Scuba, Snuba, and Snorkeling in Cozumel Thread

[texancruzer]

Thanks for the link.... however

 

I was really looking for more of a review of the reefs - perhaps from someone with a little more experience snorkeling/diving that would have something to compare it to. We are all divers and have been to alot of amazing places.... not diving this trip tho but still hoping the reefs are in good shape. So many places we have gone in the last few years the reefs have been looking pretty sad either from "tourist touch" or storms...

[Cozumel_Tom]

Ahhh...ok. Might I suggest one of the scuba boards then, pretty sure they'll have a description of Palancar and Columbia...good luck!

[SURPRISE1]

Spending an enitre day 10am-8PM in Cozumel in mid-November. All I want to do is snorkel and see the beautiful salt water fish. I don't know how to scuba dive. What would you all recommend?

[texancruzer]

We too will be visiting Cozumel mid-November. We are divers however have decided not to do any diving this cruise (too time consuming).

 

Check out www.paradisebeach.com They have a 2 hr snorkle trip aboard a large catamaran that leaves from the pier there. $ 35.00 per person and it goes to two reefs offshore. Palancar and Columbia - and from what I have been told these two reefs were less damaged from the hurricane than those closer to shore. I have only seen good reviews of this tour. Beach access is free and seems to be a nice and popular beach.

[madisonswims]

We are going to be there in December. I did a bit of research and we decided to book a 3 reef snorkel with Eagle Ray Divers. We can hardly wait!!! :D

[skyfiregrl]

Well my friends and i just got back from our cruise this morning.

And I have to say that Eagle Ray Divers was the BEST experience.

We had a horrid time getting off the ship since we had to tender and were late. ERD helped us rearrange where we were going to snorkel and got us back close to the downtown pier with just enough time to pop in a few stores and get back on the ship.

They made the entire snorkeling experience just WONDERFUL and now we all want to start diving.

Bernardo was great during our excurions. Pointing out interesting sealife and such. I can hardly wait to go again and will definately use ERD.

[Beach Bound]

We want to go to snorkeling in the morning and still have time for the beach and shopping.

 

We were going to go to Paradise Beach and take the boat out although there are some black out days Wen. and we are coming in on the 20th of December and it turns out to be one of them.:cool:

I contacted PB and Tom was very helpful !!

He said 5 miles from them is Palancar Beach to snorkel and we would still have time to return to a long beach day. I tried to contact someone over there @ Delila Divers and got no reply. :( I wanted to see if we could set up some snorkeling for the morning.

I contacted Eagle Ray Divers but they don't go out I think until 11:00 island time and we arrive at 9:00 ship time 8:00 port time.

 

Anyone gone out with Delila Divers??? They have a web site and a genaric reply, I have tried to book 5 times to no avail.

Anyone know of any boating Co. who goes out in the morning?:)

 

I have read Cozumel has wonderful snorkeling! There are 6 cruises ships coming in on that day. I would really like to have a solid plan before I get there.

Thanks,

Adrienne

[clackey]

We want to go to snorkeling in the morning and still have time for the beach and shopping.

,

Adrienne

Hola BB,

If you want to see fish, Dzul Ha or Chankanabb will work for shore snorkeling. The coral took a beating last year and if you want to see nice coral you have to take a boat trip out to Columbia or Palancar Reef. PB has a nice beach and their boat trip is topnotch. For loafing and shore snorkeling I would give Chank gold star. It is hard to pick one when you love them both. Shopping is nearly anywhere.

[dst]

Does anyone know of a good Snuba operator in Cozumel? I used one a few years back and they were wonderful but after the hurricane they went out of business. I am traveling with my sweetie and he is not a good swimmer but wants to try this; was thinking of doing the excursion on our own-if we can find a decent guide/tour operator.

 

Thanks for your help,

[Boricua731]

:confused: Im traveling this Saturday on the Triumph and i will like to know the best places to snorkel in cozumel im taking with me people principiants in snorkeling and will like to know a nice beach??

 

Can anybody tell me??

[Magic City Cruiser]

Adrienne, I am going out with Mystic Snorkel for the second time in October. Roswitha Flury has a morning snorkel excursion and I'm sure she will wait for you if you have trouble tendering. Visit www.cozumelmycozumel.com for information. When we went last year, she dropped us off at Paradise Beach after the snorkel excursion for a perfect day in Cozumel!

Donna

[Kittybork]

We love Dzul Ha. It's free to snorkel there, but I'm sure that if you use their chairs and umbrellas, they would appreciate it if you bought a drink.

[Beach Bound]

Thanks Donna,

I contacted her and she e-mailed me right back and said she would be glad to drop us off at paridise Beach.

Although I may have two problems when I wrote her I thought we were coming in 7am island time and we are really coming in at 8am island time.

I think she leaves at 8am. Our second problem is there is only two of us and she has the same price for two as for the four people price, she said she would put us on a waiting list to see if we could join another group.

What was your port time last time and this time? .

Sounds like your day was just what we're looking for.

Thanks for the help

Adrienne

[tvleaker]

I hear Dzul Ha is still closed...Anyone heard?

[vmom]

Across the street from the Dzul Ha beach club is the Palmar Estates beach club which is very nice and has a very nice pool and great facilities. They both have shore snorkeling at the Dzul Ha reef area. The beach is rocky, but all the beaches with good snorkeling are rocky.

