Cozumel is located nearly 30 minutes away from Playa Del Carmen if you choose the ferry ride. It is one of the most popular destinations in Mexico preferred by tourists and travelers from North America and other parts of the world. It is included in the MesoAmerican barrier reef and offers live and thrilling scuba diving experiences.
You can experience the natural wonders of the barrier reef and view the dramatic walls here. Cozumel also has the Palancar Reef and other creatures that cannot be found easily elsewhere. These creatures include endemic creatures like the toadfish, and other sea creatures including sea turtles, nurse sharks, moray eels, tropical fishes, and the eagle rays.
The splendid vacation destination offers many other outdoor adventures as well. You can ride the water scooters here at Cozumel, or can also do bicycling, boating, snorkeling, and other activities. A range of boats and private charters are available at the destination. You can visit other famous places and islands nearby the island of Cozumel including the Mayan Ruins in a short time.
When to Visit Cozumel for Diving Experience
Cozumel has the greatest rush from December to April each year. The second busy period of the island is from July to August. If want to see the eagle rays, you should be visiting Cozumel somewhere between November to April. Sea turtles can be easily spotted from May to September.
The 7 Best and Most Popular Dive Shops in Cozumel
Cozumel offers a fascinating opportunity to dive and experience sea life and the second biggest coral reef in the world from very close. People from many different parts of the world visit the destination throughout the year. There are close to 300 shops for diving on the island that cater to the comprehensive needs of the divers and tourists the whole year-round. The list below will introduce you to 7 of the best and most authentic dive shops in Cozumel.
1. Blue Magic Scuba
Blue Magic is one of the best shops for tourists including young adults and backpackers. It can offer all that is needed to enjoy diving at Cozumel and discover more about it. The physical destination is located in the middle of the main city of Cozumel (a few blocks from the ferry pier).
Blue Magic Scuba is an instructor development center as well, which has been rated five stars for its services. You can also complete an open water course and certification here and become a dive instructor. When you want to learn diving and are a beginner at it, Blue Magic Scuba should be your choice. The company and the diving instruction center also offer a variety of dive packages and these are of different durations. Another major feature of the center is the availability of night dives as well as dive boats.
2. Deep Xposure
Deep Xposure trains you in deep diving and helps you be a more competent and technical diver. The center can teach you advanced skills and expertise in diving including trimix, decompression, and tech dives.
One of the distinctive features of diving with Deep Xposure is the availability of the rebreather. The rebreather (a closed-circuit configuration) allows you to come much closer to the sea turtles, fishes, and the moray eels. While the team of experts and guides is relatively small, they offer you a personalized and customized diving experience. You can learn much more about diving, including its safety aspects.
Furthermore, the diving experience is fast as well as comfortable. The new techniques and skills that you learn here go a long way in improving your expertise in diving. Your divemaster and the guide will take care of you at all times. You can also undertake training here and obtain the diving and open-water certification. There is an option to obtain more experienced and advanced certifications as well.
3. Blue Angel Dive Shop
Blue Angel is not only a dive shop but a complete hotel resort. It is a great place to relax and to enjoy the crystal clear and azure blue seawater. Blue Angel has some of the fastest boats for divers and tourists. Larger groups can use the big dive boats while the smaller groups can settle with the fast boats. All the boats have a captain that can drop the divers wherever they want. You are accompanied by the dive instructors and the dive guides, which ensures safety.
Blue Angel is also a good place to earn certifications in diving including the SSI and PADI certifications. However, certified scuba divers can also choose the tanks that are available at the resort and diving training center. Trips are available in the afternoon, morning, and even during the night times. The advanced divers can dive in areas including Punta Sur and San Juan Reef with the help of the Blue Angel Resort and Diving Center.
4. Punta-Sur Divers
Punta Sur divers and the diving shop can offer you an exhilarating dive experience along with many different and flexible packages for diving. It is a relatively new company that has been highly successful in a short period.
There is also an ethical side of Punta Sur divers. They are the advocates of environmental protection and sea protection and undertake activities for conserving the coral reef. The company and the dive shop have a fast and comfortable boat for you. However, your tour will be with small groups only. The operator can help you discover the other and the hidden sites of the Cozumel area, while also offering you personalized experiences. It also offers the option of the early-day dive trips, at the time the sun rises. With Punta Sur Divers, you can witness the nurse sharks, reef sharks, and eagle rays rather easily.
5. Ocean Nomads
Ocean Nomads is a family-owned business and dive shop. It is a reliable destination that has smaller boats for smaller groups. It also specializes in other areas related to diving including underwater photography. You can learn how to take good pictures underwater with the help and training that you get at Ocean Nomads.
The center can offer you the most personalized and customized dive trips for smaller groups. It offers private charters and boats for rent. All kinds of visitors and divers may get training here for recognizing marine life, taking the best pictures in water (by utilizing the light), and in other areas. Your guide and divemaster will help you witness splendid underwater life and creatures including the eels and the toadfish.
6. Aldora Divers
Aldora is a PADI-recognized and certified diving center, since the year 1995. It is known for offering personalized services and the longest dives.
There are many distinctive features of this dive shop in Cozumel. It offers you adequately-sized boats that are fast and agile. These are of different sizes and therefore you can get a comfortable experience for all kinds of group sizes. The high-capacity diving steel tanks can ensure the longest dives. Aldora’s tank allows you a dive time of more than 70 minutes. Different kinds of scuba divers may choose from different kinds of dive packages here, which may depend on duration among other aspects.
Furthermore, you may also get training and certification in diving here. All kinds of diving gear are available for rent at Aldora Divers. If you are visiting the place during winter, you will get a jacket to beat the cold. You can dive into fascinating sea waters and areas including the Marine Park and Palancar Reefs.
7. Scuba Life
Located in Marina Fonatur, Scuba Life has for you a comfortable boating and diving experience. You also get a safe dive, as you are accompanied by the divemasters at all times. The boat itself has a lot of amenities, which ensures a comfortable and memorable experience.
The PADI-certified dive center Scuba Life has trained divers, which offer you open-water courses and certification. There are also certain advanced certifications available, including the rescue dive certification. You can accomplish these at Scuba Life as well by joining an instructor. Apart from a variety of PADI courses, Scuba life offers you many different day trips as well. It offers you private charters and boating, snorkeling, and other activities at a reasonable cost. Scuba Life is quite popular and reliable due to its professional bilingual PADI team. The 5-star PADI center offers fresh fruits, purified water, fleece jackets, and all other kinds of amenities for all the dives.
Final Thoughts
You must choose a PADI-certified diving shop and diving training center for the good safety of your dive tour. All the above-listed diving centers have websites that can provide you with all the important features, activities, trips, and courses they offer. You can also find the prices for the services online themselves. Booking a trip at Cozumel at these centers and dive shops is as simple as placing a phone call. However, you should go through the specifics to find out which of these dive shops can offer you the best diving experience at the most reasonable cost.
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