Cozumel Trip Report

My wife and I have been going to Cozumel for 8 years and have been diving
with many different operations. We have been very lucky as most operators
have done a good job when you look at the overall picture of the trip. This
trip we experienced service and diving that I felt deserved some praise for
a job well done. Just after we checked in at the Hotel Bahia the phone rang
and it was our dive master Jeremy from Living Underwater asking if he could
come by and pick up our gear and see if we had any special requests for our
diving. Each day of diving was as follows:
Meet the boat at the time we wanted for our group and talk about the days
diving. All equipment and gear was set up (even though I prefer to do it
myself). Once on the boat bottled water is offered and off to the dive site.
Again Jeremy was asking it there was anything special we wanted to see. We
like small things so that's what we did. Small Seahorses, Toad fish and the
list keeps going on. With the LP Steel tanks each dive lasted over 90
minutes and we could have stayed over 120 minutes if we had wanted to remain
within proper limits. Once on the boat you are greeted with a hot towel to
dry off and again offered water and fruit (apples, banana's, oranges,
cookies). For the surface interval we went to a beach location that I hadn't
been to before and was very pleasant. Second dive was like the first and
once out of the water same routine with towels and fruit and water. After
arriving back at the dock Jeremy said he would personally rinse and hang all
our gear for tomorrows diving. In over 20 trips to Cozumel this is the best
service we have ever had and we really enjoyed having the little extra
service. Not once during the week did anyone from Living Underwater ask me
to write a report and encourage us to spread the word. They only seemed
interested in pleasing us during the time we were there.
For eating we always enjoy going to the Manatee (8 north and Ave 10) for a
change from the normal Mexican food. Also enjoyed the Thanks Giving turkey
dinner at the La Prima. For Mexican food we always like La Choza and El
Foco. There are so many great places for food that everybody we know has
there own favorites.
Hotel Bahia is also a real bargain right in town across from the water. We
have been diving many years and many places and we still find Cozumel is
hard to beat for a diving vacation.
John

"john" <xtiger@qwest.net> wrote in message
news:EZtAb.50$Qg6.93056@news.uswest.net...
> My wife and I have been going to Cozumel for 8 years and have been diving
> with many different operations. We have been very lucky as most operators
> have done a good job when you look at the overall picture of the trip.
This
> trip we experienced service and diving that I felt deserved some praise
for
> a job well done. Just after we checked in at the Hotel Bahia the phone
rang
> and it was our dive master Jeremy from Living Underwater asking if he
could
> come by and pick up our gear and see if we had any special requests for
our
> diving. Each day of diving was as follows:
> Meet the boat at the time we wanted for our group and talk about the days
> diving. All equipment and gear was set up (even though I prefer to do it
> myself). Once on the boat bottled water is offered and off to the dive
site.
> Again Jeremy was asking it there was anything special we wanted to see. We
> like small things so that's what we did. Small Seahorses, Toad fish and
the
> list keeps going on. With the LP Steel tanks each dive lasted over 90
> minutes and we could have stayed over 120 minutes if we had wanted to
remain
> within proper limits. Once on the boat you are greeted with a hot towel to
> dry off and again offered water and fruit (apples, banana's, oranges,
> cookies). For the surface interval we went to a beach location that I
hadn't
> been to before and was very pleasant. Second dive was like the first and
> once out of the water same routine with towels and fruit and water. After
> arriving back at the dock Jeremy said he would personally rinse and hang
all
> our gear for tomorrows diving. In over 20 trips to Cozumel this is the
best
> service we have ever had and we really enjoyed having the little extra
> service. Not once during the week did anyone from Living Underwater ask me
> to write a report and encourage us to spread the word. They only seemed
> interested in pleasing us during the time we were there.
> For eating we always enjoy going to the Manatee (8 north and Ave 10) for a
> change from the normal Mexican food. Also enjoyed the Thanks Giving turkey
> dinner at the La Prima. For Mexican food we always like La Choza and El
> Foco. There are so many great places for food that everybody we know has
> there own favorites.
> Hotel Bahia is also a real bargain right in town across from the water. We
> have been diving many years and many places and we still find Cozumel is
> hard to beat for a diving vacation.
> John

I'll have to add them to my list of operators for future use. I take it
from your post that they let you dive your profile without doing the mother
hen routine? We have our favorite restaurants as well but El Moro has
always been our favorite dive.

