dive sites in cozumel

[mita]

hi!
i'm doing a group trip to cozumel next week. We'll be staying at La Ceiba and already booked 2 boats: one for the OWs/novices and other for advanced.

Somehow i managed to convince the operator to let me pick the sites for the advanced dives!!! Very very happy

I'm thinking about Maracaibo, Punta ser (devil's throat), colombia, palancar horseshow, palancar caves, santa rosa and punta tunich... There are only 6 dives, so i have to leave something out.

Which one will you leave out (or add)??? In what order would you dive? I've been to cozumel a couple of times, but i always forget the order (plus, it's my first time planning an advanced trip)

thanks!
mita

 

[mrnelson]

I've been to all of your suggestions except Maricaibo. Are your advanced divers using mixed gas? If so, you can get a bunch in around the long reef between Punta Sur and the Horshoe in a couple of days. I'm sure Maricaibo would be fantastic!

My fav is Santa Rosa Wall. Columbia is a close second. (Columbia is actually along the lenght of the reef conneting Punta Sur with the Horshoe.)

Any dive here is specacular, and not neccessarialy advanced, except for the bottom time you might desire.

 

[sngatlanta]

If I remember correctly we reached a depth of about 120 ftsw on Punta Sur and only about 90 ftsw on Columbia Reef so deep first.
Maracaibo and Santa Rosa are more in the 70 ftsw range and make good 2nd or 3rd dives.
I would simply arrange these in order of depth as they are all excellent dives. The Punta Sur/Devil’s Throat is my favorite with the openings letting in narrow shafts of light from above. Look for the white cross on the wall.

 

[ggunn]

sngatlanta once bubbled...
If I remember correctly we reached a depth of about 120 ftsw on Punta Sur and only about 90 ftsw on Columbia Reef so deep first.
Maracaibo and Santa Rosa are more in the 70 ftsw range and make good 2nd or 3rd dives.

Usually my dives at Columbia (as opposed to Columbia Shallows) have maxxed at about 115 fsw. Maracaibo is a deep dive (http://www.underwatercolours.com/cozumel/maps/maracaib.html), and is considered by many to be an advanced dive. Santa Rosa is deep as well, though not as deep as Maracaibo. Both are generally first dives.

 

[cxg31s]

arrange the dives in order of depth. If you only have 6 dives available, then your list is fine--out of the 7 you mention I would dump Tunich. But, keep in mind that currents at Maracaibo are crazy and conditions may not allow you to dive that site, so you should have a few back-up dive sites in mind. You can't go wrong with Columbia or anywhere on Palancar.

You don't mention some of my favorites--Las Palmas, Palancar Gardens and Bricks, Francesca, Dalilah and Cedral. In my opinion, don't select the dive sites just because it says "advanced" on the little list--select the dive sites according to bio-diversity, keep depth in mind for 2nd and 3rd dives and adjust the dive sites according to daily diving conditions. Since it's November, you just never know what's going to be happening underwater each day. I would probably have at least 3 back-ups so you don't get stuck on the dive boat going "Uhhhhh, well we can't dive here, where should we go?"

Have a great time--I'll be down there Thanksgiving week!

 

[sngatlanta]

ggunn
You may be right.

Checked my log book on these two and it shows 70- 85ftsw for them but notation also points out that we were well off the bottom and only skimmed the top of the reef idue to depth limit on both. We will be back down there in January and I think will hit these on the first dive to see what we missed.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[BrettM]

There is a very nice dive guide and log book recently published that has a very nice detail on all the major dive sites on Cozumel. I picked one up on my last visit to Coz and have enjoyed reading it. Each dive site has a nice description including depth and difficulty along with an accurate diagram of the reef layout and the most typical dive route taken for that site along with key points of interest.

The book was put out by Underwater Editions and their web site is www.underwatereditions.com

Worth looking into for those who want to plan out their wish list of sites to visit while in Coz.

 

[mediakzar]

If you went with your list, I'm sure you will have a great time. But of the dives you listed, I would leave out Santa Rosa. I know a lot of people love it but it's not all that high on my personal list.

You can do Tunich as a shallow dive. We frequently do it to about 60-65. To do that, there are some sections where you have to swim a bit off the bottom across some valleys. In the same general area is a really cool wall dive I've heard referred to by some as Tom's Wall and by other's as Virgin Wall. I've only done it a couple times.

You might also consider adding The Cedral Wall, a really nice wall dive where there is stuff to see from 80 to 130 feet (and deeper).

And of course you've left out all of the advanced sites on the north end, Baracuda, San Juan, Canta Mar.

Joel
http://www.mxtravel.com/cozumel.html

 

[DeepScuba]

I've done all the ones on the list, most at least twice.

I know DEEP is "in", but really, as my wife points out every time I wanna do some 150-200ft wall dive, that the best dives lay at 60-80ft.

Leave out Maracaibo and, Oooooh I don't wanna say it, possibly Devils Throat.......you'll get more bottom time from the others, and probably more fish life worth remembering.

JM2Cents

 

[DocVikingo]

"CantaMar?'

I'm familiar with an advanced dive site up north called "Cantarel," but CantaMar is a new one on me.

Can you provide some additional info?

Thanks,

DocVikingo