Dive Paradise in Cozumel

[HammerNoMore]

No. None of the small fast boats have a head.

Sure they do. But I think most people call it the ocean.

James

 

[Natasha]

Sure they do. But I think most people call it the ocean.

James

Oops. Silly me!
:toilet_cl

 

[fowlplay]

We had used DP twice with local dive shop and really enjoyed them. Wonderful time, good service, concerned with safety, etc. Stayed at Las Brisas (now Hotel Cozumel) and it was very convenient. Only thing I saw was the boats we used were slower. Watched all the boats pass us by on the way to the reefs.

My daughter and I took a trip over President's Day weekend and after reading alot of threads on this site as well as others , thought we would try one of these highly recommended fast boat operations. Many, many people make fun of these cattle boats, so thought it had to be ALOT better. Boy was I WRONG!

Chose an operation highly recommended on this board. Pick up at HC dock at 8:00. Right! Pick up at dock, take back to dive shop. Wait one hour while they assign boats, etc. Get on boat and race to reef. Several mornings were very rough and we got the crap beat out of us. Fast boat was too fast. Boats are like small airplanes, when the the weather is rough slow down!! Didn't happen. Fast boats are only food if water is flat. I have owned boats for twenty years and when water is rough SLOW DOWN!!

After first days dive go back to dive shop. Deliver us back at HC dock? Wait one hour until boat leaves for afternoon trip. Next four days take taxi back to HC. Cost five dollars per trip. Daughter didn't dive some afternoons, so two taxis = 10 dollars. Bottom line was leave at 8 get back at 1. Same as DP with slow boat. No time saved.

Big boats room to move around. Equipment can be checked, etc. Small boat they set equipment up and hand it to you when you get to the reef. My daughter lost her tank on the first dive. Another diver lost his tank on the second dive. After the first dive I went to the back of the boat and checked out our equipment on the rough ride out. Fell sown at least once, but worth the effort.

On one dives one of the divers, 10 minutes into the dive ran out of air. Grabbed the divemasters alternate air source took one breath and the regulator actually fell APART!! Divemaster gave him his primary while he put it back together. After they got settled down found that the air was not turned on completely.

Also saw alot of handling of marine life. Octupi pulled from holes, splendid toadfish chased from holes, crab had a leg broken by a diver.

Bottom line for me is this: Will make at least two trips per year to Cozumel. One with LDS and other with daughter on PD weekend. Will stay with DP. Tried the highly recommeded fast boat scenario. Saw no advantages. Same amount of time involved, rougher ride. Safety items were possibly just a freak thing, but I doubt it.

 

[Natasha]

I've used them over the years and have always been happy. I just sent in payment for my May trip. They haven't let me down yet.

 

[mlove]

Hey foulplay, that’s quite a contrariety point of view. But I tend to agree with you. I have dove small boats and enjoyed them. When I go to Cozumel, I am on vacation, and part of the fun is the trip out to the reef, setting up my gear, talking to other divers, and enjoying the view. A stable mid size boat with 8 to 10 people is a pretty good scenario. That describes ScubaClubCozumel.

Regards,
Mike

 

[MgicTwnger]

I went to Coz in Feb. and dove with Paradise and stayed at Villablanca Beach Resort[4-5 miles south of town]and had a really great time.The Paradise dock is right across the street from Villablanca where they picked me up every morning--very easy access,and dropped me off.Villablanca was clean,inexpensive,and quiet-soooo relaxing.The group I dove with stayed at Las Brisas,I was a liitle late signing up for the trip so had to find alternate lodging,I'am glad I did.They really did'nt seem all that happy with Las Brisas in general[mainly the food selection and variety] but we all enjoyed the dive op----the boats are'nt the fastest,but the divemasters showed us some great stuff and were competent.I generally try and stay away from the mainsteam all inclusives,unless all you want to do is sit around the pool all day.
Check out Palancar Caves its really something you won't want to miss!!!Have a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!


