need dive shop recommendations

[ColoDale]

My blatant cheerleading plug - Bottom Time Divers - single owner/DM and patient. Larger operations may have their hands full with more divers but you never know. It depends on the DMs and how they run things. If I were in their shoes, it would try a smaller op to get personalized attention or as mentioned, get a private DM.

There are plenty of qualified dive ops in Cozumel. I suggest contacting them with specific requirements and booking before getting on the cruise and not waste valuable time upon arrival. They should make sure to mention this to whichever dive op they use.

Also they should be careful of going outside the cruise line. If thru the cruise line, and the dive ops is late then I have heard the ship waits. If not and your friends are late coming back regardless of fault, the proverbial ship sails without them. If outside the cruise line, make sure to get the schedules set and have a bit extra time for contingencies.

 

[Prop Joe]

Diving from Cruise Ships

 

[pinotscubajack]

No question in my mind - Blue Magic Scuba, hands down. Joyce will hook your friend up with a great divemaster or instructor so that their first ocean experience will be safe, enjoyable and memorable. They will want to really, really dive again after diving with Blue Magic !!!

 

[ggunn]

Keep in mind that most of the folks who post in here (myself included) have only dived with a very small subset of all the ops on Cozumel. You will see a lot of cheerleading crafted as an attempt to steer business toward ops with which posters have formed a relationship. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but my advice is to take the statements claiming that such and such dive operator is the unqualified ***BEST*** dive operator on the island with a very large grain of salt.

 

[cvchief]

Gordo gives the BEST advice, hands down on people giving dive op advice.....

 

[billindenver]

I've only hit up a half dozen of the dive ops available on Coz. What I've found though is that I really prefer extended bottom time dives. I spend a lot of money getting to and staying on Coz and that money is mostly spent to get me time under water...so I prefer a 120 cubic foot steel tank to an 80 cubic foot aluminum offered by most ops because those larger tanks keep me down there longer. Not having to put weight in my BC is a side benefit of the steel tanks....but I like it none the less.

Aldora Divers is my favorite followed very closely by Living Underwater. Big beautiful tanks filled with lots of air....everything else is shades of grey to me. I know that Aldora can accomodate cruisers, not sure about Living Underwater.

I'm not sure which is more irritating, those who cheerlead constantly or those who anti-cheerlead constantly. The guy asked for suggestions and the same few as always start ranting about how nobody should ever give their opinions.

 

[DandyDon]

I've only hit up a half dozen of the dive ops available on Coz. What I've found though is that I really prefer extended bottom time dives. I spend a lot of money getting to and staying on Coz and that money is mostly spent to get me time under water...so I prefer a 120 cubic foot steel tank to an 80 cubic foot aluminum offered by most ops because those larger tanks keep me down there longer. Not having to put weight in my BC is a side benefit of the steel tanks....but I like it none the less.

Aldora Divers is my favorite followed very closely by Living Underwater. Big beautiful tanks filled with lots of air....everything else is shades of grey to me. I know that Aldora can accomodate cruisers, not sure about Living Underwater.

I'm not sure which is more irritating, those who cheerlead constantly or those who anti-cheerlead constantly. The guy asked for suggestions and the same few as always start ranting about how nobody should ever give their opinions.

At least you offer reasons for your suggestions.

I think it's better to ask the poster what s/he likes in a Op, but that seems futile with so many suggesting their friends. In this case, it's just a quick stop shore excursion dive for brand new divers so whom they go with really won't matter much will it?

 

[cvchief]

Maybe we should have a dive op suggestion sticky where we all could cheer-lead :cheerleader: and complain about cheerleading :cussing: and complain about people complaining about cheerleading and complain about people not posting enough info to get more than just cheerleading in the original post?

Would save alot of typing as we do this about, what? Once a month?

 

[charlesml3]

Wow, this forum sure has changed over the years. It wasn't that long ago when a question of "Which Dive Op should I use?" would get 57 replies all chimping one in particular....

Nice to see some diversity now...

-Charles

 

[Couv]

My blatant cheerleading plug is for Blue Angel. I just spent 10 days with those fine people. My son was newly certified prior to the trip so we had to do a few rookie dives. Their 11 am trip fits the bill. Great dive op, great Divemasters-but never mind any of that. The meal you get at their restaurant is worth the trip in itself.

Good luck and post the findings whoever your friends go with,

Couv

Tripadvisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g150809-d670314-Reviews-Blue_Angel_Dive_Shop-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

BA site: http://www.blueangel-scuba.com/