Cozumel Trip Report, Late May – Early June 2017

[bshort4]

First of all I'd like to say how much I enjoyed reading your trip report--one of the best and most detailed I've read--thank you. I too vetted many dive OPS in Cozumel on TripAdvisor before my trip this past April to Cozumel and also wondered about the ratings--why some were rated higher than others and could only figure it was review count as many operators had all 5 star ratings but not as many. I also admired your "courage" in cancelling the rest of your dives with Aldora and moving on and trying other dive shops. I had considered Aldora and even contacted them about diving with them and staying at their villas but ended up with another dive op in the end. Something about their website seemed to put me off--as a older but less experienced diver I think I felt I would have been a bit uncomfortable diving with more "experienced" divers even though they said that wouldn't be the case--my paranoia probably more than anything. I ended up choosing a dive operator that I believe was ranked like #35 on TripAdvisor and ended up being and having everything I had wanted. Bigger boat--but not a cattle boat--I hate back rolls into the water--a head on board, lots of room and shade and they even came by and picked me up each day where I was staying (in their van). Only down side was I had asked to do a night dive and it never happened--only two dives a day--no afternoon dives. I will be returning to Cozumel in a few weeks to dive again (being retired is a plus) and using the same people and told them I would be doing a night dive with someone else if they couldn't do it. As for why we return to Cozumel--I think logistics combined with the good diving are two of the biggest reasons. I will be returning to the Philippines in November to do some more diving--but I'll be there for over a month--so the 24 hours of travel time is worth it. I've considered Bonaire but I'm not much into shore diving and as a solo diver and no dive buddy to dive with it makes it that much harder but still considering going and doing boat dives.

 

[morecowbells]

When my husband and I started diving about 11 years ago we started in Cozumel. That had been our first vacation in the Caribbean. After getting certified, we wanted to branch out and try other places in the Caribbean as well. While Curacao and Bonaire are some of my favorite places, I miss seeing the big, mature marine life which Cozumel has to offer. We have had many wonderful experiences elsewhere, but I still end up missing Cozumel. Brief summary of experiences elsewhere:

-Saba: Stunning topside quirky island. Clean, safe and quaint. Diving was good, Since it is a volcanic island, there are no beaches. Seas can be choppy. Diving was good. Major PITA getting to and from.
-Grand Cayman. Easy to get to. Occasional shore dives. Decent diving. Pay out the nose expensive.
-Roatan: Beautiful, lush topside. Fun restaurants and numerous lodging options. Hopefully with a marine park now in place the fish life will eventually thrive. Seemed overfished. Expensive flights getting to and from. Airport sucks!
-Bonaire/Curacao: Stunning blue waters with ample assortment of fish which are mostly juveniles. Not much for grouper or sharks. I love the shore diving since I get so seasick on boats. Variety of lodging options. Airfare to Bonaire is expensive and can be a PITA.
-St. Croix. Landscape can range from arid to tropical. The east end of the island seemed to be where the nicer properties and restaurants are located. Unfortunately the diving was on the other end. Boat diving is expensive. There are quite a few shore diving options. Cane Bay Wall offered regular shark sightings but was a loooong swim out with a lack of other marine life present. The pier in Frederikstead was one of my favorites. On one dive alone we saw frogfish, sea horses, and even a bat fish. I don't think that I would want to stay in Frederikstead though. There is a lot of poverty and crime on the island, but especially prevalent in Frederikstead.

Cozumel overall seems to offer the most bang for the buck. With a major plus being how accessible it is. Any diver can find a dive op which suits their needs since there are so many choices.

 

[Ironborn]

I also admired your "courage" in cancelling the rest of your dives with Aldora and moving on and trying other dive shops. I had considered Aldora and even contacted them about diving with them and staying at their villas but ended up with another dive op in the end. Something about their website seemed to put me off--as a older but less experienced diver I think I felt I would have been a bit uncomfortable diving with more "experienced" divers even though they said that wouldn't be the case--my paranoia probably more than anything. I ended up choosing a dive operator that I believe was ranked like #35 on TripAdvisor and ended up being and having everything I had wanted. Bigger boat--but not a cattle boat--I hate back rolls into the water--a head on board, lots of room and shade and they even came by and picked me up each day where I was staying (in their van). Only down side was I had asked to do a night dive and it never happened--only two dives a day--no afternoon dives. I will be returning to Cozumel in a few weeks to dive again (being retired is a plus) and using the same people and told them I would be doing a night dive with someone else if they couldn't do it.

Thank you, that was a tough decision, and not something that I would normally do, but the difference in the quality of the experiences with other operators was so substantial that I felt that I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not switch.

