Scuba Diving Cozumel/ Mexico

Oceanswings

Hello,

I'm going to do the PADI advanced open water course in Cozumel, off the coast of Mexico in March. If anyone has been diving here and can recommend a good safe dive school/ where to stay for a solo traveller - I'd be very grateful. In April I'm hoping to dive the Blue Hole in Belize. Has anyone any advice for this also!?. The underwater sculpture museum off of Cancun looks interesting too!. Thanks

seadeuce

I would respectfully suggest you postpone your diving the Blue Hole.

The main points of interest in that site are the stalactites/stalagmites/columns at 43m depth.
The "Blue" is nearer black, and will heighten any apprehension/fear a diver may have - with obvious effects on gas consumption.
You will be diving a wall with 95m+ into blackness below you.

To ENJOY the above dive in absolute safety a diver should have experience (ie PLENTY dives, not just ONE!) in the following:

Night diving;
Deep Air diving
Low Visibility diving;
Current diving

S(he) would also need to have MASTERED the following fundamentals:

Buoyancy Control;
Air Management;
Self-Rescue skills

S(he) should know their personal threshold for narcosis and, ideally, how to spot same in his/her buddy.

The centres that take divers out to that site WILL take your money, take you, have you dive as part of a group (think - you are surrounded by divers yet do NOT have a buddy!) and hopefully bring you back alive.

If you do want to add to diving adventure as well as seeing interesting sites, why not do a Cavern Course while in Mx and dive the Ceynotes?
Good visibility, appointed guide/buddy, very interesting dives.

IMO more safe than the BH and more enjoyable at AOW level.

Diving should be filled with FUN not FEAR

Make your choice on grounds of good information, ie a realistic appraisal of diving experience, suitable alternatives immediately available.
Attractive brochures will not inform you of any downsides - as will your AOW training centre/agency. To be positive you should be aware of the negatives.


Best of Luck


Seadeuce


PS - watch out for any downcurrents in Coz, esp. around Palancar Reef.

captainjack

I'm an instructor in Playa del Carmen.

The diving in Cozumel is beautiful with big drop offs, heaps of swim-throughs and 40+ metres of visibility almost guaranteed!

I wouldn't know a shop well enough to recommend one specifically, but I always dive with Aquarama, family run shop with really nice people.

If you want to do the course in Playa del Carmen I could give you better advice.

howtomake

captainjack wrote: »

I'm an instructor in Playa del Carmen.

The diving in Cozumel is beautiful with big drop offs, heaps of swim-throughs and 40+ metres of visibility almost guaranteed!

I wouldn't know a shop well enough to recommend one specifically, but I always dive with Aquarama, family run shop with really nice people.

If you want to do the course in Playa del Carmen I could give you better advice.

lil hijack here....LOVE Playa del Carmen! Unfortunately didn't get to do any diving there, but even just bathing in the waves was soooo nice!

Oceanswings

I meant to follow up on this thread a while ago. Thank you for the replies!.

When I arrived in Central America, I still hadn't decided if I would dive the Blue Hole or not. My first dive over there, was in Cenote Calavera known as 'The Temple of Doom', in Mexico. To get to it, you need to take a short walk through part of the jungle, wearing Scuba gear. Then there's a 2m jump into a hole on the jungle floor and you descend into a dark cave. I was impressed by halocline there. It was surreal to be the only ones there (just my dive guide and me). I also dived Dos Ojos. I liked the turquoise hue in this cenote, but it was extremely busy when I was there. Calavera was one of my favourite dives ever.

I did my advanced course over on Cozumel. The visibility was great every day!. I saw sharks and turtles for the first time while diving. I loved the swim throughs there also. I did hear a few stories of people being carried away by the drift there also. I can see how it could easily happen. Doing a safety stop on the way to the surface, after diving the wreck of a minesweeper, the dive group were holding onto the rope (which led from the wreck to the surface). I felt like a flag on a flag pole - the current was so strong, we were all horizontal!.

I did decide to dive the Blue Hole in the end!. I did so, because I felt safe doing it. I trusted the dive centre who took me there (I had researched beforehand) and felt confident about my own ability. The dive itself was quite short, but the experience was amazing (2 other more colourful dives were part of that day's diving also). Many reef sharks circling around were a contrast against the dark black hole is something I'll never forget If you survive the incredibly choppy 2 hour boat ride TO the hole, then diving the Blue hole is the easy, fun part!.

323

Went there a number of times, as others have said it is good. Always enjoyed it.

Actually got my wife to start diving there. Don't remember the names of the operators though as never booked in advance, just asked at whatever hotel I stayed who they recommended (had a deal with). Pick up and dropped off again at the end of the day at jetty by the pool/bar at happy hour, fantastic way to dive.

You will have no problem traveling on your own there.