Trip Report Cozumel Trip Report 2/24 – 3/1/2023: Newbie Perspective

[Rob9876]

Never had you issue with boat, but we only use Aldora so I cannot tell you how others do it.

We dive with Tres Pelicanos, and we don't have that issue either -- even though they use small boats our gear is always right at our seats.

 

[DandyDon]

Leaving from the DC area, the only flights to Cozumel included a connection and cost about $500 more than a direct flight to Cancun.

Wow, $500 more to go thru Cancun and you went to take the nonstop instead of connecting into Cozumel? I've always had connections for any trip beyond Dallas so I guess I am more accepting of them. I've done it both ways as sometimes had business in Cancun, but would never suggest it if there is a reasonable choice. Sorry you had a rough arrival, glad your trip eventually went well, and thanks for the report.

 

[drrich2]

Getting There: Leaving from the DC area, the only flights to Cozumel included a connection and cost about $500 more than a direct flight to Cancun.

Wow, $500 more to go thru Cancun and you went to take the nonstop instead of connecting into Cozumel?

I think it was $500 less to go to Cancun (though the cost of transportation and the ferry to and from would eat into that a bit).

Was that $500 apiece, or the total for both you and your spouse, Arcie?

 

[DandyDon]

I think it was $500 less to go to Cancun (though the cost of transportation and the ferry to and from would eat into that a bit).

Was that $500 apiece, or the total for both you and your spouse, Arcie?

Ok, I misread. I would go thru Cancun for $500. It usually works ok.

 

[MMM]

Hello all. I’m recently back from a short trip to Cozumel. I’ve learned a lot from other folks’ trip reports and thought I’d add some info from a newer diver’s perspective.

Background/Experience level: I was OW certified just prior to the pandemic, with only 4 dives until recently. In the last 1.5 years, I’ve had 3 trips to Roatan and one to Sharm el Sheikh. I missed out on a few dives during some of the trips due to injury/illness, so arrived in Coz with only about 30 post-certification dives. Spouse/buddy is more experienced with ~ 125 dives.

Why Cozumel? My buddy/spouse and I wanted to learn how to better handle current after hitting some drift dives in Sharm (Ras Mohammed and Straits of Tiran). In retrospect, those currents were mostly mild, but at the time the idea of hitting current was scary to me (and I did see one lady get blown out into the blue and really struggle to get back to the reef). We did fine, but we wanted to feel more prepared for situations like that and Cozumel seemed like a great place to learn. Plus, I’m seeking experiences outside of my Roatan comfort zone, trying to become a better diver.

Getting There: Leaving from the DC area, the only flights to Cozumel included a connection and cost about $500 more than a direct flight to Cancun. I’d read the pros and cons of the bag drag, but we decided to go ahead with the Cancun flight and deal with it rather than risk missed connections or misplaced luggage. I will never do that again. It took 5 hours from landing to get to Cozumel and about the same on the reverse. Granted, many folks do the trip without incident and in much shorter time, and we had a lot of dumb bad luck (baggage claim delays, missing the ferry by 5 minutes), etc. but if we go again I’ll fly into Cozumel.

Accommodations: We stayed in a garden view room at Casa del Mar. We initially booked Casa Mexicana because CdM only had parking lot view rooms available when we booked, but I kept checking the CdM website and some rooms opened up a couple weeks out. The garden-view room we had actually had a nice partial sea view. About the balconies – they are small with a built-in bench, no table or chairs. There is room to put your gear out to dry but I didn’t think the space was all that great for hanging out. We would stay at Casa del Mar again, really liked the staff and general vibe. Kids: people sometimes ask if a place would work well with kids. I think older kids (8+) who don’t need a lot of other kids around would like it there. The pool is nice, not rowdy. I don’t think it would be ideal for babies or toddlers unless you were staying on the first floor. There are no elevators and I didn’t see a play area.

View attachment 772883
View from room 304 at Casa del Mar

Dive shop: We dove 4 days with Roberta’s, had a great experience and would dive with them again. We found them using the google doc @jonhall made (thank you!) Small, fast boats with shade with a max of 6 divers on the days we were there. Good for newer divers? Yes, with one caveat below. They were running 3 or 4 boats for the morning dives, grouped by experience. The first day it was the two of us with an instructor and another diver who had a private guide. On the other days there were 3 - 6 divers with one guide. Most of the other divers were very experienced, really interesting, and kind to the newbie. The guides briefed us for a 60-minute bottom time, but if you hit 700 psi, you and your buddy surfaced under the guide’s DSMB and the others stayed down with the guide to dive their tanks. Entry was by back roll. We had our own gear, but from what I saw of the rental gear, it looked in good shape. Also, they have boat coats you can use! Use them 
What was not great for this newbie: Gear-up and entry was a bit chaotic due to the boat layout. Gear was set up by the DM and/or Captain, kept at the back of the boat until you got to the site, then it was a scramble to get people geared up and in. I’d prefer more time to check my rig. (I also prefer to set it up myself). No time to do a proper buddy check. [*** I don’t think this situation is unique to the dive shop – I think it is more a function of small boats, bumpy rides, and needing to get everyone in the water together quickly.] This situation could also be mitigated by hiring a private guide if there are only 1 or 2 of you.

