Eagle Ray Divers or Aldora in Cozumel??

COZUMEL, MEXICO THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16TH 2004

NCL SUN ARRIVE-DOCK 8AM ALL ON BOARD 6:30 SAIL AWAY AT 7PM

211 nautical miles from Belize and 528 nautical miles from Cozumel back to Miami

I read countless positive posts on the great service provided with Eagle Ray Divers so we booked our day in Cozumel with them. They are so many dive ops to choose from in Coz that this would be an example where we would not book with the ship. I contacted Chellie at Eagle Ray and we organized a day where Lisa and I could dive and Paula could snorkel. This way we could all go together and Paula can see where she needs to get certified, because diving is so much better than snorkeling. Unfortunately, Chellie did not prove this point that well since Paula was the only snorkeler and she had the most beautiful model-esque snorkel guide all to herself. After meeting Oscar on the boat I wanted to snorkel too! That day I’m not sure if the true beauty of Cozumel was under the water or above the water. ;)

Our first dive was a wall dive at the Palancar Caves. We went to a max depth for a few minutes at 102 feet to see this huge eagle ray that was gliding below us. Then most of the dive was about 85-90 for 44 minutes. We went through some amazing ‘caves’ (more like swim thrus). This was probably the best dive site I have been to for both animals and topography. It was like a playground (jungle gym) for divers.

We went through many caverns and beside the eagle ray, we saw lobster, crabs, banded coral shrimp, hawkesbill turtle and a lot of grouper.

The second dive Las Palmas was 60 feet for 50 minutes, excellent dive over a sandy bottom spotted with patches of coral. Excellent, excellent!! So many animals. We saw five really cool toadfish that are endemic to Cozumel. We saw jewfish, huge anemones, small nudibranchs, big anglefish, trunkfish & really colorful coral. We saw one eel that was out and swimming along the reef, Benjamin couldn’t resist picking it up. We saw almost everything on the fish identification card!

Our boat was the ‘estrelle del mar’ (star of the sea-not sure of spelling or translation!) it was very charming and comfortable. It looked like a converted fishing boat, it had plenty of room for all our stuff and to lounge around. We had a full boat that day and it was busy. I read some posts about Coz being not that good anymore. Well I don’t know what it used to be like but I will put it at the top of my list (tied with Bora Bora) and that is a tough act to be compared to.

Chellie was a pleasure to deal with and they offer snorkel trips (you may luck out and get Oscar!) and discover scuba excursions as well. They would be a great bunch to do your first dives with. The other boat they had going out was doing discover scuba that day and we spoke with a guy who has been ‘discovering’ scuba with them about 6 times (get certified already).

Before you leave the marina make sure you go back to their dive shop/office they have some good stuff to purchase (T-shirts, tank tops, pendants etc)

http://www.EagleRayDivers.com

Chellie and Antonio Castellanos

email: chellie@eagleraydivers.com

011-52-987-872-5735 phone/fax

The other ships is port were as follows: Carnival Miracle, Navigator Of The Seas, Grand Princess Splendour Of The Seas were docked four beside each other at the International Pier (newer one) Voyageur Of The Seas was there but I can’t remember if it was at anchor or not. The Veendam, Sea Dream II and us (NCL Sun) were at the Punta Langosta Pier the Carnival Sensation was at anchor next to us. The Punta langosta Pier was very close to downtown. This pier had big pavilion offering tons of shops, Senor Frogs, Carlos ‘n Charlies, it seemed after our day on the turquoise sea we only had time to go to the shops near the pier and that is all we needed. We usually go get everything at Cinco Soles they have everything we need and it is very conveniently displayed. It may be more expensive but I never find anything really over priced. My favorite purchase was a silver chain with a scuba diver pendant.

I agree with you about Eagle Ray Divers, I have used them several times and am booked with them again in a couple of weeks. Each time that I have dove with them I was the only one from my ship to go and despite this they made each trip very pleasant. I also like to just wander around the main square area in town after my dive, makes for a really great day.

Just wanted to add Eagle Ray was GREAT for us also, And we will be diving with them again in Feb. this will be the 4th time with them :D

Nita

I dive with them in 2 weeks! Cannot wait. This will be my first time in Cozumel.

ScubaJeff

A while back I read your posts regarding the ports and questions about what ops to go with etc. you seem to be going to the same ones I did and I remember your original posts asked a lot of the questions I had (thx)!

