Resorts with shore diving

[AzAtty]

My wife made the fatal mistake of commenting that she'd rather go on a trip to someplace like Cozumel than go on a cruise. Not being one to allow such a lapse in spousal judgment to go unexploited, I'm thinking of booking a few days on Coz for our anniversary. Although I'm an instructor, my wife isn't certified and I plan to certify her on the trip. My plan will probably allow only 2-4 boat dives per day for two days, I'd like a place that has on-site shore diving and an on-site shop so that I can get tanks and weights, and finish her open water certification dives when we arrive.

If it were just me, I'd likely stay at Scuba Club (I've been there before and like the staff). However, I think SCC might be a bit spartan for my wife. So what other resorts meet the criteria indentified above?

 

[billindenver]

Hotel Cozumel. We love the place, the shore diving is pretty good (right next to SCC) and the tanks are $6us as I recall. I don't boat dive with them (aldora, living underwater or dive with martin for me) but dive paradise (onsite op) rents tanks to anyone for shore diving.

 

[Fin59]

We stay at Hotel Cozumel, too, but use Dive With Martin. You can dive with whoever you want and be picked up at the hotel, then rent tanks from Dive Paradise (onsite op) for shore dives.

 

[Jupiter31]

Just don't expect Bonaire regarding the shore diving off Coz - Before the hurricane a few years ago it was better, but never what Cozumel is known for.

Its a great place to go - I've personally gone over 20 times - but as good as the wall diving is, the shore diving is nowhere close.

 

[MMM]

Blue Angel. Free air for shore diving; good on-site op.

 

[cicopo]

I think you can do what you want at most of the hotels or resorts starting at Hotel Barracuda & ending at the Park Royal. They are all outside the park boundary, and most have an in house op or 1 very close by. I'm another Hotel Cozumel fan, but the Park Royal also is a nice place, and so is Blue Angel (formerly Caribe Blu), so I'd need to know a bit more about what she likes to go any further with a recommendation. I have on line albums showing what some of them look like (the grounds) plus my room at Hotel Coz here.

Picasa Web Albums - Larry

 

[stortecky]

How is the diving in front of Hotel Cozumel? I did a shore dive in front of Casa del mar before. It wasn't the reef but I did get some nice pictures. Would the diving be about the same as Casa Del Mar?

 

[1KWIK_69]

How is the diving in front of Hotel Cozumel? I did a shore dive in front of Casa del mar before. It wasn't the reef but I did get some nice pictures. Would the diving be about the same as Casa Del Mar?

Yes, pretty much. The shore diving just north of Casa Del Mar near the stingray pen and Blue Angel resort is starting to get better. I was really happy to see the coral starting to make a come back there after Wilma. We saw a lot of marine life in that area a couple months ago.

 

[Zman96]

How is the diving in front of Hotel Cozumel? I did a shore dive in front of Casa del mar before. It wasn't the reef but I did get some nice pictures. Would the diving be about the same as Casa Del Mar?

My buddy and I just got back and we did 2 shore dives at Hotel Coz. 1 as just a check out dive for him and one night dive. The current was pretty mild so we went south first and made it just past the lighthouse, then turned back and made it just past Scuba Club. The shore diving is ok during the day, at night we saw, 2 octopus, many eel, scorpion fish, squid, drum fish schools of smaller fish, and more Urchins than I have ever seen. It was $6 for a tank from Dive Paradise and $6 for a light if you need one.

 

[sharky60]

Hotel Coz is more like a resort, if that's her thing. Large property with a BIG pool area, and a small beach accross the street from the property. Since it's close to Scuba Club there should be nice shore diving in the area, as you probably know Coz isn't famous for it's shore diving, but that doesn't mean there isn't stuff to see out there.

If she likes quiet, Blue Angel would be my other recommendation. The new owners have made many improvements to the property and services while keeping the small hotel feel about the place.

The property sits on the water, unlike Hotel Coz, so even at the pool you have an ocean view and breezes. They don't have much beach there, if she prefers the sand to the pool, but just to the south is about a 1/4 mile stretch of beach along what is arguably Cozumel's best shore diving/night shore diving at "Villablanca Shallows". Basically between Papa Hogs and Blue Angel.

Actually shore diving from the International Pier/La Ceiba area all the way north to the Cozumel Palace (Plaza las Glorias to us old timers), is pretty good and great small critter territory.

One advantage to Hotel Coz is that it is a very short walk to town, Blue Angel is close to a mile, but we make the walk to and fro' town quite often when we are there.