Doing Cozumel well

I am travelling to Mexico in April and plan to hit Cozumel. Being
from Australia this will more than likely be my one and only
opportunity. As such I would like some input from people on the
correct operator. I will not be staying on the Island but catching
the ferry each day and want an operator with:

- Small luxury boat/launch (do not want a mass tourist boat)
- Friendly staff
- Excellent sites
- Able to cater for different experienced divers (beginners to
advanced)
- Good quality equipment

I don't mind paying that bit extra for a really memorable dive
experience.

Regards,

Geoff.

"Geoff" <geoff_durham@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e0dd5778.0402021421.608d9772@posting.google.c om...
> I am travelling to Mexico in April and plan to hit Cozumel. Being
> from Australia this will more than likely be my one and only
> opportunity. As such I would like some input from people on the
> correct operator. I will not be staying on the Island but catching
> the ferry each day and want an operator with:
>
> - Small luxury boat/launch (do not want a mass tourist boat)
> - Friendly staff
> - Excellent sites
> - Able to cater for different experienced divers (beginners to
> advanced)
> - Good quality equipment
>
> I don't mind paying that bit extra for a really memorable dive
> experience.
>
> Regards,
>
> Geoff.

Geoff, in all due respects, what you ask does not make sense. You want a
small boat that goes to excellent sites and caters to beginners and
advanced. Sites for beginners will bore the advanced divers. Sites for the
advanced divers will scare the bejesus out of the beginners or worse.

A simple google groups search will reveal a host of recommended dive
operators on this site.

Buck

"Take me to the Brig. I want to see the "real Marines". "

Major General Chesty Puller, USMC - while on a Battalion inspection

Buck, I don't know what the operators are like in Cozumel, I am basing
my message on diving at the GBR where some boats take upwards of 300
people. I was after a boat that catered for probably no more than 25
divers. With a number of Dive Masters that can support a variety of
different experience levels.

I am not looking for an Advanced dive with 20km currents, 4m swells
and 100m dropoffs but a general cross section of the reef and dive
sites Cozumel are famous for.

Any personal experience appreciated.

Geoff.

"Geoff" <geoff_durham@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e0dd5778.0402030243.271fcc3f@posting.google.c om...
> Buck, I don't know what the operators are like in Cozumel, I am basing
> my message on diving at the GBR where some boats take upwards of 300
> people. I was after a boat that catered for probably no more than 25
> divers. With a number of Dive Masters that can support a variety of
> different experience levels.
>
> I am not looking for an Advanced dive with 20km currents, 4m swells
> and 100m dropoffs but a general cross section of the reef and dive
> sites Cozumel are famous for.
>
> Any personal experience appreciated.
>
> Geoff.

There are many dive operators. many have boats that take 6 people. The
bigger boats might take 25-30.

"Geoff" <geoff_durham@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e0dd5778.0402021421.608d9772@posting.google.c om...
> I am travelling to Mexico in April and plan to hit Cozumel.

I suggest you go to Rodale's Diver to Diver board here:
http://dive.scubadiving.com/talk/list.php?f=1

Do a search on Coz and ask any remaining questions there.

"Geoff" <geoff_durham@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e0dd5778.0402030243.271fcc3f@posting.google.c om...
> Buck, I don't know what the operators are like in Cozumel, I am basing
> my message on diving at the GBR where some boats take upwards of 300
> people. I was after a boat that catered for probably no more than 25
> divers. With a number of Dive Masters that can support a variety of
> different experience levels.
>
> I am not looking for an Advanced dive with 20km currents, 4m swells
> and 100m dropoffs but a general cross section of the reef and dive
> sites Cozumel are famous for.
>
> Any personal experience appreciated.
>
> Geoff.

