Pro's and con's April vs July

[wildbill9]

We want to give Cozumel a try again. We had planned Curacao in April and Cozumel in July. Anyone think there is an advantage to swapping the dates? We chose that order only because of water temps (cold water lightweights) Thanks Bill and DeeDee

 

[ggunn]

Water temps in Cozumel are about the same in April as in July. Ashore, July is typically warmer and wetter.

 

[DjDiverDan]

Personally, I prefer April in Cozumel to July. For several years, I spent the last week in March in Cozumel, and I thought it was perfect in terms of weather and water temps. The water might be a bit warmer in July, but when you are out of the water, it can be sweltering - hot and humid, regular thunderstorms (though they rarely last very long). If you do go in July, a hotel with a decent pool is a must, as you'll be sweating pretty much all the time you spend out of the ocean. Currents can get a little strange in late March, but nothing that ever prevented a dive.

 

[mediumone]

Personally, I prefer April in Cozumel to July. For several years, I spent the last week in March in Cozumel, and I thought it was perfect in terms of weather and water temps. The water might be a bit warmer in July, but when you are out of the water, it can be sweltering - hot and humid, regular thunderstorms (though they rarely last very long). If you do go in July, a hotel with a decent pool is a must, as you'll be sweating pretty much all the time you spend out of the ocean. Currents can get a little strange in late March, but nothing that ever prevented a dive.

Good assessment. The currents the first week of April last year didn't stop diving, but they were nuts - Not much fun on a couple of dives, but that was unusual.

 

[Ron Lee]

In July you can take a trip to Isla Mujeres to snorkel with whale sharks. That is an awesome experience.

 

[mediumone]

In July you can take a trip to Isla Mujeres to snorkel with whale sharks. That is an awesome experience.

I don't have many regrets in my planning for our family vacations, but not doing the whale shark trip is a big one.

 

[wildbill9]

Well in that case sounds like July is better suited for us. Our one trip to Cozumel was marred by bad currents (which we did not like) and whale sharks sound pretty darn cool. Now to find a condo with a pool . ...

 

[ggunn]

Well in that case sounds like July is better suited for us. Our one trip to Cozumel was marred by bad currents (which we did not like) and whale sharks sound pretty darn cool. Now to find a condo with a pool . ...

Just understand that there is virtually always current on Cozumel dive sites. Some sites (like Punta Tuniche) usually have more and some (like Colombia Shallows) usually have less, but current is a constant attribute of Cozumel diving. There's no guarantee that it will be less in July than in April.

 

[DjDiverDan]

In July you can take a trip to Isla Mujeres to snorkel with whale sharks. That is an awesome experience.

Yes, that is one BIG bonus of a July trip. I did it once, and it was awesome. But be prepared for a long, exhausting day. The Whale Sharks are not close to Cozumel. Unless you pay for the MayaAir shuttle flight, You need to take a very early Ferry over to Playa Del Carmen, then catch a shuttle van that takes you up to a marina north of Cancun, get on a boat for a long, sometimes rough, boat ride out to the area where the Whale Sharks congregate to feed, up by Isla Holbox. And snorkling with the Whale Sharks is not at all like a lazy drift over the reefs - it's a real cardio workout, and it will wear you out. Start getting in shape now. You'll be thoroughly wiped out by the time you get back to Cozumel, but it's well worth it.

 

[Karloss]

To add to what ggun said they(the currents) can change from day to day also.