On one trip to Cozumel, John Q. did a pirouette on the deck of the dive boat and counted 28 other dive boats. . . . Once visited mainly by divers, cruise ships regularly disgorge great packs of shoppers. . . . Flashy night clubs, restaurants and bars galore, sidewalk hustlers flogging condos, questionable bargains on serapes and little plaster statues of guys wearing big hats, leaning on saguaro cactuses. . . . Spectacular dives exist, but many operators are reluctant to visit these sites, especially if the divers aboard have mixed experience levels. And rightfully so. Because much of Cozumel's diving - especially the advanced sites like Punta Sur Two, Tunich, and Barracuda - are deep or fast-current drift diving, beginning divers should select other destinations. Carry surface signaling devices for both day and night (strobe, safety sausage, etc.) and stay with your dive guide or group. . . . Dive operators vary widely in quality and safety. . . . Buy "chamber insurance" from your dive operator. . . . Best diving in spring and summer, often rainy during fall (hurricane season) and winter. . . . Best diving is on the western side toward the southern end of Cozumel. . . . Eastern side generally unsafe to dive. . . . Best dives include Palancar, Santa Rosa, Maracaibo, Punta Sur, and Colombia reefs. . . . Expect water temperatures in low- to mid-80s. . . . Cozumel is one of the biggest travel bargains. Accommodations range from the inexpensive downtown hotel Bahia, to diver hangouts La Ceiba and Galapago Inn, to higher dollar hotels like El Presidente or Sol Caribe. . . .

Blue Peace Diving/Sunset Lagoon Hotel, April 1997, Ron Kucera, Tempe, AZ. "NAUI referral for Open Water qualification. Interested, capable, and helpful instructor: Boris Drganc. Boats in great shape. Sites varied, crews and captains excellent. The entire experience was outstanding. vis: 68-80 ft. water: 79-80 degrees. Son rented equipment - excellent. Blue Peace handled all equipment, changed tanks, loaded and unloaded the boat"

Scuba Cancun, March 1997, Gordon & Sandi Little, Albuquerque, NM. "Edith helpful arranging diving and open water referrals for several people and family members. Shop and boat e clean and well organized, but not as glitzy as high profile, high volume mass market operations. Limited reefs a short boat ride; Did a nice job helping newer divers and letting those of us with more experience use up our air on the shallow 40-50 drifts."

Seafari/Westin Regina Resort, January 1997, M. Clayton, Chapmanville, WV. "Time share condo at Club Regina at Westin. Gave plenty advance notice our party wouldn't arrive until 11 p.m. or later. Upon arrival we were told room was occupied. Not good news for four tired travelers having driven five hours then flown 1800 miles. Finally put us in adjoining hotel for the night. Weather very windy and air temp in the 60's, warming to 80 degrees by weeks end. Wind finally slacked off too. Friday at Cozumel with Seafari was best day of the week. Crew very helpful gearing up and exiting the water. Saw one large grouper, one large parrot fish, both in 3 ft. Range, but not much else. The Keys are just as good or better and lots easier to get to! Loved the Mexican atmosphere though. The fresh pineapple served during our surface interval was a delicious surprise. vis: 40­50 ft. water: 74­75 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were limited to 80 feet on deep wall dive. One divemaster leading group of six, and one following behind at all times."

Solo Buceo, March 1997, Gordon & Sandi Little, Albuquerque, NM. "Did a two tank boat trip, were promised 6-7 people maximum, but 7 intro. divers joined 6 certified divers. Some old tanks leaked at the valve. Rental gear (we had our own) had no octopus and no depth gauge - only a single 2nd stage and pressure gauge. Certified divers were sent to wait at the bottom (50 ft.) while the intro divers were brought down for a 40 minute dive. Took 20 minutes to get them down and start the drift along a narrow coral ridge. We were bunched like cattle, the DM wanted everyone close enough to hold hands. During the surface interval, an intro. divers asked if it was usual for his ears to hurt bad during a dive. When we asked how he tried to clear his ears, he didn't know what we were talking about. The divemaster hadn't told the poor souls how to clear their ears. We sat out the second dive."

Cozumel

Aldora Divers/Plaza Las Glorias, November 1996, Robert & Roberta Dulberg, Pembroke Pines, Fl. "My wife (10 dives) and I (100+ dives) made reservations with Aldora by e-mail and phone and sent deposit; Aldora staff member met us at the airport, put us in "approved" taxi, got bags loaded, gave us directions to the marina where we would meet the boat the next morning! 10 minutes later we were dropped at hotel. Nice accommodations; king bed, roomy, kitchenette, fantastic balcony view, good a/c, 4 channel TV, clean/no bugs, friendly and helpful staff; used timeshare trade. . . . Aldora top of the line outfit. Costs 10-20% more than others ­­ $65/person/day. Worth every cent! First day we went to them, then they came to us. Left dock 7:55-8:05 every morning, in the water by 8:25; use "Genisis" type high pressure tanks and din connectors; they modified our personal regulators overnight; they have 50's, 100's and 120's to even out divers air consumption! Novices and air hogs get 120's so they don't crimp the time of more experienced divers; everyone starts and finishes as a group. Every one is issued a computer and taught to use it. Usually spent 35-45 minutes at 85-120 feet, then drifted 10-15 feet for 5-10 minutes or until everyone is 2 bars out of caution. They take your gear and change tanks, hand you a fur­lined parka to warm you up. 10 minute ride to a beach front restaurant for 2 hour break/lunch/swim/surface interval, then regroup for a 2nd dive in 30-80 feet, back to pier by 2pm. . . . Boats are custom 28 footers with twin 175's. Divemaster, Captain, 3-6 divers grouped by either experience or where they have been already. Poor entry, side door 2 inches from waterline no steps, but they did bring a portable set of stairs for me. . . . Divemasters Antonio and Daniel are ocean enthusiast. Great divemasters; both have Masters in marine biology. Antonio paid personal attention to my wife and taught her things that rocketed her from scared beginner to confidant semi advanced in 2 days! Thorough pre-dive and post dive briefings and pointed out interesting things; uses his underwater slate with abandon to teach/explain. . . . Food is dirt cheap."

Aldora/El Presidente, January 1997, Joe Harris, Cincinnati, OH. "Aldora runs a top notch outfit with 120 ft. 3 tanks and excellent divemasters. Drift diving demands that the group stay together, but with 4­7 divers/group with similar skills, they let you dive your own profile. Only problems arouse when the wind and seas picked up a bit and the harbormaster refused to let boats smaller than 40 ft. out of the harbor. Aldora ad to charter a 40 ft. boat from another dive operation. They put all of their clients from their 4 small boats on the big boat and it was a mess. vis: 75­100 ft. water: 80­81 degrees."