You won't find the conditions you mention in Cozumel, though most of the
dives are drift dives. Most of the boats are for 6-10 divers, at least the
ones that I've been with, and certainly no 300 person boats. I've had good
luck with Aldora Divers. http://www.aldora.com/ I've dove with them several
times, although Mossman denigrates them every chance he gets. They'll take
you to pretty advanced sites such as Devil's Throat and Maracaibo Deep.
Scuba Du is a decent outfit but they try to momma you too much -- you have
to tell them firmly to FOAD. I only dove with them on one trip.
http://www.scubadu.com/ Papa Hog's gets the thumbs up by many divers here,
but I have not dove with them yet.
http://www.papahogs.com/noframes/nfindex.htm Maybe some others will chime
in.

Buck

"ARTILLERY ADDS DIGNITY, TO WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE AN UGLY BRAWL."

- Unknown

Geoff wrote:
> Buck, I don't know what the operators are like in Cozumel, I am basing
> my message on diving at the GBR where some boats take upwards of 300
> people. I was after a boat that catered for probably no more than 25
> divers. With a number of Dive Masters that can support a variety of
> different experience levels.
>
> I am not looking for an Advanced dive with 20km currents, 4m swells
> and 100m dropoffs but a general cross section of the reef and dive
> sites Cozumel are famous for.
>
> Any personal experience appreciated.
>
> Geoff.

I'm headed there (for the first time) next week. I purchased two books
that give a lot of info on the subject. They are:

The Dive Sites of Cozumel, Cancun, and the Maya Riviera; Comprehensive
Coverage of Diving and Snorkeling, by Lawson Wood.

Diving and Snorkeling in Cozumel, by Lonely Planet.

I ordered the books off of amazon.com. Both of these books give a
couple of paragraph descriptions on a lot of different dives. They give
a relative scale on how good or interesting the dive site is, and
whether its a site for beginers or advanced divers. The books also list
a lot of different dive operators that you can contact. They do NOT,
unfortunately, give any indication as to which particular dive operators
are better. They do give you some ideas as to what to look for when
choosing one.

I see there are several other books available, but I enjoyed reading
both of these.

Jerry

"Anthony" <JAWPW1@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:mdCdnbqZyOTFJYLdRVn_iw@comcast.com...
>
> "Geoff" <geoff_durham@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:e0dd5778.0402021421.608d9772@posting.google.c om...
> > I am travelling to Mexico in April and plan to hit Cozumel.
>
> I suggest you go to Rodale's Diver to Diver board here:
> http://dive.scubadiving.com/talk/list.php?f=1
>
> Do a search on Coz and ask any remaining questions there.

Then come back here for a reality check.

SDM D2D is filled with divers who believe that the only place that they have
been to is by far the best choice. Extra points for a serious hangover and
good cheeseburgers.

Here at RSL, you will find jaded, experienced divers. Find their somewhat
gnarly opinions at GOOGLE, click on Groups, the enter search criteria of :
rec.scuba cozumel .That ought to fill you in as well.

Doc.

I would suggest a six passenger boat operator such as papa hogs,
Aldora, Liquid Blue, etc

This site has reviews of many of the Cozumel dive ops:

http://www.travelnotes.cc/tchatters/index.php

Take the fast ferry (Mexico labels)

You will catch the ferry at Playa Del Carmen. This website has some
pics to help you know what to expect:

http://home.pcisys.net/~ronlee/Scuba...cunCozumel.htm

Other links of interest at the travelnotes site include the Things to
Do. Should find the current ferry schedule under Cancun to Cozumel.

Ron Lee

"Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D." <lawyers-guns-money@att.net> wrote in message
news:aYVTb.51943>
> Then come back here for a reality check.
>
> SDM D2D is filled with divers who believe that the only place that they
have
> been to is by far the best choice. Extra points for a serious hangover and
> good cheeseburgers.
>
> Here at RSL, you will find jaded, experienced divers. Find their somewhat
> gnarly opinions at GOOGLE, click on Groups, the enter search criteria of :
> rec.scuba cozumel .That ought to fill you in as well.
>
> Doc.
>
And so, you jaded and experienced diver, what exactly is your advice to the
OP on the subject of Coz?