Is Cozumel a dive destination or a tourist destination with diving?

[robint]

It may not be a "bucket list" item, but it's good diving. After all, it is part of the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. There are some striking, large coral formations at Columbia Deep. There are lots of coral fingers and swim thru’s. It is all drift diving and there can be some significant current to deal with, be prepared. If you can visit the mainland for a couple of cenote dives and a visit to Tulum.

I would go again and Dive with "Scuba with Alison."

Rick

Wow, what a question....SeaHound.

I disagree, Rick. I think Cozumel is a destination that should be on all N. American diver's Bucket List. It is drift diving Mecca for the Caribbean. Fantastic swimthroughs and deeper wall dives. Great fishlife, etc. There are good times to go and bad times, dependant on weather. January is not the best time due to possiblities of diving blown out due to norte winds. Best time, IMHO, is April - July.

Personally, after 7 trips to Cozumel, I am not so happy with the topside. In the past 10yrs it has gone very commercial, and I can skip it completely. We stayed at Scuba Club the past 2 years and love it, love being behind closed gates and not having to deal with the crowds and pod people. We do venture into town the last day, non-diving, to shop and pick up more carved wooden masks that i collect and a piece of jewelry for daughter who stays home watching our dog.

I do think a trip over to the Cenotes on mainland, and also the Mayan ruins are fantastic, but I think you should stay over there to get the most from them and skip the hassle of the ferry. I have trip reports, photos, and videos on my website of the cenotes, the Scuba Club Cozumel diving both boat and shore, and also a trip to Chichen Itza.

So... my personal opinion, coming from my trips over the years, is go to Cozumel for a week of dive dive dive and stay at SCC, then spend 2-3 days over on mainland and dive the cenotes a day or two, and a full day spent visiting Chichen Itza by rental car.

a sample video:
[vimeo]11934524[/vimeo]
I shot this past April

more of my videos of Cozumel and mainland trips here: http://www.vimeo.com/album/81331

robin

 

[weaponeer]

I've been diving Cozumel annually for the past 6 years. It is a dive mecca for the Caribbean, proven by the facts that there are so many dive ops and so many divers present at any given time of the year. Ask any divers there how many trips are repeats and I'm sure it will be a majority. From the US, the price is right compared to other destinations in the Caribbean. Cozumel was a dive destination first, then the "pod people" (cruise ships) started showing up. Yes, it has become touristy because of them, and they help support the local economy, but the crowds are avoidable - just go diving. I'll be making my seventh trip in February.

 

[Wookie]

Cozumel is certainly worth seeing, many times for most folks. Be aware of what operator you end up with. I don't like going to Cozumel with a shop. Shops get the best deal because they bring oodles of people and usually end up at one of the big resorts, diving off a big boat, and having silly depth, bottom time, or cylinder pressure restrictions placed upon them. Dive with a small operator and custom build the trip for you and your buddy. Aldora Divers, Dive with Allison, and Blue XTC are some of the smaller ops that will treat you as a diver and friend instead of a number. I no longer go on the "big boats".

 

[DandyDon]

I'm surprised that any LDSs take trips to Coz since it's so easy to do on your own, for less. My first trip was a travel agent AI package and my second was a LDS AI package, but those were before I learned how to turn on a computer, much less surf & post. There are some advantages to going with a group, but not enough for me; I've also been with a singles group - blah! http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cozumel/348892-so-what-do-i-want-coz-dive-trip.html

 

[Diver Kat]

I'm surprised that any LDSs take trips to Coz since it's so easy to do on your own, for less.

Surprisingly, (or not!) all the LDS's around here do trips, probably as it is so easy to arrange, and some people prefer to go in groups. We've never done a LDS package as we figured out first that it was cheaper to do on our own.

As for diving Cozumel, I'm one of the loyal fans. Great diving, great food, wonderful local people. Although we'd love to dive the Pacific, I don't see it happening as I hate to fly and finances won't allow. Out of the places we have dove - a few trips or more - Bonaire, Florida & the Keys; as well as various day trips - Belize, St. Thomas, Grand Turk, Roatan, Mexican mainland .... Cozumel is still our favorite dive spot. I think we're coming up on trip #13 or 14 spread out over the last 8 years.

Oh ... and like RickPeck, we're also 'Scuba with Alison' divers ... she's another reason I keep going back again & again & again!

 

[ggunn]

Personally, after 7 trips to Cozumel, I am not so happy with the topside. In the past 10yrs it has gone very commercial, and I can skip it completely.

That is true if you hang around Puta Langosta or Margaritaville or some other parts of the main drag, but once you get a few blocks inland, it's pretty much the same as it ever was. I hated to see the Mega go in, but I have to admit I have found it very useful. I have seen a lot of change to the waterfront since my first trip to Cozumel in 1978, but all that stuff is pretty easy to avoid.

 

[robint]

yes, most dive shops do a Cozumel trip each year. The main reason for going with a Group Trip is that you meet other divers from your area OR you are a diver without a buddy, so they give you a buddy and you don't have to pay a single rate. Bad thing about going with a group is you stay and dive with a package, so check out their hotel/dive op choice before you go - IF that is important to you.

 

[cvchief]

Wow, what a question....SeaHound.

I disagree, Rick. I think Cozumel is a destination that should be on all N. American diver's Bucket List. It is drift diving Mecca for the Caribbean. Fantastic swimthroughs and deeper wall dives. Great fishlife, etc. There are good times to go and bad times, dependant on weather. January is not the best time due to possiblities of diving blown out due to norte winds. Best time, IMHO, is April - July.

Personally, after 7 trips to Cozumel, I am not so happy with the topside. In the past 10yrs it has gone very commercial, and I can skip it completely. We stayed at Scuba Club the past 2 years and love it, love being behind closed gates and not having to deal with the crowds and pod people. We do venture into town the last day, non-diving, to shop and pick up more carved wooden masks that i collect and a piece of jewelry for daughter who stays home watching our dog.

I do think a trip over to the Cenotes on mainland, and also the Mayan ruins are fantastic, but I think you should stay over there to get the most from them and skip the hassle of the ferry. I have trip reports, photos, and videos on my website of the cenotes, the Scuba Club Cozumel diving both boat and shore, and also a trip to Chichen Itza.

So... my personal opinion, coming from my trips over the years, is go to Cozumel for a week of dive dive dive and stay at SCC, then spend 2-3 days over on mainland and dive the cenotes a day or two, and a full day spent visiting Chichen Itza by rental car.

a sample video:
[vimeo]11934524[/vimeo]
I shot this past April

more of my videos of Cozumel and mainland trips here: Mexico - Cozumel and the Yucatan Peninsula on Vimeo

robin

That video is just REALLY good...... thanks!

 

[cvchief]

Oh ... and like RickPeck, we're also 'Scuba with Alison' divers ... she's another reason I keep going back again & again & again!

You know we could arrange a LDS trip with Alison as long as only 8 of us went..... :cheerleader::cheerleader:

 

[Diver Kat]

You know we could arrange a LDS trip with Alison as long as only 8 of us went..... :cheerleader::cheerleader:

LOL! Is this kind of a non-LDS trip??? Of course any time with Alison sounds good to me!!! :chuckle: