FAQs

We pick up by boat at all hotels, resorts and several condos to the south of the marina. We generally leave the southern marina around 8:00 AM. This gets us down to the southern hotel zone around 8:15 AM to 8:20 AM. Contact us about getting picked up at a northern hotel/resort. Certain resorts (Allegro, Secrets, Sabor, Iberostar) have instituted a pier access fee and bracelet system. You will need to purchase the pier access bracelets at the front desk of your resort for us to pick you up at their pier. Divers at the Residencias Reef Condos should contact security at the gatehouse for bracelets to use the Secrets wooden pier.

Yes.  However, we are not able to pick up at the cruise ship piers and you will need to take a cab to the marina.  Due to differing arrival times of the cruise ships, we will need to adjust our departure time from the marina.  As a result, cruise ship passengers need to contact us to coordinate the schedule as soon as possible to minimize the impact to our other divers.

Yes, we will take 5% off of your total bill if you dive with us for four or more days.  We also offer an additional 5% discount to returning divers.  This is called a Loyalty Discount.   Current rates can be found on our Services & Pricing page. We are still working on getting hotel package pricing.

Yes, 32% nitrox is available for either first, second or both dives.

No.  Because of our consistent south to north currents, shore diving is problematic.  It’s a long swim from shore to the reefs and then it’s a long walk back to your entry point due to the currents.  It is very different than places like Bonaire or Curacao in that regard.

We recommend a refresher course for any diver that’s been out of the water for 18 months or more.  However, we usually dive at Palancar Gardens for a first dive with divers with whom we are not familiar.  This site has a sandy area at a depth of 30 to 40 feet which is a great place for divers to re-familiarize themselves with their equipment and skills.  This is also part of the reason why we often dive with our divers in addition to our Divemaster…to keep an eye on the less experienced divers for their safety, but to also ensure that the experienced divers are not affected.

No, but we strongly recommend scuba diving insurance such as Divers Alert Network (DAN – www.diversalertnetwork.org).  This insurance is inexpensive and should be secured before your arrival in Cozumel.

If you are new to drift diving, we’re sure you will get the hang of it in just a few dives. We will review the basics of drift diving with you and will be happy to have you stay close by until you are comfortable.  We also pick dive sites with traditionally less current for those experiencing drift diving for the first time.

We can put as many as 8 divers on our boat, depending on their skill level.  However, our typical group size is 4 to 5 divers.  We can also accommodate larger groups by either renting an additional boat or renting a larger boat to accommodate the entire group.  These types of arrangements would need to be made in advance.

There are dive sites in Cozumel appropriate for all experience levels.

No, but we always spend our surface intervals on the beach where there are public restrooms available.

We strongly recommend that you book your diving in advance and suggest making arrangements 60 days prior to your arrival.  Since we limit the number of divers in our groups in order to maintain our high level of personalized service, and provide our divers with the best experience possible, we always fill reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.

Night dives are available any night as long as there is a minimum of four divers.  We will try to schedule a night dive whenever there is interest for one among our current group of divers.  We also offer two-tank twilight dives which is an afternoon dive followed by a night dive.

We accept PayPal, Chase QuickPay and direct deposits via personal check for deposits.  For final payments, we accept cash, PayPal, Chase QuickPay and, with prior approval, personal checks from a US bank.  We do not accept credit cards directly, but they are accepted through PayPal.  Traveler’s checks are not accepted.

A good rule of thumb is $5 to $10 per tank per diver. In other words, if you do a 2-tank dive, an appropriate tip would be $10 to $20 for each diver. The crew pools the tips, so no need to tip them each individually.  Tipping daily or at the end of the week is also a personal preference. We try to keep you with the same crew all week, but sometimes this isn’t possible due to crew off days, turnover in divers, crew illness, etc. If you decide to tip at the end of the week, and had the same crew…then give it to the dive master or the captain. If you had different crew members throughout the week, then it’s usually best to give it to Kami and she will see that it is divided up appropriately.  Another excellent article on tipping can be found here

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The water temperature ranges between 76 and 78 in the winter months (Dec, Jan, Feb); 78 and 80 in the Spring (March through May) and warms up to 82 – 84 in the summer months. Exposure protection is a very personal decision and should be determined based on your tendency to chill. Keep in mind that if you will be doing multiple dives over multiple days, you will probably chill towards the end of the week. A good all- around suit for Cozumel is a full 3mm suit.

You can see our cancellation policy by clicking here.

All of our dives are tailored to meet the desires of our divers. However, a typical day with us would be a wall dive to a depth of 80ft to 100 ft, multi-level, with a bottom time dictated by your air management and computer. We will spend an hour or so at a local beach in between dives where you can relax and off gas so that your next dive is not restricted. The second dive is typically a shallower dive between 40 and 60 ft. Our bottom times are almost always over an hour.  It’s not uncommon for us to have 80 minute bottom times with the right group of divers.

