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Cozumel Scuba Diving |
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You've heard it all before, but diving the waters of Cozumel is exceptional and breathtaking and the dives sites look different even if you return to the same spot in the same week.
Rated in the top 5 diving sites in the world, Cozumel remains popular for all levels of diving from the beginner to the highly experienced technical diver.
There is challenge and beauty for everyone so take your time, get all the info you can, and learn from the Insiders ...
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Selecting a Dive Operator and Dive Trip |
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Since there are over 130 dive shops to chose from on Cozumel, deciding who to dive with can be overwhelming.
The choices range from large operations with as many as 15 boats in the fleet to mom-pop shops with a single boat to launch daily as well as freelancers hawking on the street and renting boats at the last minute when they get enough clients to cover costs.
Basics for Choosing the Right Dive Shop |
- Verify the dive operator is affiliated with a certifying agency such as PADI, NAUI, SSI or even FMAS which is the Mexican counterpart to the US agencies. All of these agencies have "incident" reporting processes to ensure safety and compliance with industry guidelines.
- Check the certification and experience levels of the shop owner as well as the person who will be conducting the dives. Your safety will depend on the guidance and decision making of these professionals. The more experienced guides are familiar with the water currents and reefs.
- Select dive operators who invest in safety equipment. The minimum safety equipment on board a dive boat is a radio, lifejackets and a DAN oxygen kit for emergencies. Professional operators will carry fresh water and first aid kits as well.
- Choose dive operators who employ multi-lingual employees. You will be more comfortable and misunderstandings are minimized.
- Most importantly, deal with a dive shop that understands the nature of customer service. With so much competition, there is no reason for anyone to be less than professional to you.
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Basics for Choosing the Right Dive Trip |
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- Private Charters: These trips are organized for just your group. You make all the decisions as to where you want to go and what you want to do. This is fun for a large family or group that works well together and knows the area. This is generally more costly then the regular scheduled trips but it doesn't hurt to inquire if you are interested. Contact us and we would be happy to help you set one up.
- Small Boat or "Fast Boat": This type of trip is typically taken on a small boat with an outboard motor. The boat can accomodate comfortably no more than 4-6 divers. Since the boat is small and fast it gets you to the reef quickly (maybe ahead of the other groups).
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- Larger Boat: This trip is taken on a larger boat typically with as as many as 10-15 other divers. The trip is very comfortable as there normally is plenty of room for your gear and to move about. While travelling to/from the reefs, these boats typically have areas to relax and sun and most offer some ort of refreshments/snack.
Each option has its merits and can be fun in its own way. If you prefer privacy, book a charter; if you are gregarious and enjoy meeting people from all over the world, jump on a larger boat and make some new friends!
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Some SCUBA (and almost) activities you might enjoy!
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Just returned from Cozumel where we participated in the FP&M Turtle Salvation program and it was the highlight of our trip. Our guides picked us up at our hotel right on time. They were very nice and one spoke fantastic English. Being able to participate in the extraction of newly hatched baby sea turtles from their nests and then watching them scurry into the ocean was so amazing. There were 4 nests hatching that evening so we were interacting with baby turtles for several hours. Those little turtles are SO adorable and so VERY determined to get to the water. This activity exceeded our expectations. I would recommend it to anyone who loves nature and wants to help this endangered species. It is awesome that cozumelinsider.com donates its resources to handle the bookings for this activity to help raise funds for this great cause. Thanks for an awesome experience! T. Daily ~ Arizona
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Two friends and I booked the dolphin swim AND got the manatee encounter for 15 minutes for thru Cozumel Insider. The manatee was FREE. The price, including the park, was only $88 when booked in advance. The park fee alone is $21...that's $77 PP for both a dolphin swim with about 11 others, incl. 4 children, AND the manatee. Our party of 3 were the only ones to get the manatee and she was a highlight of our trip. We got to feed her lettuce for almost 15 minutes as the guide explained her life to us. We are grateful for both experiences at such a great price. Thanks, Sherri. I can see where it's harder to find your story on your site. Can you repost it? It's very unusual and inspirational to others. Cheryl & Michael, MA C. Pimental ~ Hingham, MA USA
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Sherri...thank you again so very much for your fantastic website and for your excellent stories on life in Cozumel. We fellow Texans that are not fortunate enough to actually live there are able to do it through you and we are all extremely grateful...and incredibly envious! Having been an airline employee until retirement I have been lucky to have been down island over 20 times and it NEVER gets old. I thought I knew all about Cozumel, but was delighted to learn of new things and places through you and your website. Your current posting of how you came to Cozumel was so cool. You really need to work on that book! Congrats on this milestone, and continued luck and success in all you do. See you in September for our annual trip down for my birthday and Mexican Independence Day. M. Goodwin ~ Dallas, Texas
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Martin - You have been so kind and helpful! I will be making sure folks know about your company and how wonderful it is to have folks who can make your trip easy and fun. Wish all of our vacations could go as smoothly. Last year we had to deal with a group that Funjet uses and was not very pleased. He was hard to get ahold of, etc. We felt like he wasn't very knowledgeable or connected to the vendors. Thank you again. How easy you make this for us is incredible. J. Beeson (March 2016) ~ Cottage Grove, MN USA
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My husband and I had the "BEST" time at your park. The dolphin encounter was truly amazing! We can't wait to come back and let our children experience it. It is on the top of our "to do" list with our children. Thanks for the exceptional hopitatily! S. and R. Ketron ~ Cincinnati, OH USA
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Copyright 2000 - 2024 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. Contributors retain the copyright to their work. Please do not take art or written content without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
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