I did get the impression that the other divers with Aldora were considerably more experienced than me, and also that they (and the DM) viewed the sport in athletic terms, whereas I view it as an aesthetic experience. Hence the selection of dive sites with challenging topography and strong current, and fewer opportunities to savor marine life, either because of its absence or because the current was so strong that one can only see it for a few seconds at a time. I don't dive because I feel the need to prove my skill as a diver with challenging sites and conditions; I just want to see some fish.

I also admire your courage in telling your preferred operator that you will go on a night dive with another operator if they cannot accommodate you. I did so repeatedly for my two-tank twilight trips and night dives but did not tell my daytime operators. I just asked them if they could accommodate me; they could not, and Aldora cancelled a "guaranteed" night dive on me at the last minute, so I went "behind their backs" to other operators that could accommodate me. They did not ask me what I did on those afternoons/evenings, and I did not feel the need to inform them. Perhaps it is worth reminding operators that divers will go to a competitor if they cannot get what they want, as many operators seem to presume or expect that divers will dive with them exclusively.

If you cannot book a night dive with your regular daytime operator, try ScubaLuis; he was willing to book a two-tank twilight trip for only two divers. I found another diver for that trip by posting on this sub-forum. Most other operators require four divers for night dives, but 3P requires only three, so you have a better chance of filling a boat with 3P. I don't know what ScubaTony's minimum is, but it might be three for a two-tank twilight trip, as they already had enough divers to confirm the trip when I booked it, and there were ultimately four divers on the boat (myself and the three others).

 

[bshort4]

Thank you, that was a tough decision, and not something that I would normally do, but the difference in the quality of the experiences with other operators was so substantial that I felt that I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not switch.

I did get the impression that the other divers with Aldora were considerably more experienced than me, and also that they (and the DM) viewed the sport in athletic terms, whereas I view it as an aesthetic experience. Hence the selection of dive sites with challenging topography and strong current, and fewer opportunities to savor marine life, either because of its absence or because the current was so strong that one can only see it for a few seconds at a time. I don't dive because I feel the need to prove my skill as a diver with challenging sites and conditions; I just want to see some fish.

I also admire your courage in telling your preferred operator that you will go on a night dive with another operator if they cannot accommodate you. I did so repeatedly for my two-tank twilight trips and night dives but did not tell my daytime operators. I just asked them if they could accommodate me; they could not, and Aldora cancelled a "guaranteed" night dive on me at the last minute, so I went "behind their backs" to other operators that could accommodate me. They did not ask me what I did on those afternoons/evenings, and I did not feel the need to inform them. Perhaps it is worth reminding operators that divers will go to a competitor if they cannot get what they want, as many operators seem to presume or expect that divers will dive with them exclusively.

If you cannot book a night dive with your regular daytime operator, try ScubaLuis; he was willing to book a two-tank twilight trip for only two divers. I found another diver for that trip by posting on this sub-forum. Most other operators require four divers for night dives, but 3P requires only three, so you have a better chance of filling a boat with 3P. I don't know what ScubaTony's minimum is, but it might be three for a two-tank twilight trip, as they already had enough divers to confirm the trip when I booked it, and there were ultimately four divers on the boat (myself and the three others).

Its a sad state of affairs when you are made to feel you need to "go behind someone's back" to get what you're willing to pay for. I would have had trouble telling them I'm moving to another dive shop and collecting my gear and walking away---like you said there is a presumption of loyalty to dive with your chosen dive op but they should realize there are to many others out there willing to give us what we want. I'm returning to the same OP because I had such a great time, was treated great in spite of no night dive. I did end up diving with more experienced divers but they were great people who never treated me with anything less than respect and I am still in contact with them--new friends. I did contact the dive OP about the night dive again and she was at least upfront in not promising me a night dive but she would try her best--and would arrange a night dive with another dive shop if she couldn't--can't ask for more. Good diving!

 

[ronscuba]

.....

I did get the impression that the other divers with Aldora were considerably more experienced than me, and also that they (and the DM) viewed the sport in athletic terms, whereas I view it as an aesthetic experience. Hence the selection of dive sites with challenging topography and strong current, and fewer opportunities to savor marine life, either because of its absence or because the current was so strong that one can only see it for a few seconds at a time. I don't dive because I feel the need to prove my skill as a diver with challenging sites and conditions; I just want to see some fish.

...

Maybe, maybe not. As divers gain experience, marine life that was once exciting , might become boring. Current that was once challenging, might become easy. It also might have nothing to do with challenge. Some enjoy a fast current dive, while others hate it.

Whichever operator you choose to dive with in the future, describe to them what kind of diving you enjoy. If they have multiple boats, hopefully you will be grouped with like minded divers.