View attachment 772885
View of Roberta's from restaurant next door (Ernesto's). The boats pull up to the right side of the pier. This also is where you can start your shore dive - either by giant stride off the short extension, or from a ladder. The shore dive starts from the pier and heads to the left. Two piers away to the right is the beach club Tikila - we were warned not to go that way due to shuttle boats from the cruse ships.

Dives: We took a Drift Diving course, so our first day consisted of the 2 dives for that (buddy and I did a brief shore dive before the boat dives to test our regs and other gear). The first dive was Punta Tunich. I did not love it. It was so fast I couldn’t even tell you what it looked like except kind of dark with a lot of reef zooming by. 2nd dive was Villa Blanca, also fast but not as dark. Newbie perspective: I thought I had my buoyancy pretty well dialed in prior to this trip. I can hover, don’t need to fuss much with the inflator etc. On these dives, I had a lot of trouble staying neutral and I bobbed like a freaking cork. Part of that was over- and under- compensating with the air in my BCD. (I also was diving a new BCD). Over the next few days, I learned I had a perception problem and in a nutshell, I need to trust my computer and improve on situational awareness. Especially at Punta Tunich, moving so fast, I sometimes mistook changes in the undulating bottom for changes in my depth and was at times inflating/deflating unnecessarily. Most often, it was a perception that I was rapidly rising. The instructor did say that there was a little upwelling here/there, but I can say overall that this was very much a ‘me’ issue and I learned a lot, especially once we got to some slower current sites and I recognized my mistakes.

Other dive sites: We did Dalila, Villa Blanca again, Punta Palancar twice, and Yucab. And one other site whose name I can’t remember. Highlights for me were two Splendid Toadfish sightings and a green turtle that swam about 3 feet below me. Punta Palancar was my favorite - really beautiful coral heads, big fish....

General impression: After day 1, I was never going back to Coz and wanted to bail on the rest of the dives. After day 2, I was never going back and wanted to bail on the rest of the dives. I’m not sure what happened the morning of day 3, but I woke up raring to go and the next 2 days were a blast. I can’t say that I particularly like drift diving, but I would go back to Cozumel. Overall, I thought the dives were beautiful, lots of color to the reefs, lots of CARF (tm someone on Scubaboard), lots of dive sites, plus fish tacos and margaritas!

Congratulations on getting dialed in. It tak es a few dives (or more) to nail your buoyancy.. there are other ops which set up your gear in the seat beside you so you can check it out in advance.

 

[Litefoot]

I'm glad you ended up having a good time and came here and posted a candid report. We each speak to dive issues from our own perspective, and each perspective has its own value. The advanced divers often bring a level of discernment and discrimination, including comparison to alternative destinations, that many of us can't match. Then there are the intermediate divers, who've done a decent assortment (or at least number) of trips, and have some grasp of comparison against some mainstream alternatives. Newer divers see things with fresh eyes in a way that may inform other newer divers.

This is a very good observation. I can relate this to my other "new" hobby, mountain biking. Veteran riders seem to have forgotten that new riders are struggling with simple things like balance, trust in yourself, trust in your bike, lack of fitness, and absolute terror navigating scary (to a neophyte) obstacles.

And thanks OP for an exceedingly well-written and organized trip report. Really good perspective for someone at my level.

 

[GameChanger]

Thanks for the nice report!
I did not know there was such a thing as a "Drift Diving" course...
Choosing Coz would be a great place for it though! If they really wanted you to experience an 'E-Ticket" current, they could have chosen Barracuda in the north!

Regarding doing buddy checks on the boat: In my experience, this is a lost pre-dive safety practice for most Coz Ops. I am usually by myself on most dive trips, so I get assigned a random buddy or none at all. When I mention doing a buddy check, I usually get that "What?" look, or they roll their eyes at me and say, "You are one of those...". When the DM is my assigned buddy, he/she is so busy that the buddy check is not even an option. I have seen several divers backroll into the water without their gas turned on, with no fins, no weights, unsecured cameras, etc. How embarrassing!

