Female first time travelling solo, first dive trip. I think Cozumel is the way to go?

[ggunn]

I think Don would be right on this one. She's done her certification dives plus 2 open water dives so far which implies not a lot of time learning ANY computer.

I bought my first dive computer the day before a Coz trip. Read the manual thoroughly, a couple of times, on the plane. I was ready.

 

[MMM]

Maybe, maybe not. One shouldn't assume new divers are idiots and can't be taught the basics quickly. Better to make a conditional than a definitive statement IMO. Or ask the question as to how comfortable they are doing this rather than talk down to them.

I think Don would be right on this one. She's done her certification dives plus 2 open water dives so far which implies not a lot of time learning ANY computer.

 

[deepsea21]

.
Deepsea21, I look at dive insurance as a necessary item and a value. One of the Canadian divers we were diving with last month got an undeserved hit at, I seem to recall, 72' about 4 years back. Computers' and tables for that matter are tools to keep the risk within a manageable level but their is still still some risk. Like buying a lottery ticket, somebody will eventually win the jackpot.
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Another thing to consider with 3P is the model of 'dive your tank' , if the OP has decent air consumption 70 minute dives are not unusual.
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Lastly I really enjoyed diving with Cat and yourself and hope to see you same time next December (5 more weeks and I should be down for Carnival)

Gopbroek.. Was great to be diving with you again this year too. It appears a cool group of Christmas divers between last year and this year may be forming but ya never know as things can happen. Unfortunately we seem to catch you the last few days of your December trips but so be it. After you left, Cat and I were diving with Jay Cee and Kate plus two others (can't remember their names) who were diving with us in 2014. We prodded Jay Cee & Kate after we booked our 2015 trip and asked them how much it would suck to be in the states knowing we were in Coz. Well, that's all it took and they were down. Was great to see them again. FYI... Steve's Lion kills (those I saw he was diving with us) couldn't hold a candle to that black-finned monster you nailed. Never knew those friggin' things could grow so big!

---------- Post added January 5th, 2016 at 07:05 PM ----------

The greatest mistake anyone could ever make is to lie about their level of dive experience to a dive operator as the DM's are informed of the individual divers' level of experience they will be guiding. Tell a dive op you have 100 dives when you have 10 and you are not only putting yourself at risk but the rest at risk and denying yourself a learning curve you could enjoy under the DM's watchful eye and the eye of those more experienced on the dive. There is no pressure. No one is judging anyone and everyone on board wants all to be safe and help each other gain more experience. We all started with the same open water cert dives then added to them. I've seen a liar who created a spooky situation for himself, the DM and other divers in the group who were concerned for him and helped him. All wished he had just been honest with the dive op and everyone on board. 'Nuf Said.

 

[ohsomeday]

Maybe it would just be worth doing Tres Pelicanos and staying at Bahia. They quoted me $838 USD with taxes and fees for standard room for 7 nights with 4 2 tank dives and a night dive, with gear. Is that pretty good? I think that will be around $200 more than if I did airbnb with Tres Pelicanos...probably worth it for the peace of mind? Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm going to book my flight tonight!

 

[DandyDon]

Maybe it would just be worth doing Tres Pelicanos and staying at Bahia. They quoted me $838 USD with taxes and fees for standard room for 7 nights with 4 2 tank dives and a night dive, with gear. Is that pretty good? I think that will be around $200 more than if I did airbnb with Tres Pelicanos...probably worth it for the peace of mind? Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm going to book my flight tonight!

Glad you're still with us here after all of this cussing & discussing. :laughing:

Jeanie at Tres Pelicanos booking does excellent work, it's always great to have her taking care of your details - but I prefer booking my diving separately for various reasons. Options depends on dates, supply & demand, and more - but looking at after Carnival as you said you preferred, if we look at February 10-17, you can probably find good fares on that non-stop flight we discussed earlier. So...

