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Dive Review of Blue Angel Dive Shop/Carribe Blue Hotel in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

Blue Angel Dive Shop/Carribe Blue Hotel, Mar, 2008,

by Steven Belmont, AK, United States ( 1 report). Report 4011.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments I chose Blue Angel over Aldora and Living Underwater because of the price per dive and after my first dive with them, I knew that I had chosen wisely. Jeanie Buscher of Blue Angel gave me a price of $55 per two tank boat dive (I scheduled 26 dives with her) and this included taxes and park entry fees. Higher fees will be charged if using a credit card. This price was $30 below the price quoted me at Living Underwater. This savings allowed me to add Ean 32 and 36 at $10 (each tank) per dive, tip both the boat captain and Dive Master and still beat the price of the others. I consider myself to be a diver and not a tourist. I do not require anyone to set up my gear (though the DM's at Blue Angel do this) and I don't need special fleece robes and home baked cookies between dives. My air consumption is good and I look for bottom time at a decent price. To be fair, the other mentioned shops offer 100 and 120 cu ft tanks along with the robes and cookies, so if you want to be catered to, have larger and heaver tanks, dive with them and pay the price. Blue Angel offers free tanks for shore diving and tanks of air are included in the boat dive price.
I requested to be placed on boats with expert divers and not cattle boats. Jeanie acommodated my request and I was placed on one of the 8:30 boats with divers who requested diving the more advanced sites. I was supprised at the number of divers my own age (56) who were very safe, expert and just good divers. Many of them were return divers to Blue Angel and I made many new friends on this trip.
Most of my dives were led by Jorge who did a terrific job at
introducing us to his home under water. The Devil's Throat offered one of the most amazing swim throughs that I have ever done and Columbia Pinacles offered similar caverns and crevices at a lesser depth. The dives to the north at Barracuda and San Juan were very fast current drift dives and we were required to decend and ascend as a group so the boat pick up could be completed before we drifted to Cuba. The diving to the south was similar with currents that were less but still dramatic enough to offer exciting drifts. On these dives one could dive their computer and wander off if desired. Most of us stayed within sight of the DM and found our own way around. Turtles and Eagle Rays were always present with groupers, eels, barricuda and the typical Caribbean fish life always about. Columbia Shallows offered great second dives where one could gas off in 20 to 30 feet of water and poke around the reef and find anything. I spent 90 minutes with a new dive buddy on one dive at this site. At Paradise we saw seahorses. These timid creatures are terrific and after 3 years of searching, I found them. Though they are always located in a shallow area that is used by many shorklers and cruise ship visitors, finding two and observing them for a few minutes was a rewarding experience and I didn't mind the crowded water conditions.
I found the Amaranto B&B on the web and it was perfect. My wife is
a non diver and this establishment offered us an affordable place to stay in the
center of town away from the cruise ship/tourist area and within walking distance where she could shop and explore. Jorge the owner was very helpful and friendly. The neighborhoods were friendly and we were greeted with holas and smiles where ever we walked. The farmers market was a few blocks away and we had fresh avacados, mangos and bananas every day. There are hundreds of local eating establishments in the neighborhood and Otata's became our favorite. We could have dinner there for less than $10 for the two of us. We had our own bungalo at the Amaranto for $49 per night.
I averaged just under an hour of bottom time on 26 dves that I did with Blue Angel. They have lockers and a place to hang you gear when you are done for the day. They offer afternoon dives and will schedule night dives. I highly reccommend them and will use them the next time I am in Cozumel. Please email me with any questions that you may have, or better yet email Jeanie Buscher at bluangel@fidmail.com and schedule a trip.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Palau and Chuuk in 2007 and Roatan in 2006.
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm, currents
Water Temp 79-81°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 5
Water Visibility 70-100 Ft/ 21-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Group entry and exit was required when diving Barracuda, San Juan and other sites north of the Island. This was required due to the strong current.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 3 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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