DIVE, DIVE, EAT, HAMMOCK, DIVE, DIVE, EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT!

Imagine a diving destination that draws in over two million visitors per year, The island of
Cozumel is a diver’s dream, with hundreds of turtles, dolphin, eels, sharks, over 250 species of tropical fish including the Splendid Toadfish to name a few.

Cozumel has become a mecca for divers, and has declared the southern reef area as an underwater National Marine Park to protect the delicate balance of its dazzling coral reefs and abundant variety of tropical fish. Visibility ranges from 60 ft. to 200 ft., depending on the season and water conditions. Cozumel offers amazing walls, wrecks, protected reef and is THE place for sport scuba divers to meet and enjoy the very best of Cozumel. All boat dives are DRIFT dives due to the prevailing currents year round and current can range from minimal to strong depending on time of year. We HIGLY recommend taking a refresher course if you have not been in the water within the year of travel.

Check out our experience and our review of diving Cozumel.

We stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel. Members of this years group traveled from California, Louisiana, and Florida. Divers were offered packages for 7-10 nights accommodation and 5-8 days of two tank boat dives and shore diving was unlimited. The bulk of our group arrived the weekend of April 23 – May 7. Rates for this trip included customizable options for stay and dive packages ranging from $950 USD to $1600 USD per diver depending on options chosen. Non-diver packages were also offered, ranging from $850 USD to $1250 USD depending on package chosen. Airport transfers were included from COZ airport but travel options were offered to include Cancun – Ferry – Resort for additional costs. Rates included all meals, government and hotel taxes, and airport transfers. Rates did not include airfare, beverages or alcohol, rental gear or daily government reef fee $2.00 per day per person per dive day.

Daily boat diving experiences provided access to beautiful wall and reef dives. We dove most of our dive days off the Coral Diver which provided center tank holders mid stern. We were assisted with our gear while seated on the port/starboard edges of the boat. Back flip entry was easiest but the DM and boat hands were very accommodating with assistance with other entry options if desired. We dove the entire trip with our designated DM Miguel. Miguel was awesome! He was patient, knowledgeable, friendly, had a great sense of humor, and most of all tolerant of our daily shenanigans. Our dives were not only fun but filled with abundant marine life and beautiful walls and reef. Please NOTE that the current can be quite strong at times so good buoyancy is key. New divers should be prepared to expect current and communicate any concerns with your DM. Rest assured they are very knowledgable diving in these conditions. Daily BOAT trips are up to 50 minutes to first dive site as most dive sites are south of the resort. Plan to be on the boat from 0830-1300 so take items you may need or want including towels and snack items if you tend to get cold/hungry between diving. NOTE: The dive boats offer water and juice but does not provide snacks between dives. They also do not have towels onboard. The boats do not return to the resort for surface intervals but there is plenty of time and space to spend your SI time and prep for next dive. You will not be allowed to wear gloves in areas deemed National Marine Park. Dive sites also provide another reason not to touch – Stinging Hydroid sometimes referred to as Black Hydra is abundant on some sites and can pack a nasty sting and painful rash in areas of contact.

Shore diving was easy and fun and something we did almost every day. There is no wall or true natural reef off the resort but there is SO much to see. Slow down, hang out a while and you will be amazed at what you may encounter. Shore dives are around 25ft and minimal current on most days. You have to sign up for shore dives, pick up your own tanks and if planning a evening/night dive off the shore you need to get your tanks before the shop closes at 5PM.

Speaking of Shenanigans – check out our first feature video created by our talented director/producer Alain.

The resort was built in 1976 and is set up for DIVERS! You should not expect FANCY when traveling and staying at this resort. It is clean, cute, and safe but older and in need of a little renovation. We were within walking distance to shopping, dining, and ferry terminal. The resort offered a decent sized pool with lounge chairs and pool mats. Hammocks were hung along the shore which we found a wonderful way to relax after lunch while anticipating our afternoon shore dives or evening adventures.  Nothing like ocean breeze, salt air, the sound of the waves, and the swinging motion of your very own hammock for a nice nap or a relaxing experience.  The rooms offered private terraces, king or double beds, ocean view or ocean front, AC, ceiling fans, hair dryer, refrigerator, WiFi, alarm clock, and a safe. There are NO TVs in the rooms but there are TVs located in the bar if you just have too.

The resort offers two restaurants: Fat Grouper Grill & Bar and a main dining area. Vegetarian meals and special diets were accomodated. Meal times were geared around dive boat departure/arrival. Full or Lite meal plans were offered. The menu was somewhat Americanized but offered daily specials. Breakfast was buffet style but offered something for everyone. Overall, the meals were average/above average and the resort makes a good effort to accommodate an array of dietary preferences. Remember to grab a little snack to take on the boat to refuel between dives.

In summary, OUR take on resort/dive shop/diving/island: Overall we were happy with our experience at Scuba Club Cozumel and understand why divers revisit. Below is our objective opinion about our experience and is by no means intended to persuade or dissuade others to stay/dive at this resort. The resort itself is a bit outdated and could use a little sprucing up. The grounds are well kept and clean. The rooms have your basic necessities and are cleaned daily. The beds are firm but oddly comfortable, bottled water dispensers are available throughout the resort and you can get ice from the bar if desired. Tipping is a huge focus through the resort. A tip envelope and instructions are provided upon check in. Although tipping is something that is “expected” at the resort/restaurant/dive shop, we generally recommend tipping based on service excellence and personally show your appreciation to those who go above and beyond to make your experience wonderful. The resort staff were mostly wonderful but we want to applaud Miguel DM, Enrique boat hand, restaurant staff Tomas, Miguel, and Francisco to name a few.

On diving. There are outdoor showers and plenty of rinse tanks and lockers for gear. The lockers are half lockers and do not provide room for your gear to hang and dry. They are concrete in construction with no internal airflow. You must be creative to have dry gear in the am. There are hanging bars on the room balconies to use for wetsuits and other items you wish. You must bring a lock for your locker and we strongly advise locking them at all times. We did not experience theft however we did experience some re-arranging of gear by other divers who apparently have a huge desire for a top locker in leu of a bottom one. The boats are clean and well crewed. We loved the Coral Diver crew. They were accommodating, professional, and fun. Nitrox was offered at a rate of $13 per tank but the dive shop was NOT open to offering a package rate deal for our group so we all opted to dive air. Shore diving was easy and steps away from the resort. The dive shop offered a tank dolly to transport tanks to your desired set up area. We were given bracelets daily as proof of reef fee. It would be awesome if they used medallions for your BC but this is a government process. We saw very few lion fish while diving and was informed that they are very proactive in removing this invasive species from the area. We admire their efforts.

We loved the turtles, nurse sharks, green moray eels, sexy anemone shrimp, splendid toadfish, and the bossy lobsters out roaming around like prehistoric beasts. We had many turtle encounters and saw so many other beautiful sites along the second largest barrier reef surrounding the island of Cozumel.

Want to experience something similar?

Come DIVE with US!!!