deputydan1:
I would LOVE to come along, but can't at this particular time. Just bring back photos and leave nothing but bubbles!
Randy
how to compare COZ vs. HAWAII?
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I would LOVE to come along, but can't at this particular time. Just bring back photos and leave nothing but bubbles!
Randy
I have been diving Cozumel for about 11 years, and I have made exactly two Hawaii dives. The Hawaii dives were off the southeast coast of Kauai with Bubbles Below.
Comparing the Hawaii dives to Coz, the water was a little chillier, the viz was not quite as good. The reefs there are lava instead of coral, so the density of life is not nearly as high. We saw plenty of life, though; the name of one of the places we dove translates to "house of the turtles", which was apt. We were never out of sight of turtles the whole dive, and at one point there must have been a dozen of them all around us.
We also saw a couple of lionfish, a big group of blacktip sharks, lots of rockfish, anemones and such. We didn't do any lava tubes, which was a disappointment, but we only had one day to dive (short trip). The highlight of Kauai diving is reportedly a boat trip across to Ni'ihau, but that's something else we didn't have time for.
In short, I'd class what we saw as not quite as good overall as Cozumel, but color that with the fact that I have a comparatively very small taste of Hawaii diving. It is different, though, and well worth doing. Oh, and it's a lot more expensive; big surprise, eh?
Kauai itself is wonderful. It's the oldest and least populated of the major Hawaiian islands, and the North Shore (not to be confused with the North Shore TV series, which is shot on O'ahu, I believe) is downright peaceful. The fresh ahi tuna there is some of the best seafood I have eaten anywhere.
Cheers,
Comparing the Hawaii dives to Coz, the water was a little chillier, the viz was not quite as good. The reefs there are lava instead of coral, so the density of life is not nearly as high. We saw plenty of life, though; the name of one of the places we dove translates to "house of the turtles", which was apt. We were never out of sight of turtles the whole dive, and at one point there must have been a dozen of them all around us.
We also saw a couple of lionfish, a big group of blacktip sharks, lots of rockfish, anemones and such. We didn't do any lava tubes, which was a disappointment, but we only had one day to dive (short trip). The highlight of Kauai diving is reportedly a boat trip across to Ni'ihau, but that's something else we didn't have time for.
In short, I'd class what we saw as not quite as good overall as Cozumel, but color that with the fact that I have a comparatively very small taste of Hawaii diving. It is different, though, and well worth doing. Oh, and it's a lot more expensive; big surprise, eh?
Kauai itself is wonderful. It's the oldest and least populated of the major Hawaiian islands, and the North Shore (not to be confused with the North Shore TV series, which is shot on O'ahu, I believe) is downright peaceful. The fresh ahi tuna there is some of the best seafood I have eaten anywhere.
Cheers,
sharky60
Contributor
glad you had a good time in Cozumel, itn't it great?!!
the big difference in Hawaii and Coz is the color, in Hawaii the reefs are more of a hard coral base and don't have as much color as you would find in cozumel and the caribbean where there are much more soft corals and sponges.
the real treat in Hawaii is that a full 1/3 of all the fish are only found in Hawaii and no other place in the world! so it's reall a fish hunt more than a "sight seeing" dive so to say. plus if you are real lucky you might get to dive with spinnner dolphins. the Molokini crater dive is great and also to do a dive off of Lani is really cool. there is a lava tube called the cathedral that will hold up to 40 people, they have actually held underwater wedding there. most of the dive ops from Maui will go over there. We usually use the Maui Dive Shop they have a real nice 37' boat custom made for diving, include luch, drinks and snacks.
I like going to Maui to dive, we have stayed at both the Ohana Maui Islander and the Lahaina Shores Hotel as well as some of the big resorts up in Kaanapali. but we like being in Lahaina because it's closer to Maalea harbor where most of the dive ops are at. both hotels have kitchenettes which is nice for making your own breakfast when you have a 15 min. drive to the harbor to catch a dive boat at 7:30am.
there are some condos by the Maalea harbor but i don't know much about them.
you can get less expensive accommodations in Kihei further south, and there are some good dive ops out of Kihei harbor also, including the Maui Dive Shop and private couple who i think there last name is Severum or something close to that, you can find them on the web with a maui dive op search. They have been highly recommended by friends and people i've met over the years. but i have never dove with them because they are down there and it's too hard to hook up with them from Lahaina town.
