 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeArticlesDiving DestinationsLearning Scuba DivingMarine LifeMiscellaneousDiscussion GroupsGeneralScuba EquipmentScuba LocationsAustralian ScubaUK ScubaDirectoryScuba Clubs |
Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / October 2006Cancun Diving?
I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). Is the concensus out there that the diving on Cancun is sub-standard and the place to dive is Cozumel? (FYI: So far my diving experience has been Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Curacao, and Andros in the Caribbean). I suspect this question comes up from time to time so could someone point me in the direction of some good diver-dedicated websites that discuss both Cancun and Cozumel diving (preferrably with minimal non-diving related tourist info, pop-ups etc.) Would it be a major hassle to stay on Cancun and go to Cozumel each day diving? Are accomodation pricing similar between the two places? Thanks for taking the time to read the post and I would appreciate all comments. Bill > I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free > Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). Is the concensus out there that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Bill Good questions, Bill. This is what I would do. Fly to Cancun. Immediately take a bus or a taxi to Playa Del Carmen, then get on the ferry to Cozumel. Dive. Repeat as required. Return home. Rudy Benner > I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free > Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). Is the concensus out there that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Bill I think Coz is cheaper. going to Coz from Cancun can be done but is a major undertaking. You must get from Cancun to Playa De Carmen (bus, taxi or rental car) Driving time is approximately an hour. Then take the ferry across the channel to Coz approximately 1 hour. Four hours minimum in travel - cuts a lot into the dive time, plus doing a night dive in Coz may not be able to do. I don't think the diving in Cancun is sub standard ( I have only done one there in 1989) just that Cozumel is better. I would suspect that most of the coast from Cancun south has diving. Cancun resort area is not my thing, maybe yours. Coz is laid back and friendly with very little crime. It is nice and quiet especially when the Cruise Ships aren't there. I'm not sure I would call diving in Cancun "sub-standard" because although it's not a good as Cozumel, some Cancun dive sites can probably hold its own. It's just that Cozumel has a lot more dive sites. But I would definitely try a few dives in Cancun and I would recommend an operator called "Solo Buceo". They operate and launch right off the Camino Real hotel. One advantage of their launch site is that they are not too far from good dive sites. Other operators launch from the lagoon side and so they have to go around the island to get to the dive sites and so it's a longer boat ride. Having said that, it would be a shame if you don't dive Cozumel since it's so close to Cancun. It would be preferable if you had an automobile because it's quite a hassle, especially with equipment, to get from Cancun to Playa de Carmen where the Cozumen ferry is, if you had to use the bus and taxis can be expensive. Also, while you're there, you should try some "cenote" or cave dives. Something unique in the area. > I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free > Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). Is the concensus out there that [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Bill > I'm not sure I would call diving in Cancun "sub-standard" because > Also, while you're there, you should try some "cenote" or cave dives. > Something unique in the area. you mean cavern, not cave, right? penny s >> I'm not sure I would call diving in Cancun "sub-standard" because >> Also, while you're there, you should try some "cenote" or cave dives. >> Something unique in the area. >you mean cavern, not cave, right? Same thing. You just don't go past the signs with pictures of skeletons on it. Dos Ojos (one of the two I saw) is a beautiful pond, with much much more below.  SignatureJason O'Rourke www.jor.com > I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free > Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). Is the concensus out there that [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > discuss both Cancun and Cozumel diving (preferrably with minimal > non-diving related tourist info, pop-ups etc.) Try: The Dive Sites of Cozumel, Cancun, and the Maya Riviera; Comprehensive Coverage of Diving and Snorkeling, by Lawson Wood. It's not a website, but it does review divesites from all three locations. > Would it be a major hassle to stay on Cancun and go to Cozumel each > day diving? Are accomodation pricing similar between the two places? Taxi to the people ferry in Playa Del Carmen is expensive, but the bus to the ferry is cheap. Busses run every half-hour or so. The Ferry to Cozumel runs every hour. As Joe said in another post you spend about 4 hours out of your dive day travelling