Night Diving in Cozumel

[horn34]

Christi posted somewhere either here or FB that technically, night diving has always been illegal just it was never enforced.

also see "The US/Mexico land border is restricted to essential travel only"

 

[GreggS]

Hmmm, first night dive I ever did was in Coz. From a boat. Had no idea it was not legal. But it was a great dive. Shame they're not doing them now.

 

[Ovahimba]

33 years ago when we were young and dumb, my buddy and I decided to do a night drift dive starting north of the El Presidente, pole #56, to our hotel, La Perla. Of course we didn't have enough air so we had to come up and surface swim a lot of the distance. When we got to the International Pier we decided to go right under a cruise ship. In my log I had written "turned off our lights and ditched the cyalumes". Talking about illegal, even back then if we got caught, we probably would have done jail time. It was pretty cool looking up at it though, like a blimp in the sky, and feeling the hum of their generators.

 

[ReefHound]

33 years ago when we were young and dumb, my buddy and I decided to do a night drift dive starting north of the El Presidente, pole #56, to our hotel, La Perla. Of course we didn't have enough air so we had to come up and surface swim a lot of the distance. When we got to the International Pier we decided to go right under a cruise ship. In my log I had written "turned off our lights and ditched the cyalumes". Talking about illegal, even back then if we got caught, we probably would have done jail time. It was pretty cool looking up at it though, like a blimp in the sky, and feeling the hum of their generators.

Cozumel had cruise ships in 1987? Glad it worked out for you.

 

[BRT]

That's true. Cozumel was one of the only areas that it was an exception and they allowed . The new port captain decides what rules are applied. When she is gone, the next port captain may run things different.

I don't know how far "Cozumel" extends, but night diving has always been allowed on the mainland.

 

[JFS]

I don't know how far "Cozumel" extends, but night diving has always been allowed on the mainland.

The rule is there, its just who enforces it. Same as enforcing non permitted boats in Cozumel. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't....

 

[BRT]

The rule is there, its just who enforces it. Same as enforcing non permitted boats in Cozumel. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't....

May be. I guess I'd like for someone to show me the rule.

 

[peeweediver]

I'm so confused. I've done night boat dives twice every trip. Paradise Reef for the octopus. Scuba Club Cozumel, Blue Angel and Del Mar Aquatics were the operators who took us over the past 10 years. Based on the above, all of those boat dives were illegal but the operators took us anyway? Nobody said, "By the way, if we get caught, you will rot in a Cozumel prison". Christy or other folks who live on the Island, "Say it ain't so!"

Rob

 

[ggunn]

33 years ago when we were young and dumb, my buddy and I decided to do a night drift dive starting north of the El Presidente, pole #56, to our hotel, La Perla. Of course we didn't have enough air so we had to come up and surface swim a lot of the distance. When we got to the International Pier we decided to go right under a cruise ship. In my log I had written "turned off our lights and ditched the cyalumes". Talking about illegal, even back then if we got caught, we probably would have done jail time. It was pretty cool looking up at it though, like a blimp in the sky, and feeling the hum of their generators.

Wow, someone else who remembers La Perla. My family always stays at Blue Angel; I still occasionally ask a taxi driver to take me to La Perla when he looks old enough to remember it.

Do you know Javier and Emma Segura? Javier built the hotel, largely with his own hands, in 1980 or thereabouts. They still live across the street and they own the little pavilion between (what is now) Blue Angel and the Stingray Experience.

 

[ReefHound]

I'm so confused. I've done night boat dives twice every trip. Paradise Reef for the octopus. Scuba Club Cozumel, Blue Angel and Del Mar Aquatics were the operators who took us over the past 10 years. Based on the above, all of those boat dives were illegal but the operators took us anyway? Nobody said, "By the way, if we get caught, you will rot in a Cozumel prison". Christy or other folks who live on the Island, "Say it ain't so!"

Rob

I think it's more a case of authorities making it known that it would not be enforced, as opposed to operators just doing it and hoping to get away with it. Supposedly, it is in the Turismo Nautico that is part of the boat licensing policies.

I think Dave mentioned last winter that east side diving was technically not allowed but previous authorities had indicated this would not be enforced.