Planning Guide: Playa del Carmen & Cozumel: Input Requested

[dtdesola]

Wow, this is such a fantastic forum, I’m amazed at the volume and quality of information available on this site!

This post will consolidate some of the recommended dive Ops in Cozumel as well as a number of recommended dive sites. I’d like input to help me plan a week’s vacation to Playa del Carmen that I will take with my family and friends in early May.

These are some of the recommendations I’ve come across in previous posts. Please note, I have no personal experience with these, I provide them merely as a list based on the recommendations by other forum members:

Cozumel Dive Ops:
Anita Divers with Rudolpho
Caballito del Caribe
Papa Hog's
Living Underwater
Blue Angel

Playa del Carmen Dive Ops
Sea Life Divers, located on Mamitas Beach.( Luis is the Owner)

Recommended (Advanced) Sites

Maracaibo
Punta ser (devil's throat)
Colombia
Palancar horseshow
Palancar caves
Santa rosa
Punta tunich
Las Palmas
Palancar Gardens
Bricks, Francesca
Dalilah
Cedral

Recommended Shallow Sites
Columbia Shallows
Paradise Reef
Tormentos
Paradise/Paraiso—also a popular night dive
Tunich
Chankanaab reef

My group will consist of two OW certified divers (my wife and I), two friends interested in either a series of resort dives or possibly a certification course (not sure how this would work), three people only interested in snorkeling, and my 2 ½ year old son. My idea right now is that we will charter a dive boat for one full day and bring everyone to a site or two that has something for everyone, and that my wife and I will take a few dives on our own on different days. Realistically, we’ll probably have a maximum of four days to dive, maybe only three. Neither of us is a very experienced diver--we have about 20 dives under our (weight) belts at this point. I don’t really want to entertain depths beyond 80 feet, tunnels, etc. we’d love to see some rich sea life, enjoy the legendary visibility, and have the opportunity to generally improve our diving skills.

My specific questions:
1) Which site would make for the best “family day”? Which operator do you think would provide the best (safest, most comfortable, best value) experience?

2) For the days that my wife and I go by ourselves, which sites would you recommend?

3) Given that we won’t have that many opportunities to dive, is it worth diving in the Playa Del Carmen area, or should we stick to Cozumel?

4) Any suggestions to keep transportation costs and time expenditures to a minimum? We’ll be staying at the Paraiso Del Mar Iberostar. I’m assuming we’ll need to take a taxi from the hotel to the ferry, and a taxi from the ferry to any given dive shop or peer. Pointers from any of you who have done this?

5) Any other ideas on how to make this a great vacation?

Thank you very much for your input!

-David

 

[ggunn]

First of all, asking "what's the best dive op on Cozumel" will get you far more testimonials from friends of dive ops who are trying to send them business than any real information that will help you choose one that will fill your needs. The one that I use is not even on your list, and at your experience level, what's best for you is not universal.

As to dive sites, the only two really advanced dives on your
"advanced" list are the first two - Punta Sur and Maracaibo. At a 20 dive experience level, you'll want to stay away from those (you're still pretty much novices at this point). If you want to stay above 80 feet and avoid swimthroughs (probably a good idea), Santa Rosa Wall, Columbia, and the deeper Palancar sites should probably be out as well.

Punta Tuniche, Las Palmas, Dalila, and Cedral (on your "advanced" list) are all shallow dives usually visited as the second dive of a two tank trip. The current at Tuniche is usually pretty fast, BTW.

I would advise you to visit http://www.cozumel-diving.net and start emailing the ops with questions about what you want to do as far as taking the whole group somewhere where there's something for everybody; that doesn't fit the usual model and will take some dealing.

Staying in Playa and diving Cozumel will present you with some logistical challenges; it's a 12 mile, 45 minute ferry crossing, and you can't (as far s I know) meet a dive boat at the ferry dock. Although the diving is definitely better at Cozumel than over near PdC, considering all the folks in your group that are non divers, you might consider doing most your diving this trip over there and just doing your "getaway" dives at Cozumel.