to/from Coz. At the end of a long day of diving it can really wear you out schlepping all your (wet) gear back. I did a google search and found: http://www.cozumelonline.com/ferryschedule.html This will give you an idea as to the cost of getting from Cancun to Cozumel. There's lots of nice places to dive on the peninusula, but on the average the diving in Cozumel is reputed to be much nicer... deeper dives, better visibility. When I was there in February I stayed and dove near Playa, then made a couple of ferry trips to Cozumel. I think if I were doing strictly a diving trip (and I hadn't already made living arangements) I would stay in Cozumel. > Thanks for taking the time to read the post and I would appreciate all > comments. > > Bill Thanks all for the input. Based on what I've heard, I think we'll fly to Cancun, go straight to the ferry, and head over to Cozumel. We are looking at some condos on Cozumel that seem pretty reasonable. Has anyone rented scooters over on Cozumel? I've ride a big bike over here (US), but I wonder how crazy the traffic is over there and whether it would be suicide to have the family on scooters. Bill > Thanks all for the input. Based on what I've heard, I think we'll fly > to Cancun, go straight to the ferry, and head over to Cozumel. We are [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Bill Yes, scooters are available, but the problem is they're hard to see in the heavy traffic created by many other drivers that don't know their way around. Scooters in Coz are risky business. Signaturejer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273 "All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know." -- Richard Wilbur Here is a link to getting from the Cancun airport to Cozumel. Some of the info is dated but should show you that it is easy to get to Cozumel. http://home.pcisys.net/~ronlee/Scuba/Cozumel/Aug2001/CancunCozumel.htm Do not rent scooters. If you value your life and that of your family, get a real vehicle if you decide you need a car. Here is another helpful site for Cozumel info: http://www.travelnotes.cc/tchatters/viewforum.php?f=1 Ron Lee The scooters are one of the biggest source of income for the local hospitals. Mexico has some very serious speed bumps that cannot be handled at more than 5 mph. Also, if you hit a sandy spot on the road, you're toast (or jam). Taxis are inexpensive. At the very least, use them for a day or two before you rent the bike. > Thanks all for the input. Based on what I've heard, I think we'll fly > to Cancun, go straight to the ferry, and head over to Cozumel. We are [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Bill .. >Has anyone rented scooters over on Cozumel? I've ride a big bike over >here (US), but I wonder how crazy the traffic is over there and >whether it would be suicide to have the family on scooters. I recommend AGAINST scooter rental on Cozumel. Traffic conditions and loose sand on roadways make two-wheel travel dangerous. Car rentals are readily available and reasonably priced. Taxis are available too, but if you like to drive around (as I do) the independence of your own care is nice and may not be much more than the total taxi fares. Also, a care is much better for carrying your SCUBA gear. Take a taxi from the dock to wherever your staying. Then find a care rental. SignatureCharlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA (hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying) All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's. >I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free >Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). ... It is not practical, time-wise, to travel daily from Cancun to Cozumel. It is practical to travel from Cancun to Cozumel, stay and dive in Cozumel, and return to Cancun for your return flight. SignatureCharlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA (hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying) All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's. > >I will going to Cancun in August (because that's as far as my free > >Alaskan Airlines ticket will take me). ... > > It is not practical, time-wise, to travel daily from Cancun to Cozumel. That's a short version of what Rudy Benner or Joe English wrote, JE> going to Coz from Cancun can be done but is a major undertaking. You JE> must get from Cancun to Playa De Carmen (bus, taxi or rental car) True, to a large extent, but not exclusively or entirely true. There are "dive packages" on day trips from Cancun to Cozumel. For example, AquaWorld runs day trips in snorkeling and scuba to Coz: http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/awczdaytrip.aspI I think there are two or three different operations that start from the same marina in Cancun. Then there's http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/adventure.html that brings divers from Cancun for their dives, including lunch, in Cozumel. They pick up Cancun divers from the Playa del Carmen Ferry (at the Cozumel side) around 10 am, and so two-tanks from mid-morning to mid-afternoon (I have done MANY of these, with divers from Cancun -- though I always stay in Cozumel -- just like the 10 am start <G>). Then some Cancun divers would have lunch, included in the Caballitos pacmage, and have MORE dives in the late afternoon (or later) before returning back to Cancun. The bux-taxi-ferry mode is mostly for travellers who fly much cheaper (from the US) to Cancun with the intention of staying in Coz. Did that a few times in the dark ages too. :-) But for some "gander" who may have a "goose" who don't scuba dive and prefer the city sights of Cancun, or whatever other reasons, it's more expensive to do the day trips but not all that arduous or a "major undertaking". There are OTHER Coz dive-shop affiliated operations that have dive packages that bring day-trippers to Coz, as they take day-trippers from Coz to Akumal. I wouldn't do it, and have never done it; but I have met many Happy Campers <tm> who dived with Caballitos del Caribe on day trips from Cancun. YMMV. -- Bob. > There are "dive packages" on day trips from Cancun to Cozumel. > > For example, AquaWorld runs day trips in snorkeling and scuba to Coz: > http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/awczdaytrip.aspI Ooops. The extraneous "I" at the end didn't belong. http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/awczdaytrip.asp gets the daytrip page from Cancun to Cozumel, and the home page http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/ has many other links. > I think there are two or three different operations that start from > the same marina in Cancun. > > Then there's http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/adventure.html That may be the obsolete page not taken off the web, not describing what I said below: > that brings divers from Cancun for their dives, including lunch, in > Cozumel. They pick up Cancun divers from the Playa del Carmen Ferry > (at the Cozumel side) around 10 am, and so two-tanks from mid-morning > to mid-afternoon (I have done MANY of these, with divers from Cancun > -- though I always stay in Cozumel -- just like the 10 am start <G>). The three-tank adventure starting with Baracuda and then on to the East Side for two more dives was bantered about by the shop a year ago -- but as far as I know, it never ran -- at least the times I was in Cozumel. http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/scuba.html shows the REGULAR dive trips (including the 10 am DAILY trips) that I mentioned above that many divers from Cancun did the dives with packages purchased in Cancun. Here's a page I hadn't seen before that talks about 10 dive shops in Cozumel, including caballitos del Caribe. Sorry for the temporary mis-direction of webpages. The ones here should work and are more directly related to what I SAID in my post. -- Bob. One more insertion of an omitted webpage in my previous post. > There are "dive packages" on day trips from Cancun to Cozumel. > > For example, AquaWorld runs day trips in snorkeling and scuba to Coz: > http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/awczdaytrip.aspI Ooops. The extraneous "I" at the end didn't belong. http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/awczdaytrip.asp gets the daytrip page from Cancun to Cozumel, and the home page http://www.aquaworld.com.mx/ has many other links. > I think there are two or three different operations that start from > the same marina in Cancun. > > Then there's http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/adventure.html That may be the obsolete page not taken off the web, not describing what I said below: > that brings divers from Cancun for their dives, including lunch, in > Cozumel. They pick up Cancun divers from the Playa del Carmen Ferry > (at the Cozumel side) around 10 am, and so two-tanks from mid-morning > to mid-afternoon (I have done MANY of these, with divers from Cancun > -- though I always stay in Cozumel -- just like the 10 am start <G>). The three-tank adventure starting with Baracuda and then on to the East Side for two more dives was bantered about by the shop a year ago -- but as far as I know, it never ran -- at least the times I was in Cozumel. http://www.seahorsecozumel.com/scuba.html shows the REGULAR dive trips (including the 10 am DAILY trips) that I mentioned above that many divers from Cancun did the dives with packages purchased in Cancun. Sorry for the temporary mis-direction of webpages. The ones here should work and are more directly related to what I SAID in my post. Here's a page I hadn't seen before that talks about 10 dive shops in Cozumel, including caballitos del Caribe. Oooops again. I forgot to put in the link (too many things in the mind getting ready for a two-week Singapore/Bali trip: :-) http://users.ev1.net/~ojs/Cozumel_Page.html -- Bob. Hello guys diving in cancun may be no as good as cozumel but it can hold it`s on you should try this websites and make your own mine www.squalodivers.com www.scubacancun.com www.mantadivers.com this are the best dive operators for cancun diving & cavern diving regards squalo >One more insertion of an omitted webpage in my previous post. > [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > >-- Bob. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.