So now it's your turn to go enjoy the trip and let us know what dives you do and how they went.

Have a great time!

We have done MANY cruises that stopped in Cozumel and have always used Aldora Divers. In fact, we spent a week in Cozumel a few years back and used them then, as well. We've always been very happy with them. Like the small boats, the big tanks, the long bottom time and the surface interval at Mr. Sanchos, rather than on the boat.

That said, I have heard people mention Eagle Ray Divers a lot. I'm curious what they are like? May be willing to try them if there is a compelling reason. Has anyone used both Eagle Ray and Aldora? For those that have used Eagle Ray, do you like them and if so, why???

Haven't used either, I dive with BlueXTSea Diving. I'll be diving with them again next month, but may try some other shops in December just for variety.

I have never used Aldora but have read many good things about them.

I always dive with Eagle Ray in Cozumel. Chellie and Antonio run a small "mom and pop" operation.Their boats and older and one is very slow. They provide excellent service and try very hard to accomodate your request.They have always got me out diving when others cancelled due to weather,etc.

Last February I requested one deep and one mid level dive. Antonio gave me my own private boat (the slow one), hired a friend of his for my guide since he did not want his new DM taking me deep, and accommodated my request for the specific tanks and gas mixes I wanted. All this for less than than HAL wanted for the ship's tours (which ended up being cancelled due to not enough folks signing up).I got to go deep on Santa Rosa Wall , did a nice long break,and then spent over an hour diving Yucaba---a perfect day.I never saw another diver except Pepe and myself underwater--talk about no crowds! I guess that is why I always call Chellie when I go to Cozumel---they just take care of me and treat me like family even though I only get there one day a year.

I have never used Aldora but I have dove with Eagle Ray several times. As others have mentioned, they are a small family operation and are VERY nice people to work with. The last time I was there I brought a large group who went snorkeling on one of their boats while I went diving on the other. I ended up with a private guide for two dives limited only by my own air consumption and computer. I can't recommend them highly enough.

I think I'll try Eagle Ray next time, they sound like a good operation.

We've gone with Antonio and Chellie before as well. The last time we went we tried "Diving with Allison" since we had received so many good comments about them as well. We really likes them. Fast boat. Got to the more "southern sites". 6 Divers and 2 DMs. Saw incredible Eagle Rays and nurse sharks. Great operation as well.

We have done MANY cruises that stopped in Cozumel and have always used Aldora Divers. In fact, we spent a week in Cozumel a few years back and used them then, as well. We've always been very happy with them. Like the small boats, the big tanks, the long bottom time and the surface interval at Mr. Sanchos, rather than on the boat.

 

That said, I have heard people mention Eagle Ray Divers a lot. I'm curious what they are like? May be willing to try them if there is a compelling reason. Has anyone used both Eagle Ray and Aldora? For those that have used Eagle Ray, do you like them and if so, why???

I used Aldora Divers one time and did not have a good experience.

They brag that they use Steel 100s and have really long dive times so I thought I would give them a try. The divemaster called the dive after 30 minutes and didn't even check to see how much air everyone had left. I had over 2000 psi left.

I was not very happy.

We used Eagle Ray last year and did not have a good experience. We had several divers with little or no experience and they did not meet their needs. Ruined our day.

I can’t recommend Eagle Ray Divers enough.

I recently arranged for my son and me to take a two-tank discovery scuba trip during our Carnival Conquest cruise. During the course of scheduling and paying the deposit, I was in constant communication with Chellie by email and Antonio by phone. They were very responsive.

Upon our arrival at the marina, we were greeted by their daughter, Diana, who was very helpful in getting us all suited up and situated until Antonio and Jaime arrived. Antonio gave us a brief overview of the basics of scuba and what to expect during our dives before heading out of the marina. Upon our arrival at the first site, we entered the water in shallow water to practice a few basic techniques before slowly moving into deeper water. The whole time we were under water, Antonio was taking our pictures as well as pictures of the different scenery. I had brought a new underwater digital camera, but left it on board for the first dive, as I felt there was too much to concentrate on for my first time without having to worry about taking pictures. I would estimate we were in the water for about 30 or so minutes before Antonio lead us back to the boat. We later learned that we were taken to a depth of about 30 feet.