Aldora Divers, February 1997, Ken Paff, Detroit, MI. "As a result of reading your "Grown Up Diving with Aldora Divers" (October 1996) my partner and I booked with them. Good Stuff: Steel 120 tanks and use of computers are a definite plus. Dived Santa Rosa Wall twice (once as a first dive, another day as a second), and both times were able to have "two dives", one on the wall and in the glassy sweeper filled swim-throughs, and one on the back reef (nice area). Generally dives lasted about an hour. The (four) Aldora boats are great and the equipment and set-up good. Divemasters Daniel Martinez Alva and Memo Mendoza are very good, and the boat captains as well. Not-so-Good Stuff: While Aldora was willing to go to the distant, southern reefs (one good dive at Punta Sur), there was some hesitation to do much of it. When I suggested we night dive (in a "twi-night double header") at Columbia Shallows, we went to Chankanab with the crowd. But they picked good sites, and I should say the night dive turned out great: Martinez was happy to start in the transition period, and we saw the jacks assemble and snake dance off the reef by the hundred, etc. Owner Dave Dillehay may not be able to hold onto the quality divemasters, and he himself is not the greatest divemaster unless you're into Winnebago-diving (cruising the reef as fast as you can to cover the most distance.) They mostly have novice divers (Dave confirmed this to me) and would not divide our group (as advertised). On balance: Was it worth the $65 a day compared to the $45 a day we would have paid at Blue Bubbles, which (like a few other Cozumel operators) runs small, fast boats and allows computers? Probably, yes. It was about $100 more for five days for each of us, fairly modest when you consider the total trip cost. Your rave review may have exaggerated, but I think you were basically right. . . . as usual."

Aldora Divers/El Presidente, May 1997, Stephen Paul, Los Agors Hills, CA. "Water 83. Hotel terrible - no ac on our side/wing. Poor/marginal food, electricity inconsistent. When we complained, management made promises, then claimed the promises were never made. Aldora great. Concerned about divers and accommodate your needs even if they have to go out of their way. Well worth extra price as we sped by the other dive boats."

Aldora, May 1997, Steve Glenn, Richmond, VA. "Fastest boats. Nothing passed us all week; surface intervals spent at a beach park. Steel 120's. Longer bottom times by far. Every Aldora sincerely solicitous to see you have a great time. All extremely competent, easily worth the extra expense. Locals friendly. vis: 100-150 ft. water: 77-79 degrees."

Aldora/Fiesta Americana, June 1997, Chuck Wimberly, Metairie, LA. "Divemasters like Daniel and Meemo led us on memorable and well executed dives. Claudia was efficient and attempted to deal with some problems we had. . . . First day assigned to a boat and dive master that was tailored to novice divers, though we had indicated our experience level. Divemaster domineering and had a mother duck to planning and implementing a dive. Insisted that we return to the boat with 1000 psi, which negates any benefit that diving with 120 cu ft tanks and computers may bring. Attempts to explore grottos and pass throughs were met with strong resistance. . . . Guest slipped on boat and hurt himself, but accident management by staff was virtually non-existent."

Aldora Divers/Fiesta Inn, June 1997, Delaine Lisk, Kennesaw, GA. "Water 83. Fiesta Inn clean, good service, decent but not cheap restaurant. Can walk into town or take taxi (inexpensive). . . . Aldora Divers is an operation that every serious diver dreams about. Steel cylinders (80, 102, 120) and will put a DIN conversion on your regulator. They handle all gear. Divemasters were excellent, we did most of our diving with Laniel, a marine biologist, who was a great critter-finder. Antonio coaxed a large green moray out of hiding and found both splendid and large-eyed toad fish - all in one dive. Dave made sure everyone has a great dive. Computers mandatory - sample profile: max depth of 128 ft, dive time 74 minutes or a second dive to 68 ft for 99 minutes. Truly memorable trip. Cozumelenos friendly. Good eats in town at Los Morros del Monritos."

Aldora Divers/Paradisus Resort, July 1997, Richard K. Solomon, South Jordon UT. "Paradisus an all inclusive resort. If you do not pay for the all inclusive package, you cannot buy a beer or a meal at any restaurants or bars on the property. You must go into town for a meal or a drink. Water is all bottled. Lagoon discharges dark water and makes the beach almost unusable two or three weeks per month. Service is great. Food is good for Mexico. Pools are beautiful. Nice facility, clean and well maintained. . . . Aldora Divers met us at the airport. and took our regulators to their shop to convert to DIN tank adapters. 120 CF steel tanks filled to 3600 PSI. Bottom times unbelievably long. Supply computers at no charge. Maximum of six divers per boat. Five boats very fast and have plenty of room. Beat everyone to the best sites. Divemasters knowledgeable and friendly. They clean and store your gear after dives and they put on boat in morning. During surface intervals (minimum 2 hours) they go to a nice beach to relax and have lunch. . . . Aldora's confirmation letter recommends a tip of up to 15% of your cost each day. I dive with my wife and two teenagers. With Aldora being the most expensive on the island the tips added up to more than $200. I am not comfortable with this. I wish it just included in the price of the diving."

Aldora Divers, July 1997, George Kane, Raleigh, NC. "Every bit as good as you recommended in the last October issue, even better. Dive operation and divemasters could not have been any better, and they must have been listening to you, all five boats operating when we were there, were equipped with ladders for easy reentry. Diving was exquisite. Dave Dillehay said the goal was at least an hour per tank, and we exceeded that every dive. Friendly competition between the divemasters to see who could have the longest time, Alberto with 2 hours 15 minutes was the current champ. And every dive was extremely well planned, and we did the dives at the far south and north ends of the island that most other operators won't do. Service was as good as the diving. Regulators picked up and DIN adapter affixed for the steel 120's, pick up on time every day at our dock, gear rinsed daily and ready to go when we got on the boat, and equipment returned to your room when diving completed. I've been to Cozumel many times and this is the best, hands down. Thanks for the recommendation, and keep up the great work."

Aldora Divers, August 1997, Michael Silvestre, Spring, TX. "Water 84 degrees. Excellent operation. Though they charge $10 more than most operators, they go to some southern reefs that some other operators also charge an extra $10 for. High pressure steel 120's; had over an hour dive time on each and every dive. . . . double the time I got using aluminum 80's diving the tables. Unequaled safety procedures, thorough pre-dive briefing included a review of hand signals used by the divemaster, long safety stops, though a bit boring, were welcome."

Aldora, August 1997, Mike Silvestre, Spring, TX. "Stayed in a house about a 10 minute walk from the marina where their boats are moored, so I met them at the marina in the morning (0745) and boarded the boat there, which was much better than having to take a taxi into town just to get on the boat. The boats are great, about 23 feet long, with twin 150 hp outboards and a canopy for shade from the sun. No more than 8 divers, though my first day we only had 6. The divemaster, Antonio, was great. He is a biologist, so has a great and intimate knowledge of the reefs and sea flora and fauna. His pre-dive briefing was extensive, including max. depth, expected water time, hand and safety signals, marine life we should see, computer use, safety stop information/procedures. . . . The first dive, first day was on Columbia 'regular' to 110 feet with an in the water time of 70 minutes! We did a safety stop at 15 feet for 15 to 20 minutes. Very safe operation. Minimum of 1 hour on every dive with the steel 120's. They now have a small office in Cozumel."

