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Dive Review of Dive Cozumel 011-52-987-872-4567/Bahia in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

Dive Cozumel 011-52-987-872-4567/Bahia, Mar, 2003,

by Roger Zander, Mi, usa . Report 1040.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 3 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Every time we return to Cozumel, we stay in the city of San Miguel. We enjoy the variety of restaurants and we meet up with old friends, year after year. Since we are out diving during the day, we usually don’t mind the crowds of idiot cruise ship people that arrive nearly every day. Since we are staying in the city, we require a dive operator to pick us up in town. Before our most recent stop in Cozumel, we searched online for 3 tank trips with lunch included. The search narrowed to only a few operators and when we came across the Yellow Rose boat of Dive Cozumel, we knew that this could be something special. The Yellow Rose ties up at the old Aldora pier (now managed by the municipal pier) and is supposed to leave around 8:30 am. That was fine with us, we had time for breakfast and check the email. However, we never left before 9 am and as late as 10am on two days, for the week that we dove with them. We were always waiting for someone or something. Once under way, the quality of diving experience made up for the delays. The boat is a 48 foot twin diesel, supposedly capable of 20 knots. The starboard motor had some tuning problem and couldn’t get up to speed, the Caterpillar repairmen arrived at the end of the week to work on it. The layout of the deck has twin ladders in back, plenty of tank racks, a double deck camera and small gear table, a separate table for food, 2 large rinse barrels for cameras and gear, a marine head, fresh towels daily, and plenty of protected seating for 16 divers. We were usually diving with between 6 and 8 divers, a slow week. By the time we stepped off the back for our first dive of the day, the sun was high enough to illuminate all the reef features, even when going deep. I am not interested in being “the first diver on the reef” at the crack of dawn. There are too many shadows early in the morning. For the first surface interval, we enjoyed snacks like cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, chips and taco dip, stuffed olives, etc. During the second surface interval, we had lunch of deli meats the first day and tuna fish the next. We asked the owner to “kick it up a notch” on the quality, which he did. The captain’s name is Paco, the deck hands Adam and Pancho, together with Roli, the owner and DM, and Jim in the shop office, they make a great team. Dive Cozumel is a first class operation, specializing in the extremes of technical diving. The boat is in excellent condition and very clean. We always were dropped bullseye, right on the starting point of each reef. The DM and captain were very careful to check currents and position. My buddy and I were the “last ones up” and we always got our maximum bottom time. Our depth limits were based on our experience and abilities, we dove deep air twice, following computer limits for deco stops. My days of crowding in a “six pack” boat and getting my kidneys busted and having my gear stepped on are over. Overall, we had a very relaxing 17 dives in six days. All the coral appeared healthy, except San Juan reef. The leafy coral there looked half dead and there were almost no fish at all. Elsewhere, we saw a few eagle rays, all the usual reef fish, about 10 turtles, three nurse sharks but, no big green moray eels. There were lobsters, crabs and spotted eels. I even found a splendid toadfish and a couple spotted drum. I will return to Dive Cozumel and the Yellow Rose, it is the best dive deal in Cozumel.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Belize, Bonaire, Hawaii, Roatan, Xcalak, SanAndres, Providencia, Mexico
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm, currents
Water Temp 79-80°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 100-150 Ft/ 30-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Discuss dive plan with DM
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

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

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 5 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 4 stars
UW Photo Comments This dive operator is very photo friendly. The shop manager Jim, went out of his way to assist in the repair of my strobe.
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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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