Dive Ops who do valet service are usually great at setting up your gear right next to where you are seated on the boat bench. Some even have tank holders in place. I trust my "go-to" dive Ops and let them set up and break down my gear under my watchful eye. I use a long-hose and bungie 2nd, with a BP/W, so I am usually the oddball for gear setup. My go-to Ops know me; they know this setup, and I have had zero issues.

 

[Matt B]

Hello all. I’m recently back from a short trip to Cozumel. I’ve learned a lot from other folks’ trip reports and thought I’d add some info from a newer diver’s perspective.

Background/Experience level: I was OW certified just prior to the pandemic, with only 4 dives until recently. In the last 1.5 years, I’ve had 3 trips to Roatan and one to Sharm el Sheikh. I missed out on a few dives during some of the trips due to injury/illness, so arrived in Coz with only about 30 post-certification dives. Spouse/buddy is more experienced with ~ 125 dives.

Why Cozumel? My buddy/spouse and I wanted to learn how to better handle current after hitting some drift dives in Sharm (Ras Mohammed and Straits of Tiran). In retrospect, those currents were mostly mild, but at the time the idea of hitting current was scary to me (and I did see one lady get blown out into the blue and really struggle to get back to the reef). We did fine, but we wanted to feel more prepared for situations like that and Cozumel seemed like a great place to learn. Plus, I’m seeking experiences outside of my Roatan comfort zone, trying to become a better diver.

Getting There: Leaving from the DC area, the only flights to Cozumel included a connection and cost about $500 more than a direct flight to Cancun. I’d read the pros and cons of the bag drag, but we decided to go ahead with the Cancun flight and deal with it rather than risk missed connections or misplaced luggage. I will never do that again. It took 5 hours from landing to get to Cozumel and about the same on the reverse. Granted, many folks do the trip without incident and in much shorter time, and we had a lot of dumb bad luck (baggage claim delays, missing the ferry by 5 minutes), etc. but if we go again I’ll fly into Cozumel.

Accommodations: We stayed in a garden view room at Casa del Mar. We initially booked Casa Mexicana because CdM only had parking lot view rooms available when we booked, but I kept checking the CdM website and some rooms opened up a couple weeks out. The garden-view room we had actually had a nice partial sea view. About the balconies – they are small with a built-in bench, no table or chairs. There is room to put your gear out to dry but I didn’t think the space was all that great for hanging out. We would stay at Casa del Mar again, really liked the staff and general vibe. Kids: people sometimes ask if a place would work well with kids. I think older kids (8+) who don’t need a lot of other kids around would like it there. The pool is nice, not rowdy. I don’t think it would be ideal for babies or toddlers unless you were staying on the first floor. There are no elevators and I didn’t see a play area.

View attachment 772883
View from room 304 at Casa del Mar

Dive shop: We dove 4 days with Roberta’s, had a great experience and would dive with them again. We found them using the google doc @jonhall made (thank you!) Small, fast boats with shade with a max of 6 divers on the days we were there. Good for newer divers? Yes, with one caveat below. They were running 3 or 4 boats for the morning dives, grouped by experience. The first day it was the two of us with an instructor and another diver who had a private guide. On the other days there were 3 - 6 divers with one guide. Most of the other divers were very experienced, really interesting, and kind to the newbie. The guides briefed us for a 60-minute bottom time, but if you hit 700 psi, you and your buddy surfaced under the guide’s DSMB and the others stayed down with the guide to dive their tanks. Entry was by back roll. We had our own gear, but from what I saw of the rental gear, it looked in good shape. Also, they have boat coats you can use! Use them 
What was not great for this newbie: Gear-up and entry was a bit chaotic due to the boat layout. Gear was set up by the DM and/or Captain, kept at the back of the boat until you got to the site, then it was a scramble to get people geared up and in. I’d prefer more time to check my rig. (I also prefer to set it up myself). No time to do a proper buddy check. [*** I don’t think this situation is unique to the dive shop – I think it is more a function of small boats, bumpy rides, and needing to get everyone in the water together quickly.] This situation could also be mitigated by hiring a private guide if there are only 1 or 2 of you.

View attachment 772885
View of Roberta's from restaurant next door (Ernesto's). The boats pull up to the right side of the pier. This also is where you can start your shore dive - either by giant stride off the short extension, or from a ladder. The shore dive starts from the pier and heads to the left. Two piers away to the right is the beach club Tikila - we were warned not to go that way due to shuttle boats from the cruse ships.