I've been to Coz many times and I don't voice a preference on dive sites. Because of that indifference, I have been grouped with all kinds of divers. I definitely see the thought process to the groupings including the DM.

 

[ggunn]

I also admire your courage in telling your preferred operator that you will go on a night dive with another operator if they cannot accommodate you.

Why would that take courage? You want to dive at night, they aren't going out, so you go out with another op; what's the problem? I believe that most ops would even help you find a night dive with someone else in that situation.

The only problem I can see would be if you were trying to use your declaration as leverage to try to make them accommodate you.

 

[Ironborn]

When my husband and I started diving about 11 years ago we started in Cozumel. That had been our first vacation in the Caribbean. After getting certified, we wanted to branch out and try other places in the Caribbean as well. While Curacao and Bonaire are some of my favorite places, I miss seeing the big, mature marine life which Cozumel has to offer. We have had many wonderful experiences elsewhere, but I still end up missing Cozumel. Brief summary of experiences elsewhere:

-Saba: Stunning topside quirky island. Clean, safe and quaint. Diving was good, Since it is a volcanic island, there are no beaches. Seas can be choppy. Diving was good. Major PITA getting to and from.
-Grand Cayman. Easy to get to. Occasional shore dives. Decent diving. Pay out the nose expensive.
-Roatan: Beautiful, lush topside. Fun restaurants and numerous lodging options. Hopefully with a marine park now in place the fish life will eventually thrive. Seemed overfished. Expensive flights getting to and from. Airport sucks!
-Bonaire/Curacao: Stunning blue waters with ample assortment of fish which are mostly juveniles. Not much for grouper or sharks. I love the shore diving since I get so seasick on boats. Variety of lodging options. Airfare to Bonaire is expensive and can be a PITA.
-St. Croix. Landscape can range from arid to tropical. The east end of the island seemed to be where the nicer properties and restaurants are located. Unfortunately the diving was on the other end. Boat diving is expensive. There are quite a few shore diving options. Cane Bay Wall offered regular shark sightings but was a loooong swim out with a lack of other marine life present. The pier in Frederikstead was one of my favorites. On one dive alone we saw frogfish, sea horses, and even a bat fish. I don't think that I would want to stay in Frederikstead though. There is a lot of poverty and crime on the island, but especially prevalent in Frederikstead.

Cozumel overall seems to offer the most bang for the buck. With a major plus being how accessible it is. Any diver can find a dive op which suits their needs since there are so many choices.

I did notice that many species of fish in Cozumel, particularly parrotfish and angelfish, were larger than those that I had seen elsewhere in the Caribbean. Is that what you meant?

As for larger species, the sea turtles definitely yielded the most frequent and impressive sightings. Beyond that, though, we just saw a few sharks and rays and the occasional barracuda or black grouper.

If you are interested in larger animals, perhaps Sint Maarten is worth a shot. I saw more sharks and barracudas in a day of diving there than I saw in a week on Cozumel. The hard coral coverage is thin, though, and the topography may be rather bland for those divers who place a greater emphasis on it than I do. It is also easier to reach than neighboring Saba and has more to do topside than either Saba or Cozumel.

 

[ronscuba]

In my experience, Cozumel generally has larger corals and more large adult animal life than other Caribbean destinations. Could be the currents, the low fishing pressure, the protected marine park boundary size, combination of all.

Sharks are a different matter. Destinations that do shark feeding increase the likelihood of seeing sharks even on the non feed dives.

 

[k4kafka]

"The DM once aborted a dive for the whole group less than halfway through because one diver's computer malfunctioned. I do not know why he could not have surfaced alone or with a buddy and allowed the rest of us to continue the dive." I would never send anybody to the surface alone if I was a dive master. I am sure the original poster would figure out why. In the last year there have been incidents on the island that surfacing without a buddy has become an issue. As for bringing the group up because of a bad computer, that is a decision he made and I am sure he lost favor and tips because of it. It could easily have been avoided if the briefing before the dives included what to do with failed equipment.

When diving w. Aldora last month, I became aware of their policy of keeping everyone together until the DM flew the SMB. Even if this meant sharing air with a diver low on air. I for one do not enjoy hanging onto a DM for 20 more minutes just to get an 80 minute dive. I do,however understand the liability issues involved,tho'.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

For the record, the dive that was aborted at 30 minutes was indeed due to a divers computer failing. The computer was air integrated and after being at great depth there was no way to know how much air that person had. Once back on the boat the air was checked, and the second half of that dive was completed at a shallower depth. I am really surprised that the original poster couldn't figure that out. Also, he was NEVER denied a night dive on Wednesday or Saturday when we guaranty night dives regardless of load. He was denied a night dive on one "non-guaranteed" night because others were not interested. I just don't understand how he came up with those items.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers