Need recommendations for our summer dive trip to Cozumel

[Jayfarmlaw]

zen,

Sorry for the delay in responding....I was diving. Aldora is a little higher than some but you are diving a steel 120 tank and you can get a 10% discount for cash. If you can get 90 minutes out of an aluminum 80, (most ops will have an optional aluminum 100 available) then there may be other ops better for you. Surfacing strategy (as a group, fixed time, or as each diver hits 700, etc.) may be your priority since an 80 will give you all the dive time you need. Our first dive today to Palancar Horseshoe was 92 minutes with my max depth of 82 feet. The second was over 80 minutes and I dont remember my depth. Almost 3 hours of dive time for 2 dives....there is no way I could do that with an 80 or 100 tank. By my math, that is almost 50% more dive time for less than $20 more of the average going rate of $80 for a 2 tank am dive with al80's. I guess you could figure out cost per minute if you wanted too...but I'm in vacation.... If your wanting longer dives, your going to have to dive with an operation that either uses bigger tanks, or has the ability to put you on a boat with people with gills like you. (I'm Jealous) Preferably both.

We are doing 3 dives tomorrow and going to San Juan And Barracuda on the North end. I don't work for Aldora, (I don't even get a discount for cheerleading...lol) but we dive with them because their program works better for us than the other ops we have used. (I would dive with Dive With Martin or Blue Magic again anytime, I just enjoy the longer times we get with Aldora) They do have 6 (I think) boats so they can group divers by skill level very well. After your check out dives the first day, you will not have to worrry about being on the beginner boat if your skills are up to par.

My initial recommendations do not change with the additional information you provided. Aldora, Blue XTSea, Dive With Martin, Blue Magic, and Tres Pelicanos are all excellent operations that I have either personally dove with or have good reason to trust the reputations from this site. All do something a little different than the other, you just have to find what works best for you.

If your priority is long dive times, Aldora, Living Underwater, and Blue Something...or Something Blue...maybe Liquid Blue? (Someone help me out on this)Use the steel 120 tanks. If you are on a boat with divers with 120 cf tanks, your going to have longer dives than a boat with people diving 80's. If those people have your sac rate.....you could stay down for days....

If cost is your priority, Dive With Martin multi day packages are about as economical as you will find on the island....and that INCLUDES basic rental equipment if needed.

Everyone else, you will need to find out what they do differently and decide what works best for you.

Since you will be driving, pick up points are not a concern...but parking may be and I have never faced that issue on Cozumel. Someone more qualified than I am may be able to shed some light on that.

Irregardless of who you choose, you're in for some great diving. Even on "bad" dives, I've never heard anyone come up and say, "this sucks!" My worst dive was still incredible for other reasons.

Good luck and safe travels,
Jay

 

[deepsea21]

I did make contact with Aldora and Matt responded by saying they offer no packages/discounts whatsoever for 14 + days of diving and their pricing is about 20% higher than other operations on the island I've either contacted or dived with. That's disappointing and they charge $95 for 2 tanks + the park fees and a $15 an extra for taxes , 16%. I actually find that a tad bit out of line and I've done a ton of international diving. They advertise such long bottom times, ( which really appeals to me as I don't breathe much) however if there is no one else on the boat ( instructors , DM included who utilize their air as I do ) I would be forced to surface anyway. This is the problem I'm running into with other operators, I may just head across Mexico and travel the other coast of which I have not seen. I've been diving on Cozumel for 2 weeks now and can't seem to get past the 60 minute mark with anyone. Thanks so much for all of the information and safe diving to you!

