Last minute trip for Dec- Inexperienced diver Need your suggestions

[NewDiver17]

Date of arrival: Flight lands Cancun on Dec 20th at 4 pm
Date of departure: Cancun Dec 27 at 7 am
The name of your hotel or resort: Need to book (welcome suggestions!):
The dates you’d like to dive: Dec 21-Dec 25
The number of divers for each day: Me!
Who will be needing rental equipment: I need equipment.

I am an AOWC. I only have around 15 dives but haven't dived in 1.5 years. I am thinking of doing either a refresher or ppb adventure dive on the first day and then do two dives per day. I would greatly welcome suggestions/recommendations of what I should do (refresher or ppb adventure dive) since I am not an experienced diver.

In addition I would appreciate suggestions for a diving operator. I would prefer to be in smaller groups. Finally, do you have recommendation for a budget accommodation ( only me) ?

This was a last minute trip as I need a break!
Thank you

 

[gopbroek]

This is a very busy time and I would suggest not waiting long to book. I prefer Tres Pelicanos and if you contact Jeanie at mailto:dive@trespelicanos.com she may be able to set something up. I just checked Expedia for rooms and there are some available but I noticed that some of the regulars (like the Casa Mexican chain) were not showing up. Jeanie has arraignments with a number of hotels so she may know of a last minute deal. Normally for an early Cancun flight on the way back I suggest staying in downtown Cancun the night prior and taking the am ADO bus to the airport. The Hotel Kin Mayab across the bus station normally rents for around $30, currently it is showing just about full and $80 a night. Expedia and Hotels.com are showing a few others in the bus station area as still having rooms but not many.

 

[DandyDon]

Do you have DAN dive insurance? It's really essential in my opinion. I also take Trip insurance when I leave the US for various reasons, and I get that elsewhere - no from DAN, but dive insurance can save your butt if things for awry.

aven't dived in 1.5 years. I am thinking of doing either a refresher or ppb adventure dive on the first day

Hire a private DM for the first day of diving. This is a good idea for any first timer for Coz, but especially good idea for you. After that first day, you can decide on a second day.

I prefer Tres Pelicanos

An excellent choice, but then there are dozens of good choices on Coz. If you look over the threads page by page, and read some, you'll narrow it down.

Jeanie has arraignments with a number of hotels so she may know of a last minute deal.

Yes, most dive operators book rooms too, but shopping on your own - I like to start at Kayak.com. It is a busy time but I see availability at a number places downtown where you want to be, close to restaurants, etc.

• Several hostels @ $13-30/night if that's your style.
• Several cheaper hotels in the $30-60 range, if you don't expect much. Do double check their addresses on google maps as the booking sites often have locations wrong.
  
• Several mid range like Villa Blanca and Casa del Mar for $63-75/night, altho those two are south of town. I travel alone, so I hate paying solo taxi fares.
  
• Hotel Cozumel is not far from downtown and it's $97/night. The sister hotels to Casa Mexicana are not showing up, but it is at $104/night - excellent hotel & location. Jeanie at 3Ps may find you a better deal, as it's around the corner from them.
• And others costing more.

Normally for an early Cancun flight on the way back I suggest staying in downtown Cancun the night prior and taking the am ADO bus to the airport.

Great approach. If you book away from the bus station, then you'd need taxis after the bus ride in and before the bus to the airport, and those will gouge you for as much as possible. There are hotels at the airport, but even then you get stuck with taxis.