We found TP, 4 day trips plus 1 night dive, with gear rental: $377 plus taxes

Shopping Kayak for comparisons on hotels, I see others starting as low as $24/night plus taxes - and maybe I should look into some of those sometime, but booking Bahia thru Orbitz @ $51/night = $351.12 plus taxes.

By the time you add taxes to those, it's about the same - so book it either way, whichever you prefer.

 

[nodakdive]

Maybe it would just be worth doing Tres Pelicanos and staying at Bahia. They quoted me $838 USD with taxes and fees for standard room for 7 nights with 4 2 tank dives and a night dive, with gear. Is that pretty good? I think that will be around $200 more than if I did airbnb with Tres Pelicanos...probably worth it for the peace of mind? Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm going to book my flight tonight!

Without comparing prices, etc, that would be a pretty convenient option. Don, I was referring to an earlier post of mine where I suggested looking into Deep Blue for the dive op, as they leave from the downtown pier, they leave later, and the price is comparable. I compared 5 trip packages at that time. A 4 trip package with Deep Blue is $296, plus approx. $50 for rental. Adding a night dive would bring the total to about $400. Though it is a little more, in this case about $23 more compared to TP, I'd pay $23 extra to avoid the car ride to the marina every morning. Since they don't leave until 9am, one has plenty of time to eat breakfast and get to the pier. Another advantage to leaving later is that in the hundreds of dives I've done with Deep Blue, I've only run into another group on the reef a small handful of times. Deep Blue Cozumel Diving: Deep Blue Cozumel

 

[Ron Lee]

cheaptickets.com

Hotel only. Location is Cozumel.

10-17 Feb 2016

Bahia with "newyear" promo code is $318.43 TOTAL (with taxes).

Promo code entered on "Checkout" page...right side under "Total due at booking"

Hotel (7 nights)
2 guests $75.81 avg/night	$530.67
EXCLUSIVE! GREAT DEAL !	-$201.67
Promo code applied	-$65.80
Taxes and fees	$55.23
Total due at booking	$318.43

 

[deepsea21]

Maybe it would just be worth doing Tres Pelicanos and staying at Bahia. They quoted me $838 USD with taxes and fees for standard room for 7 nights with 4 2 tank dives and a night dive, with gear. Is that pretty good? I think that will be around $200 more than if I did airbnb with Tres Pelicanos...probably worth it for the peace of mind? Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm going to book my flight tonight!

I say book all with Jeanie via 3P's, enjoy the Bahia Suites (which is like 2 blocks north of the Casa Mexicana on the same main street), enjoy that great breakfast at the Casa every day and forget about all this planning. I am anal when it comes to research and planning and my 14 years diving Coz won't lead you astray. If you experience any stress or are upset with the package 3P's puts together by all means share your experience with all. I can tell you right now that will never happen as you will have an absolutely fantastic trip! Join the "Pelican" family... We did and we are absolutely thrilled. Yeah, as owner Steve would say, I am now a Pelican!

 

[ohsomeday]

My replies keep getting deleted, arrgh. Anyway I was quoted $838 for 4 days diving, plus gear, plus a night dive with 3P and Bahia Suites. DWM is $285 for 4 days diving plus a night dive. If I got a hotel downtown, say hotel mary carmen, it would be about $268, so with that and DWM it would be $553. I am really torn because I like the idea of the convenience of 3P and Bahia, but for me with the exchange that's about almost $1300 where as a hotel and DWM would be around $800 CAD.

 

[MMM]

$500 will buy you a lot of taxi rides....HOWEVER, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Are taxes and Marine Park fees included in both of these estimates?

My replies keep getting deleted, arrgh. Anyway I was quoted $838 for 4 days diving, plus gear, plus a night dive with 3P and Bahia Suites. DWM is $285 for 4 days diving plus a night dive. If I got a hotel downtown, say hotel mary carmen, it would be about $268, so with that and DWM it would be $553. I am really torn because I like the idea of the convenience of 3P and Bahia, but for me with the exchange that's about almost $1300 where as a hotel and DWM would be around $800 CAD.