Buck

"john" <xtiger@qwest.net> wrote in message news:<EZtAb.50$Qg6.93056@news.uswest.net>...
> My wife and I have been going to Cozumel for 8 years and have been diving
> with many different operations.

My wife and I have been diving there 16 years, at least a dozen
different operations, 800+ and 1200+ dives in Cozumel respectively.

> We have been very lucky as most operators have done a good job

Likewise, but it was more than just LUCK. After a few years, you KNOW
what the good operations are and easily avoid the not-so-good ones
or the ones that don't suit your style. That's what I've been
telling the "Aldora IDIOTS" for years.

What I can about Cozumel operators, and consistently saying for YEARS,
is that the top dozen or so are ALL very good because there are
nearly 200 operations there and you can't survive or be considered
"good" unless you're consistently "good".


> Just after we checked in at the Hotel Bahia

The BEST (by many different criteria I have written in the past) hotel
for divers in Cozumel. I still stand by my claim that for the price
and room I stay at the Bahia, I wouldn't trade for any other room in
the entire island for the same price! That's Room #49 (or the
Large Penthouse Suite they call it) for LESS than $100 a night!
Directly across from the Pro Dive Pier where diveboat pick ups are.

I've stayed in that same room since 1995 easily over 400 nights.
The other rooms in that hotel ain't shabby in price or quality
either, but not quite that one-and-only room in Cozumel. Just don't
try to beat me out to it. I'll be there for 10 days soon this month.
)

( Some description of Jeremy and LU snipped )

Never dived with them, since I can't think of a better one that
provides me with service, Nitrox, and (very econmic price) and
COMPLETE diving freedom as the one I dived with Dan Bracuk earlier
this year.

Just do an "advanced group search" on keywords "Caballito del Caribe"
in http://groups.google/.com and you'll find many posts by me on it.

> like small things so that's what we did. Small Seahorses,

Caballito means "seahorse". Cozumel's resident seahorse DMs are with
the Caballito shop: Adrian and Julio. They'll find LARGE seahorses
in every dive (on different sites) if that's your bag.

> With the LP Steel tanks each dive lasted over 90
> minutes and we could have stayed over 120 minutes

That's ONE reason I never dived with LU. I hate steel tanks -- even
the small ones -- without would make me NEGATIVE even without weights.
The 72 steel in Bora Bora could have lasted me 2 hours. So are the
80 AL tanks in Cozumel. So why bother to use those except for the
airhogs?

There's nothing worse than being NEGATIVE diving with no weights.

BUt there are many over-weighted (not necessarily overweight) divers
in Cozumel who loves heavy tanks.

This is NOT meant to imply that "john" was any of the above, but a
general comment and observation about Cozumel divers, and it was
certainly true of MANY of the "Aldora IDIOTS" or the previous era. :0)

I think many/some of them have gone to LU and other 120 steel tank
operations too,

> Once on the boat you are greeted with a hot towel to
> dry off and again offered water and fruit (apples, banana's, oranges,
> cookies).

Caballito del Caribe doesn't have those, but I am sure for a small
fee you could ask for it. OR bring it yourself! Those are small
amenities I don't need, when DIVING is the accent.


> For the surface interval we went to a beach location that I hadn't
> been to before and was very pleasant.

Fairly common on Caballito del Caribe dives too.

> After
> arriving back at the dock Jeremy said he would personally rinse and hang all
> our gear for tomorrows diving.

That sounds more and more like Aldora.

The Bahia is only 30 SECONDS from the pier. I rinse my own gears
BETTER than any dive op can do, and much prefer to do it myself, in
my jacuzzi in Room 49, big enough for two divers and ALL gears.

> Not once during the week did anyone from Living Underwater ask me
> to write a report and encourage us to spread the word.

Not ANY dive operation I've ever dived in Cozumel. Or any reputable
dive operation, IMO.


> They only seemed
> interested in pleasing us during the time we were there.

That's the way with any "good" and reputable dive operator in Cozumel
if you haven't experiened THAT in your 8 years of diving there.


> For eating we always enjoy going to the Manatee (8 north and Ave 10) for a
> change from the normal Mexican food.

To "abnormal Mexican food"? I hate most Mexican food so I can't
comment or add any snide remark. :))

> There are so many great places for food that everybody we know has
> there own favorites.

I don't particular agree or disagree.


> Hotel Bahia is also a real bargain right in town across from the water. We
> have been diving many years and many places and we still find Cozumel is
> hard to beat for a diving vacation.
> John

THAT I can heartily agree.

-- Bob.

Thanks for the report. They sound impressive.
Do you have contact + pricing info?



On Sat, 6 Dec 2003 15:55:19 -0800, "john" <xtiger@qwest.net> wrote:

>My wife and I have been going to Cozumel for 8 years and have been diving
>with many different operations. We have been very lucky as most operators
>have done a good job when you look at the overall picture of the trip. This
>trip we experienced service and diving that I felt deserved some praise for
>a job well done. Just after we checked in at the Hotel Bahia the phone rang
>and it was our dive master Jeremy from Living Underwater asking if he could
>come by and pick up our gear and see if we had any special requests for our
>diving. Each day of diving was as follows:
>Meet the boat at the time we wanted for our group and talk about the days
>diving. All equipment and gear was set up (even though I prefer to do it
>myself). Once on the boat bottled water is offered and off to the dive site.
>Again Jeremy was asking it there was anything special we wanted to see. We
>like small things so that's what we did. Small Seahorses, Toad fish and the
>list keeps going on. With the LP Steel tanks each dive lasted over 90
>minutes and we could have stayed over 120 minutes if we had wanted to remain
>within proper limits. Once on the boat you are greeted with a hot towel to
>dry off and again offered water and fruit (apples, banana's, oranges,
>cookies). For the surface interval we went to a beach location that I hadn't
>been to before and was very pleasant. Second dive was like the first and
>once out of the water same routine with towels and fruit and water. After
>arriving back at the dock Jeremy said he would personally rinse and hang all
>our gear for tomorrows diving. In over 20 trips to Cozumel this is the best
>service we have ever had and we really enjoyed having the little extra
>service. Not once during the week did anyone from Living Underwater ask me
>to write a report and encourage us to spread the word. They only seemed
>interested in pleasing us during the time we were there.
>For eating we always enjoy going to the Manatee (8 north and Ave 10) for a
>change from the normal Mexican food. Also enjoyed the Thanks Giving turkey
>dinner at the La Prima. For Mexican food we always like La Choza and El
>Foco. There are so many great places for food that everybody we know has
>there own favorites.
>Hotel Bahia is also a real bargain right in town across from the water. We
>have been diving many years and many places and we still find Cozumel is
>hard to beat for a diving vacation.
>John
>

Who are the top 10 operators??

Elisa murmured while asleep:
> Who are the top 10 operators??

I would imagine you will get very subjective replys to such a general query.
Top 10 according to what criteria - most popular with pod people, oldest
operations? best safety record? Most heavily advertised? Most recommended by
WOM?***

just curious...

penny s

** being a newbie diver I just made up that list using common sense and not
diving experience, I hate general inquiries like that....

I guess I didn't quite read reef fish's post when he mentioned the "top
dozen" dive operators...my mistake of course to have ask him about the top
10.

One could ask the most finite question in this newsgroup, but would never
get an objective answer.

By the way, newbie diver or not, do you really think anyone would think a
dive operator was good because of heavy advertising? Where's the common
sense there?

"Elisa" <elisa@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:DGvEb.19494$CK3.1861567@news20.bellglobal.com ...
> I guess I didn't quite read reef fish's post when he mentioned the "top
> dozen" dive operators...my mistake of course to have ask him about the top
> 10.
>
> One could ask the most finite question in this newsgroup, but would never
> get an objective answer.
>
> By the way, newbie diver or not, do you really think anyone would think a
> dive operator was good because of heavy advertising? Where's the common
> sense there?
>
>
Enough people frequenting him to be able to afford all those glossy adverts?

rhys

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 00:05:37 -0500, "Elisa" <elisa@nospam.com> wrote:

>I guess I didn't quite read reef fish's post when he mentioned the "top
>dozen" dive operators...my mistake of course to have ask him about the top
>10.
>
>One could ask the most finite question in this newsgroup, but would never
>get an objective answer.
>
>By the way, newbie diver or not, do you really think anyone would think a
>dive operator was good because of heavy advertising? Where's the common
>sense there?
>
>
You're right. If they're really good, they'd get a writeup in
Rodales.

Oh wait, that's right, you did say "heavy advertising". My error,
sorry.


--
dillon

Life is always short, but only you can make it sweet