Amigos del Mar/Caribbean Villas, May 1997, Mike Kleppinger, Hastings, NE. "Due to an airline mechanical failure, we were a day late getting into Belize. Caribbean Villas, guessing how anxious we were, arranged to have a dive boat at the Caribbean Villas pier 30 minutes after arrival. Owners Wil and Susan Lala, transplanted Kansans (Wil is a dentist), couldn't have been more helpful. Gave us a golf cart tour of quaint San Pedro and its sand streets. Caribbean Villas is an unadvertised 10 unit, 5 year old facility, A/C. Most units have kitchens, all on the ocean. The outdoor hot tubs felt surprising good after diving. A 4­story "people perch" is good for birding and viewing the island. Several good restaurants and grocery store are nearby. San Pedro is a 20 minute walk, but free bicycles are available. . . . 300' dock ending in a gazebo & snorkeling pier. Silty under the dock, but found arrow crabs, eels, squid, and scorpion fish. Snorkellers went with Alfonse, who within a 10 minute boat ride pointed out octopus, turtles, eels, live conch, porcupine fish. Petted nurse sharks and rays at Shark Alley. . . . Amigos del Mar is a small friendly facility located downtown. Pick you up at the dock, and wash and store your gear overnight. Small clean boats, not cattle boats. We had 3­7 divers. They said 7 was too many and wanted to split us up before the next dive. 2 tank/day diving $35 if booked through Caribbean Villas. Divemaster Alonzo was a careful leader, rounding up divers who strayed too deep and holding down divers who tended to float up during the safety stop. vis: 80­100 ft. water: 78­82 degrees. Restrictions enforced for diving were dives planned from 60 to 85 ft. The coral, sponges, and topical fish are in good shape. Turtles & sharks most dives, also spotted rays and puffer fish. On one dive, a group of large grouper and a small nurse shark followed us the entire dive, the shark was petted continuously, rolling over to be stroked on its stomach. On another dive the boat driver saw a school of 6 dolphins and drove in circles around our bubbles while the dolphins played in the wake. Excellent vacation!"

Aqua Safari/Safari Inn, May 1997, Jon Davis, Columbia, MO. "Safari Inn: Clean, neat and cheap. Great value. No frills. Aqua Safari: long boat rides, restrictive dive profiles, average briefings. Divemasters were friendly and helpful, but did not seem interested in showing divers a "good dive". vis: 80­100 ft. water: 82­85 degrees. Depth and time diving restrictions enforced. All in all, average boats, average divemasters, etc. Three tank dive for $59. If the service were better it would have been great."

Aqua Safari/Plaza Las Glorias, June 1997, Chuck Berman, Lutherville, MD. "Hotel floors marble, slippery when wet which was often. Saw several people slip. Diving crowded. Divemasters excellent, but not a lot of freedom on large boat. Suggest small fast boats. vis: 50­100 ft. water: 82­85 degrees. Restrictions enforced were had to follow divemaster."

Aqua Safari/Fiesta Inn, July 1997, Katie Tillman, Townville, SC. "Dive operation very nice, staff in shops very nice and accommodating. Boats designed for 12 people crammed in 18 people. Divemasters very friendly, but did not respect reef and wildlife. Would harass critters, octopus, crabs, puffers. Instructed divers not to touch reef and then they were all over it. Continually horsing around. Want divemaster to point out things he sees but not necessary for them to handle every object. Also, did not ever stay within the set profile. vis: 60-80 ft. water: 85-88 degrees. Same profile every day. Dive one: 80 ft. 25 min. Dive two: 60 ft. 35 min."

Aqua Safari, August 1997, Michael Silvestre, Spring, TX. "Aluminum 80's. Dove the previous day with steel 120's and own steel tank at home. Rarely dive with aluminum tanks w/o wet suit. Wasn't aware of weight requirements switching between steel 120's and aluminum 80's (required extra 10 pounds). Started with 2 lbs. and couldn't descend to group. Surface boat picked me up, gave me adequate weight on a weight belt, but then dropped me down current from other divers in strong drift current. It took me approx. 10 minutes and 1200 psi just to swim against current to join the group. vis: 80-140 ft. water: 83-85 degrees. Depth limit of 80 ft. Divemaster suggested, but did not absolutely require a 3-5 minute safety stop at 15 ft. Short and meager pre-dive brief. Won't dive with them again."

Aqua Safari/Plaza Las Glorias, August 1997, Don and Jody Brown, Greenwich, CT. "Hotel close to town, farthest from dive sites. Rooms very large, view of water. Quiet, low-key, clean. Dive shop at hotel; Aqua Safari has large slow full boats. Professional in briefings, dealing with customers. Comfortable on large boat but we left very early and got back around 1:00p.m. Smaller boats were quicker and got back earlier."

Aqua Safari/Plaza Las Glorias, September 1997, Robert Wade, Clinton, MS. "Water 80-85 degrees, viz 100-200 feet. Almost too many crew for the number of divers. Warm sandwiches and fresh fruit after dives, water and soft drinks. Crew took exceptional care of inexperienced and me when my dive light flooded. Dive leaders need to watch their depth and bottom time."

Blue Bubble Divers/Melia Mayan Pardisius, October 1996, George Arnold, Pittsburgh, PA. "We dove for five days with Blue Bubble Divers (2 dives/day and one night dive). Outstanding dive operation with knowledgeable, friendly, safety conscious divemasters. Divers decided where to dive and depth and time limits since drift diving. Divemaster would have taken us to 150­160 feet had we wanted to. Boats were fast with oxygen and radio. I tested one tank each day for carbon monoxide, none was detectable (less than 50 ppm). Dive shop stored our gear. Rinsed and dried it each day and loaded it on dive boats. $24.50/dive and tips. When a piece broke on my Nikonos strobe arm, they found someone who had a replacement part and met me with it at the dive shop within a few hours! They can be reached on the internet at http://www.qssolutions.com/bluebubble. vis: 100­150 ft. water; 83­85 degrees."

Blue Bubble Divers, March 1997, Gordon & Sandi Little, Albuquerque, NM. "Friendly, competent, lived up to slogan 'Blue Bubble-No Trouble.' Eight dives over 3 days. Took a taxi from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and ferry to Cozumel. Blue Bubble staff found us hotel rooms on short notice. All three divemasters were friendly and helpful. Allowed to dive our computers as long as we let them know what we were doing. Safety stops required and DM's kept less experienced divers off reefs. Boats small, fast (Mercury outboards) and clean. Trips left on time; only time we saw other divers in the water was at Paso de Cedral to visit the big groupers and morays who are used to the crowds and are friendly. Yvonne and Keith handle reservations in the U.S. through the 800 number and were friendly and prompt in setting up reservations, faxing ferry schedules, etc."

Blue Bubble/Crown Princess/Sol Caribe, April 1997, Philip Tschirhart, Cadillac, MI. "Blue Bubble Divers exceeded my high expectations. They operated boats of 4­8 divers max, separating divers by their abilities; if your group includes divers who expend air quickly, they are picked up at the surface by the boat and you continue until time or air dictates the end. Drift dives over beautiful reefs requires proficiency in buoyancy control. Divemasters caution divers who haphazardly crash into the reef. Dive boats are on time; divers choose where they want to dive. I saw flying manta rays and flying fish en route; grouper, angel fish, trigger fish, parrot fish, moray eels, tropicals, small rays, octopus, and more. vis: 80­120 ft. water: 77­79 degrees."

