Cozumel Snorkeling Advice for 1st Timer?

After reading about Cozumel, I'd like to do at least three days of activities. Unfortunately, I'm arriving with a cruise ship and need advice for an 8-hour stay. Snorkeling is my number one priority. I've never been and want a good experience. I'm 40, an OK swimmer, in pretty good shape.

Here are my questions:

1. Would snorkeling from a boat from Paradise Reef and Dzul Ha (through Manta Raya Divers) be significantly better than snorkeling off the shore?

2. For a little more $, I could snorkel to either Dzul Ha, Yucab and Paradise reef or Dzul Ha, Yucab and Cardona with Manta Raya. If the snorkeling would be significantly better than in #1, I might try this (less than $40 per person, including equipment, park fees, drinks, and snacks).

3. With such limited time, would we be better off renting a vehicle with my friends, snorkeling off the shore and spending some other time at a nice beach and/or driving to the east side?

4. Anyone know anything about Manta Raya Divers from personal experience?

I realize it's hard to go wrong with any of these plans, as long as the weather cooperates.

Thanks for your advice!

I would take a cab to Chankanaab National Park (about a $10 cab ride) and you can rent the snorkle equipment there ($10) and snorkle right off the shore. I have been there 3 times and each time the snorkeling was very good--much better than snorkeling I have done in Belize, Jamaica, Bahamas, or Caymen Islands! Chankanaab is a beautiful park. Admission to it is $16 but if you go to their web site there is a $2 off coupon.

My son and I do Manta Raya. My dive shop also does Manta Raya. Ferdinando is a PADI MSDT. I took my son to dive with him when he was just PADI JOW rated to 40 feet. Later took him again when he reached 12 to get his PADI JAOW. My son would snorkel in between dives. Enjoy - Manata Raya can work anything you want for your time and the water is great - whether in the top 20 feet or 100 feet further down.

After reading about Cozumel, I'd like to do at least three days of activities. Unfortunately, I'm arriving with a cruise ship and need advice for an 8-hour stay. Snorkeling is my number one priority. I've never been and want a good experience. I'm 40, an OK swimmer, in pretty good shape.

 

Here are my questions:

 

1. Would snorkeling from a boat from Paradise Reef and Dzul Ha (through Manta Raya Divers) be significantly better than snorkeling off the shore?

 

2. For a little more $, I could snorkel to either Dzul Ha, Yucab and Paradise reef or Dzul Ha, Yucab and Cardona with Manta Raya. If the snorkeling would be significantly better than in #1, I might try this (less than $40 per person, including equipment, park fees, drinks, and snacks).

 

3. With such limited time, would we be better off renting a vehicle with my friends, snorkeling off the shore and spending some other time at a nice beach and/or driving to the east side?

 

4. Anyone know anything about Manta Raya Divers from personal experience?

 

I realize it's hard to go wrong with any of these plans, as long as the weather cooperates.

 

Thanks for your advice!

I would take a cab to Chankanaab National Park (about a $10 cab ride) and you can rent the snorkle equipment there ($10) and snorkle right off the shore. I have been there 3 times and each time the snorkeling was very good--much better than snorkeling I have done in Belize, Jamaica, Bahamas, or Caymen Islands! Chankanaab is a beautiful park. Admission to it is $16 but if you go to their web site there is a $2 off coupon.

We have been to Chankanaab ('99) also and loved it. We will be cruising back to Cozumel this coming March. We were going to go back there but heard that after the hurricanes Chank is suffered a bit not as good as it used to be. :( When was the last time you were there? Any other suggestions for snorkeling? Thanks~

In 2005, we snorkeled from Chakanaab and loved it. I highly recommend it. Last month, I did a diver excursion and asked one of the divemasters on the boat how Chakanaab was now. He claimed that it is fine. I don't know if that is true, but I would also like to hear from others who have been there recently.

we were in chankanaab 2013, beautiful ! ! !

Chankanaab is a nice experience, with other things to see (replicas of Aztec & Mayan ruins, for example). If you just want to hang out on the beach & snorkel, Money Bar is a great place. Easy to cab there (actually a little north of Chankanaab), no fee (but do buy food & drink), & good snorkeling. The entrance to the water is very rocky at both places, Money Bar's "steps" were easier to get in & out, IMHO.

I don't think Chank is worth the high price. Their website says admission is $21, but even at $14 I'd be disappointed. At the Money Bar, at least you'd get some food or drinks out of those funds and the diving is comparable... but what do I know? I think Grand Cayman blows Coz away! :p

The advantage of a boat is that you get to see different sites. You never know where the fish might be.

We like Money Bar (Dzul Ha). They have great snorkeling, and great food at reasonable prices.

If you are only doing 2 reefs on a boat, and Dzul Ha is one of them, then I'd just go straight to Money Bar on a much less expensive taxi. If you can do 3 other reefs, then a boat trip might be worth it.

We've done Chankanaab and the snorkeling really wasn't different from Dzul Ha- not worth the admission price at all for just snorkeling.

Do you guys realize this thread is from 2008!! :confused: (Which is why the OP is referring to the Money Bar as Dzul Ha) ;)

Do you guys realize this thread is from 2008!! :confused: (Which is why the OP is referring to the Money Bar as Dzul Ha) ;)

Haha- didn't see that.

But the reef is still called Dzul Ha. Money Bar is the restaurant located there.

we went to money bar last summer... flat, boring, not much to see as far as snorkeling.