Cozumel/Mayan Riv March 10 - 17

[bmaber]

Hi;
We are two divers going to Myan Riviera March 10 – 17th 2006. I am a PADI AOW and my dive buddy is a freshly minted PADI OW (who of course wants to dive to 200 feet and start a dive shop :crossbone (yes gang I will keep a close eye on him :no )). We are staying at the Barceló because our ladies wanted an AI, and we got a deal. That puts us ½ hour south of Playa Del Carmen. So now we are going to be taking the collativa up to Playa Del Carmen and probably the ferry to Cozumel.

:06: Two questions, I am looking for dive operator recommendations – especially if they pick up that far south, and if any board members are in the area at the time drop me a hello note and tell me what you will be up to then. :beer_yum:

The dive operators I prefer are beyond the two-man-and-a-zodiac size and below the 25+ divers at a time size (Aquaworld sounds too big for us). I like mid size boats with giant stride rear exit, but am not too picky. More important they have top rated equipment, keep an eye on details like O rings and sticky valves, have full certification like PADI / DAN, have oxygen onboard, marine radios and keep a very good eye on the group. I know there are some great independent guys out there, but I like to see a working web site, with posted prices, a real telephone, some paid staff, and a picture of the real dive boat before I trust you with my dive safety. Also we are not ready for tec diving so the guys on the board who rave about dual 100 tanks, and tri-mix you are way out of my present comfort zone.

Any coments, ideas?

 

[ScubyDoo]

They arent a large outfit, but I always dive with Caballito Del Caribe when I dive Cozumel. They have a small shop on 5th Ave., 1 block east of the Ave. Rafael Melgar. Thier boats are not giant stride capable (at least the ones Ive been on), but they dont carry 25 divers either. On average I'd say we never had more than 6-8 divers. Ive always dove with Adrian, who is a great Mayan divemaster in my opinion. They give you excellent excellent service and great diving. They have a kiosk at the ferry dock, and will carry your gear for you from there. Ive been out with them on 4 separate occasions and enjoyed them all thoroughly. If your diving for several days, you can leave your gear on the boat, and they will take back to the shop and wash and dry for you. When you return the next day to the boat, your gear is already set up and ready to dive when you get there. Adrian keeps you well entertained during surface intervals too. The boats arent big...(Gunnel backrolls required), but I actually like it that way. 8 people shuffling to and from a dive platform in pitching seas can be a pain. I dont know anything about thier rental gear, as I always take my own. Others in my party have rented though, and had no problems whatsoever. Many many others have also dove with Caballito and most all Ive spoken to speak very highly of them. They are certainly worth your consideration. Enjoy!!

http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/

 

[rje634]

This subject has been beat to death in the Coz forum.
Do a search on Dive Op in the Cozumel forum and prepare to do a lot of reading..
My 2 cents, Blue XT Sea Diving Great service, small groups, very professional...

Here a sample of what I found on a quick search:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=125844&highlight=dive+Op

 

[yak]

You can avoid the ferry ride if you use Tank-Ha They are the only PDC-based op that runs their own boat to Coz. It seems like a better use of time than taking ferries.

And don't pass up the opportunity to dive the cenotes (check out my gallery for a few cenote photos). One of the best ones, Dos Ojos, is really close to Barcelo.

 

[ggunn]

You can avoid the ferry ride if you use Tank-Ha They are the only PDC-based op that runs their own boat to Coz. It seems like a better use of time than taking ferries.

It really depends on wind direction/speed, i.e., seas condition in the channel. It can be a pretty uncomfortable slow crossing in a small boat.

 

[Divedoggie]

The Dive Op at Barcelo is Dressel Divers. Dive with Edgar, who is the main instructor, very detail oriented, and a great guy.

Barcelo is a great resort, too. You guys will have a great time there!

My favorite Op on Coz is www.bluextseadiving.com , but they can be booked months in advance. If they are, a close second is www.deepbluecozumel.com

If you get over to Coz and only have time for afternoon dives, you might try Dive Paradise or Dive House. Both usually can arrange last minute dives, and go out in the afternoon. You may end up on a dive with 10 or 12 divers though.

 

[bmaber]

Wow I have been getting a lot of great tip from you guys. I am going to look on the web for all of these operators, I see from the forum these are all very respected operators, it sure helps build confidence.

 

[yak]

You can avoid the ferry ride if you use Tank-Ha They are the only PDC-based op that runs their own boat to Coz. It seems like a better use of time than taking ferries.

And don't pass up the opportunity to dive the cenotes (check out my gallery for a few cenote photos). One of the best ones, Dos Ojos, is really close to Barcelo.

Good point. The day I was scheduled to go, the PDC harbor was closed and we ended up in the cenotes instead.

I still think it's a good option for someone staying at Barcelo, as you're back in PDC by 1:30-2:00 pm.

 

[nyprrthd]

Tank Ha in PDC is a great operator. We dove with them a couple of weeks ago, and found them very accomodating. They can even get you Nitrox with advance notice (and our fills were EXACTLY 32%). The DM took his time, and found us some fun stuff to look at. Tortuga Reef and Barracuda are two great sites near PDC. We saw 30-40 turtles at Tortuga, and more sea life than I've ever seen at Barracuda. You can leave your gear at the shop to drip dry a bit (they have tanks, hoses, racks, and hangars), while you go get lunch or wander around town. www.tankha.com Tell Desiree I said hello I've attached a photo, just to make you a little more anxious to get there.

We've also gone diving with ProDive out of Puerto Aventuras. They're based at the Sunscape Hotel (don't EVER stay in that rat trap), and at the Catalonia; and will pick up divers at the hotels in the Riviera Maya area. Another top-notch dive operator, and they also do whale shark excursions. www.prodivemex.com

There's also Dive Aventuras right in the marina/shopping area in PA. Don't know anything about them.

Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll try to answer ASAP.

 

[nyprrthd]

Click on the photo to see a bigger version. When I get around to doing a trip report I promise many photos, including a bigger version of the eagle ray in my avatar. We saw a group of 7 of them while we were in Cozumel!

We dove with Dive House in Cozumel, and were lucky enough to have a group of 6 on their big boat (36 footer, giant stride entry). Another group had 20 on a smaller boat. They're the ones who took us where we saw the 7 eagle rays.