Blue Bubble Divers/Fiesta Inn, April 1997, James L. Waller, Sious Falls, SD. "Good: Very fast boats with canopies for sun/rain protection. Divemasters are excellent; some are more accommodating as to dive sites, some unduly restrictive on time limits. Saw an eagle ray, turtle and nurse shark at Maricaibo (shallow). Paso de Cedral excellent for large groupers and enormous green moray eels. vis: 70­80 ft. water: 77­79 degrees. Bad: Prepaid for two morning dives for seven days. Weren't picked up on the third morning, so they had to divert a boat en route to a dive to come back for us. Vicky (BB's office person) claimed we hadn't "confirmed" our dive the previous night. We were told to call to cancel dives, not confirm prepaid ones. Hard to get assigned to specific divemasters you request. On several dives, the divemaster signaled to terminate the dive when I still had 1300­1400 psi. No apparent effort was made to match divers of similar experience. We met several divers who'd been trying to dive Maricaibo or Punta Sur all week but the boat didn't go there. We were able to get to Punta Sur once and the shallow portion of Maricaibo once. Air fills ranged from 2,650­3030 psi. Number of divers ranged from four to nine per boat. . . . Fiesta Inn is OK but next time we'll stay in town. La Prima has wonderful Italian and seafood."

Blue Bubble, August 1997, Don and Jody Brown, Greenwich, CT. "Very accommodating. Small fast boats get you in/out. Backwards roll. Pickup at hotel dock. No frills, but on time, good briefing, professional and capable staff. Dive shop in town. Very good with bookings. Will go to farthest site South due to fast boats."

Caballito del Caribe, May 1997, Brooks Martyn, West Granby, CT. "Cozumel delivers the maximum bang for the buck. Everything is so inexpensive and service is so good that you spend, spend, spend and tip, tip, tip: the overall price for this trip was equal to most other Caribbean destinations. . . . Rented a condo, which was reasonably priced and excellent, through Casa Caribe, Inc. Their representatives were helpful in the trip and while we were on the Island. . . . Caballito del Caribe equally service­oriented. Our gear was rinsed, dried, and delivered to the boat each day. Divemaster Israel and driver Giovanni ran a happy, safe boat and consistently delivered great dives. Repeatedly saw and interacted with great concentration of huge groupers, sharks, turtles, and eels. . . . The fly in the ointment was the daily introduction of inexperienced divers to the group, resulting in very conservative bottom times and a sizable portion of the divemaster's attention focused on newcomers and their problems. vis: 100 ft. water: 85 degrees. One of our group tired of this and dove the rest of the week with Scuba Shack, a smaller operation that segregated divers on their two boats based on skill level and allowed the advanced people to dive their computers. . . . Next visit we will try to economize by staying at Hotel Aguilar, a small, clean hotel located near the dive dock. Rooms $30 a night, double occupancy. That's a real bargain. We could afford to eat out all three meals a day!"

Cha Cha Cha Dive Shop/Plaza Los Glorias, August 1997, John Stiggard, Atlanta, GA. "Diving great. First trip. Enjoyed drift diving. Edmundo Tovres runs a first class operation. Equipment set up. Young, knowledgeable divemasters Alfredo & Eric. Great personal service. Divemaster and 3 divers for the week. Everyone able to dive own profile. vis: 100-200 ft. water: 87 degrees. Seldom saw other divers, though saw other boats. Palancar Horseshoe and Gardens awesome. Grouper friendly at Paseo de Gedial. Plaza Los Glorius is aging, but a first class property. Room has microwave, coffee pot, toaster, and fridge. Buy groceries at San Francisco supermarket on 65th Ave; try the mango juice. Best food and service is Pepe's Grill. Mushroom, shrimp and cheese appetizer great. Theme park (eco-archaeological) "Xcaret" $30 fee to enter park, $60 for the dolphin encounter. Worth the price. Good coral reef aquarium, large turtles, snorkeling. To swim with the dolphins, be at the gate at 7:45 a.m. No advance reservations."

Cozumel Equalizers/Diamond Resort, February 1997, Sandra & Art Collins, Reisterstown, MD. "We visited Cozumel because of all the "hype" regarding what great coral and fish life abounds. I don't think so! All we saw in the big fish category was one nurse shark and 5 eels. Saw several large trained groupers (all were fed) in another area. Punta Sur was boring at best. Overall the diving was average. vis: 60­ 80 ft. water: 75­80 degrees. Belize Atoll was much more diverse in critter life. If the Mexicans don't stop fishing out the bigger things to see (while we were there they brought one silky and two nurse sharks, along with groupers and various reef fish onto the docks) the waters will only have microscopic fish. Cozumel Equalizers was average. Boat small and not made for diving. We had to wait on boat for an hour while the crew of one got more oil and gas! Diamond Resort pretty, however, food was boring, bad and repetitive."

Cozumel Equalizers, March 1997, Steve Neal, Fairfield, TX. "One day off a cruise ship. Shop two blocks from town pier. Saw and petted huge grouper. Saw several eels, one large green moray, petted them. Free swam 100 ft. 2nd dive. Saw eels and splendid toadfish. Owner Darwin know where to look for fish and critters. vis: 10­80 ft. water: 82­84 degrees."

Delmar Aquatics/Casa Del Mar, December 1996, Michelle Ginsburg, Tampa, FL. "Third and best trip to Cozumel. Great value. With Delmar Aquatics across the street, Casa Del Mar is the place to stay. Over all, Del Mar Aquatics was great, but on one trip my husband and I and another guy were the only ones accompanying the divemaster, who insisted on carrying a hooked wire which he repeatedly thrust into the sand hunting? In the meantime, my computer was in the yellow. When I glanced at the divemaster's Sherwood, it was in the RED! Our second dive was deeper than the first and I had to stay way above the leader because of the depth. Shore diving at night (actually dusk diving) on the beach near the dive shop was good for macro photos. Got a pic of an odd eel no one can identify. vis: 50-90 ft. water: 78-80 degrees. Diving restrictions were to 100 ft and stay with the group."

Deportes Acuaticos/Fiesta Inn, August 1997, Mark R. Chino, Mescalero, NM. "Diving with them since 1987; owner Sergio Sandoval has 25+ years in Cozumel. Good attention to safety; allowances made for all levels; we had 3 snorkelers and 3 divers; all were accommodated. Two divers/2 tanks/day/lunch on boat/5 days diving; $550. Customers treated as friends; boat crew helpful. Boat slow, but we're not in a hurry. Stops near shore or anchors in shallows for lunch/surface interval/snorkeling. Leaves Presidente Hotel at 9 AM, returns 2 PM. vis: 80-100 ft. water: 83-84 degrees. . . . Fiesta Inn: bathrooms too small, but rooms clean, hotel grounds well kept. Large swimming pool, good breakfast buffet; cereal, fruit, eggs/omelets. Tunnel under roadway to small private beach/dock, with rinse tanks, showers, lockers, and hotel dive shop. Package price only way to go; booking each segment separately is outrageous. Charters and other airlines also sell packages and Sergio can make arrangements. Pepe's Grill, Morgan's, Acuario, Pizza Rolandi, Costa Brava, Prima, Ernesto's Fajitas Factory for dinner; Hard Rock Cafe or Sports Page for cheeseburgers/fries."