Our boats depart the Marina Fonatur around 8:00 a.m., earlier for picking up at various northern hotels. For those who are staying at a hotel where we cannot pick up (north of El Cantil condominiums), you will have to find transportation to the marina, and be ready to leave by 8:00 a.m.

We use high pressure steel tanks exclusively.  We have both 100 CF and 120 CF tanks that provide as much as 50% more air than the typical 80 CF aluminum tanks.  More air for everyone translates into MORE bottom time for everyone.

That depends on the dive sites that your group decides upon on the morning of your dives. However, rest assured, we ALWAYS do our surface interval at a full service beach club that serves food and has appropriate rest room facilities.

We no longer have a separate shop and run the entire operation from our home.  We provide valet service that includes dive gear pick-up/drop-off.  Pick-up/drop off services are confirmed via email once your dive reservations have been finalized.

The dive site is selected by the group diving that particular day. However, the dive master and boat captain have the final say depending on current weather conditions and/or diver skill levels.

Yes, each diver will have their own gear bag with name tags. Upon your arrival, we will meet you at your hotel/resort to finalize paperwork and pick up all your gear so that it will be ready and waiting for you on the boat the day of your first scheduled dive. At the end of each day, your equipment will be brought back to the shop to be rinsed with fresh water. You will find it set up the following day on the boat. All gear stays in their respective bags so there is no mix-ups between divers.  This also gives us the means to deal with wetsuits without mixing them up.

When you’re finished diving for your trip, your gear is washed and hung to dry. This includes running fresh water through BCDs, hoses and valves and wetsuits. When you receive your gear back, it’s dry and ready to pack.

The island does not observe daylight saving time.  As a result, we are on Eastern Standard Time during the winter months and Central Daylight Saving Time during the summer months.

Cozumel is very child and family friendly. You will feel comfortable taking your children as you explore the island, its restaurants and beach clubs. The larger resorts have “kid’s clubs” with organized, supervised activities, and some even offer babysitting services. You will also have no problem finding essential supplies and familiar foods in our larger grocery stores.

You’ll never have to wait long for a taxi in town or the hotel zones.. Fares are determined by zones and are very reasonable. Familiarize yourself with the zones you are traveling in so you know what the fare should be. Always ask the driver how much it will be before you get in, and don’t hesitate to question him if the price is not what it should be. If you plan to take a taxi to a beach club or to the east side of the island, it’s best to arrange a pick up time with your driver as it can be harder to get a taxi from these areas.

Not even the locals drink the tap water, and all of the ice on the island in restaurants, hotels, etc. is purified. Any water/ice that you are served anywhere on the island will be purified, so not to worry. As I said, not even the locals drink it, so why would they give it to a tourist? No one wants you getting sick on vacation.

Yes. There will be internet access at any hotel or resort you may choose to stay.  In addition, there is often free wi-fi at just about every restaurant and bar on the island.  Just ask your server or bartender.

Cozumel offers great beaches, snorkeling, motorized water sports and activities, horseback riding, ATV and Jeep tours, Mayan ruin sites, shopping, a variety of different dining experiences, and we are a short ferry ride from the mainland. The Riviera Maya is home to the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Coba, Xcaret and Xelha eco-parks, zip line tours, jungle tours, Actun Chen dry caves, numerous cenotes and beautiful beaches, restaurants and shopping.

You will always do best using pesos, but US dollars are widely accepted. If you pay in US dollars you’ll most likely get your change in pesos. In town you will see several money exchange locations (casas de cambio). They post their rates and will exchange US currency to pesos.

ATM’s are easy to find and will dispense pesos. Some banks do charge you currency exchange fees and/or service fees for using ATM’s in Cozumel. Check with your bank in advance.

Credit cards are not accepted at all stores or restaurants.

Cozumel has modern hospitals, medical clinics and dental offices staffed by reputable, English speaking doctors and staff. For divers, there are also hyperbaric medicine and recompression chamber facilities. Steve even had a complete hip replacement here on the island. The care and service at CMC were excellent.

Cozumel is great all year around! Summer and early fall months are the most humid and daytime temperatures are in the 90’s. When it rains, it’s usually a passing shower. Late fall and winter are cooler with daytime temperatures in low to mid-80’s. Winters are generally the driest time, but the island does experience the occasional Norte, bringing with it blustery winds. They are infrequent and short lived.

If you’re staying in a hotel or beachfront condo, either Chedraui or Mega will be your most convenient grocery store. Tourists often call them the Mexican Super-Walmart. They are both located just south of town on the waterfront as you head toward the southern hotel zone. Chedraui is directly across the street from the El Cantil condominium and Cozumel Palace and Mega is one block north from there located across the street from the Hotel Barracuda.

No Spanish? No problem. Hotel, restaurant and retail staff will speak English. As you venture further into town and off the beaten track you will find that fewer people are proficient in English. However, Cozumeleños are very friendly and hospitable so even if you have a language barrier you will feel welcome and find people willing to help you.