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Dive Review of Dive Palancar/Occdental Grand Cozumel in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel southern reefs

Dive Palancar/Occdental Grand Cozumel: "Cozumel in August/September--Is this Dive NIRVANA?", Aug, 2015,

by Shawn McDermott, FL, US (Contributor Contributor 16 reports with 12 Helpful votes). Report 8397.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 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 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This was my third trip to Cozumel in 2015, and after my 4th trip in Nov/Dec I will have spent five months there. I usually stay at the Occidental Allegro Cozumel, but because of low occupancy, I checked into the Allegro and was transferred to the Grand after one week. The Allegro offers much easier diving, I can roll out of bed at 0730, have breakfast at the beachside Club, and be on a dive boat by 8:30 without having to walk all over the property to do the same things at the Grand. Since I am a frequent guest at both resorts I can say my stays are always good, but I did miss the convenience of the Allegro.

I always dive with Dive Palancar. They may not have the sleekest boats or the best rental equipment, but the Divemasters and boat captains and crew are definitely the best. The on-site operator at the Allegro and Grand replaced Dive Palancar a number of years ago, and in literally hundreds of times I've been waiting on the pier for Dive Palancar to pick me up for my morning two-tank Nitrox fix, I have never been tempted to dive with them.

The diving this trip was awesome. Sometimes it looked like a lake, it was so calm. Visibility was like looking through air, currents mostly nonexistent. We had dolphins (surface and underwater), tons of turtles, many sharks, huge green morays, big groupers, giant parrotfish, spotted eagle rays, lots of angels and other tropicals, and yes, seahorses. My Sony Alpha NEX6 just literally sucked in the colors of Palancar Caves and Palancar Horseshoe on hi-def video, giving me the actual colors the camera sees upon returning to the room and wiring up to the big-screen LED TV from my laptop. Never failed to bring a smile to my face!

Well, I go back in about 35 days for my final trip of the year, another five weeks in dive Nirvana! See you down there, and if you contact Dive Palancar by email before your next trip, tell 'em Chichibé sent you!

Websites Dive Palancar   Occdental Grand Cozumel

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Jamaica, San Salvador, Grand Bahama, Abaco, South Florida, Florida Keys, Florida Gulfside, Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos (Provo), St. Vincent, Belize, Cayman, Dominican Republic, Bonaire, Curacao
Closest Airport San Miguel (CZM) Getting There Only a handful of direct flights: Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, cloudy Seas calm
Water Temp 82-86°F / 28-30°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 100-300 Ft/ 30-91 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions no deeper than 90, minimum 45 minute SI, 2nd dive no deeper than 60, 3 min hang time. But nobody got read the riot act if any "rules" were violated
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

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

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 5 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Dedicated camera soak barrel on each boat. My Nauticam Housing gets a good soak in fresh water back in the room
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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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