Favorite Cozumel night dive site?

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A long time ago, on my son's first-ever night dive when he was 10, we ended up trying to dive there. He had trouble clearing his ears so descended slowly and because of the current he and I got separated from the rest of the group. My wife tried to stay where she could see both our lights and those of the rest of the group. Then my (rented) primary light died. Then my (personal) backup light died. Then my son's light started to go wonky. At that point my wife's light disappeared. My kid and I hovered over the bottom as it zoomed past and decided that although we had decent visibility due to the full moon and his iffy light, we should thumb the dive. Around that time, the boat returned with the rest of the group after my wife had made them come get us. Everyone decided the current was excessive for a night dive and we ended up having such a good time on Paradise that my son has been a night dive addict ever since. He still usually tries to keep his light off or covered as much as possible.

Yow! There is so much in that story that puts shivers down my spine, I dive waaaaay more conservatively than that.

Your son's 1st night dive and you're on Santa Rosa wall, and he was 10 years old, and you're the only one with a back up light? Just my opinion, but that really sounds like you guys were pushing your luck, I'd consider a night dive on Santa Rosa wall an advanced dive.
 
For night dives, many favorites but Santa Rosa Shallows is the new one. I have dived Cedral Pass many times and it does not disappoint. Others are Tunich, Villablanca, Dalila, top of San Francisco wall. My favorite will probably change again.
 
Your son's 1st night dive and you're on Santa Rosa wall, and he was 10 years old, and you're the only one with a back up light? Just my opinion, but that really sounds like you guys were pushing your luck, I'd consider a night dive on Santa Rosa wall an advanced dive.

Agreed, though it wasn't Santa Rosa Wall but rather plain ol' Santa Rosa. This was fairly early in our Cozumel career with a shop we no longer use. I wasn't familiar with dive sites by name and didn't even find out the name of the site until afterward. It was also the last time we ever used any rented gear.

---------- Post added February 3rd, 2014 at 12:50 AM ----------

For night dives, many favorites but Santa Rosa Shallows is the new one

Watch out for currents and bad rented lights...
 
Has anyone ever done a night dive at Columbia Shallows?
Did Columbia Shallows a couple times last September, I was disappointed, for me it was a better daytime dive. I actually preferred Delila or Horseshoe.
 
Our last trip (Nov '12, too long...) we did our night dives off the pier of Hotel Cozumel. I know there are better Dives on the reefs but we really enjoyed the shore diving. There's so much going on in the rubble and the bottom time is great because the max depth on three dives was 23'. There were tons of juveniles, squid, moray and sharp tail eels, cushion stars, scorpionfish, octopi, a seahorse and the first mantis shrimp i've seen. Can't beat that for $8 a tank.
 
At least one Night on Paradise, however for me, any site known for Shallow..typically slower drift is good for me. Although, never a for sure thing.... Just poll the divers on the boat, ask your DM , make the best pick and GO !!! Have a Great time !!!
 
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Agreed, though it wasn't Santa Rosa Wall but rather plain ol' Santa Rosa. This was fairly early in our Cozumel career with a shop we no longer use. I wasn't familiar with dive sites by name and didn't even find out the name of the site until afterward. It was also the last time we ever used any rented gear.

Just glad it all turned out well for everyone. :)

---------- Post added February 3rd, 2014 at 10:00 AM ----------

and the first mantis shrimp i've seen. Can't beat that for $8 a tank.

Cool!
 
Looks like I'm going to have to convince the wife and son to do a night dive next month! Our last and only 2 night dives were dull to nasty. Salt Cay was our first and OK, but nothing much to see. The second on Cayman Brac had the same lack of life, except the the hundreds of thousands of blood worms and the like. Yikes! My 12 yr old son was traumatized, especially when he got home and took a shower and a few washed out of his hair! We didn't even bother last month on Grand Turk and by the sounds of it, it was worth the afternoon beer!
 
Only done one night dive in Cozumel, but we enjoyed Paradise. It was better at night than during the day.
 
Our last trip (Nov '12, too long...) we did our night dives off the pier of Hotel Cozumel. I know there are better Dives on the reefs but we really enjoyed the shore diving. There's so much going on in the rubble and the bottom time is great because the max depth on three dives was 23'. There were tons of juveniles, squid, moray and sharp tail eels, cushion stars, scorpionfish, octopi, a seahorse and the first mantis shrimp i've seen. Can't beat that for $8 a tank.

Same with the shore in front of Casa del Mar. You never know what you might see. Saw the biggest porcupine puffer I've ever seen on a night dive there. Actually, that dive feels like a free reach into the grab bag day or night.

Just last year (I think?) they put some kind of concrete structures in water that wasn't very deep, maybe 20 feet deep. They were domes 10-15 feet in diameter with holes cut into them. The bar on the beach across from Paprika, possibly Tikila, has entry into the water and tour operators have brought groups there for at least the last 10 years, and I suspect it's for the snorkelers. My recollection is that they're northwest of the CDM pier. They might be 50-100 yards west and 15-25 yards north.

Does anyone know anything about these structures? Are they meant to be artificial reefs? Who put them there?

Hope they're still there to see what they look like now.

-Blair
 
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