Help! Daytrip to Cozumel

[Scuba Scotty]

Cozumel and Tulum are both 1 hour from Playa, so day tripping is very easy. Many, if not most, of the diveshops in Cozumel have an afternoon 2 tank - so show up any time before noon, look around, and you're diving Cozumel. There's many cenotes between Playa and Tulum. Tulum has a better beach than Playa IMO, and Cozumel has better reef diving than either.

If you add up all of what's great about diving Cozumel, there are many destinations that surpass it. However, it is widely accepted that the Cenotes offer the best recreational cave dives in the world.

I'm not sure how much time you have, how locked in you are to your resort, how much luggage you have, etc. But you could easily dive Cozumel for a couple days, cenotes for a couple days, and the Blue Hole in Belize within the span of a week. Or you could sip drinks on the beach and never leave Playa. Whatever you're style it's there, but for the really good diving you'll need to hop on a boat, or in a van.

-Scotty

 

[DandyDon]

I don't see sending a newbie with less than 24 dives into Cenotes, do y'all...?

Cozumel and Tulum are both 1 hour from Playa, so day tripping is very easy. Many, if not most, of the diveshops in Cozumel have an afternoon 2 tank - so show up any time before noon, look around, and you're diving Cozumel.

Some do, if they have enough divers as well as room for another. Can be done, but the morning trips are best I think.

But you could easily dive Cozumel for a couple days, cenotes for a couple days, and the Blue Hole in Belize within the span of a week.

Explain that one for me, will ya? You've traveled from PDC to Belize and done the Blue Hole - and would suggest a single lady make a trip? Blue Hole is not a dive I'd suggest to a newbie traveling alone. I know that the Ops take them there all the time, been there, but - well, I won't go on as I don't see that trip happening here...?

 

[m lynn marshall]

WOW!! Thank you sooo much for the replies. You guys have so many dives in and it is really great to get some expert advice. I am thinking of going snorkelling at Akumel and surrounding area so will be venturing off that way but I definitely will go to Cozumel at least for 2 dives and not worry so much about hanging out at a great beach their.

What a great forum this is!!

Thanks again, Lynn

 

[DandyDon]

Experts? Where, where?

Have a great trip. I don't think you'll snorkel much now that you can scuba, but whichever you do - don't do it alone. Make friends and dive together.

I think the Belize idea was an Oops here.

 

[ggunn]

WOW!! Thank you sooo much for the replies. You guys have so many dives in and it is really great to get some expert advice. I am thinking of going snorkelling at Akumel and surrounding area so will be venturing off that way but I definitely will go to Cozumel at least for 2 dives and not worry so much about hanging out at a great beach their.

Well, there are plenty of great places to hang out on a beach on Cozumel, just not at the same places where there are great dives. It's a small island; you won't have a problem doing both.

 

[Scuba Scotty]

I think the Belize idea was an Oops here.

Actually no, not an oops in any way. Yes I have traveled to Belize from PDC and so have my parents (who are inexperienced travelers who don't speak a lick of Spanish), if you can microwave a hot pocket you can make it to San Pedro And I'd have no problem suggesting it to a single lady.

There are multiple options, the best two are these:

1) 1 buy a bus ticket from PDC to Chetumel (this might be two tickets, PDC to Tulum, then Tulum to Chetumel) from the Ado Station in PDC (~$12 US) - very straightforward. (slower, more expesive, possibly more comfortable).

2) The faster and cheaper option is to hop a combi (van taxi) from PDC to Tulum (30 pesos), then a Combi from Tulum to Chetumel (30 pesos).

Then you catch a bus or taxi across the border to Corozal (safe, English speaking, pleasant). Then there is a water taxi to San Pedro. The ferry runs at 3pm and takes 1.5 - 2 hours.

So if you leave PDC at 8 or 9am in a combi you can get there at a relaxed pace the same day, or catch the earliest bus. If you miss the boat there's one at 7:00am in the morning.

As for Blue Hole and experience level. There are situations that genuinely require an experienced diver but the Blue Hole isn't one of them. If you're a lousy diver (many of these with lots of dives) then the Blue Hole potentially isn't for you, but if you are calm and confident - then go. It's very straightforward, you just clear your ears a couple more times. The Blue Hole is a sounding board for higher level divers to go on about safety and "third world" dive ops, but the truth is it just isn't a "hardcore" or excessively dangerous dive, it's probably one of the easiest you'll ever do. Listen to the words of caution but don't be deterred by them. The diving is Cozumel is 100 times more difficult.

As for accommodations. I've been down there twice at Christmas - New Years, which is busiest time of year. I never make reservations and it's never a problem, just show up, walk around for a minute and you'll find lots of rooms available.

Granted this might not be for you, some people aren't comfortable without everything booked in advance. To take in a couple of countries in a short amount of time is something a traveler does, not most vacationers. The reaction here proves that there is some sort of disconnect with Belize & Mayan Riviera diving, why? Probably resort mentality. Too bad because when put altogether Cozumel, Cenotes, and the Blue Hole is one of the most exciting and easily accessible diving itineraries in the Western Hemisphere.