 

If you want a nice sandy beach you can go over to Paradise Beach and snorkel over by the pier, but its not known for its snorkeling. If some in your party want a nice sandy beach and still want some snorkeling, you can go to Paradise Beach and take the catamaran snorkel sail, which leaves around 12 or 12:30 for a 2 hour snorkel trip.

 

There's also Chanakanaab which is supposed to have a sandy area and good snorkeling. I've never been there, but we are debating on going there for our next trip.

[suzy1212]

If some in your party want a nice sandy beach and still want some snorkeling, you can go to Paradise Beach and take the catamaran snorkel sail, which leaves around 12 or 12:30 for a 2 hour snorkel trip.

We did this last week. The beach was beautiful with great food and the snorkel tour was incredible. ($35 for the snorkel trip.)

[Magic City Cruiser]

Adreinne, I really don't know our port time so I guess I should check! Seems like last time we got off the ship around 7:00 and made it to Caleta Harbour way early for the 8:00 tour. It was just the four in my family. I bet Rosi would wait on you if there is a problem in timing. You may want to ask on your Roll Call if there are others interested. I have hooked up with a family on our roll call and we are sharing the excursion. It will be my party of 4 and Brian's family of 4. Rosi, as with most excursion operators, are well attuned to the comings and going of ALL ships in port on a given day and do their utmost to accomodate everyone. And, if you talk with Rosi again, please tell her I'm still singing her praises! Tell her I'm Donna from Birmingham going with her on October 21!

Donna

[bruce-r]

I hear Dzul Ha is still closed...Anyone heard?

You heard wrong. It was reopened back in December 2005.

[twohumpedcamel45]

Anyone on the Mariner on the 10/22 cruise? DH loves to dive and needs a buddy. He signed up for the two-tank dive through the ship. Hope this was a good thing to do. We have never been on a cruise, so this is all new to us. He just got certified, so wants to do some diving here. I don't dive. Any way to find him a buddy?

Thanks!

Donna

[bruce-r]

Anyone on the Mariner on the 10/22 cruise? DH loves to dive and needs a buddy.

He doesn't need a buddy to go with the ship's dive excursion, especially in Cozumel. He'll either get a matched up with another single diver or he'll be buddied up with the divemaster. In any case, the dive will probably conducted as a group and everyone will pretty much follow the divemaster.

He signed up for the two-tank dive through the ship. Hope this was a good thing to do. We have never been on a cruise, so this is all new to us. He just got certified, so wants to do some diving here.

Going with the ship's excursion is probably a good choice for him if he is a new diver.

 

Personally, I wouldn't go with the ship's excursion, but everyone needs to make that choice for themselves. You might benefit from reading my essay The Pros and Cons of diving with the ships excursion

 

If wanted to go along with him on the dive trip and snorkel, then you'd want to make your own arrangements. http://www.eagleraydivers.com and Blue Angel offer combo snorkel/dive trips. I'd pick blue angel as my first choice.

 

hope this helps,

Bruce

[texancruzer]

We did this last week. The beach was beautiful with great food and the snorkel tour was incredible. ($35 for the snorkel trip.)

 

 

YEAH !!!!!!!!!!! We are signed up for this in 6+ weeks !!!! Can't wait.

[twohumpedcamel45]

He doesn't need a buddy to go with the ship's dive excursion, especially in Cozumel. He'll either get a matched up with another single diver or he'll be buddied up with the divemaster. In any case, the dive will probably conducted as a group and everyone will pretty much follow the divemaster.

Going with the ship's excursion is probably a good choice for him if he is a new diver.

 

Personally, I wouldn't go with the ship's excursion, but everyone needs to make that choice for themselves. You might benefit from reading my essay The Pros and Cons of diving with the ships excursion

 

If wanted to go along with him on the dive trip and snorkel, then you'd want to make your own arrangements. http://www.eagleraydivers.com and Blue Angel offer combo snorkel/dive trips. I'd pick blue angel as my first choice.

 

hope this helps,

Bruce

This helps alot, thank you so much. He just got cerified about a month ago. This is the 1st cruise he will get to dive while one. Looking forward to it.

[suzepoo]

I just returned yesterday from a cruise and we snorkeled in Cozumel with Eagle Ray Divers again and I still say THEY ARE THE BEST!!! We had the most incredible day!!! There were 28 of us and we had 4 dive masters on our boat....we snorkeled 3 reefs, had lunch at a GREAT beach restaurant and all our drinks (and believe me there were a lot of those)!! All for $58.50 each (as we had a group)!!! NO WAY you can beat our day with any other dive op on the island....as I've tried several, so ENJOY!!!!:D

[drosphot]

Has anyone ever used the Mystic Snorkeling Tour for a private snorkeling outing?

 

I am considering it for a couple reasons:

They take very small groups (min 2 people)

They go to three reefs in ~4 hours.

They'll let you stay longer at any reef, no hurrying you in the boat to get to the next one.

 

I don't care for the party/snorkel catamarans and I want to see some good reefs in water I could not reach from shore, I'll do my partying on the ship. :D

 

So I am just looking for feedback, good or bad, about this outfit. Seems like a nice lady that runs it, been in Coz for 20+ years and is also a PADI.

 

Thanks!

[Magic City Cruiser]

Dropshot, if you do a search, I have numerous posts about Rosi and Mystic. Wonderful excursion, perfect day. My family of 4 went last August and I am going again with "the girls" on Oct. 21st. Can't wait!

Donna