 

[deepsea21]

Second vote for Tres Pelicanos! I second everything gopbroek already said. He departed the island yesterday but we are here through the 25th. Today we had a solo diver on the SKinny shark with us who had only 10 or 12 dives logged. He just stuck close to DM Jorge for a while until he felt comfortable. You can hire a private DM for like 55 bucks if you want that level of comfort but as Tres Pelicanos is a dive-your-own tank and computer shop most beak away and just stay in sight of the DM while they dive their own profiles... That leaves you with basically a personal DM free of charge until you feel comfortable. I say contact Jeanie at the shop via Tres. Pelicanos website and see what she can put together for you last minute. As gpb said though... Don't waste time as the time you will be here is a VERY BUSY dive week... one of those peak weeks. For us, diving this week is like the calm before the storm as this island will load up on the vacationers and divers big time the next two weeks as Xmas falls on a Sunday. After diving coz for14 years, I say you may as well start where you'll eventually end up! As far as rental gear... all Scubapro and the shop manager is a certified Scubapro tech. Rest assured, all will be in top working order and has been professionally maintained.

 

[Goingforsound]

Just leaving Coz, i dove 16 days with Dive with Martin. The girlfriend dove 10 days with me as well. They gave us a very good price and rentals are free!

The only "downside" is that if you are not staying at an hotel that has a pier you need to taxi to the internationnal pier every morning. (95 pesos from DT)

Other than that we had a blast, the staff and the boats are great. We will be back in february.

Tres Pelicanos would be my 2nd choice on the list if i would ever want to check out another operation.

Ah, get pesos at an atm. Everything is a lot cheaper in pesos!

 

[DandyDon]

Ah, get pesos at an atm. Everything is a lot cheaper in pesos!

There are two dangers with that suggestion...

1. Be sure to use a bank ATM. There are many free standing ATMs that are infamous for stealing information.
2. Be sure to let your bank know that you'll be using your cards in Mexico so they won't block them. I forgot last trip and an ATM ate my card.

Otherwise, yep - best to use Pesos, and that's generally the best way to get them.

 

[deepsea21]

Goingforsound reminded me I do need to remember there are other great dive ops on the island and Dive with Martin is one of them. I have a friend who has been diving with them for 25 Years or somethIng. Quite frankly, based on his recommendation my first call when we needed to find a new shop was to DWM. Only prob was we love to stay in town and at the Casa Mexicana for the massive free breakfast buffet that opens at 7am. DWM meant taking a very early taxi south and missing breakfast to get to their nearest boarding point. Kept searching and found 3P's with courtesy transport from their shop in town to the boats at the marina. Plenty of time for breakfast and a 5 min walk to the shop for the courtesy transport to the boats. Also, for those who like to stay in town, the Casa Mexicana has 2 sister hotels within a 5 minute walk... the Suites Bahia on the water a block down and the Colonial bordering town square... stay at either of those you save a few bucks over the Casa Mexicana but you still get the free breakfast buffet served at the Casa Mexicana included... you just have a 5 or 10 minute walk to get to it and after breakfast it is a 4-5 minute walk around the corner to the shop for the courtesy transport to the boats.

 

[MMM]

Pepitas and Villas del Sol (sporting a new sign today, I say in English Sun Village or some such thing) are small, locally owned and operated places in the downtown. No frills...about $40 US a night but might be a bit more in high season. You won't find them on typical internet sites to book so you will have to Google for phone numbers. Don't expect great English. And, of course, you'll need to figure out how to get to the boat from downtown. TP can probably help you there, and I think Blue Magic may do the same. Or you can go with one of the ops that leaves from the downtown pier.

 

[Trailboss123]

I'd suggest staying at the Hotel Plaza Cozumel. It is 1.5 blocks from the Ferry Terminal when landing on Cozumel and it is super clean, great breakfast included, roof top pool and is 2 blocks from the dive operator I am going to recommend, which is Blue Magic Scuba. You can actually book the hotel, all your diving and any courses or refresher you want to do through Blue Magic directly. Here are the URL's:
Hotel Plaza Cozumel - Cozumel - Mexico
Cozumel Diving, Cozumel Scuba Diving, Cozumel Diving Packages, Lessons, Snorkeling, Blue Magic Scuba

 

[T. J. Foley]

Hello Guy's,
What if any is the general feeling about ProDive Mexico over at the Allegro? Are they any good? There are many ops on Cozumel by the look and sound of things here. It seems so convenient to have an operator on the hotel site. All responses appreciated..