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Dive Review of Dive Palancar/Aura in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

Dive Palancar/Aura, Jul, 2012,

by Pete Mykytyn, IL, US (Reviewer Reviewer 5 reports). Report 6618.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 3 stars
Comments This was our 2nd year to dive with Dive Palancar. Since we were staying at the Aura resort, their dive operation, including a dive shop less than 100 feet from our room, was most convenient. We arranged for the dives and obtained all required forms via email which was most satisfactory. Most important to my wife and me was our ability to arrange for the Dive Palancar personnel at the Aura dive shop to take care of our gear for us. They were superb in this capacity. We dropped off our gear in the afternoon of our arrival, and we basically didn't touch it again until we packed it to return home. Each morning, our skins, wetsuits, and boots were arranged for us to put on, and the staff carried our BCs, regulators, and fins, to the boat. At the conclusion of our dive we placed all gear at the end of the pier where we disembarked from the boat, and the staff took care of taking it back to the dive shop, rinsing it, and hanging it up to dry. We could not have asked for better service.

The currents were noticeably stronger this year in Cozumel, and this was pointed out by the dive masters each day we dove. They endeavored to find dive sites where the current was less strong, sometimes with some success and sometimes with less. On one or two days our two morning dives were actually very shallow, i.e., less than 60 feet, so bottom times were good. At times when the dive was deep, bottom time was less than 30 minutes. The current was strong in places such that the dive was more work than fun, which most likely contributed to faster use of air. At the same time, the dive masters were very conscious of diver safety. The number of divers per group over our 4 days of diving was 7 or less. Cold water was available on the boat as was a separate rinse tank for cameras.
Websites Dive Palancar   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 51-100 dives
Where else diving Key Largo, Acapulco, Jamaica
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas currents
Water Temp 83-86°F / 28-30°C Wetsuit Thickness 2
Water Visibility 25-100 Ft/ 8-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions 700 psi required surfacing. If a diver became separated from the group, the diver and buddy should surface rather than try to rejoining the group due to stronger than normal currents.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 1 stars
Large Pelagics N/A

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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