Dive House/Blue Bubble Divers/Aldora Divers, March 1997, Michael Morris, Mexico DF, Mexico. "Went with three different operators (curious to know whether there is much difference). My first two trips, with Dive House and Blue Bubble Divers, were all right, but not all that great. Equipment was fine, the boats OK, and the divemasters reasonably knowledgeable, but the dives were fairly mechanical: get into the water, descend, swim 35 minutes, do a 5 minute safety stop, surface. Groups ranged in size from 8­12, with a wide range in abilities among divers (which twice meant waiting at the bottom for some guy to try to descend, with the divemaster tugging on his fins). . . . The last two days I went out with Aldora Divers, who turned out to be phenomenal. I owe you a huge thanks for passing along their name (via the Undercurrent/In Depth article). Aldora charged more than the regular outfits ($65 for a two­tank dive, as opposed to $50­55), but boy, is the extra money ever worth it. Aldora uses steel 120 tanks, which means everybody starts out with 3500 to 4000 psi. Everybody dives on computers (included in the price), so you maximize your bottom time. They have four small, fast boats especially designed for diving, and the divemasters are all trained marine biologists. Maximum group is 6 people, and Aldora are very careful to separate divers by ability level. My four dives with them averaged 120 minutes, and we never saw any other divers underwater. All the people I dove with were very skilled, so we never wasted time because other divers were having difficulties underwater. The diving itself was really good. Despite having been spoiled diving in Asia, I would have to say that the reefs in Cozumel are the nicest I have seen anywhere. There are some walls, but most of the popular sites feature incredibly varied underwater topography (sounds like an oxymoron, maybe it should be bottomography). Lots of caves, canyons, swim­throughs, and tunnels. Visibility was excellent (despite some rain on the surface), and although there is always some current, it was gentle, making for a lot of nice, easy drift dives. The coral is excellent; lots of reef fish (200 lb groupers all over the place). The only mildly disappointing feature was the lack of pelagics: no sharks, no mantas. . . . I rate Cozumel highly, assuming you avoid the cattle boats. . . . We also enjoyed the time on shore, despite the droves of tourists that descend each day from the many cruise ships. . . . One morning we rented a small boat and went out onto the mangrove flats for benefiting. Fantastic. I caught five bonefish on a fly rod (a first for me)."

Dive House, August 1997, Don and Jody Brown, Greenwich, CT. "Our boat saw a lone diver lost and drifting. His boat no where to be found. Our boat circled the diver and left him in the water alone. Said his boat would find him. . . . As paying customers we were treated as if they were doing some great favor. Felt they had an attitude problem as did the owner. There is much more to a dive operation than a large fancy operation and big boats."

Dive House/Fiesta Americana, August 1997, Debbie Dorsey, Austin, TX. "Water 80-85 degrees; vis 80-150 feet. Dive House let experienced diver have some freedom. Computer diving flexible, others restricted to 80 feet for 45 minutes or 60 feet for 55 minutes. . . . Fiesta Americana; air conditioning in our room was so loud I could hardly sleep. Food was good, expensive, extremely slow service. For what we paid I expected better. Cozumel used to be a lazy small town but no more, with three cruise ships in town Cozumel was too crowded."

Dive Palancar/Diamond Allegro, April 1997, Richard A. Mitchell, Westerly, RI. "Dive sites got very crowded. Common to get to the surface at the end of a drift dive and see 20­30 boats waiting for their group. Still, boat captains always there waiting for you. Diving still the most spectacular in the Caribbean! vis: 50­100 ft. No fresh water rinse tank for cameras. They are at the reef so the boat ride is only 5­10 minutes from the dock; dive shop very popular with other hotels so book all your dives the day you get there."

Dive Palancar/Diamond Resort, June 1997, Karen and Craig Lange, Yakima, WA. "Water 80 degrees; vis 85-125 feet. Resort beautiful. Clean, good food, always food and drink available. Activities beside diving all day. Nightly entertainment, beautiful sandy beaches. Dive operation OK, not as organized as most places we've been. Dive boats crowded. Never planned where they were going. On the boat they ask where you'd like to go. Those with the most in their group or who spoke loudest won. We dove 6 days: went to same reef three times, Palancar twice. No bug bites all week."

Dive Paradise/Barracuda Hotel, August 1996, Karen Becker, Oxnard, CA. "Excellent diving! lazy and relaxed! Drifts are perfect. Coral and fish life healthy and abundant. vis: 50­100 ft. water: 78­80 degrees. Restrictions enforced for diving were by the tables to a tee. We were on a special package deal which meant slow, crowded boats. . . . Barracuda is a great middle of the road divers motel. Inexpensive, no T.V.'s in room, tile floors, balconies for hanging stuff. The pier and dive shop is outside your door. Wouldn't take the "deal" again. I hate slow, crowded boats."

Dive Paradise/Fiesta Inn/Barracuda, November 1996, Betty Springen, Anchorage, AK. "Water 78 to 80 degrees, Vis: 100 to 150 feet. Fiesta Inn comfortable, too far to walk, both into town after diving for dinner (taxis one­way $1.50 ). Water had been churned up from the storms the week before. . . . Recommend a 3MM wetsuits for the lean divers. . . . those with their "own insulation" could do without or with a lycra dive suit. Dive Paradise great for our beginner level. They took us to good spots for deeper dives. Because of humidity rinse own equipment and dry in sun or it'll never get dry (BC, wetsuits, booties. . . Barracuda was a "bare bones" place. Okay for those who don't mind lack of amenities, but great if you want to be on the beach and close to San Michel. Far from deeper and better dives. So if you want to dive the morning of the day you check out, stay farther south on the island so your boat ride to and from is cut to a minimum, giving more time to check out."

Dive Paradise/Hotel Barracuda, November 1996, T. Zillweger, Phoenix, AZ. "Water: 78 to 82 degrees. Vis: 100 to 150 feet. Hotel was lacking in amenities as well as service. . . . Lack of communication between the employees of the Dive Paradise. Also, they were not organized when it came to paperwork or equipment that was rented!"

Dive Paradise/Hotel Barracuda, December 1996, Tim Harris, Phoenix, AZ. "Temperature: 78 to 79 degrees. Hotel was rough, rooms small and nowhere to dry wet ear, even though majority of guests were there for diving. . . . "Dive paradise divemasters were professional, but other staff and facilities primitive."