Cheers,

Scotty

 

[DandyDon]

Actually no, not an oops in any way. Yes I have traveled to Belize from PDC and so have my parents (who are inexperienced travelers who don't speak a lick of Spanish), if you can microwave a hot pocket you can make it to San Pedro And I'd have no problem suggesting it to a single lady.

There are multiple options, the best two are these: 1 buy a bus ticket from PDC to Chetumel (this might be two tickets, PDC to Tulum, then Tulum to Chetumel) from the Ado Station in PDC (~$12 US) - very straightforward.

The faster and cheaper option is to hop a combi (van taxi) from PDC to Tulum (30 pesos), then a Combi from Tulum to Chetumel (30 pesos). Then you can bus or taxi (easiest) across the border to Corozal (safe, English speaking, pleasant), and grab a water taxi to San Pedro. The ferry runs at 3pm and takes 1.5 - 2 hours. So if you leave PDC at 8 or 9am in a combi you can get there at a relaxed pace the same day, or catch the earliest bus. If you miss the boat there's one at 7:00am in the morning.

Ok thanks. I've never been down that road further than the Cenotes park. Didn't realize it was that easy, and that you were speaking from experience. San Pedro is a neat village to visit.

As for Blue Hole and experience level. There are situations that genuinely require an experienced diver but the Blue Hole isn't one of them. If you're a lousy diver (many of these with lots of dives) then the Blue Hole potentially isn't for you, but if you are calm and confident - then go. It's very straightforward, you just clear your ears a couple more times. The Blue Hole is a sounding board for higher level divers to go on about safety and "third world" dive ops, but the truth is it just isn't a "hardcore" or excessively dangerous dive, it's probably one of the easiest you'll ever do. Listen to the words of caution but don't be deterred by them. The diving is Cozumel is 100 times more difficu

Huh? What language was that before Babelfish?

As for accommodations. I've been down there twice at Christmas - New Years, which is busiest time of year. I never make reservations and it's never a problem, just show up, walk around for a minute and you'll find lots of rooms available.

Granted this might not be for you, some people aren't comfortable without everything booked in advance. To take in a couple of countries in a short amount of time is something a traveler does, not most vacationers. The reaction here proves that there is some sort of disconnect with Belize & Mayan Riviera diving, why? Probably resort mentality. Too bad because when put altogether Cozumel, Cenotes, and the Blue Hole is one of the most exciting and easily accessible diving itineraries in the Western Hemisphere.

Cheers,

Scotty

Sounds like an adventure. I would not suggest Cenotes and the 150 ft dive on the Blue Hole after a 3 hour boat ride to a newbie tho.

 

[scubawife]

You can also go by boat from Xcalak to San Pedro. XTC dive shop in Xcalak offers the service. I think it might require a minimum number people, not sure. There is likely others out of Mahahual and Xcalak doing the boat runs too.

That would be good if you wanted to stay in Mahahual or Xcalak and do some diving or just beach bumming there before or after Belize.

For cenotes, I think it's more to do with individual comfort and skill level then the number of dives. Some people will have great buoyancy skills and be very comfortable after 20-25 dives, some haven't mastered it yet at 100+ dives. If you try them before you have the comfort and control needed, it's not a very enjoyable experience.

 

[Scuba Scotty]

I would not suggest Cenotes and the 150 ft dive on the Blue Hole after a 3 hour boat ride to a newbie tho.

Definitely valid and certainly the safe advice to give. I'm happy to provide theother side of the argument though, which is a little more rare. I'm simply clueing Lynn in on some options she has.

I'm particularly comfortable recommending these dives because I watched my dad navigate Tajma Ha, Chacmool, & Kukulkan (these are cenotes Lynn) perfectly, they were dives 5, 6, & 7 for him! Then he went off on his own and did Blue hole (dive 10!). He still enjoys a good laugh at the abundant lectures he got about the Blue Hole. It's not blissful ignorance, it's a short, straightforward, regular non-deco dive well within the skill level of almost any certified diver. It was dive 13 for me.

Point is I think what should really be considered is not how new or experienced you are but how calm, confident, and skilled you are. You need a reasonable level skill for these dives, but nothing that you couldn't have gained in your OW class. You also need to not lose your cool, which is a personal characteristic.

So I recommend these dives because I see no immediate disqualifications and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Do you have disqualifying factors? I don't know, maybe, but your number of dives tells me nothing about them.

Cheers,

Scotty

 

[halocline]

I think it would be a waste of time to go to Belize if you're that close to Cozumel. Save that for a different trip. It's very easy to get on an early ferry, do morning dives in Coz, and relax on the beach on the afternoon, although if you're staying in playa there are certainly good beaches there too, so if it were me I'd spend the entire day diving in Cozumel. A nice way to do that would be two morning dives, a relaxed lunch (try las palmas, it's the best) and then a twilight dive which includes a late afternoon and night dive. That would only work if there's a late enough ferry to get you back, but I have feeling there's a 9:00 or 10:00. It's easy to find out.