Cozumel vs. Belize

[kelswm7]

So I am becoming SCUBA certified within the next month and I am EXTREMELY excited about this. I have snorkeled before and loved it, so I wanted to take the next step. I am an extremely strong swimmer-all conference for a Division I college-so I hope Scuba diving will come a little easier for me as I feel completely at home in the water. My main question is if anyone has been diving in Cozumel and Belize and what place they would recommend the most. My family and I are going on a cruise and will have a day in Cozumel and then another day in Belize. Part of me would love to dive at both places both I do not know what the price range will be. So if I have to choose what area should I dive in, and what company have you had great experience with. Also any other advice anyone could give me about diving I would appreciate it. Like I said I am super excited about diving and thank you for all your help!

 

[mwhities]

So I am becoming SCUBA certified within the next month and I am EXTREMELY excited about this. I have snorkeled before and loved it, so I wanted to take the next step. I am an extremely strong swimmer-all conference for a Division I college-so I hope Scuba diving will come a little easier for me as I feel completely at home in the water. My main question is if anyone has been diving in Cozumel and Belize and what place they would recommend the most. My family and I are going on a cruise and will have a day in Cozumel and then another day in Belize. Part of me would love to dive at both places both I do not know what the price range will be. So if I have to choose what area should I dive in, and what company have you had great experience with. Also any other advice anyone could give me about diving I would appreciate it. Like I said I am super excited about diving and thank you for all your help!

I went on a Norwegian cruise last year and I dove Belize and Cozumel. I dove with the cruise line dive op in Belize because of the toll and dove with Cozumel Diving: Blue XT SEA Diving, Cozumel Mexico in Cozumel.

I think through the ship it was 130.00 or 140.00 dollars to dive. Cozumel Diving: Blue XT SEA Diving, Cozumel Mexico was only 90.00 or so for two tank dives.

I preferred Cozumel over Belize. Then again, if I didn't go through the ship, I might've had better dive sites.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Cozumel actually has pretty great diving. A lot of it is drift diving but is still pretty easy for a beginner. We were worried, after our first couple drift dives we loved it and had a great time. Cozumel should be a lot cheaper. We just got back from Belize and EVERYTHING is expensive for activities (diving or otherwise). We were on a liveaboard so we didn't have to pay anything individually for dives but a day trip to the Blue Hole or most other dive sites was usually over $300 per person for 3 tanks on Ambergris Caye and from Belize City. We paid $90 for a driver to take us to the Zoo and wait for us in the car almost the whole time and that didn't even include the $6 or so to get into the zoo. Cozumel will be a lot cheaper. Belize does have some great things to do though, even if they are expensive. Mayan ruins, cave tubing, the zoo was awesome and more... Click on the link below and you can see my Cozumel photos and Belize photos under my albums tab.

Have fun, Be Safe and welcome to diving!

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I did Royal Caribbean in Sept and dove in Fort Lauderdale (where we left from) plus Cozumel AND Belize. If you can, I would recommend doing both! I preferred Belize over Cozumel but they may have been because the shop used by the cruise line in Cozumel (Sand Dollar Sports was terrible). They sucked for multiple reasons, but the largest was that they had us dive basically right next to their shop so as not to waste gas...and as a result half of our dive was over sand. Belize was amazing...but Belize also has better land excursions than Cozumel (Zipline through the rain forrest and cave tubing is the most popular one). If you do Belize, go with the shop the cruise line picks out. You have to tender in Belize and take little shuttle boats to and from land. The people who book excursions through the ship get off first, so if you book on your own you have to wait for all the exursion people to go first then you start taking numbers. When I went the dive shop picked us up from the ship in the dive boat and we were off, no wasting time on land!

But my bad experience aside, Cozumel and Belize are two of the best dive destinations in the world...if you have the chance to do them both...do them both! You can spend time on land during another cruise with less diving friendly locations.

 

[Gary Knapp]

both locations are awesome... think the coral might be a little prettier in Belize but we have videos on dvd for diving at both locations check them out

 

[Barefoot Bob]

In 13 days will mark my 5th time to Cozumel and the diving is great. Was in Amberges Cay, Belize a year ago and dove with Amberges divers. Those guys were were top notch and resonable. If you go make sure you do the Blue Hole. Three tank boat dive to the Blue hole was $225 per diver, its a long ways out there. One thing you will see in Belize over Cozumel is alot of Sharks. At least we did and they were so cool.

 

[peterbj7]

a day trip to the Blue Hole or most other dive sites was usually over $300 per person for 3 tanks on Ambergris Caye

I don't know if I'm misunderstanding you as your post isn't clear, but I want to make one point. A trip to the Blue Hole, which is a full day trip including three dives, costs $245 from Ambergris Caye and around $185 from Caye Caulker. Nowhere near the $300 you cite. Two local dives here on Ambergris Caye typically cost $75 or less.

I dive occasionally at Playa del Carmen and on Cozumel, and I have found the price for a dive there to be about the same as on Ambergris Caye, sometimes more. The last time I was there i paid over $80 for two dives. And although there may be good diving there, much of their diving is definitely inferior to our local diving.

 

[Barefoot Bob]

peterbj7...Wow, it really looks like I butched my spelling of Ambergris Caye

 

[sarge2227]

Hello,I have dove in Cozumel in April of 2007 and then again in January 2008 in Belize.I find that all dive sights have their on mystic and stand on their own.When we dove in Cozumel we dove 11 times in 3 days and enjoy each and everyone of them.we dove from a small boat between Playa Del Carmen and the island of Cozumel.This area was a passage for cruise ships and that I believe might have been reason enough for the reefs conditions. When we went to Belize we were 50 miles off shore for 6 plus days.The reefs were more alive and had a broder range of types of dives and locations the quench even the most demanding thrill seeker or like myself , an old man who dives slow , takes lots of pictures and merely takes it all in.To think that one dive at either location would satisfy your needs would be unjust and unfair to attempt to compare the two.Choose one or the other and spend a few days and make up your own mind.I suggest Belize on the Nekton Pilot .Wonderful time.

 

[gypsyjim]

We really enjoyed Belize. We were further south, @ Hamanasi Resort, not on a cruise. Great diving. My one comment is: the Blue Hole is NOT a dive for new certs. I have heard that operators will take newer OW divers down on that dive, but it is a deep "touch and go dive" in the 100 ft range, a real no for an inexperienced diver who is not trained for deeper dives. Even if an operator is willing to risk your life and health, you need to take responsibility for your own safety. It's a great sport, but a little unnecessary risk can cause a lot of hurt! (Voice of experience speaking here!) I enjoyed Cozumel too, but I guess I'm tired of Mexico, and Belize was a bit more off the beaten path.