Cozumel report

[voln]

Just got back from Coz - was there for a week. Stayed at Caribe Blu and dived with the house op, Blue Angel (DM Jorge). It was my first time in Coz, and I thought it was great, and I particularly liked that it was low season yet there was good diving (unlike SE Asia where if it's monsoon season, they're closed, end of discussion). Dove Palancar Caves, Cathedral (Puna Sur), Columbia Deep, Santa Rosa Wall, Punta Tunich, Paradise Reef for night dive, and several shore dives from Papa Hogs up to Caribe Blu. Their dock is still damaged from Ivan, doesn't look like it will be fixed any time soon (the owner, Ale, said a permit from the Mexican govt was required). The drift dives weren't overwhelming other than one which went a little too fast for my comfort (I like to really explore under the reefs) so I just flipped my fins over to slow it down. We saw just about everything, even splendid toadfishes that came right out of their little hidey-holes! Turtles, rays, flounder, French angelfishes, squid, lobster.....

Speaking of which, I'll talk about food, since plenty of others have waxed rhapsodic about the diving and all that... My favorite places to eat were Especias, Conchita del Caribe and Philippine Restaurant. I only had tacos once, at Carnitas Uruapan, which was decent, but we have better here in Southern California (I'm partial to La Super Rica in Santa Barbara myself). I also tried Morena (not bad) and La Choza (most mediocre). The breakfasts at Caribe were pretty glum, but I can't dive on an empty stomach.

Blue Angel were a decent op - the biggest advantage to diving with them if you're staying at Caribe is free air for shore dives. Otherwise no frills - no snacks (only water), no towels, sometimes no real surface intervals.

Curious thing - met a guy who was getting his certification with another op and he said from start to finish they were going to certify him in 2 days! He hadn't had a single classroom or pool session prior to arriving in Coz, and he said other ops he had been considering were telling him the same - is that standard for Cozumel? Seems a little quick to me! Anyone else heard the same?

 

[RonFrank]

Curious thing - met a guy who was getting his certification with another op and he said from start to finish they were going to certify him in 2 days! He hadn't had a single classroom or pool session prior to arriving in Coz, and he said other ops he had been considering were telling him the same - is that standard for Cozumel? Seems a little quick to me! Anyone else heard the same?

I don't know anyone who has gone the 2 day cert route, but it seems to be possible at many DS's. I can not imagine that when finished, the newly certified diver is really ready to handle much of anything in the way of dive planing, or emergancy situations of any sort.

The PADI classes at most LDS's I my area take about 19 hours, and that ONLY includes brief classroom review, test, and confined water dives. Then there is two days of OW (4) dives.

IMO this is one area where PADI (or whatever CERT agency) MUST step in. I figure that the dive ops that offer the course think that as long as their DM is with the students, no worries. But what happens when these untrained people have a problem when on their own, or with their clueless buddy?

Ron

 

[Christi]

I don't know anyone who has gone the 2 day cert route, but it seems to be possible at many DS's. I can not imagine that when finished, the newly certified diver is really ready to handle much of anything in the way of dive planing, or emergancy situations of any sort.

The PADI classes at most LDS's I my area take about 19 hours, and that ONLY includes brief classroom review, test, and confined water dives. Then there is two days of OW (4) dives.

IMO this is one area where PADI (or whatever CERT agency) MUST step in. I figure that the dive ops that offer the course think that as long as their DM is with the students, no worries. But what happens when these untrained people have a problem when on their own, or with their clueless buddy?

Ron

I don't know of any shops on the island that offer a full cert in 2 days.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Blue Angel were a decent op - sometimes no real surface intervals.

What do you mean?

 

[ggunn]

What do you mean?

I had the same question. I dove with Blue Angel during my 12 day stay back in May, and the SI's were plenty long enough according to my computer. They invariably took us to a shore location like the Reef Club, Playa Corona, or Nachi-Cocom; I never felt rushed between dives.

