Trip Report Hotel Cozumel / Dive Paradise / Aldora
- Thread starter wnissen
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We arrived at these two ops after some research and previous experiences some of our group had with them. Would happily review other dive ops for future trips, as well. Also, dive time wasn't the only dimension under consideration (e.g., cylinder size and valve type, options for snorkelers, boat size and shade) but I mentioned it given the last few posts.
cicopo
Contributor
There have been many changes at Hotel Cozumel since 2011 including much better food. From what I've heard some rooms have had major renovations & more will as time goes by. My last visit was just a few weeks before the world stop turning thanks to Covid but my hotel tour album was up to date as of that timeframe. The NEW Hotel Cozumel Photo tour album (2017)
cicopo
Contributor
I have to agree with Gordon on that. From everything I've heard about Aldora you surface together as a group. I haven't dove with them though but would certainly try them if my wife didn't expect me back in time to have lunch together. I would assume their bigger tanks for longer bottom times also requires a longer SI for off gassing.
Carlos Danger
Contributor
Just a personal observation regarding the "dive your tank/gas" vs "group-ascend" thing,
This subject is often painted as infringing on those that either don't want to be the person that ends everyone's dive prematurely, or don't want another diver ending their dive prematurely, etc.. Seems there are a few factors that don't get much mention though.
The HP120 steel tanks Aldora uses have a buoyancy profile that is optimal for recreational diving, vs say that of an AL80. This, combined with the higher capacity, profile-specific gas mixes for Nitrox, and grouping similar divers per boat, allows for extended dive times and a group-ascend approach that is arguably safer in areas where boat traffic is high. This is probably also more manageable for the DMs, and hopefully lowers instances were individuals become liabilities.
Obviously things don't always work out, and I have personally witnessed times were Aldora's DMs have allowed buddy-pairs to ascend independent of the group. I think the goal here is simply to increase the likelihood that everyone makes it to the end of the dive with similar tank levels and generally have better and safer group experience.
Also keep in mind that you are not necessarily locked into diving with only one operator, so maybe consider checking-out several during your trip.
Hope this is helpful in your planning considerations.
I personally wouldn't want to dive with steel tanks. My kit and my style is dialed in to AL80's. I don't want to be flying to Coz and dealing with "different" buoyancy characteristics no matter how much some people think they are "better". I also don't want to pay 50% more for a trip so some air hog won't cut my dive short when there are plenty of ops I can choose where the only dive the air hog is cutting short is their own.
deeper thoughts
Contributor
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Great report
I wonder if this is the hotel we stayed at around 1993 fiesta inn
I wonder if this is the hotel we stayed at around 1993 fiesta inn
Yes, I'm pretty sure that is what it was called back then.
Having dived Aldora many times in the past but only once (a few weeks ago) in recent years, I can explain some of the issues with diving.
1. Having many boats, they do an excellent job of separating divers by ability. In general, the divers in a group are ready to surface at about the same time. (See my next comment for more on this.)
2. There are exceptions. When I dived a few weeks ago, we had a husband and wife pair with us each day. I am sure the husband had plenty of dives, but the wife not so much, and she was low on air long before us. They surfaced by themselves, and we continued the dive. In theory, we were then supposed to surface when the first diver hit 700 PSI, but I don't think that ever happened. None of us wanted to be the one to end the dive, so I think the DM brought us up when he thought we had had enough. Speaking for myself, I was happy to go up every time. We averaged close to 90 minutes per dive, and I would have been plenty pleased with shorter dives. So we all surfaced together, but nobody was complaining.
1. Having many boats, they do an excellent job of separating divers by ability. In general, the divers in a group are ready to surface at about the same time. (See my next comment for more on this.)
2. There are exceptions. When I dived a few weeks ago, we had a husband and wife pair with us each day. I am sure the husband had plenty of dives, but the wife not so much, and she was low on air long before us. They surfaced by themselves, and we continued the dive. In theory, we were then supposed to surface when the first diver hit 700 PSI, but I don't think that ever happened. None of us wanted to be the one to end the dive, so I think the DM brought us up when he thought we had had enough. Speaking for myself, I was happy to go up every time. We averaged close to 90 minutes per dive, and I would have been plenty pleased with shorter dives. So we all surfaced together, but nobody was complaining.
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