Shopping for dive gear in Cozumel?

[FiReaNG3L]

Sorry to bother everyone with the newbie questions Dive shops in my town are a bit pathetic; they don't carry the brands I'm after (they often push one brand, no matter what). Also, being in northern Canada doesn't help

I'm looking to buy my first pieces of gear:

- Mares Avanti Superchannel Open Heel Fins
- Atomic Aquatics Frameless mask (clear)
- A good snorkel (not decided yet - any recommendations?)

Do I have good chances of finding those in Cozumel? Would the prices be higher than in the US? Should I buy those items from a shop on the net (this would mean that I wouldn't be able to try them before, which is very sad)?

Thanks!

 

[Jim Baldwin]

Sorry to bother everyone with the newbie questions Dive shops in my town are a bit pathetic; they don't carry the brands I'm after (they often push one brand, no matter what). Also, being in northern Canada doesn't help

I'm looking to buy my first pieces of gear:

- Mares Avanti Superchannel Open Heel Fins
- Atomic Aquatics Frameless mask (clear)
- A good snorkel (not decided yet - any recommendations?)

Do I have good chances of finding those in Cozumel? Would the prices be higher than in the US? Should I buy those items from a shop on the net (this would mean that I wouldn't be able to try them before, which is very sad)?

Thanks!

Let me be the first to chime in here. Buy at home. Whether it's from your LDS off the net or somewhere in between. Since everything has to be shipped in to Cozumel the prices are usually higher and on most imported items there are also tariffs to pay. Even with a good exchage rate you will still pay higher than back home. I often pick up items for a good friend and pack them down when I go.

 

[cicopo]

Prices in Coz weren't bad when our dollar was low but right now I suspect you will do better here in Canada. I realize that there isn't much when it comes to on line mail order here, but what you are looking for can be bought on line from the US and mailed (to save brokering) but I think the mask should be tried first due to varrying fit issues. Whenever I shop on line from a US supplier I make sure that they will ship by mail, and if not I start over at another web site, whether it's for scuba gear or anything else that I think will survive the mail system.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Actually I think you will be very surprised by the competitive prices in Cozumel. Many years ago that was not the case but in most shops now the prices are comparable, if not better than you will find up north. An even bigger plus is that you can now get just about anything you need here, whereas before it was hard to find even basics.

The manufacturers understand that duty and freight makes our costs higher and in almost all cases we in the Caribbean get much better deals than those shops in the north. And now most of the retail dive shops in Coz offer about the same prices as the US and Canada, and those prices include sales tax.

WE at Aldora Divers are not a retail store...so I am not tooting my own horn. Its just a pleasant fact that we now have good dive gear available at good prices. Try the Pro Dive shop on calle A. R. Salas, or Scuba Cozumel Repair, or Studio Blue for good deals on all kinds of dive gear, and the professional staff to make it work right for you. There are more but these are the ones that come to mind right now.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[deborahdelamar]

I haven't shopped dive gear in Coz for two years but prices back then were much higher than US retail for the items I needed to buy there. Also, stores may not have the specific items you want in their inventories. I'm with those who vote for shopping at home.

 

[halocline]

I've found prices in Cozumel pretty high for dive gear. The Mares fins might be okay to buy there, there is a big Mares shop, but I don't know about the specific mask. You might want to try on a mask before buying. One decent thing about buying one there is that there's bound to be a good selection so you can get one that fits. With masks, little else matters.

As far as the snorkel goes, sorry I have no advice. I'd get one at a garage sale if I needed one.

 

[OSUcowboyinSPFD]

I don't know if I would buy a complete dive system in Cozumel, but Pro Dive was very competition on masks in April when mine crapped out. I picked up an aqua lung mask for $40 or so dollars (I can't remember the exact price). I think the exact same mask on leisurepro was $39.95. Pro Dive had a very large selection and the people were very helpful. You might email with them before you go and see if you can work a deal? Never hurts to ask, and I bet they would appreciate the opportunity for the business.

 

[ggunn]

If you want specific items from specific manufacturers, buy them elsewhere. There are only a few shops that sell retail gear on the island and their stock/selection is limited. If you get in a jam for a piece of gear on Cozumel, you'll probably be able to find something that will work for you, but it will likely be more expensive and not your first choice.

 

[betsyinczm]

Well----gotta chime in here----first I highly doubt anyone would be able to "cut a deal" at ProDive-------their prices are pretty well fixed. That said, I bought a mask there for around $28-30 which I absolutely love to the point that it's so beat up and ugly years later, but I still can't part with it.

Second, there are two great places on CZM that have great deals on quality equipment......one is Cozumel Scuba Repair (that Dave mentioned)......Mares reps on the transversal road past the gas station on the right one block in---BIG SIGN and you could email them for their current inventory. The other is Hernan's place on 15th avenue between (and I forget exactly) maybe calle 3 and 5 (??). He is a really nice guy too and is the Sherwood rep for the island---also great deals.......I'll have to search for his email address or pm me. Both of these places have current quality stuff and are VERY helpful to get you the right fit for what you are looking for, with very competitive prices, in my opinion.......and I'm cheap!!........hahaa.

Obviously, the good ol' USA has a wider selection of a zillion brand names, but might be worth taking a look especially if you live in an area that requires you to ONLY get your stuff online without someone personally helping............my two cents...........Betsy

 

[pato52]

Here is a link to the Scuba Repair website:
Cozumel Scuba Repair - factory authorized scuba equipment repair center in Cozumel, Mexico

They are great people