Tough decisions I must make...The first? Stay in the Mayan or Cozumel

[kimmerscuba22]

Hello scubaverse! I'm planning a dive trip to Mexico in April and am asking for any suggestions, tips and recommendations you guys can provide. I can't decide where to stay, a resort in the Mayan or make the trip out to Cozumel and vacation there.
I've been to Mexico half a dozen times and stayed at different resorts each time, my favourite being the Grand Sirenis diving with Blue Experience dive shop. That resort was amazing and the diving was awesome! Fish, turtles and otopi' oh my! If I stay in the Mayan I will be diving with Blue Experience again because they provided such a great experience. They are a smaller operation but provide BIG service. I'm not looking to be herded onto a boat with 20 other people. The least favourite was the Catalonia in PDC, didn't like the resort and the diving was uneventful. I love diving the cenotes at least twice during a trip and hoping to dive the Angelita and Temple of Doom on this next trip.
Now for the crazy part - I've never been to Cozumel! If I stay in the Mayan then I will absolutely go on a day trip to Coz. Or should I just book my entire vacation in Cozumel? I've been told it's similar to diving the GBR which I have been lucky enough to do and am very thankful for that. I would then have to make a trip or two on the ferry to access the cenotoes. I am travelling with a non diver so I would feel guilty about the fact that the beaches aren't great in Cozumel, from what I've read.
Any suggestions on resorts and dive operators you have stayed at and dove with in Coz would be greatly appreciated. Tips/info regarding prices would be very helpful as well and places/ops to avoid.

Thank you in advance for reading this far and for any possible help you might provide.

 

[mmmbelows]

Just decide what you want - a dive vacation or a vacation with diving. Cozumel is typically a dive vacation, go there for the diving, you stay on the main land for all the variety it offers with diving being just a small part of it. Cozumel is not the GBR I'd temper your expectations, but if you thought the diving was good from the mainland you'll be even happier with the diving from Cozumel.

On Cozumel there is really no one to avoid, just making choices based on the diving you want - cheaper large cattle dive boats with timed dive times, or niche operators offering more personal service, more personal diving at prices higher accordingly as they should be for what you get. The number dive operators to choose from on Cozumel will be exponentially higher as Cozumel is all about diving and there are lots and lots of dive shops compared to the mainland where diving is just part of adventures to choose from.

 

[decompression]

For what it's worth, the ferry is horrible.....every time I take it I swear never again......damn you Cozumel. So, if I'm reef diving, it's Coz, if I'm cenote diving it's Tulum.

 

[diver0008]

Day 1: Fly into Coz.

Days 2, 3, 4: Stay and dive Coz. Aldora, Tres Pelicanos, (among several others) are good ops.

Day 5: Check out, ferry to PDC. Check in, and dive.

Day 6: Dive Cenotes.

Day 7: Fly out of Cancun

or something like that.

 

[kimmerscuba22]

Just decide what you want - a dive vacation or a vacation with diving. Cozumel is typically a dive vacation, go there for the diving, you stay on the main land for all the variety it offers with diving being just a small part of it. Cozumel is not the GBR I'd temper your expectations, but if you thought the diving was good from the mainland you'll be even happier with the diving from Cozumel.

On Cozumel there is really no one to avoid, just making choices based on the diving you want - cheaper large cattle dive boats with timed dive times, or niche operators offering more personal service, more personal diving at prices higher accordingly as they should be for what you get. The number dive operators to choose from on Cozumel will be exponentially higher as Cozumel is all about diving and there are lots and lots of dive shops compared to the mainland where diving is just part of adventures to choose from.

Thanks for the heads up about my exepectations on the diving and I for sure do not want to be on a cattle boat. I don't mind paying a little more for better and more personalized service. Thanks

For what it's worth, the ferry is horrible.....every time I take it I swear never again......damn you Cozumel. So, if I'm reef diving, it's Coz, if I'm cenote diving it's Tulum.

Horrible as in it's rough and causes seasickness? Thank you

Day 1: Fly into Coz.

Days 2, 3, 4: Stay and dive Coz. Aldora, Tres Pelicanos, (among several others) are good ops.

Day 5: Check out, ferry to PDC. Check in, and dive.

Day 6: Dive Cenotes.

Day 7: Fly out of Cancun

or something like that.

Haha that's actually a great idea! Thank you

 

[lindenbruce]

If you are looking for something new, try staying at The Villa Aldora on the island. The place is nice and has hot strong showers. And then dive with Aldora Divers. I have been with both for my last four trips. Always had a great time. Except this one dive at Barracuda Reef............ B.

 

[decompression]

Ya, the ferry is loud, smokey and a huge portion of the passengers are throwing up. Happens every trip. It's a really unpleasant experience.

 

[kimmerscuba22]

If you are looking for something new, try staying at The Villa Aldora on the island. The place is nice and has hot strong showers. And then dive with Aldora Divers. I have been with both for my last four trips. Always had a great time. Except this one dive at Barracuda Reef............ B.

Oh no, dare I ask about the one dive at Barracuda Reef?

Ya, the ferry is loud, smokey and a huge portion of the passengers are throwing up. Happens every trip. It's a really unpleasant experience.

That sounds horrible. Being seasick isn't something I would wish on my worst enemy :S Thank you for letting me know, that's the first someone has told me that.

 

[markmantei]

Day 1: Fly into Coz.

Days 2, 3, 4: Stay and dive Coz. Aldora, Tres Pelicanos, (among several others) are good ops.

Day 5: Check out, ferry to PDC. Check in, and dive.

Day 6: Dive Cenotes.

Day 7: Fly out of Cancun

or something like that.

Pretty close to what we normally do. Here flights to coz expensive relative to cancun, and there isn't a direct flight. We normally will fly to cancun, head down to playa for 3 days then take the ferry across. Dive for a week in coz and take the maya air flight back to cancun to head home.

 

[mmmbelows]

That sounds horrible. Being seasick isn't something I would wish on my worst enemy :S Thank you for letting me know, that's the first someone has told me that.

And probably the only time you will hear something like that. Thousands of people use the ferrys to cross from Playa Del Carmen to Cozumel and back and forth everyday, I've yet to see anybody seasick, nor a single person vomit, maybe it happens, but to say a huge number of people get seasick and are throwing up on the ferry? Never seen it in all the years I've been on them.