Dive Review of
Dive Paradise in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

All Caribbean: 23 years.....12 years of snorkeling before that. 
Roatan in '05 was great with my 15 yr. old son at AKR; Grand Cayman (3X);
Dominica; Curacao; St. Croix;Tortola; St. John; Martinique; St. Lucia; St.
Vincent; Key Largo; T&C.

Dive Conditions

we stayed as a group......and could go up when we were out of air...
fairly flexible.....  

[None]  

Overall Rating

My third visit to Cozumel was terrific, just like all the others ('86,
'01,'06). Yes the place has changed and then the Hurricane .....But the
diving is still very good with abundant fish life. I saw the Splendid Frog
Fish on 3 separate dives! You feel that Diving is still the King there,
even though the high end Condo boom and Resorts are all around. I went solo
which allows immersion into diving and a sense of freedom that makes a week
seem longer. Travelnotes had great deals.....
 I stayed at the Barracuda Hotel (for the first time), and it was perfect,
low money.... great views... lots of divers.......hard bed, but
ok.....small frig....no one has ice...you cannot buy ice, even
supermarkets...the ice tray was tiny, so I made ice around the clock and
kept the ice in a gallon baggie. The No Name Bar at  Cuda is very
interesting and gets quite crowded with younger , wilder types than the 
middle aged divers , like me who are actually staying at the Hotel. I would
go down there and have a drink and seafood soup & watch the scene. Like
something out of Miami Vice. Very difficult to get a piece of land to lay a
towel down. And the music is blasting , appealing to the young patrons with
money to burn. They all clear out by late afternoon.
 I rented a car at  "Less Pay Car Rental", they are next to the
Barracuda and the price was great for the week, with airport transfers, AND
you can call the States with their cordless phone for free! Very Cool! 

Dive Paradise is on the premises which make things convenient and the
package was great, but it's a big operation, and I had different DM'S most
every day. Last time I was in Coz I dove with Aldora Divers and i regret
not spending the extra $$ to dive with them. With DP I did have the fast
boats and had very good diving and 1 or 2 DM's were very good –Jorge was
great. I could not have found the Splendid Toad Fish w/o them. There were
days I got stuck with a few obnoxious divers and DM’s who were
disinterested. The Coral and sea life in general was good…but of course not
like 20 years ago. The night diving off the pier at the barracuda is lotsa
fun. You get your tank right there with DP. In 20' of water I saw numerous
Octpus, Eels, Lager Flying Gurnards with wings extended radiating brilliant
greens and blues. With my light I could mesmerize Squid in 4' of water and
have the turn colors , moving back and forth and they even let me rub their
bellies. VERY COOL! You also see lots of rebar and crap off there . It's
mostly big boulders and a sandy bottom. I did see quite a few fish night
& day. The step entrance to the water is also Very Cool! I would go
back to the Barracuda...It's so close to town. The restaurants i sought out
were very good at each price level. At the best places the prices were
similar to the States, but the Lobster, and Seafood in general is worth it.
I like to look at them during the day and them eat them at night. Capi
Navaganti Restaurant stood out for Seafood.
I planned a day trip to do Cenote Diving I took the ferry to Playa del
Carmen and then a $3 public bus ride south for an hour to Hidden Worlds
Cenote Diving. Just traveling down there was interesting. Once there off
the coast road they gave me a buggy ride in the jungle to a '4 X $' hole in
the ground. I descended a 2 story ladder into a Cavern and it was truly a
hidden world! Once in the cavern we put our gear on and submerged in cool
78 degree water – a hood woulda been good. I cannot really describe how
other-worldly it was. Matt was my DM , and he was top notch! I had him to
myself the first dive. Buoyancy is key here. You glide thru tunnels around
6’ in diameter for 50 to 75 feet or so…..a little freaky..pitch black and
no escape but forward or backward. It’s not tech diving because you cannot
make a wrong turn and get lost .The tunnels always lead to a cavern with
open surface. Bat Cave (25’ for 45 min.) was the first dive – the
stalagmite and stalactite formations were unbelievable. I enjoyed keeping
my light off and letting Matt’s light do the job and getting the glow. The
best part was approaching a cavern and the natural light increased as we
got to the center – SO BEAUTIFUL! The 2nd dive was dos Ojos and 2 other
diver joined us, which was deeper and had less natural light ..but the
environment was like snow and ice. The web site pic’s canot compare to the
real thing. The for a brief moment you pass through the fresh/salt water
mix (halcyon), and it is trippy! The fresh water is crystal clear! I want
to go back soon!
 Cozumel is a divers’ location…… I love the people…the local food and the
nightlife. Carlos & Charlies has been replaced by a hard Rock
Café..The music was good!
Joe@mercurypersonnel.com 

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