$95 for a 2-tank dive + Park Fee + Taxes??!!! Contact Jeanie at Tres Pelicanos through their website and be done with it. With 3P's you dive your DC, tank, or 70 minutes (whichever comes first). If you're like me and can stretch an AL80 to 70 min by adjusting your dive profile 3P's is the op for you... You can dive deeper and shorter or shallower and longer - It's your dive and the boat isn't leaving without you. I do recommend you have a DSMB and are proficient at deploying it UW if you are going to push it to the limit as you may be the last to surface. 3P's respects experienced divers' abilities and will not limit your experience to that of the newest diver on the boat. That being said, DM's are "guides" only - not caretakers or babysitters... Every certified diver (and their buddy if they chose to dive with one) is responsible for their own actions and expected to be fully capable of taking care of themselves and know and accept the risks diving can present - That's what being CERTIFIED means although that seems to have been lost over the past decade from what I've seen some "certified" divers do. The diver you see putting on a wet suit backwards, zipping it up from the front and then realizes something isn't fitting right has no business diving and is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion.

 

[ggunn]

The diver you see putting on a wet suit backwards, zipping it up from the front and then realizes something isn't fitting right has no business diving and is a disaster waiting to happen in my opinion.

Hey! I did that myself one bleary morning a couple of years ago, and I have been diving for 25 years!

 

[lionfish-eater]

My son's current wetsuit zips in the front. He is used to others trying to correct him. Sometimes he just tells them he likes it backwards.

 

[deepsea21]

Hey! I did that myself one bleary morning a couple of years ago, and I have been diving for 25 years!

OK... Just an honest mistake from time to time then... Then I'll amend and say, "The diver you see who stays vertical UW and fins away as though he's riding an invisible bicycle". That's always interesting (and spooky) to see.

 

[ggunn]

OK... Just an honest mistake from time to time then... Then I'll amend and say, "The diver you see who stays vertical UW and fins away as though he's riding an invisible bicycle". That's always interesting (and spooky) to see.

Flailing about with hands is the giveaway to me.

 

[gopbroek]

Cartwheels over Cedral.
Watched an elderly gentleman who claimed to have 200 dives but I suspect was using someone else's cert rise over the center mound at the pass and the current caught him, it was kinda brezzy that day. He started doing perfect cartwheels. Arms and legs in a perfect X and facing 90° to the current, he started involuntary tumbling. First thought was humor and 'there goes Bob' then I thought he's going to drown himself. I had to swim like hell to catch and stabilize him. He was very disorented.

 

[deepsea21]

Flailing about with hands is the giveaway to me.

OK... The DM asks the diver, "How much weight do you want?" and the diver who responds, "I'm not sure". The DM asks "How much weight did you use on your last dive?". The diver responds, "I can't remember and I've lost/gained weight since then"... Get ready to watch a cork or a hunk of lead in action. I hope they remember where their BC inflation button and dump valve is better than how much weight they need. Luckily, these encounters are few and far between when diving with the boutique dive ops and the boutique dive ops have quality DM's who can size up a diver at a glance, recommend an appropriate amount of weight and then keep an eye on them. We all started somewhere but the #1 mistake any diver can make is to over-represent their experience as they put themselves at risk and will learn nothing from the more experienced on the boat. Best to just say, "I'm newly certified, a bit freaked out and I can't remember everything I was taught". BINGO - and everyone on the boat will share advice, the DM (and other divers will generally pay a little more attention), and after a few dives it's all is good for them.

 

[DiveTy]

I just got back from another awesome trip to Coz, when ever I surface there it seems to be another "best dive" and it just keeps on happening Its good advice to have a SMB so you are easy to see.I agree with everyone about the food quality and is probably the best food any one place I've been,at very reasonable cost. My favorite dive op is Salty Endeavors, small fast boats, everything you need for great diving. Henry is the owner Felipe is the captain, Henry has such in-depth knowledge about marine life that he happily shares if your interests lie there, every dive is a learning opportunity and it doesn't get any better than that! Can't wait to return in May!

 

[Snoweman]

My buddies and I stayed at a three bedroom villa a little south of the city. We were right up on the water and next to the pool. It's a gated community and very safe. You will need to rent a car to really enjoy the villa and the island. I would recommend diving the speed limit as we were pulled over and shaken down for $40 (much cheaper than what I paid in Playa del Carmen). Tres Pelicanos picked us up at our dock. They were awesome.

Here's the link for where we stayed. I would go there again if I needed more than one bedroom. Cozumel, Quintana Roo Mexico - Costa del Sol B 4 | At Home In Cozumel Inc