 

[Scott M]

Hi David,

I just got back from PDC and Coz. A couple of recommendations if I may. Tank Ha in PDC is great to dive with. Nice boats, great DM's. I highly recommend the Cenotes with Stephen (He is unbelievable) and the Cenotes were just a ton of fun.

I also recommend Palanacar Reef over at Coz. Real cool dive.

Have fun.

 

[dtdesola]

Hi David,

I just got back from PDC and Coz. A couple of recommendations if I may. Tank Ha in PDC is great to dive with. Nice boats, great DM's. I highly recommend the Cenotes with Stephen (He is unbelievable) and the Cenotes were just a ton of fun.

I also recommend Palanacar Reef over at Coz. Real cool dive.

Have fun.

Thanks for the reply. I've read a number of good things about the Cenotes, but I really have no idea about them. I hear the word "caves" and a warning flag goes up. Anything dangerous about these dives? Appropriate for beginners/non-divers?

Who did you dive with in Coz?

 

[yak]

Hi David,

I just got back from PDC and Coz. A couple of recommendations if I may. Tank Ha in PDC is great to dive with. Nice boats, great DM's. I highly recommend the Cenotes with Stephen (He is unbelievable) and the Cenotes were just a ton of fun.

I also recommend Palanacar Reef over at Coz. Real cool dive.

Have fun.

Scott,

Did you take Tank-Ha's day trip to Coz on their boat or did you ferry over and use a local op?

I'm planning on doing their Coz day trip and would love to hear from someone who has done it recently.

 

[Scott M]

Thanks for the reply. I've read a number of good things about the Cenotes, but I really have no idea about them. I hear the word "caves" and a warning flag goes up. Anything dangerous about these dives? Appropriate for beginners/non-divers?

There actually quite easy. There is a 4 divers to one DM limit so it works out quite nice and you are never more than 2 minutes to an exit but most of the time it is less than a minute. As for the skills. I had only about 12 dives before I went and we had a sweet young lady with us that had been OW certifed just the day before and she did great. What a sweety (I know your reading this Barb. ;-). Bouyance is very important but Stephen from Tank Ha is very good at ironing things out.

Who did you dive with in Coz?

We went with Aqua Safari, I liked them. We had 11 divers and two DM's. Nice people.

 

[Scott M]

Scott,

Did you take Tank-Ha's day trip to Coz on their boat or did you ferry over and use a local op?

I'm planning on doing their Coz day trip and would love to hear from someone who has done it recently.

We did the ferry and went with Agau Safari. It worked out nice for us as we had an agenda after the diving and they stowed our gear for us. I would recommend them.

 

[Valwood1]

There are many good dive ops in Coz -- I've used Blue Angel and was quite happy with it -- but you really should take a look at www.ScubawithAlison.com. She's helpful, pleasant and patient, and great with newer divers. She uses a small boat, and leaves from the harbour near El Presidente Hotel (south of San Miguel); I'm sure that she'd pick you up elsewhere, if you prefer.

The dive ops usually have morning trips at 8am or so, and an afternoon set at 1-1:30 or so. I'm sure than one of them would be glad to work with you if you're taking the boat for the day.

There are some swim thrus that are not too deep and not too long, and, if your bouyancy is pretty good and you're not claustrophobic, it might be worthwhile to ask the dive op about those; they are different, and can be fun.

With Alison and Blue Angel, we spent the SI by a beach where there is food and drink -- and toilettes. That might be fun, and of help to the snorkelers. It was much better than spending it on a large boat bobbing about in the ocean.

As far as sites go, you might try Columbia Deep and Columbia Shallows. I like the Deep as much as any dive I've had at Coz, and the shallows may be the best shallow dive there, usually less than 40', lots of marine life, and easy on the snorkelers. I don't recall strong current at either spot, but that may well be just my experience.

 

[Moodiejeff]

I've been in touch with Mike Beasley about chartering a boat for a day... you might want to check him out if you're in Coz. Prices seem reasonable and he comes highly recommended.

http://mikebeasley.com