Overall, I liked them a lot. I brought my own towel (Arthur Dent was right) and I get plenty to eat on Cozumel, so snacks aboard aren't a necessity for me. The DM we dove with most of the time, Jorge, was excellent, as were the other two guys we were placed with on a couple of dives. Their price is right, and their shop is right there at Caribe Blu where I stayed so arranging dives was a piece of cake. I give them high marks.

 

[gdenny]

:06:

Can you tell me more about the rooms at Caribe Blu, fairly clean? Soft beds? Is there a small fridge?

I'd also like to know more about Blue Angel. How were the boats? How many divers? How were the DM's? Did they consult with you on where to go? What were the average bottom times? Friendly staff? How was the shore diving from Papa Hogs to Caribe Blu? Care to elaborate on the short SI? Did you mention this?

Considering them for a trip in June. Will make a note to pick up some fruit! Thanks for posting.

Regards,
G

 

[ggunn]

:06:

Can you tell me more about the rooms at Caribe Blu, fairly clean? Soft beds? Is there a small fridge?

I'd also like to know more about Blue Angel. How were the boats? How many divers? How were the DM's? Did they consult with you on where to go? What were the average bottom times? Friendly staff? How was the shore diving from Papa Hogs to Caribe Blu? Care to elaborate on the short SI? Did you mention this?

Considering them for a trip in June. Will make a note to pick up some fruit! Thanks for posting.

Regards,
G

Caribe Blu is a perfect fit for me. It's a little rustic compared to, say, the Presidente, but they are clean and A/C'ed, and it's a very short walk to the water, the pool, the dive shop, and the snack bar. It's very small - only 21 rooms - so it's never loud or crowded and it's never hard to get the attention of the staff. The beds are firmer than what I have at home, but far softer than the pad-on-a-slab beds I hear about at some places. Some rooms had fridges when I was there in May, and the plan was to have them in all the rooms by now.

Blue Angel runs two small fast boats (6 or 8 divers max) and one larger one. I never had a prob getting on one of the small ones. We dove mostly with Jorge, who was really great, and the other two DM's we drew (once each) were very good as well.

The dive sites were chosen by the divers on board, and their policy is to let you dive your computer and head to the surface when you or your buddy hits (as best I can recall) 700 psi on the deep dives, 500 psi on the shallow ones. I usually managed to get close to an hour BT, sometimes more on the shallow dives.

The staff (hotel and dive op) are very friendly and helpful. The drift from Villablanca (Papa Hogg's) is good for diving or snorkeling; we did both. It was not me who complained of short SI's. I never felt rushed between dives; the SI was always plenty long to satisfy my computer. They always took us ashore to the Reef Club, Nachi-Cocom, Playa Corona, etc. for SI.

Hope this info helps. Say hello to Jeanie at Caribe Blu for me, and tell her we'll see her in the Spring.

Cheers,

 

[voln]

Gdenny,

I was the one who made the comment about the short SIs. A couple of times we went to Columbia shallow (about 25 feet) and had SIs of about 10 minutes. My computer didn't complain and Jorge explained that it was basically like doing an hour long safety stop, so that was fine. It was just that having just gotten out of the water I would have liked a rest - and if that happens to you don't bother with the fruit! Other times when we went on deeper second dives we waited about an hour. I agree Jorge is very good, we were lucky it being low season so we got him all week long. The most we had on a boat was 9 people, it was usually more like 6-7.

My room had a small fridge, so I assumed all the rooms did. What I like is they have a water cooler on every floor so you don't have to buy water, just fill up the huge pitcher they provide in the room. If you stay there and dive with Blue Angel you get a discounted price and unlimited air for the shore dives. Papa Hogs is about half a mile down, so we would take cabs ($3) down and work our way up. We saw a lot even tho it was shallow (about 20 feet max) - splendid toadfishes, squid, flounder, rays, even a small nurse shark once.

Have fun in Coz - I'm jealous!

 

[ednedfred]

I've dove with Blue Angel on my last two trips to Cozumel and was impressed with the operation. Especially like the Cuban Dive Master Jorge.