My brother did 2 weeks on the big island, 1 on a live-a-board and one at some dive resort on the Kona coast and really loved the diving. especially the manta ray night dive!
all in all it's much more expensive than Mexico, but hey, it's the good 'ol US and it's island life, what more can you ask for?
you can do it on a buget though with a little planning.
hope this helps,
the shark
ok, i've been corrected by one of our fellow divers on some points, here's what charlie99 wote me:
Maalea Harbor, where some of the bigger boats operate from is closer to Kihei than Lahaina.
OTOH, MALA RAMP is right in Lahaina, right next to Old Lahaina Luau and the Cannery Mall.
If you want to go to Lanai from Lahaina, you have the choice of either 12 passenger boats by Extended Horizons or Hawaiian Rafting from Mala RAMP, or if you like large boats, take Lahaina Divers from the Lahaina Harbor.
Kihei has a boat RAMP, but no harbor.
The couple you mentioned are Mike and Pauline Severns. He is no longer associated with the company and her name is now Pauline Fiene. www.mikesevernsdiving.com
the big difference in Hawaii and Coz is the color, in Hawaii the reefs are more of a hard coral base and don't have as much color as you would find in cozumel and the caribbean where there are much more soft corals and sponges.
the real treat in Hawaii is that a full 1/3 of all the fish are only found in Hawaii and no other place in the world! so it's reall a fish hunt more than a "sight seeing" dive so to say. plus if you are real lucky you might get to dive with spinnner dolphins. the Molokini crater dive is great and also to do a dive off of Lani is really cool. there is a lava tube called the cathedral that will hold up to 40 people, they have actually held underwater wedding there. most of the dive ops from Maui will go over there. We usually use the Maui Dive Shop they have a real nice 37' boat custom made for diving, include luch, drinks and snacks.
I like going to Maui to dive, we have stayed at both the Ohana Maui Islander and the Lahaina Shores Hotel as well as some of the big resorts up in Kaanapali. but we like being in Lahaina because it's closer to Maalea harbor where most of the dive ops are at. both hotels have kitchenettes which is nice for making your own breakfast when you have a 15 min. drive to the harbor to catch a dive boat at 7:30am.
there are some condos by the Maalea harbor but i don't know much about them.
you can get less expensive accommodations in Kihei further south, and there are some good dive ops out of Kihei harbor also, including the Maui Dive Shop and private couple who i think there last name is Severum or something close to that, you can find them on the web with a maui dive op search. They have been highly recommended by friends and people i've met over the years. but i have never dove with them because they are down there and it's too hard to hook up with them from Lahaina town.
My brother did 2 weeks on the big island, 1 on a live-a-board and one at some dive resort on the Kona coast and really loved the diving. especially the manta ray night dive!
all in all it's much more expensive than Mexico, but hey, it's the good 'ol US and it's island life, what more can you ask for?
you can do it on a buget though with a little planning.
hope this helps,
the shark
ok, i've been corrected by one of our fellow divers on some points, here's what charlie99 wote me:
Maalea Harbor, where some of the bigger boats operate from is closer to Kihei than Lahaina.
OTOH, MALA RAMP is right in Lahaina, right next to Old Lahaina Luau and the Cannery Mall.
If you want to go to Lanai from Lahaina, you have the choice of either 12 passenger boats by Extended Horizons or Hawaiian Rafting from Mala RAMP, or if you like large boats, take Lahaina Divers from the Lahaina Harbor.
Kihei has a boat RAMP, but no harbor.
The couple you mentioned are Mike and Pauline Severns. He is no longer associated with the company and her name is now Pauline Fiene. www.mikesevernsdiving.com
deputydan1:
deputydan1:
Hawaii is by far my favorite place to vacation.
Everyone has listed the diving differences between Cozumel and Hawaii pretty accurately.
