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Dive Review of Living Underwater/Intercontinental El Presidente in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

Living Underwater/Intercontinental El Presidente: "Concierge diving at its best!", Sep, 2022,

by Matt Radtke, CO, US (Sr. Reviewer Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 12090.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 5 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 3 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments We have been diving with Jeremy and his Living Underwater crew for more than 15 years, and as usual this trip did not disappoint. Owner Jeremy Anschel met us at our hotel to pick up our gear and give us an overview of the week ahead. The next morning, Captain Andreas pulled the Jew Fish up to our dock at exactly 8:15, just as promised, and then whisked us off to Palancar Reef for our first dives. Although the boat will hold up to 8 divers, usually Jeremy tries to keep the group size to 6 or less, and on this particular week my wife and I were the only guests on the boat for the first few days.

Dive Master Pepe is a joy to dive with. He strikes just the right balance between leading the dive and letting the divers have a fair amount of freedom to do what they want. Being photographers, we often move a bit more slowly than other divers, but Pepe is always there, waiting patiently, ready to point out big things like sharks, rays, and turtles as well as the little critters like pike blennies and pipefish and of course the ever-present lobsters, channel crabs, toadfish, starfish, and octopus. Another thing we really appreciate is Pepe's willingness to keep diving until someone starts to run low on air, which is typically 65-75 minutes due to the steel 100 tanks used by Living Underwater

Getting back on the boat is a breeze. Captain Andreas and First Mate Ricardo pull your BC, tank, and weights up through a door in the side of the boat, leaving you free to swim to the ladder, hand up your fins, and climb aboard. Fresh fruit and baked goods are provided for snacks, and if the divers desire the boat will spend the surface interval at one of the beach clubs on the south end of the island so that everyone can get a snack before the second dive. While we're enjoying our break, the crew is busy changing over tanks, hanging wet suits up to (partially) dry, and generally getting everything ready for the next dive.

Upon return to the hotel dock, we take only what we need: cameras, dive lights, etc., leaving all our other gear on the boat. Next morning it will be neatly stacked beneath our seats, dried, folded, and ready to go. It's a truly wonderful way to dive!

The only black mark for this trip was that upon returning to Denver we discovered that someone had cut the locks on the hard case that we checked with United Airlines and stole our two GoPros and underwater housings. Surprisingly, they left behind lights, regs, computers, macro lenses... they clearly had a very specific target. Even here, Jeremy did what he could to help, putting us in touch with a United Airlines employee in Cozumel who is trying to determine if the theft occurred in CZM airport, and if so, what additional steps can be taken to prevent such things from occurring in the future. For us: good lesson to not check anything TOO valuable in our luggage, even if it's locked.
Websites Living Underwater   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving Eygpt, Galapagos, Carribean, Indonesia, Palau, Mexico, Bonaire
Closest Airport CZM Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, rainy, cloudy Seas
Water Temp 82-83°F / 28-28°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 60-80 Ft/ 18-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Start to ascend with 700 psi remaining in steel 100 tank (usually 65-75 minutes)
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 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 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars 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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