While driving to our next dive site, and waiting the required time between dives, Antonio took us to an area that my wife and daughter were at on shore to see if we could find them. They certainly didn’t need to do that. They also fed us fruit and water. I asked Antonio about my taking my own camera into the water for the second dive, and the conversation ended up where Antonio would keep taking pictures, and we could purchase the pictures directly from him. I felt it was worth the cost.

Antonio and Jaime searched for an area of water along what is called “the wall” for us to dive where the current wasn’t too strong. They finally found a safe area for us to dive, and we ended up spending about another 30 minutes in the water. I forgot to find out how deep we went, but it doesn’t matter. We enjoyed the dive and the scenery.

On the way back to the marina, Antonio indicated that he’d have to go back to his office to transfer the pictures from his camera onto a disc for us to take home. He told us that he’d meet us at a 7-11 across the street from the marina where the Conquest was docked to give us the disc. We also wanted to purchase a couple of t-shirts, and he indicated that he’d bring along different designs and sizes for us to choose from. Sure enough, Antonio pulled up to the 7-11 about 10 minutes early with the t-shirts as well as 2 discs. One disc contained the pictures and the second disc contained what turned out to be a slide show of the pictures along with a brief video of my son and I under water, complete with sound, which I could play on my computer and DVD player. That was a surprise I had not expected.

All in all, I would not hesitate to book another trip with Antonio again. He and his family and crew were friendly and very accommodating. It’s not often you book an excursion like this and get the personalized attention directly from the owner.

I can’t recommend Eagle Ray Divers enough.

 

One disc contained the pictures and the second disc contained what turned out to be a slide show of the pictures along with a brief video of my son and I under water, complete with sound, which I could play on my computer and DVD player. That was a surprise I had not expected.

Sounds like you had an excellent time! Do you remember the cost of the two discs?

Eagle Ray was just super!

Just came back from our cruise and used Eagle Ray Divers.

We were on their slow boat with two other divers. They were doing the Discovery Dive so they had their own DM and we had two Leo & Tony.

We had a great time and would definitely use them again.

Once you get off the ship and go through the port to the street there are taxi's waiting. We told them what marina we were going to, jump in, 10 minute ride and we were on the boat.:D

They had called a taxi for us when it was time to go back and it was waiting for us.

We went to Cozumel in March 2012 and used Scuba with Alison. I can't say enough about her - she was awesome. Her boat is fast so it can get you to practically wherever you want - which is nice with a limited amount of time on the island with the cruise ship. She lets you dive on your air consumption, not time. So some of the group (the air hogs - lol) went up earlier. I was the last one down there with her (everyone says I must not breath - lol) and we were down for 88 minutes. We saw a nurse shark, barracudas, sea turtles and much more. If we go to Cozumel again we will definitely book with her.

Hope this helps.

We just returned from a dive trip with Eagle Ray. There were 4 of us on the boat and Leo and Tony were terrific! They took their time to answer all our questions and pointed out some terrific sea life. We even saw a shark. They set up our gear for each dive and gave us snacks between dives. We didn't have to do a thing except enjoy our trip. We used Eagle Ray several years ago for a snorkel trip with our family and had a wonderful experience. They are a family owned company and really enjoy their business. Our family will only use Eagle Ray when in Cozumel. Thanks Leo and Tony.

Also used Eagle Ray for a two tank dive on July 5th. Can't say enough good things about Leo and Tony. We had an issue getting off our cruise ship, but they waited for us with no problems. On the way to the dive site and between dives Leo gave us a history of the park and the island, and that background made the dive even more spectacular. They were very patient and addressed all our concerns. We would never think of using another company!

I used Aldora Divers one time and did not have a good experience.

 

They brag that they use Steel 100s and have really long dive times so I thought I would give them a try. The divemaster called the dive after 30 minutes and didn't even check to see how much air everyone had left. I had over 2000 psi left.

 

I was not very happy.

It sounds like your group went up because someone was low on air. Since there's only drift diving in Cozumel and in the Riviera Maya, the rule is that the entire group must go up together when someone gets low on air, no matter how much air other divers may have. Divers may appreciate it when the low on air divers get sent up by themselves, but it's safer for all when the group surfaces together. This way no one gets lost and everyone returns safely to the boat.

I know Cozumel has incredible diving, but anyone going to that area should definitely check out the cenotes on the mainland. Some of the most amazing diving you'll ever do...unlimited visibility, haloclines (not in all), stalactites, stalamites, fossils embedded in the walls...it's like being in another world!

