $110 MX, about $5 US, each way to your dive trip cost (from Centro). And that assumes you don't get a taxista that tries to gouge you on the price. Add 20% for capacity restriction surcharge and it's starting to get expensive. But I guess folks are desperate to dive.

Or save the rental car money, save the taxi fare, and get picked up downtown by any of the many dive shops which offer downtown pick up. It's literally a win-win-win. Saves you money, saves you time, and makes it easier for you.

 

[ggunn]

The parking left will not support the marina.

You aren't trying to inject left vs right politics into this, are you? Please don't.

 

[ReefHound]

That adds $110 MX, about $5 US, each way to your dive trip cost (from Centro). And that assumes you don't get a taxista that tries to gouge you on the price. Add 20% for capacity restriction surcharge and it's starting to get expensive. But I guess folks are desperate to dive.

For non-locals, that is still less than renting a car. Some ops like TP will cover your cab between downtown and marina. I had another op once ask us to go to the marina (they usually picked up at hotel dock) and deducted the fares from the bill.

 

[ChuckP]

Not to mention Fonatur roads are fully paved with plenty of parking on the streets.

Your boats are at Abrigo aren't they? Have you been to Fontour during the day? I was there a week ago, very few, maybe ten boats out and very few crews in messing around with their boats - from the big circle to the marina was full of cars and half the circle was full and there was hardly anyone there.

Scuba Life pays for a rented unit and two spots in the private marina, I'd be smoking pissed if I was them with the parking situation and paying that much in rent.

 

[JFS]

On average there is at least 100+ vehicles parked in the parking lot ( motos and cars). Once tourism picks up, this will be a problem with the way the current situation is.

 

[mstevens]

Take a cab?

Not every diver is a tourist. Sure, most are, but there are local residents who dive.

We really prefer to take our own personal car. In addition to the fact that that it's already paid for, we can lock in it some of the stuff that we don't need or want to take on the boat. It gives us a dry, shady place to get geared up. We can take as long as we want getting sorted out before heading home. No worries about finding a taxi in either direction.

If you're staying in your own home on the island, renting a villa or condo, or staying in a hotel away from the beach, meeting the dive boat at the caleta is the easiest way. The primary alternative is to use the Aldora pier, and that involves finding parking downtown.

There have been all sorts of issues with the FONATUR marina over the years like the ones losalcatraces describes. I'm sure the taxi union is pretty thrilled in any event.

 

[cozcharlie]

I left the marina an hour ago . To think this parking fiasco is a manageable situation during high season is ridiculous. I doubt you would even have room for captains and crew on a normal day in January /February. Last winter by 9 am you could barely even find room in the rather large parking lot that is now roped off.

People who own cars or rent cars don’t want to pay for a taxi. Probably 50 percent of the people I dive with are either ex-pats that own cars or long time visitors who rent cars because they know they are going to East side , their favorite taco place and a couple of restaurants while they are here

A lot of people stay up north and back in town, so “the just go with a dive shop that will pick you up “ is ridiculous since it eliminates 95 percent of the shops if you are in the north and 100 percent back in town

 

[ggunn]

One of these factions thought it would benefit themselves by barricading off and locking the entire parking lot.

Benefit themselves how? What is the point? Someone obviously spent many pesos on that fence; how do they expect to recoup their investment?