People who are disappointed in the "long" boat rides kinda sound to me like they haven't done much diving elsewhere. Cozumel has an amazing number of dive sites very close together.
Help on where to dive and stay for Cozumel first timer!
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waynel
Contributor
Don't know what your budget is because you are staying a month. But it sounds like if you are staying a month you are not going to want to rely on hotel food for that long. I did that once and got sick of it. OK for a week or two, but not one month. Here's an option for you. El Cantil condos. They are right in town, on the water and BlueXT Sea will pick you up at their dock, store your gear after every dive and have it ready for youthe next day. There is a great restaurant next door and the Mega supermarket right across the street. There are pharmacies, restaurants, ice creams parlors, shops, etc. within one hundred yards of the condo. The condos, of course, come with kitchens, a pool, hot tub and snorkeling right off the property on days you don't want to dive.
The 45-60 minute boat ride from downtown is not necessarily long, but that time each way does make the dive day longer. The option is to stay south and get 5-10 minute boat rides.
Nice to have choices. Stay in town to be close to the great food or stay south to be close to the reefs. I've stayed in town many times. Staying south this past spring was a nice change.
Long boat rides depend on who you're diving with and what boats they use. Then again some think a 20-30 minute boat ride is long I guess. If you're on ones of the big cattle boats from town - then yes, you're going to have a long boat ride of an hour or so just to get to Palancar.
What you don't take into account is that when staying all the way south at Iberostar there are some great sites and opportunities you miss because of your far south location. With that said, I do encourage people staying at Ibeerostar (not other properties) to stick with the onsite operator if you plan on diving multiple days so that other divers on the boat don't miss options of more sites for the second dive due to having to stay south or in front of Iberostar.
Some people don't care about getting into town to experience the culture and don't mind AI buffet food - they are content diving and staying at the resort or paying a $40ish round trip cab fare to get to town and back.
To each is own, and that's perfectly ok. But with all due respect, and just because some prefer to stay in town does not in ANY way indicate they are pinching pennies or being cheap - everyone has their own reasons for choosing who to stay and dive with. Not everyone has the same vacation budget, needs or desires. With that said, I think the Iberostar would be the absolute worst recommendation to the original poster based on the requests he posted.
Everyone has their favorites but its refreshing when people refrain from pushing their personal favorite when it's not a match for the requested criteria. The absolute best for one person could be the absolute worst for another. Different expectations and different strokes for different folks - but there is something for everyone here.
craig1225
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I agree.
sharky60
Contributor
Finding a place to stay and dive your first time on Coz can be daunting and most folks end up jumping around a little before landing on their "favorite".
Most dive ops pick up at most hotel/resort/condo docks, there are a few exceptions, of course.
We stay and dive with Blue Angel, for about a dozen years now. Small 22 room, 4 story hotel, with all rooms with private balconies facing the ocean and pool, (except first floor that opens up to ground/pool level patios).
About a mile south of town, fairly easy walk to town, I think, $5 cab ride? not sure we rent a car wen were there. Large rooms, with mini-fridges & safes.
Full service 5-star PADI dive operation and school (Blue Angel Dive and Scuba School.. B.A.D.A.S.S.) Morning, mid-morning, afternoon, twilight and night dives all available. "fast boats" (the 6-pack Panga, can hold up to 8 divers + DM depending on how it is licensed) and larger "cabin cruiser" type boats available for larger crowds (they usually use one of these on the 11am trip, which accommodates cruise shippers and folks coming over from the mainland. If you are thinking about getting more certs, I'd recommend Matt (Mateo) Moran, dive instructor at Blue Angel for that.
A very good restaurant, with free breakfast, (free breakfast may only be on dive days, not sure). Open breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner.
Pretty good shore diving around the stingray enclosure next door and out to the South. Coz isn't known for it's shore diving, but there's a lot to be found on this dive.
again, MOST dive ops will pick up at BA, if you are not diving with them and they have no problem with you just staying there and diving with others or mixing it up as you are talking about
Other dive ops I'd recommend, no particular order:
Dive with Martin
Aldora
Tres Pelicanos
Bottom Time Divers
BlueXTSea
we've only stayed at a couple other places, now both AI's and I would recommend NOT doing and AI, as there are way too many great restaurants in town to put yourself through the daily buffet routine.
Most dive ops pick up at most hotel/resort/condo docks, there are a few exceptions, of course.
We stay and dive with Blue Angel, for about a dozen years now. Small 22 room, 4 story hotel, with all rooms with private balconies facing the ocean and pool, (except first floor that opens up to ground/pool level patios).
About a mile south of town, fairly easy walk to town, I think, $5 cab ride? not sure we rent a car wen were there. Large rooms, with mini-fridges & safes.
Full service 5-star PADI dive operation and school (Blue Angel Dive and Scuba School.. B.A.D.A.S.S.) Morning, mid-morning, afternoon, twilight and night dives all available. "fast boats" (the 6-pack Panga, can hold up to 8 divers + DM depending on how it is licensed) and larger "cabin cruiser" type boats available for larger crowds (they usually use one of these on the 11am trip, which accommodates cruise shippers and folks coming over from the mainland. If you are thinking about getting more certs, I'd recommend Matt (Mateo) Moran, dive instructor at Blue Angel for that.
A very good restaurant, with free breakfast, (free breakfast may only be on dive days, not sure). Open breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner.
Pretty good shore diving around the stingray enclosure next door and out to the South. Coz isn't known for it's shore diving, but there's a lot to be found on this dive.
again, MOST dive ops will pick up at BA, if you are not diving with them and they have no problem with you just staying there and diving with others or mixing it up as you are talking about
Other dive ops I'd recommend, no particular order:
Dive with Martin
Aldora
Tres Pelicanos
Bottom Time Divers
BlueXTSea
we've only stayed at a couple other places, now both AI's and I would recommend NOT doing and AI, as there are way too many great restaurants in town to put yourself through the daily buffet routine.
waynel
Contributor
Just had to comment on your post. Love the idea of poking a hole in the top of the cap. I dove with a guy last week who couldn't get down. Had to go up and get two more pounds. Air trapped in the top of his beanie! Next dive, without the additional two pounds, he squeezed the air out of his cap. No problem, straight down. Great suggestion!
Saboteur
Contributor
For a relative newbie who has only been on two trips to Providenciales (very easy dives from a surge or current perspective) are there dive sites or ops to pass on due to nasty currents or they just cater to super divers. I've not been on drift dives nor DMSB certified.
deepsea21
Contributor
Yes, there are some dives I'd steer clear of but the reality is any quality dive op you may select if you advise them you're newer and new to drift diving is not going to send your boat to one of those sites.
As far as your selection of a dive op goes, go with one of the absolute best (Ummm... 3P's comes to mind but there are others). I say you may as well start where you'll eventually end up and it's better to be the newest diver among a small group of more experienced divers than the newest diver among a cattle boat full of inexperienced divers. I know I learned far more and much faster diving with experienced divers, asking questions, and being open to suggestions. 15 years certified now there still isn't a trip in which I don't learn something new from those with more experience.
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