My wife and I had snorkeled with Eagle Ray in 2005 after hurricane Katrina while cruising. There were only the two of us and we were treated royally; and my wife felt comfortable and safe. On our week’s cruise on the Allure to celebrate our 40th Anniversary, in Jun 2014, our family of 7 dove and snorkeled with them. Three of us dove with Lisa, and I dove with Carlos. Since I was certified a couple of years ago and only had a few dives afterwards, I considered it prudent to have a dive master as a buddy as with previous times. The other 3 snorkeled with Grace. We all had a wonderful time, and were pampered by the staff; each person, as well as the captain, was very considerate and thoughtful. I especially would like to commend Carlos for his coaching, assurance and encouragement. He had also been taking excellent underwater movie and photos of professional quality. Thanks also to Diana, who took over the business from her parents. She was personable, friendly and efficient; her communication was prompt and kept in touch. She also offered to drive us back to the cruise port when one of our taxis did not show up, but finally did. I aspire to return to Cozumel and stay several days just to dive with Eagle Ray again, and with Carlos. My oldest son, an avid diver, who inspired me to get certified, commented that the fees for diving were very reasonable compared to other places; and the supplement fee for an extra dive master supported it.

Another consideration was that there was supposed to be another party of two snorkelers who did not show at the time of departure. Diana did not wish to keep us waiting, so she said that she would wait for them and so we left. Upon our return, I asked her about it and she said they did not show; but she was very nice about it saying that one might be sick or had other reasons for “no show”.

My wife and I had snorkeled with Eagle Ray in 2005 after hurricane Katrina while cruising. There were only the two of us and we were treated royally; and my wife felt comfortable and safe. On our week’s cruise on the Allure to celebrate our Anniversary, in Jun 2014, our family of 7 dove and snorkeled with them. Three of us dove with Lisa, and I dove with Carlos. Since I was certified a couple of years ago and only had a few dives afterwards, I considered it prudent to have a dive master as a buddy as with previous times. The other 3 snorkeled with Grace. We all had a wonderful time, and were pampered by the staff; each person, as well as the captain, was very considerate and thoughtful. I especially would like to commend Carlos for his coaching, assurance and encouragement. He had also been taking excellent underwater movie and photos of professional quality. Thanks also to Diana, who took over the business from her parents. She was personable, friendly and efficient; her communication was prompt and kept in touch. She also offered to drive us back to the cruise port when one of our taxis did not show up, but finally did. I aspire to return to Cozumel and stay several days just to dive with Eagle Ray again, and with Carlos. My oldest son, an avid diver, who inspired me to get certified, commented that the fees for diving were very reasonable compared to other places; and the supplement fee for an extra dive master supported it.

Another consideration was that there was supposed to be another party of two snorkelers who did not show at the time of departure. Diana did not wish to keep us waiting, so she said that she would wait for them and so we left. Upon our return, I asked her about it and she said they did not show; but she was very nice about it saying that one might be sick or had other reasons for “no show”.

Thanks for posting about your recent trip with eagle ray divers and I am so glad it was as good as when I went. I often think of them and it was quite long ago I used them, you never know if they are still around or as good. They were such a group of fun people who love to dive. I learned some great dive tips from them. I know now I can still contact them if I go back to Cozumel.

The 'no shows' are hard as it is great for those taking the tours but horrible for people running their businesses. I always feel so bad for them.

Scuba Mark... I am sorry you had a bad experience with Aldora. I was about to ask you who the DM was, then I noticed that your post was nearly 2 years old.

Excel: there's a risk when you "bring back from the dead" a 2 year old post. Dive operators, and their staff, change.

All I can offer was that an Aldora DM this year (May) had an Octo with a 7 foot hose in case someone ran low on air. For those who don't think Steel 100's and 120's are a big deal, please do the math (I hope) you learned in your OW course. A Steel 100 or 120 to 3500 or 3600 verses an AL80 at 2900 or 3000psi. All else being equal, I will dive the steel every time.

I cannot say all else is equal as I have not experienced EagleRay, but from the RECENT reviews, I think we will try them when we head down for a week later this year. Their reviews have been wonderful and we would have likely tried them in May had they returned my email in a timely manner. That said, for greater bottom times, try Aldora (or ask your dive operator if they have larger tanks. We are seeking greater bottom times, right?