Cozumel or Riviera Maya

[warmwaterturner]

I love the Mayan Riviera and have a place there but facts are facts - Cozumel has better diving. Hands down.

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

The Mayan Riviera offers lots of opportunities for amazing dives. There are some fantastic cenotes that you have to dive to believe. Depending upon the season, there are whale sharks, baitballs, and bull sharks. And there is of course Banco Chinchorro near Xcalak. If you were to ask a dive shop owner or Cozumel DM where they go to dive on their time off and they will often tell you Banco Chinchorro. Nothing against the diving in Cozumel but those who recommend Coz "hands down" may not have really seen what the Mayan Riviera offers. My recommend is XTC Dive Center in Xcalak.

I will be taking a group to Coz Nov 17-24 and expect some nice dives but our first choice for adventure was the Mayan.

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[Mike]

Well I am going to jump in with my O2..
The best diving, Cozumel BUT I have been going to Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel for many years and the diving from Playa is really good if you know who to go with and don't forget the cenote's.
Staying on the mainland and taking the ferry isn't really that bad, its all how you look at it. My wife is not a diver, she likes to lay on the beach and Cozumel can't compare to Playa's resorts and beaches so taking the ferry to dive and returning to a happy wife is a no brainer! She is happy and I get to dive so all is right with the world. For the record we have stayed on Cozumel many times and it is easier for me but in the end I'm on vacation and when we stay on the mainland I look at the ferry ride as down time, I have my coffee on the way over and a cerveza on the way back, nothing wasted there

Can understand your take on it, but I personally would take a hole in the head before I devoted a minimum of 10 hours of vacation time to riding a ferry over 5 days of diving. 10 hours would more likely be very optimistic, adding in actual time spent when you consider leaving where you're staying to get to the ferry in the morning, the ride over, getting to the dive shop pickup, after diving returning to the ferry pier, counting on never just missing it by a few minutes and having to wait for the next one, getting from the ferry back to your hotel-- more likely 12-15 hours of your vacation time eaten up. 1 day of diving, I'd put up with it, 2 days doing it would be really pushing it, 5 days back and forth, hell no. I don't go on vacation to spend 2 hours a day commuting, I can do that back at home.

I'd still like to hear from the OP what exactly is his draw on the mainland?

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I will say Cozumel too, because my wife and daughter don't want me to tell you about the great places to stay and dive south of Playa on down to the Belize border. They want to keep it a secret. Keep the crowds in Cozumel, they say.
DivemasterDennis

 

[time2fly]

Can understand your take on it, but I personally would take a hole in the head before I devoted a minimum of 10 hours of vacation time to riding a ferry over 5 days of diving. 10 hours would more likely be very optimistic, adding in actual time spent when you consider leaving where you're staying to get to the ferry in the morning, the ride over, getting to the dive shop pickup, after diving returning to the ferry pier, counting on never just missing it by a few minutes and having to wait for the next one, getting from the ferry back to your hotel-- more likely 12-15 hours of your vacation time eaten up. 1 day of diving, I'd put up with it, 2 days doing it would be really pushing it, 5 days back and forth, hell no. I don't go on vacation to spend 2 hours a day commuting, I can do that back at home.

I'd still like to hear from the OP what exactly is his draw on the mainland?

sorry I didn't respond sooner..

I am going to stay in Coz as I have decided. I wanted to do the mainland because the beaches are amazing on that side. I have noticed that the prices on the mainland are way cheaper (not worried about that) I also wanted to do some tours to the ruins and maybe even stop in to Cancun for a few hours. But in the end of the day I will be doing a few days a day for 4-5 days of my trip..

 

[spc751]

I know it is too late for the OP but another option is Tankha. Their dive boat leave from PDC, does two dives in Cozumel and returns to PDC.

Diving In Cozumel

 

[Jorge Loria]

They are both really different, cozumel has amazing walls and sea life, there lots of interesting species at Playa too!