Hi,
A little late, but here are my dos centavos.
Most of the dive shops associated with hotels tend to take out groups of 10-14 divers. They usually have more than one boat and make an effort to segregate divers into less experienced and more experienced groups. However, more often than not the system fails because couples or friends with varying experience level want to dive together. Or a group shows up and takes over a boat. Such is life!
Aqua Safari and Dive Paradise are both reputable outfits and will likely suit your needs. There is also a very good dive shop called the Dive House that is located at the Fiesta Americana Hotel, but I am not certain that they will pick you up.
Now, let me add that I dive with a "shop" that operates a single six-pack and caters to more advanced divers. They will take less advanced souls only if accompanied by a more advanced buddy. Why? Because they use the "loose buddy" system. I'll explain.
Most dives from Cozumel are live-boat drift dives. That is where the boat follows the divers' bubbles and meets them at the surface where they end their dive; that is in contrast to drift dives where you have to fin away from a moored boat and drift back to its location.
In the "loose buddy" system each buddy team comes to the surface independently when their computers or air gauges tell them to. The DM continues with those who still have air or bottom time to go. An inexperienced diver would be wise to avoid such dives until he/she has become an experienced diver.
In addition, there are sites on Coz where the current can be tricky. We happen to love those sites, but the larger boats wisely avoid them because they can be challenging for new divers.
When you get a few more dives under your weight belt, look around at the other boats heading out to the dive sites; there will be lots of them every morning! They usually have the name of the "dive shop" on them. If you see one that you like, look up the name in the phone book and give them a call. That's one way to hook up with a shop that runs a six-pack.
I guess I could be accused of being prejudiced, but I think the diving on Coz is the best in North America! My bet is that, no matter who you dive with, you will thoroughly enjoy the experience. We dive all over the world, but have been to Coz twice this year--and will return one more time before 2002 runs out of steam. It is just that good! And close!
The abudance of sea life there is astounding; the soft coral and gorgonians are there in such colors and varieties that you will run out of adjectives long before your trip is over. If you are lucky, during the day you might see a Splendid Toadfish peeking out at you from under the base of a coral head. If you do a night dive, you are nearly certain to see one. They are just amongst the most beautiful fish I have ever seen. and they are endemic to Coz; i.e., that is the only place they live. Ask your DM to try to "find" one for you. The sign for them is usually fingers under the chin pointing down and wiggling--sorta like a beard of fingers. That is because the Splendid Toadfish has white barbels on its chin. Oh yes, the Spanish name for Splendid Toadfish is Pez Sapo (just plain "toadfish").
Hope this helps.
Scorpionfish