Dive Paradise/Fiesta Americana, February 1996, Howard "Brug" Jung, Raleigh, NC. "Good: Dive Paradise ecologically focused. In currents there were always a lead divemaster and a "clean up" guy. Most guides spoke good English (a lot more bilingual than us "educated" Americans!) Dive profiles and trips were safe. DM's made sure divers had chance to see lots of fish and appreciated the better divers alerting group to new finds. Bad: Current diving isn't "photo friendly"! Wish I had previous current diving experience, but next time will be better! vis: 80­100 ft. water: 72­78 degrees. Sea horses, giant green moray eels to pet! Restrictions enforced: if dive master was comfortable, you had more freedom for deep dives, there was a strict limit (which was OK)"

Dive Paradise/El Presidente, April 1997, Carl Rutherford, Redmond, WA. "My son and I (he is 17) stayed at El Presidente, an excellent resort, but expensive. We were "stuck" for meals unless we took a $3 taxi ride into town. The room, meals, service and grounds were great. Nice beach with bars and restaurants on beach. Scuba Du has a dive concession on the beach and we used their rinse tank without problems. Rented tanks and weight belts from them for $7/person for shore diving, which is buoyed and good especially to the right. The left has a sunken barge, but not many fish and or much reef. . . . Dive Paradise provides good service and value. The cost was around $50 for a two tank dive. We dove 18 times in 4_ days. We used the six diver fast boats except for one night dive; we had been spoiled by the friendliness of the people on the fast boats and were disappointed by the lack of it on large boat. EDP (experienced diver plan) for divers who had a minimum number of dives (50), a computer and had been OK'd by a divemaster. Great dive at Punta Sur on the wall and in the caves. Entered Devils Cross at 90 feet and exited at 127. Beto and Pepe were great DM's and Miguel was excellent as the "captain". . . . For all dives we were picked up at our resort pier. They did not have a program for someone who wanted to do four dives per day. Diving excellent, especially the current diving and the caves. Reefs generally in good shape with lots of beautiful sea fans, varied coral and sponges. The fish life plentiful and interesting. Lots of unusual fish: toadfish, spotted drum. Saw a large eagle ray, nurse sharks, 5 ft. green moray, many lobster (including slipper) especially at night, octopus, large groupers, Jew fish, and many large barracudas. On one morning trip jumped in water and swam with some dolphins. The current varied in strength and direction even within one dive. We experienced up and down drafts. vis: 80­120 ft. Dive restrictions enforced depended on current and sites. They gave us a profile for each dive and had to stay together. Water 82 degrees 90% of the time."

Dive Paradise/Barracuda Hotel, May 1997, Brad Fuller, Billings, MT. "Water 80 degrees; vis 75-100 feet. Restricted to depth, time and 500 psi. Friendly, helpful divemasters, but rigidly enforced depth and time limits. Took you to same sites day after day. Big groups, typically 10 to 14 divers. . . . Barracuda a diver's hotel. Basic amenities and friendly staff. Clean but don't take your wife there."

Dive with Martin/Sol Cabannas Caribe, November 1996, Robert L. Neal, Corpus Christi, TX. "Buddy and I were circled by 4 ft. hammerhead. Good swim-throughs at Palancar Gardens. vis: 70-80 ft. water: 80-82 degrees. Dive restrictions; follow the divemaster and 85 ft. maximum. Knowledgeable and safety oriented staff. Small groups (6-8 divers max.). Resort was simple and comfortable. Long taxi rides to and from dive pier!"

Dive with Martin, January 1997, Mary Nolfo, Livonia, MI. Water 80 degrees. "Martin Aguilar pays attention to every individual need and desire from separation of skill level onto different boats to personalizing the dive destination and profile. Our eight-year old son was included in every trip (free of charge) and treated like a son by Martin. During surface intervals, taken to some lovely beach where food, fresh fruit and beverages were provided. Martin finds the most exciting and remote critters. Dive briefings thorough and fun. Safety emphasized, with mandatory 5-7 minute safety stops on deep dives. The boat is there whether you surface in buddy teams or as a group. You never have to carry or set-up your own gear. They will pick you up at whatever waterfront hotel you choose. All staff are expert and reliable making every dive memorable."

Dive with Martin, April 1997, Mary Nolfo, Livonia, FL. "Water 84 degrees. Personal attention, service and challenging education outstanding. Equipment in top shape, skill level of all staff a comfort. The emphasis is upon safety. Martin still takes small groups to special locations, and provides video of your night dive with him. Great time, unhurried diving, no cattle boats, special treatment."

Dzul-Ha Water Sports/Diamond Resort, May 1997, Davil R. Lamb, Salt Lake City, UT. "Diamond Resort is very nice but isolated. Ten dollar cab ride to town. They have an on-site dive operation (Dive Plancar) which I didn't try. Dzul-Ha is located south of town about a third of the way to the Diamond Resort, near the Fiesta America. Folks at Dzul-Ha are friendly and accommodating. They can arrange a boat for groups. Dive briefings detailed and informative. Divemasters kept close but patient watch on the less experienced. Drift diving marvelous. A lot of dive boats on the water, but in the week I was there I never saw any other divers in the water except those from our boat. Dive shop has a rinse tank, shower and a small pool. They can provide storage and have small personal lockers; small cafe/bar next to the dock serves excellent food. On site shore diving and snorkeling was only fair, but others were more favorably impressed; maybe I didn't go out far enough. vis: 70-90 ft. water: 82-83 degrees. No dive restrictions were enforced. . . . "

Flash's Adventure, April 1997, Tom McIntyre, San Antonio, TX. "Home page for "Flash's Adventure" (www.xaac.com/flashadv) gave their rates, telephone number, information on the reefs, drift diving. E-mailed them and got an answer in several hours. Met me at the airport. After the first dive we could dive own profile. Took my buddy and me out alone when the other divers did not show. vis: 80-100 ft. water: 78-80 degrees. After they see your dive skill level dive with buddy with same skill level. They (Flash and Lisa Flores) cater to your needs. For multiple day diving they wash and clean your equipment free! Excellent operation."

Roberto Hinahosa/Plazas Las Glorias, June 1997, Jack & Lulie Melton, Estes Park, CO. "Rack rate very steep, but if you get a package through your travel company, it is a bargain. Burned out light bulbs, plumbing problems, missing towels and unexpected charges. Staff, especially the Bell Captain Sergio, offers outstanding service. Dive, eat, cerveza, siesta. . . . Lots of good restaurants in Cozumel. Haggle over prices when buying silver jewelry. Sunday night on town Plaza: wonderful insight into local culture. . . . Went with a group from Scuba Joe's of Boulder, CO., including several instructors and a covey of newbies. Scuba Joe's employed an independent divemaster, Roberto Hinahosa, who did an incredible job of juggling new divers and those wanting to do their own thing. We rarely crossed paths with the air burners. After casually checking us out he turned us loose for the week. We dove our computers and psi. We even got one 80 plus minute dive. Go as a group where you "own" the boat and the divemaster. Look up Roberto, he is educated, intelligent, safety conscious, and speaks Russian as a second language and English as the third."

