Diving Cozumel

Morning Peeps,

Want to dive in Cozumel in May. Anyone have any experience using a Dive Operation outside of the Excursion? Don't need feedback on why to use the Exc, I know those. I'm a Master Diver and hate that the Exc. limits you to a 35 Min Bottom Time and 55' depth. Any thoughts?

We will be in Cozumel in Feb. on a cruise. We will be diving with Tres Pelicanos. My husband and I were on Cozumel for 10 days on October and we dove with Tres Pelicanos two different days. We did 2 tank morning dives. Our bottom time was 45-50 minutes each time. Depending on the dive spot we were at 40 - 90 ft. We had a great time with this very small operator. One time it was just my husband and I and the other day just one other person. The great thing about Tres Pelicanos for our cruise is that we get into port at 10:30am and many dive shops I contacted could not accommodate us. Tres Pelicanos will be doing a 1:30 afternoon 2 tank dive with us. We will take a taxi to their shop by 1:00 and be on the boat by 1:30. Our ship sails at 7:30pm so we have plenty of time. They are very good about working with your schedule. Also their prices are fantastic. $75 for the 2 tank dive, with an extra $19 if you need to rent all the equipment. Less than $100 for a 2 tank dive is fantastic. Just email them at dive@trespelicanos.com.

Thank you KathiB, As you said, everyone I have contacted won't accommodate our 9 am port call. I will reach out to them today! :D

Morning Peeps,

Want to dive in Cozumel in May. Anyone have any experience using a Dive Operation outside of the Excursion? Don't need feedback on why to use the Exc, I know those. I'm a Master Diver and hate that the Exc. limits you to a 35 Min Bottom Time and 55' depth. Any thoughts?

If your ship doesn't arrive until 9am, you will most likely have to book with the cruise ship...unless you have 4 or more divers in your group. The dive boats normally go out between 7:30am and 8am daily. The first dive is always a deep dive and down on the south end of the island, so gas for a boat to get down there (40-60 minute boat ride) is expensive. They have got to make money or not worth it, so they need a full boat.

As far as 35 minute bottom time both dives... never ever had that on a dive boat in Cozumel and we have been going there for 18 years for week long land vacations as well as cruises. Unless there are air hogs on your boat, you can expect longer than that. With Cozumel drift diving, groups usually have to stay with the DM and when first person runs out of air, all go up. It is a safety issue.

We used SandDollar Sports, the cruise ship dive op, last May when we were there on a cruise. We thought they were really good and our dive times were decent. It was rainy weather and current was strong for our first dive but we still got around 40 minutes with 73' max. Our second dive was 48' max and 50 minutes and less current. We would have gotten longer bottom time if the weather hadn't been so gray and rainy. Not the dive ops fault, just a lot of rain all week. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

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Thank you AB, Apparently Sand Dollar has been "Discontinued" as the Cruise excursion Contractor. They had a boat sink last month with Cruisers on board. I have dove Cozumel many times. When there for extended stay we definitely get to use our air. On a Cruise excursion though they dive to the ability of the least experienced diver. So I was just looking at other options that would let us dive our air. Appreciate you. :D

Highly recommend Tres Pelicans or Scuba with Alison, though there are so many brilliant ops and everyone had their favorites.

I know Alison will wait for cruisers to arrive to the marina, we've done both land based and ship based diving with her. Can't say for Pelicanos, in the week with them, I don't ever remember having cruisers.

Both let you dive your tank, if you don't have your own SMB they shoot one for you when you are ready to go up, and as soon as they see you aren't an idiot will generally leave you alone.

Thank you Skittl! :D