Shore diving in Cozumel

[Mike]

This will be our first trip to Cozumel, and I would like to know if any of the hotel's have good shore diving/snorkeling, and a beach near by. We like higher end hotel's not looking for a low budget dive hotel. I'm not stuck on a shore diving hotel either if you think it will be better to just drive to a good dive spot we plan we can do that as well on renting a car. My wife gets seasick, and she wants to shore dive to get more experience before trying to get on a boat again if the water is flat enough to do it. I knowBonaire would be the place for us, but it's little too far for this year. My wife gets sea sick, and we haven't really found a good way to deal with it. She has never really had a good experience because of rough boat rides. If the water is too rough for boat diving we can always shore dive.

As was said by MTStevens, the Presidente would meet both your requirements. It's the nicest resort on the island and you can shore dive there through their onsite dive op.

What have you guys tried in regard to alleviating sea sickness? Unless your wife has extremely susceptible to sea sickness, most over the counter medications would work. There are also many common sense things that you can do to reduce getting sea sick, such as avoiding the front of the boat while it's in motion, avoiding gasoline or diesel fumes while on the boat, avoiding focusing too much on things inside the boat, many divers get a dose of seasickness while gearing up because they are focusing on what's in the boat instead of keeping their vision on the horizon. Your eating habits can effect suceptibility to seasickness also, big breakfasts or greasy breakfasts are a no-no.

Cozumel's diving is on the sheltered side of the island for the most part. If you stuck to afternoon dives instead of morning dives, you'd pretty much guarantee the boat trips will be very short and very tame. The reason for this is the morning dives are going to hit the further, more 'advanced' dive sites compared to the afternoon dives which are going to go to close, shallower dive sites with very gentle boat rides. Also if you stay with the Presidente they have a large boat which would be very beneficial against sea sickness instead of diving with a dive op using 6 pack boats.

Thanks for the info I think we might just drive to dive spots I'm thinking of renting a car so we can also drive to other areas off the island.

I'd advise with your dive experience you forget about that for now. Most accessible shore diving not associated with a sea side resort on Cozumel would put you on the east side of the island and that's not a place you need to be at your experience level right now.

 

[ggunn]

Thanks for the info I think we might just drive to dive spots I'm thinking of renting a car so we can also drive to other areas off the island.

There is a car ferry between the mainland and the island, but it's slow and expensive. You'd probably be better off taking the people ferry over to Playa del Carmen and renting another car for your mainland excursion.

But maybe you meant to say "other areas of the island".

 

[tracydr]

This trip won't be a dive trip exclusive I plan on renting a car and doing other things. I like the 5 min boat ride idea I think she can tolerate a short boat ride like that as long as it isn't 4-5 foot swells. She was fine on a 47' cat we took a snorkeling trip in on the big island of Hawaii. That trip she had a few drinks of alcohol they served with snacks so I'm sure that helped out she can't drink alcohol when diving. Bonine and the other stuff puts her to sleep big time took 24hours of sleep to get rid of the patch.

Has she tried the non-drowsy dramamine?
How about going to the mainland and doing some guided cavern dives?

 

[Blastman4444]

She has tried it all the only thing we haven't tried is taking bonine before going to bed the day before we go out diving maybe there be enough in her system to keep her from getting sick her motion sickness is very bad she can't read anything even a cell phone in a car she starts to feel it.

What have you guys tried in regard to alleviating sea sickness? Unless your wife has extremely susceptible to sea sickness, most over the counter medications would work. There are also many common sense things that you can do to reduce getting sea sick, such as avoiding the front of the boat while it's in motion, avoiding gasoline or diesel fumes while on the boat, avoiding focusing too much on things inside the boat, many divers get a dose of seasickness while gearing up because they are focusing on what's in the boat instead of keeping their vision on the horizon. Your eating habits can effect suceptibility to seasickness also, big breakfasts or greasy breakfasts are a no-no.

She gets sick looking at a cell phone while we are driving, so it's not your typical. Thanks for getting back to me and all the good info a good friend at work who is from Mexico has a personal friend who operates a dive shop there maybe we can work out a trip that will take us somewhere good with a short easy ride. I know the shore diving stinks, but I'm trying to get her used to diving she only has 3 ocean dives since we got certified. I think if I can her used to diving again she might not be so nervous about the sea sickness.

There is a car ferry between the mainland and the island, but it's slow and expensive. You'd probably be better off taking the people ferry over to Playa del Carmen and renting another car for your mainland excursion.

I checked the fares it will be 724 Peso's for a car and 120 for 2 people so $64 in dollars each way I don't consider that expensive we only do one trip a year so we don't scrimp when it comes to vacations 3 Cab rides probably be $60.

 

[drrich2]

Did you try scopolamine for sea sickness? Prescription, but seems to be the 'big guns' for motion sickness. I know two people it worked for (I think it dilated the pupils in one guy a bit).

Richard.

 

[Blastman4444]

Scopolamine knocks her out no way she can dive she stumbles around I have to help her walk on that stuff.

 

[Mike]

her motion sickness is very bad she can't read anything even a cell phone in a car she starts to feel it.

Ouch!

Best of luck, please post back if you figure anything out.

 

[Blastman4444]

One more question, so it looks like there is no direct flight or even a same day flight from Phoenix all of them are overnight lay overs my main airline I usually fly usair has direct 4 hour flights to Cancun I'm thinking of just renting the car at that airport and driving over and taking the ferry over to Cozumel. Is the drive a long one lot of traffic what time of the day would be best?

 

[Dan G]

I am a major land lubber and used to get sea sick regularly. (not always the worst kind, but enough to make me uncomfortable) The only thing that worked was a combination of two things. A regular dose of over the counter meds and when I sat on the boat, I would spend the entire ride looking at the horizon- or some land based fixed point. If I began to look at people, my gear, or even at objects inside of the boat, I would feel symptoms come on. I too cannot read in a car or even when a flight gets bumpy.

I am much better now and do not need to be so vigilant anymore.

Good luck!

 

[bgda]

I have had a lot of experience with SS. I use Bonine and it helps. Never had any issues in Cozumel as the boat ride is very short to the reefs. Usually less than 20 minutes. Also-I only take the small fast 6-pack boats. I think they are better than the larger boats because I prefer to do my Surface Interval on land and the large boats usually drop anchor and rock and roll for an hour. One last tip-if you wear a skin and or wet suit-dip it in the water then put it on and pull it down to your waist until you hit the reef and the boat stops. That way you are not leaning over and pulling on a suit on board. Easy-peasy! Good-luck!

This will be our first trip to Cozumel, and I would like to know if any of the hotel's have good shore diving/snorkeling, and a beach near by. We like higher end hotel's not looking for a low budget dive hotel. I'm not stuck on a shore diving hotel either if you think it will be better to just drive to a good dive spot we plan we can do that as well on renting a car. My wife gets seasick, and she wants to shore dive to get more experience before trying to get on a boat again if the water is flat enough to do it. I knowBonaire would be the place for us, but it's little too far for this year. My wife gets sea sick, and we haven't really found a good way to deal with it. She has never really had a good experience because of rough boat rides. If the water is too rough for boat diving we can always shore dive.