Opinion about dive in Cozumel or Playa del Carmen

[leonardomrc]

Hi guys,

This is my first post here!

I'll be in Playa del Carmen in two weeks and I need some help to decide about diving in Cozumel or not. People say it is the best dive in the region.

I read about Palancar and Santa Rosa dive spots and the all have great reviews.

But here is the situation: I'm not Advanced Open Water. I'm certified as PADI OW (60ft/18m). But I've done about 20 dives including a couple with current and a couple of wall dives. I've also done a dive where people gone a little bit deeper than me (I just stayed a above not to surpass the limit).

Scuba Libre local dive operator told me it is hard to control floatability and all dives will go at 25 meters minimum, so they recommend that I buy some other dives with them in shallow waters. I just don't know if they are just trying to sell more...

What do you recommend? Any impressions from people who's been there?

I really need help since it high season I just have a few days left to book.

Thank you!!

 

[pchyen]

I've had all of my 17 dives at the Playa Del Carmen area reefs and I am Advanced Open Water certified. You should really get the AOW to be able to go deeper. The reefs are much better at 30m than 12/15/18m. One of the sites is called "Tortugas"/turtles is 18m and it's a drift dive (lots of fun). Chances for you to see sea turtles is pretty good.

That said, I've seen turtles, sting rays, eagle rays, sharks at 12m, 15m-18m. It all depends on the weather and your luck!

Here is a good link of most of the reef sites around PDC. I have been to most of them with exception of Punta Venado, Mama Vina, Moc-che Deep, Pared Verde, Acuario, & Manchones. The reefs range from 10m to 30m or so.The dive sites in Playa del Carmen

I have not been to Cozumel yet so I cannot comment on it. I know a few people that have been to Cozumel and they love it (drift dive).

 

[kerrycorcoran]

I just returned from Cozumel (in November) and this was my first dives since certification. We stayed at Cozumel Palace and utilized Aqua Safari for all 5 days of our diving. Honestly, I was a bit nervous, but the team @ Aqua Safari took great pride in making sure all divers stayed in a safe zone and a watchful eye during the dives. There was some current that was a bit challenging, but nothing that wasn't worth calling the dives. I basically relied on my training and stayed alert and had one of the best vacations of my life. We always did an initial deep dive (usually 75-80') followed by a more shallow dive at 50-55'. If you focus on what you're doing and use your training I am sure you'll be fine. Also, make sure you have a good buddy along as well.

 

[Coconut Divers]

Why dont you take the AOW in PDC and tell the operator that you would like to do the Deep and Drift dives in Cozumel. Problem solved !!!

 

[BrewingDiver]

Cozumel has some great dive well under 25 meters. That number tends to be common for the first dive of the day, with the second less than that, as kerrycorcoran said above. Not that many are over 25 meters unless you want them to be. You would be on a wall in that case, so you can stay shallower if you want to. Some dives are under 40' or less, like the excellent Columbia Shallows, which is well under that. The best thing to do is to let your dive service know about your experience level and they should be able to accommodate you. The drift diving is not difficult at all but can be intimidating at first. A lot of people recommend hiring a private DM for a day or two, which can really help.

---------- Post added December 16th, 2013 at 08:37 PM ----------

I guess I should add, it is important to have good buoyancy control if you do any wall dives. The actual bottom can be quite deep in Cozumel (well beyond the depth you will be diving), and sometimes you can be dragged up or down if you are not careful.

 

[MMM]

If you want to stay at 60 feet I would suggest you book with a dive op that has multiple boats so they can group you with like minded divers. The alternatives are to hire a private DM to stay shallower with you (basically taking you over the top of the reef rather than down the wall, which will only be an issue on the first dive) or decide to go deeper with the rest of the group. And yes, the diving in Cozumel is MUCH better than in Playa.

AND BTW, what the heck do they mean by "floatability"? Are they talking buoyancy control?

 

[Mike]

Hi guys,

This is my first post here!

I'll be in Playa del Carmen in two weeks and I need some help to decide about diving in Cozumel or not. People say it is the best dive in the region.

I read about Palancar and Santa Rosa dive spots and the all have great reviews.

But here is the situation: I'm not Advanced Open Water. I'm certified as PADI OW (60ft/18m). But I've done about 20 dives including a couple with current and a couple of wall dives. I've also done a dive where people gone a little bit deeper than me (I just stayed a above not to surpass the limit).

Scuba Libre local dive operator told me it is hard to control floatability and all dives will go at 25 meters minimum, so they recommend that I buy some other dives with them in shallow waters. I just don't know if they are just trying to sell more...

What do you recommend? Any impressions from people who's been there?

I really need help since it high season I just have a few days left to book.

Thank you!!

While Cozumel is the better diving area, with 20 dives under your belt, you'll be just as happy in PDC, there will be plenty to keep you excited there for you and the diving is shallower and a bit less current on average. The logistics of getting over to Cozumel on the ferry, the fact that you'll be just as happy at PDC, makes me say don't chase the grass is always greener over there syndrome and just enjoy the diving in PDC, Cozumel will be there next time. You've got Tortugas to dive, the gun boat wreck, and even the bull shark dive over on that side of the channel, none of which exist in Cozumel.

 

[keuka4884]

Agree with Mike. Lots of good dives for a beginner in PDC. You will see many more schools of fish in PDC than Cozumel. The two are very different. Besides, much better restaurants in PDC.

 

[paulw]

I have been diving Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel for years and I enjoy both. There are some really fun dives in PDC but finding a good dive shop is the key if you don't want to just be taken out just outside the marina and dropped in the water, I dive with The Abyss Dive Center and they do a great job. I know lots of divers say forget PDC unless you are diving Cenote's ( cenote's are fun but you really need to have quite a few dives under your belt and have pretty good buoyancy skills before you try them in my opinion ) and just go to Cozumel but I just don't agree, I love diving PDC. Cozumel is completely different diving than PDC and I absolutely love diving there, I love the deep dives with swim troughs and looking up at the huge formations. There are many really good dive shops there that will place you with divers of the same skill levels and their DM's do a great job, I like Aldora, Blue XT~Sea and Deep Blue. Cozumel is drift diving and sometimes its a really fast ride, just watch the DM and do what he does and you will be fine... Have fun.

Paul

 

[gearbow]

Don't miss out on at least one day of diving in Cozumel. You don't need advance open water to dive 80-90 feet. Besides you can stay a bit higher than the group if you want. I often do, more life to see anyway. 2nd dive is a shallow dive max 60 feet with a lot of marine life. It is technically drift diving but often the currents are not that bad. Personally I have dove over 400 dives in Cozumel and only have, PADI open water certification.

I have dove with both Blue-XT and Dive with Martin great service from both. The guys with Dive with Martin are like family to me.

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