Cozumel Mexico

micko123

Hi guys, I plan to do an open water PADI in Cozumel in June. This is to be my first time scuba diving and to be honest I'm a little apprehensive. I'll be going with my gf who has her PADI.

Can anyone reccommend a good and safe dive operator?

Is it advisable to do the theory beforehand by e learning?

Should I get pool experience in ireland before I go?

Thanks.

locum-motion

Some of your questions are the same as the ones in this thread.

Some of my answers are the same too.

I can't remember the name of the dive centre I dived with there, but it was attached to our hotel. I reckon most of the resort hotels probably have a dive centre attached, but maybe not all. Where you staying?

Just be careful of exchange rates. When we were there, all pubs/restaurants etc worked on the assumption that 10 pesos = 1 US dollar. It's not exact, but close enough for everyday use and easy to know in your head how much you're spending. The dive centre quotes its prices in USD. When I came to pay at the end of the week - and I was paying in pesos - they used 11 pesos to the dollar. Essentially, my bill suddenly grew by 10%.

PCX

I can't remember the name of the dive centre I dived with there, but it was attached to our hotel. I reckon most of the resort hotels probably have a dive centre attached, but maybe not all.

This was the dive operator that we used. I thought that they were fairly good but they were a bit out of the way unless you are staying in the hotel that the dive centre is attached to.

In addition to paying attention to the exchange rates it's also worth bearing in mind that they are used to an almost exclusively american clientèle in cozumel so tipping is more or less considered compulsory. Don't forget to add this into the money you are budgeting for your diving. We were diving with the same operator for a week so had decided to tip at the end of the week. The dive guides were not happy about the fact that we hadn't tipped at the end of the first days diving as this had not been explained to them. They were not afraid to point out the fact that they definitely expected a tip.

My advice is to do as much of the course as you can before you head on holiday. If you have the time and money then get your open water before you go. There is some great diving there in Mexico and wonderful sights to see, you will get more from the diving if you are looking at the reefs etc. rather than kneeling on a sandy bottom practising clearing your mask. Also being qualified will give you the option of getting a ferry to the mainland on one or two days and diving in the cenotes which was definitely one of the main highlights of my holiday there.

locum-motion

Thanks for posting that link, PCX, that's the one we used too.
(Actually, when I saw that, I went back over PCX's post history to see if PCH is one of the people that was on the same trip I was on. I don't think it is.)

PCX wrote: »

This was the dive operator that we used. I thought that they were fairly good but they were a bit out of the way unless you are staying in the hotel that the dive centre is attached to.

In addition to paying attention to the exchange rates it's also worth bearing in mind that they are used to an almost exclusively american clientèle in cozumel so tipping is more or less considered compulsory. Don't forget to add this into the money you are budgeting for your diving. We were diving with the same operator for a week so had decided to tip at the end of the week. The dive guides were not happy about the fact that we hadn't tipped at the end of the first days diving as this had not been explained to them. They were not afraid to point out the fact that they definitely expected a tip.

My advice is to do as much of the course as you can before you head on holiday. If you have the time and money then get your open water before you go. There is some great diving there in Mexico and wonderful sights to see, you will get more from the diving if you are looking at the reefs etc. rather than kneeling on a sandy bottom practising clearing your mask. Also being qualified will give you the option of getting a ferry to the mainland on one or two days and diving in the cenotes which was definitely one of the main highlights of my holiday there.

PCX

locum-motion wrote: »

Thanks for posting that link, PCX, that's the one we used too.
(Actually, when I saw that, I went back over PCX's post history to see if PCH is one of the people that was on the same trip I was on. I don't think it is.)

No problem Ross. Actually I was on the same trip as you! (It's a good thing you decided to become a pharmacist and not a detective!:P)

locum-motion

PCX wrote: »

No problem Ross. Actually I was on the same trip as you! (It's a good thing you decided to become a pharmacist and not a detective!:P)

Here's where I try to figure out who on that trip is into cycling. Thing is, I didn't know that anyone was!

PCX

locum-motion wrote: »

Here's where I try to figure out who on that trip is into cycling. Thing is, I didn't know that anyone was!

To be fair I wasn't when I was on that trip. I took up the cycling a year or two ago when I realised that rolling off dive boats or jumping out of airplanes wouldn't keep me very fit.

locum-motion

PCX wrote: »

To be fair I wasn't when I was on that trip. I took up the cycling a year or two ago when I realised that rolling off dive boats or jumping out of airplanes wouldn't keep me very fit.

Gotcha now, daddy-o!

Its pretty touristy place so I'd say most places are safe enough. Hostel or hotel recommendations should be decent enough.
Or check up lonely planet online.