Staying in PDC: dive Cozumel or cenote?

[DarinJ]

I may have to choose between 1 day in Cozumel and 1 day in cenotes

I'm staying with non-diving family in Playa Del Carmen this November. I have 3 days of diving and would love to do 1 day PDC, 1 day Coz & 1 day cenote diving (2 tanks each). Partly for cost, but mostly for time away from family, I may need to do 2 days PDC ocean dives and 1 day either Coz or cenotes. This will be my first time diving in Mexico, but I've done several dives in Maui. I'm thinking I that I like reef & fish dives, but that's all I've ever done on vacation, so I don't know whether I'd enjoy the cenote more than Coz. I am OW certified (not AOW yet and won't/can't be in time for this trip) and will have about 70 dives by the start of this trip--mostly cold water lake diving in low vis here in Canada. I'm working on getting the family to join as snorkelers on some trips to avoid the "You were gone all day!" issues, but they may want to stay on the beach rather than join me.

If you had to choose, would you choose 1 day in Coz or 1 day in cenotes?

 

[Beyond_Diving]

Both offer fantastic diving, so really it is up to you. I'm partial to the cenotes, but not everybody loves em as much as I do. I can help you put something together though if you'd like

 

[boulderjohn]

If you had to choose, would you choose 1 day in Coz or 1 day in cenotes?

No one can tell you the answer.

There are people who will be just plain thrilled to be in a cenote. These people have a personality that thrives on that sort of thing. I was one of them--that is why I became a cave diver.

There are people for whom the idea sounds horrible, and they would be absolutely miserable on such a dive.

Most people are somewhere in between. Only you can decide where you stand between misery and rapture.

 

[gopbroek]

I would try to do each. The cenotes are at the very least a 'bucket list' experience and if you like the dark places you will be hooked. The reefs and wall of Cozumel IMHO are also bucket list and highly addictive, plus the non-family can snorkel. Personnely, having dove in Maui, I think you need to checkout Cozumel.

 

[t4e]

if you're amazed by rock formations, cenotes will be a good choice

 

[DarinJ]

Thanks for the quick responses! Just noticed that I forgot to mention I will be diving with my son (13 years old and approx 40 - 45 dives by the time we start this trip) He is thinking more reefs rather than the cenotes--all of our local dives are in dark places And for the non-diving family would probably like Coz better for snorkeling.

No matter what we choose to do, we are spending a week in Mexico in November and life will be good!

 

[Ragu]

Dive the Palancar Reef off the Iberostar Hotel Cozumel. Your son will love it .. Typical easy drift dive at ave depth of 50 ft. Just back last week. Made 11 dives.


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[PARADISE HUNTER]

Having logged many dives off PDC, Coz and the cenotes, I can firmly say the diving off PDC is the least of your options. I would avoid it all together and dive off Coz or the cenotes. I would attempt to do one day of each and then pick the third day depending on what you and your son liked best. Maybe space the dive days out and give your ops a heads up to what your planning. Lot's of shopping, restaurants, bars, snorkeling and beach clubs on Coz for the non diving crew. Your family can also visit ruins o Tulum or Coba while you are diving the cenotes. No end of options off the resort in PDC.

Should be a great trip.

PH

 

[Mike]

I dived everthing you are considering. That said I've dived the cenotes once and once was more than enough for me I don't care for it, just dead water inside a cave, I prefer the marine life on reefs. However no one can tell you what you should do as no one knows what you will like. That being said, the cenotes are unique, the diving in Cozumel is better than PDC, but it's not super unique, but it is good. You will probably have another opportunity to dive similar diving to Cozumel elsewhere but you probably won't have the opportunity to dive something like the cenotes in the Yucatan unless you return specifically to the Yucatan, they really are unique and you won't know you are missing unless you try it.

Furthermore there is decent diving around PDC, Tortugas (turtles and lots of them) is a unique dive site near PDC that you won't duplicate in Cozumel and there are other dives that are decent. The better diving is in Cozumel, but unless you dive all 3 days there, you likely aren't going to be given the chance to see the better diving as dive operators there typically are checking a diver out on their first day of diving and only after they see proficiency will they take you onto the better sites. With only one day of diving in Cozumel you're basically on par as a cruise ship diver to them and just won't get more than average dive sites anyways. Plus all the logistics of taking the ferry over and back is not really fun.

Personally I dive 2 days at PDC, you're there, just dive it and wring out the best of it there is, and do one day of cenote diving. Save Cozumel for the next trip and stay there and experience it like it's meant to be experience.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

We've done somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 dives in that area.
If I were you, I'd do 1 day in the Cenotes (they're not far from PDC, and something everybody should experience once), 1 day off Cozumel, and since you're going to be there in November, 1 day in PDC to dive with the Bull Sharks.

If the Bull Sharks weren't there, I'd do 2 days off Cozumel.

If you want to do it all in 2 days, it's entirely reasonable to do 1 day off Cozumel, a 2-tank cenote in the morning, and Bull Sharks in the afternoon.

In my opinion, the two best dive sites at PDC are Tortugas and the Aquarium.