La Ceiba, June 1997, Frank Finks, Kansas City, MO. "Took my two just-certified kids (ages 20/24) with a group of long time divers. Dive sites and profiles appropriate for their skills. Computer users restricted to same profiles as divemaster and group. DM spent a lot of time over sand and traveling back and forth to walls. Dives ended with anywhere from 1400 psi (for me) to at least one out of air at the safety stop. Tank fills variable within group. Safety and site briefings minimal or nonexistent. Main concern seemed to be getting everybody off the boat together. vis: 75-100 ft. water: 80-82 degrees. Boat ran over two divers; bruised but not cut. Dove most popular sites - frequently had other groups in view. Newer divers had trouble staying with correct group. . . . La Ceiba ground floor rooms convenient and comfortable. Unlimited shore diving. Could reserve tanks for night dives. Nice walk to town next to beach highway. Great food at different restaurants. Rent a jeep or mopeds and spend an afternoon at the beaches on the east side. New pier next to La Ceiba a distraction and eyesore or source of amazement depending on your perspective. More web sites regarding Coz than any other dive destination - many with excellent information."

La Cinpatica, March 1997, Patrick Flynn, Washington, D..C. "Cozumel operators do not seem to have the high standards of elsewhere in the Caribbean. Eith Cinpatica, most, though not all, the staff tried hard, but training and oversight by experienced divers was lacking. . . . Several of us were sent down with out tanks only partially opened, which led to trouble at depth. Even if we ourselves had opened the valves, one of the staff would come behind us and partially close the valve. . . . When we were dropped off, several times a we wondered why we were diving at that location, because the reef was uninteresting or we would have to swim down a gradual slope for 10 minutes before arriving at the drop­off, thus reversing the standard profile of starting deep. vis: 50­75 ft. water: 79­81 degrees. . . . Dario an excellent divemaster; knew what he was doing and did it well with staff and divers, corralling us effectively during drift dives even though we were 20 in number. But why did he go on vacation mid­week leaving a less competent staff to have to re familiarize themselves with our diving skills and habits? Again, poor management. So, late in the week, we had a temp divemaster who was incompetent."

La Cinpatica, August 1997, Brad Fuller, Billings, MT. "Welcome change from cattle boats. Felipe Quinons, the Divemaster, treated you like a friend not just a customer. Fantastic dive to Devils Throat (118 feet) that big operators would never take you to. 6 to 8 divers, small, minimalist boats - no rinse tanks, no head, and on the slow side."

Locker Service, March 1997, Gordon & Sandi Little, Albuquerque, NM. "Next to Blue Bubble Divers, the best deal and best kept secret in Cozumel. For $6/day they deliver your gear to the boat, pick it up, rinse it, hang it overnight, re-pack and deliver it to the boat for the next dive. Did a careful written inventory of our gear when we checked in. When we left, one of their staff took our gear to the ferry dock on a bicycle cart while we walked alongside and visited - he tried to charge us $2, we gave him $5. Best $6/day I ever spent on a dive trip."

Marine Sports/Fiesta Inn, March 1997, Scott and Jann Taylor, Cave Junction, OR. "On a last minute whim, we went to Cozumel via a package offered by Island Dreams. Cozumel was a pleasant surprise. Fiesta Inn was clean with a great pool and courtyard and outstanding breakfast buffet. Marine Sports was right across the street and offered fast, if somewhat funky, boats. Compared to our last trip to Little Cayman, the diving was very controlled and restrictive. Guides were adamant that the group stay together and got upset if you lagged behind even to take a photo. Since our group contained novices, we didn't go to the best spots. Experienced divers should look for an operation that will group by ability. Regardless, the drift diving was fun and the coral and fish quite good. vis: 80­120 ft. water: 79­81 degrees. Restrictions enforced for diving were that you had to stay with guide. Although Cozumel can be nuts when the cruise ships disgorge the masses, the ambiance was still enjoyable. Walking around at night felt safe and it was an enjoyable walk to "town" each night for dinner. Lots of good places to eat and the service was outstanding. For the money, Cozumel gets two thumbs up."

Papa Hogg's/Villa Blanca, March 1997, Jonathan Davis, Columbia, MO. "Papa Hogg's Dive Shop: Rude divemaster and captain! No oxygen on board. Took check­out (certification dives) for a student to 90 ft. on student's first dive! Boat captain made fun of new diver who surfaced early. No dive briefing. A horrible place. vis: 80­100 ft. water: 78­80 degrees."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, March 1996, Keith & Patty Maupin, Green Forest, AR. "Eat, sleep, dive & gain weight, great diving & resort. Vis: 100 ft. water 77-78 degrees."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, October 1996, Jeff Robertson, Roseville, CA. "The Galapago Inn is great, inexpensive, comfortable, friendly dive resort. Food good, rooms clean, beach location was fairly central. vis: 60­70 ft. water: 85 degrees. . . . Beach dives unlimited. Two tank boat dives daily. The boat diving, however, was cattle car fashion, crowded. Divemaster wouldn't allow you to dive your own profile and they, without computers, violated their own profiles several times with up to 10 divers per group blissfully following along. Lots to see. Currents mild, but dive area crowded with other dive operators and drift diving made it hard for boat to find us amid groups of other divers. Stay out of the swim throughs. More to see on the walls."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, October 1996, Bill Knoblauch, Fair Oaks, CA. "Seventh trip to the Galapago. Cozumel still growing, but not at the pace of the past five years; island can't take much more development. . . . Diving okay. Visibility not as good as normal (60­70 feet) due to recent storms. Drift was light; water 82­84 degrees. Reefs in pretty good shape (considering the amount of divers) and the fish life seems to be increasing. . . . The Galapago Inn's dive operation, Scuba Cozumel, are finally allowing advanced divers with computers to pretty much "dive their computers," but still operate on the side of caution when it comes to total bottom time and depth. Dive Punta Sur (I hit 127 ft., at "'Devil's Throat") with a bottom time of 36 minutes. First time I didn't have to waste air by coming up early. Twilight dive $25, a , night Dive $30, and a combination of twilight and night dive for $50. You can schedule afternoon dives if you like. . . . "Reef Star" a nice, fast boat, but I prefer "'Reef Cat" or "Dive Cat" because it's easier to enter the water. "Reef Star" equipment/photo area takes up too much space near the back of the boat. I would like to see a dunk tank on board each boat dedicated to camera rinse only; I hate putting my camera in a fresh­water rinse with gobs of spit and anti­fog solution in it. . . . Only gripe about the Galapago Inn was when I wanted to watch Monday Night Football there was a stupid World Series game on (I'm still striking baseball). When the baseball game was over, staff couldn't change the satellite to watch the football. . . . Fine photo center. Island Photo­Video Center, at the entrance of the La Ceiba Hotel, operated by Holly and Armando Alentado. Holly allowed me to use their light table, helped me sort through my slides, picking out the best and identifying the critters I didn't know. Super person. Super film processing: $13 for 36 slides. the process print film, but don't expect to get it in an hour; they want to do it right and individually process each print to insure proper color. Full line of rental gear, and can service flooded cameras. E­mail "alentada@rce.com.mx".

