Where to beach dive on our cruise?

[NTX JK]

We are going on a 7 day cruise out of Galveston and heading to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. Since I dive, and my fiance doesn't, I would like to do a beach dive at one of these places so I can go back and forth from the beach. My parents are going as well and they dive also so I won't be alone. I am looking for a good place to do a beach dive at 1 location, and some pointers on where to snorkel at the other 2. Since we are short on money this time, I don't think we will be doing any excursions off the ship. I have a sea scooter so I am not worried about long swims either. Let me know what you think.

 

[diver 85]

Good luck, I'm not familiar with Costa Maya @ all but am with CZM & Roatan.......For Roatan, the best(but not much available) shore diving is @ West Bay Beach(used to called Tabiana Beach) @ the black rock area. For there you will need to rent a vehicle, tanks, weights etc(or get to it by water taxi from West End)...

For CZM, not much shore diving available is the real answer to there--- but have done some in front of Dora Villa & @ Barracuda Hotel, but mainly just rock rubble with a few grassy areas 'junk' in the water......Here's a short video shot in fron to Aldora's Villa:
<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/playe...bums/w169/GEAUXtiger/CZMMay08/MVI_0980018.flv">


EITHER place you go, do a morning of boat diving, you'll be much happier when it's all said & done..

EDIT: on Roatan, I'd use AKR(Anthony's Key Resort) and CZM Aldora....both pick up cruise ship divers routinely....

 

[Doc]

If you want "shore diving" (beach?), the only real shore dive on Roatan is off of CoCoView, which also has the closest-in snorkeling. Also accessible from Fantasy Island. (note the map)

Downside? It is nowhere near the population center of West Bay with all of the shops and bars which is a 1/2 hr cab ride NW from the Coxen Hole cruise ship docks. CCV is along the South shore, about 1/2 hour East of Coxen Hole.

Upside? it is well regarded as a premier shore dive and snorkel location anywhere in the Caribbean.

Save dragging the "sea scooter" about for a dive trip where you'll use it a lot. Travel light.

 

[robint]

We are going on a 7 day cruise out of Galveston and heading to Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. Since I dive, and my fiance doesn't, I would like to do a beach dive at one of these places so I can go back and forth from the beach. My parents are going as well and they dive also so I won't be alone. I am looking for a good place to do a beach dive at 1 location, and some pointers on where to snorkel at the other 2. Since we are short on money this time, I don't think we will be doing any excursions off the ship. I have a sea scooter so I am not worried about long swims either. Let me know what you think.

Leave the scooter at home. It may be cool at home to zip around fast but in the ocean you are going to scare away the fish. The slower you go, the more you will see.

Are you taking snorkeling gear? Dive gear?

As the others have said, you are not going anywhere that has great shore diving at a beach. Sandy beaches are not great places to dive or snorkel as fish hang around reefs, not beaches. This means you will see more if you go where the fishes hang out - rocky shore, shallow reef, protected areas.

So I have a few suggestions:
From your profile it says you are a beginner. For that reason, I would highly recommend you do a boat diving excursion, Roatan or Cozumel.
(The one place on Cozumel is at Chankanaab Park where you can scuba dive with a guide while your fiance sits on beach. There is an entrance fee there, and you would have to rent gear... so honestly you are looking at about the same price as doing a boat dive.) Boat diving is the best way to get to a reef full of fish and both locations have some decent reefs with tons of fish, swimthroughs, and many things you won't see snorkeling. You can do boat excursions through the cruise ship or on your own at both locations, there are plenty to choose from.

I have never been to Costa Maya but from what I have read there are nice beaches there, don't know how good the snorkeling is. They probably have information on the cruise about it.

Roatan and Cozumel both have snorkeling tours that would be able to get you out to nice areas. Yeah, they cost money but you are going all the way to Central America so spend a few bucks and you will not regret it.
Depending which pier your boat docks in Cozumel, in town or south of town, you can get to some decent shore snorkeling on your own. Down south, the LaCeiba hotel has a roped in area with okay snorkeling (no real beach) but I think they charge cruise ship people to use it. As I mentioned before, Chankanaab park has pretty good snorkeling but they have an entry charge. Some of the other beach clubs on Coz have roped off snorkeling areas, but you just aren't going to see the fish you will see out on a reef. The Money Bar at Dzul Ha is good snorkeling at a little beach club, too. It is just south of the south cruise ship pier.

Welcome to Chankanaab Park, Official Parks and Museum Website, Cozumel Mexico
Cozumel Shore Snorkeling
Snorkeling Tour Cozumel Mexico


robin

robin

 

[maori73]

This is the dive center in Mahahual:

Dreamtimes
Blue Ocean Safari
Toruga Azul
Maya Blue Diving
XTC - Xcalak

 

[diversteve]

On Roatan for $35 you can do an afternoon boat dive at either 1PM or 2:30PM with Coconut Tree Divers. ($30 if you have all your own gear) They're located on Half Moon Bay Beach so your non-diver will have something to do. Not to mention that it fronts onto the start of the West End so there's shops, bars, restaurants for about a mile to explore. And their boat leaves and returns off the dock there. No shorediving from that area without a really long swim out and back - the reef is out past the bay entrance. otoh if you all have scooters, Half Moon Bay Wall is a recognized divesite. CTD offered to drop us out on HMBW so we could dive it and then swim in but we dove with them all week.

It's going to cost about $5-10PP each way to the West End - I paid $15 for two of us to go from CTD to Coxen Hole downtown - which is a little farther than the cruise dock. Cab prices often go up when the cruise ships dock so the key is to negotiate in advance - as in before you get in the cab. There's also a cab stand directly across the street from CTD so getting a cab for the return won't be an issue during the day.

If you're trying to save money, lunch there can be as cheap as $5.00. Sundowners Bar (check their website) has burgers/hot sandwiches etc. starting around that. Or ask Gay at Coconut Tree Divers for suggestions - there's a really inexpensive pasta place about a block west of there that has good, basic food - can't recall the name. Four of us were stuffed at Rotisserie Chicken one night for $21 - lunches are more affordable. It's a couple blocks further west.

If you go to Cocoview, I believe there's a checkout dive required, it's mentioned on their website - maybe it could be your first shoredive - IDK. But there's a charge for it also afaik. French Harbour is nearby but not within viewing distance of Cocoview for lunch etc. Although I suppose you could eat at Cocoview. The one advantage Cocoview does have is good diving and snorkeling just off-shore. From what I saw from the water, there's not much beach there.