Dives: We took a Drift Diving course, so our first day consisted of the 2 dives for that (buddy and I did a brief shore dive before the boat dives to test our regs and other gear). The first dive was Punta Tunich. I did not love it. It was so fast I couldn’t even tell you what it looked like except kind of dark with a lot of reef zooming by. 2nd dive was Villa Blanca, also fast but not as dark. Newbie perspective: I thought I had my buoyancy pretty well dialed in prior to this trip. I can hover, don’t need to fuss much with the inflator etc. On these dives, I had a lot of trouble staying neutral and I bobbed like a freaking cork. Part of that was over- and under- compensating with the air in my BCD. (I also was diving a new BCD). Over the next few days, I learned I had a perception problem and in a nutshell, I need to trust my computer and improve on situational awareness. Especially at Punta Tunich, moving so fast, I sometimes mistook changes in the undulating bottom for changes in my depth and was at times inflating/deflating unnecessarily. Most often, it was a perception that I was rapidly rising. The instructor did say that there was a little upwelling here/there, but I can say overall that this was very much a ‘me’ issue and I learned a lot, especially once we got to some slower current sites and I recognized my mistakes.

Other dive sites: We did Dalila, Villa Blanca again, Punta Palancar twice, and Yucab. And one other site whose name I can’t remember. Highlights for me were two Splendid Toadfish sightings and a green turtle that swam about 3 feet below me. Punta Palancar was my favorite - really beautiful coral heads, big fish....

General impression: After day 1, I was never going back to Coz and wanted to bail on the rest of the dives. After day 2, I was never going back and wanted to bail on the rest of the dives. I’m not sure what happened the morning of day 3, but I woke up raring to go and the next 2 days were a blast. I can’t say that I particularly like drift diving, but I would go back to Cozumel. Overall, I thought the dives were beautiful, lots of color to the reefs, lots of CARF (tm someone on Scubaboard), lots of dive sites, plus fish tacos and margaritas!

Nice review! We absolutely love Cozumel, but I will say it's not the easiest diving in the world. With a bunch of trips under our belts, and getting comfortable with the possible strong currents, it is our go to place. And funny thing, we were there 2 weeks over Christmas and had literally no current on many of our dives. So definitely go back. We love the dives, the resort we stay at, The Blue Angel, and all our friends that we see on each visit. Oh, and the food...Back in April!

 

[arcie]

If you get strong current as a group it can be 'no fun' because you can't stop to see stuff - I think it's hard for the dive guide to keep eyes on all their group members. If you're with a smaller group or private guide, they can direct you to hide behind coral heads so you can do some investigating. Staying closer to the bottom will slow you down. I'm guessing you've read all this already though if you've been reading trip reports.

If I were to bet, I'd bet $5 you're overweighted. If I'm overweighted by a pound I find myself wanting to bounce off the bottom, and the I'm playing the 'elevator up/elevator down' game. I hope you get to dive on some days when the current is mild to nearly non-existent. But it is Cozumel, so that will be a big hope.

Welcome to Cozumel diving - and CDM. We stay there more often than not.

Thanks! I owe you $5 . In retrospect I think I could have dropped 1 or 2 pounds. I will have to go back and find out!

 

[arcie]

I'll add 2 things to your list when it comes to buoyancy control.

1.) Diving is inherently task-loading. You have a limited amount of mental bandwidth, and some of it is tied up with buoyancy management, operating in a 3-D environment (e.g.: you can move up and down, not just on a horizontal plane), lack of ability to discern the direction of sounds, being mindful of depth, dive time, gas pressure remaining, etc...

2.) If your anxiety level is up for any reason (e.g.: haven't dove in awhile, new environment, drift diving for some, new to you staff, worry you'll mess up), I suspect respiratory rate may pick up...and so may the amount of air you're inhaling and exhaling, leading to larger buoyancy swings, or perhaps holding more air in your lungs part of the time, so the amount of weigh you recall working fine your last set of dives suddenly seems like you're underweighted.

Whether either of those holds true for you is something you'll have to decide.

Thanks! This is very helpful. I would say it is a ‘yes’ to both. I was expecting the task-loading, and am generally good with a lot going on at once (former ER/Trauma nurse) but one task that I really hadn’t taken into consideration was protecting the reef. Or rather, how much bandwidth that would take up. I’m vigilant about not touching/kicking anything but that is pretty easy to do in calm water. On day 1, when we were moving so fast, I found myself taking a lot of evasive maneuvers to avoid touching anything and generally focusing on that, which certainly didn’t help my bouyancy or my anxiety level .