Scuba Club, Galapago, November 1996, Chuck North, Laguna Niguel, CA. "Room service excellent. Food excellent. Beer prices high. Divemaster did not usually wait for everybody to gather under boat at start of dive. vis: 100­150 ft. water: 80­83 degrees."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, January 1997, David E. Cohn, Berkeley, CA. "Food OK. Fills 29­3100. Safety conscious, good briefings, reefs show wear. vis: 80­120 ft. water: 78­81 degrees. 2000 + divers per day is a lot of reef impact. Cozumel needs some vision and environmental handling or else it will deteriorate."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, January 1997, David and Elaine Hollabaugh, Fulton, MO. "Water 78 to 78 degrees, Vis: 50 to 100 feet. Depth limit 90 feet. First dives mostly to 80 feet. Dove tunnels at Punta Sur on last day to 120 feet. Computer divers allowed flexibility, but mostly stick with the divemaster. Dive operation good. . . . Accommodations good. Food very good. Breakfast buffet, "diver's special" for lunch (native Mexican dishes), choice of two entrees for dinner. No sharks. One eagle ray, numerous splendid toadfish day and night. Night diving off Galapago Inn Pier surprisingly good. Dive cats and reef cat boats comfortable."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, January 1997, Bill & Jayne Goocher, Hermosa Beach, CA. "Third trip to Galapago. Diving magnificent. We missed the heat of summer (temp. 78­80 degrees) though and prefer July/August. vis: 100­150 ft. Never disappointed with value, quality and service from both the Galapago and Scuba Cozumel. . . . Too many novice divers and novice photographers damaging the reef and being overall rude and obnoxious!"

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, May 1997, Larry Zinky, Sacramento, CA. "Dive operation very efficient and accommodated changes in schedule. Extra dives were cheap $44/2 dives. Vis: 60­150 ft. water: 79­81 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced: 90 ft. for 35 etc. Rooms were simple yet A/C worked great and towels were plentiful. . . . Box dinner served on night dive had a sandwich that was inedible. We returned to the resort in time to order our inclusive dinner and we told the box dinner was our dinner."

Scuba Club, Galapago Inn, July 1997, W.H. Stacy, Valparaiso, IN. "Galapago Inn Scuba Cozumel has changed its name to Scuba Club Galapago. Nothing else appears to have changed. Hotel is clean, quaint and convenient. AC works great as does the hot water. Plenty of purified water. Food OK. Dive operation is great! They give you all the help you want. Excellent fleet of boats. Reef Star and Reef Diver are fast and comfortable. They cater to dive groups; will keep you all together. If not you get one of the large boats with only 6-8 other divers. . . . Dive operation managed by a experienced professional Gustavo Saldena. Efficient and well run. Entire staff great from the front desk to the restaurant to the divemasters. Boats left on time, returning for lunch. Night dives and twilight dives frequent. Shore diving 24 hours. Diving is mostly drift. Maximum depth 90 ft. on the first and 50 ft. on the second. Bottom time 30 to 50 minutes. vis: 70-90 ft. water: 82-84 degrees. Would like more freedom to dive my own profile and do more exploring. Group concept allows them to pick you up as a group by the following boat. Very easy and relaxed diving. Strictly a divers hotel and one of the best values in the Caribbean."

Scuba Du/Presidente, July 1997, Ferdie Franklin, Santa Ana, CA. "Scuba Du fine for my first Caribbean trip, but I prefer operator that allows more independence. Presidente first-class hotel; pricey, not close to town, but closer to dive spots. True resort: dive, eat, relax by the pool, open air bar. . . . Scuba Du at the hotel. Gave one diver unlimited shore diving with a minimum commitment on boat diving, but didn't volunteer that information to us; ask about special deals. Several boats, including one large one and one with no shade. We had a small boat (no more than nine divers) with shade and a head, no rinse bucket for cameras, no place to change film. Guides were nice, decent to excellent English. Dive times pre-set, unless someone ran low on air, then you came up even earlier. Guides let us wander on own on shallow dives as long as we stayed in sight; had to come up together which meant a lot of unused air for some. vis: 75-100 ft. water: 80 degrees. Umberto Castillo in good finding and pointing out interesting things."

Scuba Shack/Wildcat Divers, October 1996, Norman Ross, Abilene, TX. "Every time we turned around someone was trying to get their hand in our pockets. At airport you have to take a van rather than a taxi ­­ $13/ per person. A taxi driver told us to walk 1/2 block, hail a cab go pick up your buddy and luggage; taxi is $3/ person. . . . Scuba Shack is a great bunch as long as Susan is around, but she wasn't. Told them up front that my buddy was not diving the second day, so I was only diver; their boat broke down and they did not show up until it was too to make other arrangements. Weather bad for two more days. On the next scheduled dive my buddy got sick and I was the only diver, but this time they sent me out with Wildcat Divers; Victor runs a good dive operation. . . . Seems to me like the boat rides and bottom times are getting shorter, but the prices are the same. I had 1000­1250 psi in my tank after every dive and I'm not that good. . . . Great food, prices reasonable, service good at Los Gavilanes Grill."

Scuba Shack/Hotel Barracuda, May 1997, Dave Melvin, Indianapolis, IN. "Been going to Cozumel since 1983. Always stay at the Barracuda; clean, a/c with ceiling fan and small refrigerator, reasonable cost and close to downtown. . . . Scuba Shack is excellent dive operation. Owner Susan McGuffin provides individual attention and ensures a positive dive experience. Divemaster Jamie was excellent. He lets you dive to your level and has a "great eye" for fish and various critters. Also dove with Emilio, who I dived with when he was with Dive Paradise. He is also excellent. First class operation. vis: 90­150 ft. water: 78­80 degrees. Dive restrictions enforced were good pre­dive orientation with experienced divers. Dive your computers and up at 500 psi."

Isla Mujeres

Tarzan Water Sports, June 1997, Jeff Houdret, Lansdale, PA. "Laid back, inexpensive, undiscovered, unpretentious, third world vacation, ten miles off Cancun. $45 for a clean, air-conditioned, room for two on Playa Del Norte, a pristine stretch of fine sand highlighted by topless freedom and spectacular sunsets. Food and beer cheap. Water clear, a few shady coconut trees, sand raked clean daily. . . . Cousteau and his sleeping sharks made Isla Mujeres famous. Dive operations go to those caves at $ 100/tank, but you only see a shark about one in four times and it's typically a nurse. . . . Operations ask $50 to $100 for single-tank dives, but we negotiated for $40 for two-tank dives, after promising to dive at least three times. . . . They laughed when we showed c-cards. Open boat diving. No shade. No rinse tanks. No accommodation for cameras. No reefs are marked so boatmen drive around sticking their heads under water looking for dive the sites. Dove two patch reefs. La Bandera is 100' long and in a swift current. Manchones Reef bigger and without current. Both in sad shape. Covered with an algae that looks like brown crab grass. Not much to see except for a few hardy species like yellow tail snappers, grunts and an angel or two. Pretty stuff is gone. Schooling barracudas, hundreds of them. vis: 60 ft. water: 80 degrees. Dive restrictions: follow the leader, 40' max. People are nice. Cheap to get to (lots of charters to Cancun). Travel light and leave your dive gear at home."

Copyright 1998 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.