Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

[ojo]

Ok, well, it's the basic backroll, stay with your assigned buddy and the group, and on surfacing wait for the boat and ladder. There will be a briefing before every dive you should listed to carefully.

Nah, it's much more than a start. You should know what you're doing by now. Do put your info in the first shot and protect it so it can't be erased, and pass it to the skipper before your fins. I assume that you have DAN Dive insurance - essential, but comprehensive Trip insurance is a good idea still as you are leaving the US, your medical insurance is probably not valid there, and bad things happen at times.

Thanks for your thoughts, o seasoned veteran of Cozumel trips! Just saw your "August roll call" post. I hope you have a fabulous birthday there!
I'm one of the luckies who has a Medicare Advantage plan that covers me out of the country. Go figure. And have trip/dive insurance.

 

[NeilA.]

Perusing that fabuous chart, and I admit to a bit of overwhelm. I've seen Scuba Tony mentioned numerous times on the Cozumel threads. How easy is boat entry from the water? Any glitches or limitations with them?

Hi, my experience with entering the boat with Scuba Tony was very good. I would pass my fins up, remove my BCD, then climb the ladder. The crew were, fit, strong and experienced. They would get my gear in the boat effortlessly.

 

[ojo]

Hi, my experience with entering the boat with Scuba Tony was very good. I would pass my fins up, remove my BCD, then climb the ladder. The crew were, fit, strong and experienced. They would get my gear in the boat effortlessly.

Great, thanks. I imagined it being tipsier than usual!

 

[morecowbells]

Perusing that fabuous chart, and I admit to a bit of overwhelm. I've seen Scuba Tony mentioned numerous times on the Cozumel threads. How easy is boat entry from the water? Any glitches or limitations with them?

Scuba Tony is a solid dive op and has been around for a long time. Exit and entry are made super easy. We got certified through them. One thing you may want to check into, is if you are allowed to dive your computer time. I don't know what their current policy is regarding group ascents or timed dives.

 

[Regulated]

Hello friends. Mostly lurking, as a noob to this board and a re-activating PADI AOW diver. I'm coming out of hiding to thank @jonhall and the other seasoned members who have contributed to this thread.

The War Department and I had a memorable trip to CZM more than 25 years ago (pre-kids and pre-cruise ship terminal). We stayed at El Presidente on the south end of the island and dove 2 tanks each morning with Aldora. We selected them on a stroll through the town because we liked their attitude. Pleased to see they are still in business. At that time, the 6-packs were not pangas, but actual speedboats with a swim step and an able crew.

We would have breakfast at the hotel pier while keeping an eye on the water. When a small boat started to rapidly overtake the others chugging south (we termed this the "hauling-a** test"), we knew to finish our coffee and prepare to leap aboard. Aldora kept our BCs and regs. The crew had them set up and ready to dive each morning. We were always first in the water, far ahead of the cattle boats. We have great memories of drifting along the wall, lazing away the surface interval on the beach, and seeing cool stuff in the shallower waters on the second dive. Hoping to revisit CZM soon in the amazing Nitrox-dive computer-digital photography era. And hoping to entice the War Department (another lapsed PADI AOW diver) to reactivate also. Who knew??

 

[DandyDon]

dove 2 tanks each morning with Aldora. We selected them on a stroll through the town because we liked their attitude. Pleased to see they are still in business.

Aldora still in business? Sure, listed in the As.

 

[Rob9876]

Bump. Last revision of spreadsheet found in post 125: Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

 

[DandyDon]

Bump. Last revision of spreadsheet found in post 125: Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

This one...??

Posting the link to the spreadsheet again so it's easier to find. Anyone who has been recently and has any updated info, feel free to let me know and I will make changes.

Dive ops by jonhall

 

[Augustus]

One operator not listed.http://divecharrocozumel.com/. Carlos runs the show now before he took over his father ran the shop. Likely is one of the oldest divers still diving started with aqua safari in the 60’s

 

[Rob9876]

One operator not listed.http://divecharrocozumel.com/. Carlos runs the show now before he took over his father ran the shop. Likely is one of the oldest divers still diving started with aqua safari in the 60’s

Interesting, have not heard about them. I see they have a 9:30 a.m. departure and include lunch, photos on Facebook show a big boat. So, with all that, assuming about 6 hours total for the 2 tank trip including lunch -- would that be about right?