why is Cozumel so popular? Bad experience or just over rated expectations?

[ggunn]

Criticizing Cozumel diving in the Cozumel Forum is rather brazen and I'm surprised you haven't been flamed by some our hot headed buddies.

Are you sure you aren't confusing "flaming" with "disagreeing with"? Now, on the old rec.scuba forum on Usenet, that there was some real flaming. I have only very rarely seen anything on this forum which compares even remotely to that stuff and when it happens the mods usually clean it up pretty fast.

 

[mstevens]

In any case, here's the reason: For part of the US, it's cheap and close. If you like drift diving with a DM, it's nice. If you like anything else, it isn't.

That's not "the" reason, it's some possible reasons.

Cozumel takes me 7 1/2 hours to reach, and it' never cheap to get there. It's longer and more expensive for the many Canadians who love it.

I like things other than drift diving with a DM, and I love Cozumel. To be fair, I also very much like drift diving with a DM. For someone who dislikes drift diving, I'd recommend somewhere else.

My entire family loves the diving in Cozumel, but we also love topside as well. It is literally our second home, so we stopped being objective about it long ago. When you love a place you tend to focus on the positives and minimize the negatives. Case in point is my son's plan to spend his entire winter break surfing Cozumel. As a surf trip goes, that's just bad planning. Since his primary goal is to be in Cozumel and he wants to surf, that works out fine.

 

[BRT]

Coz is great. I love that flying feeling. If you want to slow down and look at tiny stuff on the reef without much current Puerto Morelos may have something for you. You might also try renting a $6 tank of air from BA or Villablanca and use it looking at all the little stuff in 10-25 feet right off shore. There is an astounding amount of life there if you go slow.

 

[diver 85]

It's way over rated in my book---but, a lot don't read my book.......IF----- you've never been to LC before, I'm gunna bet you'll rate it 1000%(well maybe only 200 to 300% better-but hopefully YKWIM) better than CZM & a 100% better than Bonaire........

EDIT..:...Example, name me a SINGLE better wall than Bloody Bay in the Caribbean......Now saying this, the best diving I've had(in the Caribbean) was on/off Dominica(but that week of diving was off different walls @ different areas form Champagne Reef & south)----but that's another story, I mean book.......

---------- Post added November 18th, 2014 at 01:56 PM ----------

Are you sure you aren't confusing "flaming" with "disagreeing with"? Now, on the old rec.scuba forum on Usenet, that there was some real flaming. I have only very rarely seen anything on this forum which compares even remotely to that stuff and when it happens the mods usually clean it up pretty fast.

Where is that site------I LOVE starting fires..............

 

[kr2y5]

You are not the only one. My wife was much more impressed by Florida Keys than Cozumel, personally I thought they were quite comparable. We were a little disappointed by the marine life, and it was a bit disturbing that you are constantly on a conveyor belt, and trying to stay in one place to look at something or shoot a video takes so much effort. I like to spend quality time with a fish that grabs my attention. With the Cenotes just an hour away, and Cancun easier to fly into, we probably won't go back very soon...

 

[ggunn]

Where is that site------I LOVE starting fires..............

I don't know if Usenet is still alive any more. Trolling and flaming were rampant there (I think Usenet is where the terms originated) and seemingly were the primary pursuits of many of the folks who participated in it. Google it and have fun there if it still exists. 'Snot my cuppa.

 

[Mossman]

You are not the only one. My wife was much more impressed by Florida Keys than Cozumel, personally I thought they were quite comparable. We were a little disappointed by the marine life, and it was a bit disturbing that you are constantly on a conveyor belt, and trying to stay in one place to look at something or shoot a video takes so much effort. I like to spend quality time with a fish that grabs my attention. With the Cenotes just an hour away, and Cancun easier to fly into, we probably won't go back very soon...

You get better marine life and quality time with fish in a cenote?

 

[mstevens]

IF----- you've never been to LC before

What is "LC"?

 

[mediumone]

Little Cayman

 

[lamarpaulski]

Been there twice and viz was always way over 100 foot so you got unlucky on the viz. Flights to get there won't trash you. Reef, imo, is very healthy with lots of life. All the usual suspects but bigger and more than usual. Easy diving but mostly drift so that does make macro tough. People nice and somehow don't have an attitude like you sometimes find in touristy places. Dive operators are very professional in my experience. Prices fairly good. Food excellent and a lot of choices. Beautiful island. Safe part of Mexico. Not far from other interesting places like cenotes, temples and jungle. What's not to like ? I have been to some amazing remote places that have better diving and many more species of fish and coral but when you add convenience in to the above factors it is easy to see why Cozumel is so well liked.