Diving with Eagle Ray Divers 4/19/05

[jtonra]

Just returned from 6 days on Jewel of the Seas. I arranged my own diving on both Cozumel and Costa Maya and thought I'd share my experience for those looking to book on their own in the future.

 

Cozumel:

 

I used Eagle Ray Divers here based on reviews from this site as well as scubaboard. Prior to the cruise, I corresponded with Chellie (one of the owners). She was very accomodating to my ships schedule and required only a 20% deposit in advance to hold my spot. This deposit was refundable if we missed the stop for some reason. When we arrived in Cozumel, I took a 5 minute ($6) cab ride to the marina where her boat was docked. I was met at the dock by her partner and husband Antonio. Before leaving the dock, Antonio gave a brief but very thorough skills / signals review which some might consider overkill but I appreciated it. There were three other divers and two snorkelers on board. There were two divemasters plus the boat captain. One DM went with the four divers and one went with the two snorkelers.

 

The dive boat was roomy and comfortable. Entry was giant stride and there was a ladder at the side to get back into the boat. The boat crew had my second tank setup before I had even dried off from the first dive. We spent the surface interval hanging out just off the beach near Paradise reef. Bottled water, fresh fruit and cookies were provided.

 

The diving itself was excellent. The first dive was at Las Palmas reef. This dive had a max depth of 71 feet and average depth of about 45 feet. Bottom time of 40 minutes. Current was moderate and visibility was in excess of 80 feet. Excellent coral, tons of fish, flamingo tongues, multiple turtles. Water temp was 79 degrees.

 

The second dive was on Paradise reef. This was a top five dive ever for me! Awesome coral formations, lots of critters (crabs, shrimp, lobsters). We also had a close encounter (literally 2 feet) with a large spotted eagle ray! Average depth on this dive was 43 feet; total bottom time 49 minutes.

 

Finished up with plenty of time to explore other parts of the island after taking a cab back to the pier. I would highly recommend Eagle Ray Divers! Total cost for two dives including rental equipment was $81 (cash required). I tipped the crew $20.

 

Feel free to ask any questions if you've made it this far.

[ScubaMare]

Jtonra, so glad you enjoyed your experience with Eagle Ray Divers. The thoroughness of the dive briefing, the personal attention, and the great customer service from Chellie & Antonio from the time we first contact them about our diving plans through our last day on the island are all reasons why we've used them for 7 years and have never sought the services of another dive shop.

 

We're heading down for 10 glorious days on the island in a few months and can hardly wait. This time, we're planning a night dive -- our first! If you liked your one day in Cozumel, then you really need to plan an extended stay some time. It's definitely become our home away from home.

[CozInsiderJacq]

I dove with Eagle Ray when my sister was visiting in February. She has trouble equalizing and the dive master Luis (Antonio's brother I believe) was very patient and stayed with her the whole time she was descending. Customer Service is number one with this outfit!!

[SCR]

Did you e-mail them or call them? I e-mailed them a few days ago and have not heard. It could be the "spam blocker" on my e-mail. Just wondering...

[ScubaMare]

It could be your e-mail provider's SPAM blocker. AOL notoriously blocks e-mail so you should add them to your safe sender list. I sent an e-mail to Chellie on Saturday (4/23) and got a note back that she would be off the island this week and would not have access to a computer until she got home, which I believe is this weekend.

 

If you don't hear back by Monday or Tuesday, I'd try e-mailing again. You also never know what's going on with the island's internet service providers. Even cable internet down there tends to be a bit sporadic at times.

[bruce-r]

I would just resend the original message. The first one probably didn't go thru.

[maverickks]

Did you e-mail them or call them? I e-mailed them a few days ago and have not heard. It could be the "spam blocker" on my e-mail. Just wondering...

 

We did the discover dive with them and all the comments are true!!! They are there for you and are great people. I would e-mail Chellie and would usually hear back from her the next if not the same day. They were on top of everything. I would HIGHLY recommend them for the discover course.

 

Jeff