I have dive videos of Maui, Kona and Cozumel on my website. You can download them and see for yourself what the diving is like.
http://www.ronrosa.com/ron/scuba.htm
EricJ
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We dove the Kona Aggressor on the Big Island of Hawaii, and we've also stayed at a dive resort (Scuba Club Cozumel) in Cozumel.
The other posts outline the differences perfectly, but I haven't found the same experience about the cost of flying to both destinations.
We, too, fly out of LAX and have not found Hawaii cheaper to fly too. In fact, I had a difficult time finding a reasonably priced flight to Kona. I have, however, seen some good deals to Ohau.
When we return to Cozumel in a couple of weeks, we have decided to save a little money on plane tickets by flying into Cancun, taking a shuttle to Playa del Carmen, and the taking the ferry over to Cozumel.
The other posts outline the differences perfectly, but I haven't found the same experience about the cost of flying to both destinations.
We, too, fly out of LAX and have not found Hawaii cheaper to fly too. In fact, I had a difficult time finding a reasonably priced flight to Kona. I have, however, seen some good deals to Ohau.
When we return to Cozumel in a couple of weeks, we have decided to save a little money on plane tickets by flying into Cancun, taking a shuttle to Playa del Carmen, and the taking the ferry over to Cozumel.
DanBo
Guest
Hi All,
thanks for all the great info
I've read them all with interest as we're thinking of going to Cozumel next year. Anyone know which place is best to stay with that's right in front of the ocean for my non-diving wife and my 6 year-old? I always feel guilty leaving them behind while I dive all day. I promised them it won't happen again 
Any recommendations as to which dive shops in Cozumel? Is nitrox readily available? How about shore diving?? And lastly, is solo diving allowed? Sorry, too many questions.
Dive Safe,
thanks for all the great info
I've read them all with interest as we're thinking of going to Cozumel next year. Anyone know which place is best to stay with that's right in front of the ocean for my non-diving wife and my 6 year-old? I always feel guilty leaving them behind while I dive all day. I promised them it won't happen again Any recommendations as to which dive shops in Cozumel? Is nitrox readily available? How about shore diving?? And lastly, is solo diving allowed? Sorry, too many questions.
Dive Safe,
DanBo:Hi All,
thanks for all the great info. I've read them all with interest as we're thinking of going to Cozumel next year. Anyone know which place is best to stay with that's right in front of the ocean for my non-diving wife and my 6 year-old? I always feel guilty leaving them behind while I dive all day. I promised them it won't happen again
Any recommendations as to which dive shops in Cozumel? Is nitrox readily available? How about shore diving?? And lastly, is solo diving allowed? Sorry, too many questions.
Dive Safe,
There are plenty of hotels on the water; there are lots to choose from in terms of amenities, price, AI or not, onsite dive op or not, etc. Some of them feature planned activities, some don't.
Nitrox is readily available, and there's some shore diving, which is cheap to do, but doesn't compare with what you'll see on a boat dive.
Cheers,
Charlie99
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There are lots of Cozumel hotels that are right on the water, but that doesn't mean that they have a beach. Most of the ocean fronts are rough ancient coral/limestone rock, aka ironshore. Check carefully if what you really want is a beach.
Some onsite dive ops wouldn't give me a tank for a shore dive when solo, but most will. Again, that's something to check out in advance.
As Gordon says, the shore dives are nowhere near as good as the boat dives. I go to Cozumel for the boat dives and look upon the shore dives as merely a pleasant way to idle away an afternoon or early evening. If you are trying to balance diving and family,though, my recommendation is to stay at a southern resort, use the fast boats, and go boat diving in the morning, spend afternoons with the family.
While this goes against the conventional wisdom on this board, I recommend that you look at Cancun. The diving is good, although not as great as Cozumel, but your wife and kid will probably be happier. And you can still make a daytrip or two to Cozumel to check it out.
Some onsite dive ops wouldn't give me a tank for a shore dive when solo, but most will. Again, that's something to check out in advance.
