My 1st Cozumel Trip Dec 9th - 16th!

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

You will get a lot of recommends on dive shops. I have used Palancar and ProDive (at the Occidental & Allegro) diving off big boats, and no complaints. Also used Dive with Martin a few years ago, good operation. Most recently dove with Aldora. They are consistently rated one of the best in Coz and use small boats. I will be diving with Aldora again Nov 17-24.

 

[Ron Lee]

Consider two dives per day with Aldora and the third/night dives with the on-site dive op. That means that you have to keep your gear and expect to go north (drive/taxi) to board for Barracuda/San Juan.

 

[fred3798]

Blue XT-Sea gives great service and definitely lets you dive your limits.

 

[devoDan]

I've seen the traffic in Bali (and also the underwater scenery in Komodo--nice, eh?).

This may be a silly question, but how does Cozumel compare to Komodo in your experience?

Are you looking at the bigger tanks because you need them to make an hour, or because you're looking to get longer dives?

The latter. I have been perusing the Aldora website, anyone know whether they tend to make everyone leave after 60-70 mins?

 

[Ron Lee]

I have been perusing the Aldora website, anyone know whether they tend to make everyone leave after 60-70 mins?

Everyone surfaces together.

 

[Pelagicsal]

Everyone surfaces together.

But generally after 70+...

 

[Ron Lee]

Everyone surfaces together.

I do not have all the facts on every diving fatality on Cozumel but I would put forth that a common element to many fatalities is that the diver ascended alone. Just something to think about.

Do you have and know how to use a safety sausage or whatever the correct name is?

 

[Pelagicsal]

Hey Ron,
It's SMB or surface marker buoy. And I agree. All divers in CZM should carry one AND a reel or other line to let the SMB surface well before the divers. Learning how to deploy it is essential, too.
The divemasters I know will be glad to help divers learn and practice, if asked.

Thanks for throwing that out there!
Time to run for the boat! (Bah! The port is closed! And the wind is splitting the island, so no east side right now, either! Anxiously awaiting the 11ish report, as it has calmed a bit, smaller rollers and no whitecaps like earlier.)

Part of edit: Yeah, Awap, I was thinking of those unplanned situations... When kaka hits the ventilator, it is not the time to be trying to figure out how reel and buoy work!

 

[redacted]

Hey Ron,
It's SMB or surface marker buoy. And I agree. All divers in CZM should carry one AND a reel or other line to let the SMB surface well before the divers. Learning how to deploy it is essential, too.
The divemasters I know will be glad to help divers learn and practice, if asked.

Thanks for throwing that out there!
Time to run for the boat!

The protocol that I have experienced in COZ in the last few years (Blue XT, Bottom Time, Pro Dive, and Scuba Club) is that divers who go LOA before the group is ready to surface notify the DM who deploys his DSMB for them. Still, it is a good idea to have your own marker in case things don't go as planned.

 

[Zman96]

Most any op you pick is going to require you to go towards town if you want to dive Barracuda and San Juan. Most boats are coming from town or the Caleta which are both much further north than where you are staying, so they won't come down to pick you up just to go right back where they came from. I use Blue XT Sea and Christi does offer 100's and Nitrox 100's. There are a few ops as mentioned by others that would fit your criteria as well, I prefer the staff and DM's at Blue XT though. Long dives by your computer with a nice long beach surface interval between dives with snacks, fruit juice and water, plus valet gear treatment is fantastic. I will be using them yet again in Feb. By Cozumel diving standards as others have stated you are a relative newbie even though you have more advanced C cards, do not be offended that they will be watching and judging your skills the first day. I consider myself a new diver even though I have more than 120 dives just in Cozumel alone in the last 4 years, there are always people to learn from on the boats, whether new or old. All that being said Cozumel is a blast you will really enjoy the laid back diving and vibe of the entire island.