P.S. Try the Sonora Grill off the
main square-17.00usd for lobster
dinner!!
ASTA

SCUBA STEVE :mean:

I also did the Villablanca and Dive Paradise in January and had a blast. Excellent bang for the buck. Here's a couple of suggestions:
Upgrade to a "superior" room. You'll be glad you did.
Get to know Nancy the snack bar lady.

 

[Juls64]

Is it? One air hog in the group hitting 700 psi terminates the dive for everybody? That's not for me.

At least it wasn't for us. When you hit 700 you were done. The first person done the DM would throw his bag for the boat to see him and the people would get out as they were done.

Those poor people! Some were done in like 25 or 30 minutes while others of us averaged over an 1 hour a dive.

 

[ggunn]

My daughter and I took a trip over President's Day weekend and after reading alot of threads on this site as well as others , thought we would try one of these highly recommended fast boat operations. Many, many people make fun of these cattle boats, so thought it had to be ALOT better. Boy was I WRONG!

[...]

Bottom line for me is this: Will make at least two trips per year to Cozumel. One with LDS and other with daughter on PD weekend. Will stay with DP. Tried the highly recommeded fast boat scenario. Saw no advantages. Same amount of time involved, rougher ride. Safety items were possibly just a freak thing, but I doubt it.

Well, a lot of what you didn't like had nothing to do with the size if the boat, i.e., damage to the reefs, harassment of the wildlife, equipment probs, etc. Every time I have been picked up at my hotel (and I always use small boat ops), the only stops on the way to the reef were at other hotels to get other divers; I have never been taken to another location to redistribute divers to boats. The op I dive with is every bit as safety conscious as DP, they get us out to the reef well ahead of the large boats, and I'm usually kicking back with a sandwich and a beer by the time the large boats are passing by on the way back in.

But DSFDF (Different Strokes For Different Folks), and YMMV. The dive's the thing.

 

[fowlplay]

Getting beat up on the way out. Equipment in the back of the boat and not being able to check it out. Those things are related to small boats.

The other point I was making is DP gets hammered sometimes as a cattle boat operation. Checked out a small boat operation that was highly recommended and was disappointed. Offering an alternative view to what I have read posted on this subject.

I agree some problems were not related to boat size, but experienced these things with a "small boat operation". DP gets hammered as a "cattle boat operation", but didn't experince any of these problems with them.

By the way, two days harbor was closed to small boats. Small boat operation rented cattle boats so we could dive.

 

[ggunn]

Getting beat up on the way out. Equipment in the back of the boat and not being able to check it out. Those things are related to small boats.

The other point I was making is DP gets hammered sometimes as a cattle boat operation. Checked out a small boat operation that was highly recommended and was disappointed. Offering an alternative view to what I have read posted on this subject.

I agree some problems were not related to boat size, but experienced these things with a "small boat operation". DP gets hammered as a "cattle boat operation", but didn't experince any of these problems with them.

By the way, two days harbor was closed to small boats. Small boat operation rented cattle boats so we could dive.

Yes, but this stuff:
My daughter lost her tank on the first dive. Another diver lost his tank on the second dive. After the first dive I went to the back of the boat and checked out our equipment on the rough ride out. Fell down at least once, but worth the effort.

On one dives one of the divers, 10 minutes into the dive ran out of air. Grabbed the divemasters alternate air source took one breath and the regulator actually fell APART!! Divemaster gave him his primary while he put it back together. After they got settled down found that the air was not turned on completely.

Also saw alot of handling of marine life. Octupi pulled from holes, splendid toadfish chased from holes, crab had a leg broken by a diver.

That's negative stuff, I agree, but it's mostly poor conduct that could have just as easily been demonstrated by a large boat op. The small boat op I dive with does not rush anyone into the water, but allows all the time we need to check out our gear when we arrive at the reef, so going through that stuff in transit is not necessary.

I've been around boats all my life, and a bit of a bumpy ride to the dive site is no big deal to me. I'm sorry you fell, but someone with all the boating experience you have should know that on a small boat going fast through rough water, you should sit down. ;^)

But as I say, DSFDF and YMMV. I have never "hammered" DP; their op is well suited for some divers, not so well for others.