Dive company recommendation for Cozumel in August

[DandyDon]

Casa Mexicana (others here will rave about this hotel as well) in town for 14 years now and 3P's shop for transport to the marina is right around the corner at the back of the block. The Casa has the best breakfast buffet on the island that opens at 7AM sharp so you get a 30-35 minute breakfast before you walk around the corner to the shop. The Suites Bahia and the Colonial are sister hotels to the Casa and cost less but you'll need to walk to the Casa to enjoy the free breakfast buffet that is included (we prefer to get up and take the elevator down to the buffet instead of staying at a sister hotel and walking over).

I am lazy enough, but didn't mind the 450 meter hike from Suites Colonial to Casa Mexicana. I buy a cheap coffee maker the first day to keep in the room (I have a studio booked this year and I think they provide one in those) so I'd have a few cups and head over - or there is free coffee in the lobby.

I admire early rising workers who get to work and get breakfast buffets ready by 7am, but I was irritated last trip that they didn't bother. If I get up early enough for a 7am breakfast, I really want it to be ready - not show up at 7am and wait. Maybe it was just a bad week and this trip will go smoother in that regard.

Any hotel recommendations welcomed too.

We still need to know what you want in a hotel, but we're having a fine time discussing your trip without you.

I also WANT a boat with shade rather than a fast boat without any shade what so ever.

There are plenty of fast boats with shade. Getting on one without shade is just unacceptable.

Hardly any cruise ship divers with Bottom time Divers but he can occasionaly have them if they seek him out. I think in the last 10 years I've seen 4 or 5 cruise ship divers when I was there on trips.

Yeah, divers from barges don't necessarily ruin a dive trip, as long as you avoid the operators who cater to and book thru the ships. They only get half of what you pay the ship and they will be offering a minimum experience.

 

[scubadada]

Everyone has their favorites, mine's Aldora. Many boats, separation of divers by goals and experience, many options for more experienced divers, big steel tanks and great bottom times, pick up most anywhere, great guides, wonderful SIs, Memo...

 

[cbm32]

I have only dove with four of the dive ops on Coz....a rather small sampling. But, one of them I would never bother diving with again, two of them were ok, and the fourth was Tres Pelicanos. Once I dove with 3P's I didnt see any need to look any farther.

3P's, as mentioned by others, provides as much or a little assistance as you want. Free pick up and transportation to the boat, fast boats with shade covers, plenty of fresh water and always something nice to snack on during the surface interval, and you get to dive your tank and computer. The owner and Jeanie are both divers themselves and have been diving Coz for years. They put together an operation that provides the kind of experience that they looked for when diving in the past and, for my money, they have hit the nail on the head.

Interestingly (or maybe not, you tell me LOL) the one shop I would not bother diving with again, might as well just stay on shore as to dive with them in my opinion, used get some mentions in here as a great shop to dive with. But, I haven't seen anyone touting them in a while........

If I were to decide to try a dive op other than Tres Pelicanos, I would probably give Aldora a shot just because they dive some areas other shops dont go and they have such a large and loyal following in here. But, I wont do that unless I do get a real hankering to try the dive sites they go to on the North or east side of the island where Tres Pelicanos doesnt go.

 

[deepsea21]

Actually, the breakfast buffet at the Cozumel Palace blows away the one at Casa Mexicana. There may be others better as well.[/QUOTE]

For what the Cozumel Palace charges PP/Per Night I'd expect my breakfast sausages to be wrapped in 24K edible gold leaf and have a dedicated masseuse to massage my shoulders while I eat it! For what one week at the Palace would cost us, we can spend three weeks at the Casa Mexicana eating and drinking at the best restaurants San Miguel has to offer. If I'm going to spend that kind of $ on a dive vaca, I'll be taking another distant dive destination off our bucket list before I'll pay to stay at the Palace in Cozumel.

For people who have money to burn and like to suck air by all means stay at the Palace and dive with steel tanks in Cozumel.

 

[deepsea21]

Speaking of prime steak, do you know the difference between Tres Pelicanos and say, Aldora or Living Underwater? (besides bigger tanks)

I personally have never been diving with steel tanks for the simple reason that I run out of bottom time before I run out of air diving with an AL80. There are many who enjoy the amount of air a steel tank provides and if they need that air steel is an option. However, it comes at a price... Looking at the three websites for a 2-tank dive, LU is $100 for their steel, Aldora is $93 for steel, and 3P's is $74 for AL80 (all are before tax if I'm reading them right). I prefer to sip air, save $, and dive more.

 

[MMM]

I personally have never been diving with steel tanks for the simple reason that I run out of bottom time before I run out of air diving with an AL80. There are many who enjoy the amount of air a steel tank provides and if they need that air steel is an option. However, it comes at a price... Looking at the three websites for a 2-tank dive, LU is $100 for their steel, Aldora is $93 for steel, and 3P's is $74 for AL80 (all are before tax if I'm reading them right). I prefer to sip air, save $, and dive more.

You aren't reading them right. LU's price includes the 16% tax. Aldora's and 3P's prices do not include tax. Using an apples to apples price comparison, the respective prices are LU: $100; Aldora: $108 and 3P: $86.

 

[scubadada]

I can't believe the cheapskates that dive in Cozumel. You spend a bundle on airfare, lodging, and then nickel and dime the dive ops. Go figure

 

[gopbroek]

I can't believe the cheapskates that dive in Cozumel. You spend a bundle on airfare, lodging, and then nickel and dime the dive ops. Go figure

Not cheap, extremely frugal. Went down and dove last weekend, spent about $250 all in.

 

[DandyDon]

I can't believe the cheapskates that dive in Cozumel. You spend a bundle on airfare, lodging, and then nickel and dime the dive ops. Go figure

I guess it can look that way from your view way over there, I presume as a trip provider? You spend what you have to to get what you want, within needed limits - and maybe some more to get more. Once one gets to Coz tho, why spend more on one than another who provides what you want for less? Most of us whom you might view as cheap will spend & tip, but not freely - we just need to know what we're getting.

 

[morecowbells]

For several years my husband and I used the same dive op every time we visited the island. Two years ago several things really changed. The change which I was least happy about was no longer having the ability to dive my computer/air profile. Last year we tried Bottom Time divers. We were super happy with our decision! Raul was awesome at finding all sorts of critters, surface intervals were at least an hour long and I was able to dive my profile. I will admit that I am guilty of using Tripadvisor as a tool in planning my vacations. I however do agree with the previous post that it lacks gravitas with providing useful dive op reviews. There is one dive op that only has stellar reviews. Once in a blue moon a so-so review is posted, then BAM it disappears. I have learned to take the reviews with a VERY large grain of salt.