As Gordon says, the shore dives are nowhere near as good as the boat dives. I go to Cozumel for the boat dives and look upon the shore dives as merely a pleasant way to idle away an afternoon or early evening. If you are trying to balance diving and family,though, my recommendation is to stay at a southern resort, use the fast boats, and go boat diving in the morning, spend afternoons with the family.
While this goes against the conventional wisdom on this board, I recommend that you look at Cancun. The diving is good, although not as great as Cozumel, but your wife and kid will probably be happier. And you can still make a daytrip or two to Cozumel to check it out.
OP
deputydan1
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man!
is this site addictive or what?! i can't get enough of you guys! what a wonderful wealth of wisdom and experiece here! thanks to all!
ronrosa, LOVED the videos!! sign us up! we're going to kona and maui next!!! i love this dive trips....really makes life fun.
is it cheaper to fly to oahu in general (from LAX)?
if you had to choose b/n kona vs. maui, what would it be???
thanks to all.
ps> the presidente was an excellent hotel and had a pristine white sand beach.....snorkeling off its coast was cool too!
-dan
is this site addictive or what?! i can't get enough of you guys! what a wonderful wealth of wisdom and experiece here! thanks to all!
ronrosa, LOVED the videos!! sign us up! we're going to kona and maui next!!! i love this dive trips....really makes life fun.
is it cheaper to fly to oahu in general (from LAX)?
if you had to choose b/n kona vs. maui, what would it be???
thanks to all.
ps> the presidente was an excellent hotel and had a pristine white sand beach.....snorkeling off its coast was cool too!
-dan
EricJ
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I'm going to Cozumel and the area just south of Cancun known as the Mayan Riviera.
My wife and I stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel the last time we were there. It is an all-inclusive and includes three meals a day, two-tank dive days, and unlimited shore diving. I liked that it was closer to the town of San Miguel. It is right on the ocean. They have areas where you can lie in the sand or a hammock. The shore line is rocky but they have stairs that lead into the water and protected shallow areas for shore diving and swimmers. Once you go out a little ways, the current can be STRONG! They have no TV's or phones in the rooms, as is the case with a few other dive-centered resorts.
Next week we are staying at the Hotel Baracuda. It has a similar layout, although supposedly not as nice. I booked it as a dive package with Dive Paradise, and I found it to be reasonably priced.
My advice is to go to Cozumel AND Playa del Carmen, Cancun or the Mayan Riviera (Cancun is a modern party town, which is fine if you're OK with that). We loved the Mayan ruins at Tulum and Coba. We took a tour with Alltournative and had a blast! Finally, we dove a cenote with Hidden Worlds. Hidden Worlds have SCUBA and Snorkel tours, so your family can snorkel while you dive.
There's a ferry that runs between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. It's about seven bucks a person, and taking all your luggage and SCUBA gear is no problem.
Watch out for the many annoying timeshare salesmen. I never got a freebie I was promised, and the presentation I attended was GRUELING.
My wife and I stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel the last time we were there. It is an all-inclusive and includes three meals a day, two-tank dive days, and unlimited shore diving. I liked that it was closer to the town of San Miguel. It is right on the ocean. They have areas where you can lie in the sand or a hammock. The shore line is rocky but they have stairs that lead into the water and protected shallow areas for shore diving and swimmers. Once you go out a little ways, the current can be STRONG! They have no TV's or phones in the rooms, as is the case with a few other dive-centered resorts.
Next week we are staying at the Hotel Baracuda. It has a similar layout, although supposedly not as nice. I booked it as a dive package with Dive Paradise, and I found it to be reasonably priced.
My advice is to go to Cozumel AND Playa del Carmen, Cancun or the Mayan Riviera (Cancun is a modern party town, which is fine if you're OK with that). We loved the Mayan ruins at Tulum and Coba. We took a tour with Alltournative and had a blast! Finally, we dove a cenote with Hidden Worlds. Hidden Worlds have SCUBA and Snorkel tours, so your family can snorkel while you dive.
There's a ferry that runs between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. It's about seven bucks a person, and taking all your luggage and SCUBA gear is no problem.
Watch out for the many annoying timeshare salesmen. I never got a freebie I was promised, and the presentation I attended was GRUELING.
