Dive Review of Scuba Du in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

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Scuba Du: "CZM is as good as ever. Brain coral is suffering,everything else is OK", Feb, 2020, by Marty Kalb, OH, US ( Reviewer 6 reports with 8 Helpful votes). Report 11420 has 1 Helpful vote.
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Review of Scuba Du Dive shop Intercontinental Hotel Presidente Cozumel Mexico Date: February 08,2020 This review is written from the perspective of a scuba diver with 30 years of experience, and hundreds of dives in numerous locations across the Caribbean. A quick word about Cozumel before I focus on Scuba Du. Cozumel is know for its clear warm water, drift diving along steep walls that can drop to over 1000 feet, coral heads, enormous, large and small and stretches of white sandy bottoms. Visibility is usually from 40-70 feet. The water temperature is 78-80 degrees F. Sea life is abundant. All manner of reef species enjoy these waters. Though as in all areas of the Caribbean some fish are less seen these days, than in years past. But don’t despair, over a few days of diving you will invariable see eagle rays, sting rays lobsters crabs ells turtles nurse sharks barracuda and more types of reef fish than you can name, and more still that were there but hiding. The variety of colorful sponges and corals is immense. Unfortunately brain coral are currently suffering from a combination of stresses resulting in bleaching and death at an alarming rate. All the dive sites on the leeward (east) side of the island form a continuous chain one leading directly to another. There are some distinguishing characteristics from site to site but not markedly so. One wall dive may have more swim throughs, another may have taller pinocle like coral towers but each dive is a dramatic and beautiful experience. The wall dives start at about 40 feet and most dive masters will advise going no lower than 80feet. The shallow dives, 40-50 feet, are usually influenced by a fast north flowing current. You get a few rest areas if you duck behind a coral head and join a few hundred grunts, or a sleeping nurse shark, but be for warned you are usually in for a smooth fly by over coral heads, or white sandy patches. If you are lucky you might see an Eagle Ray scoop up a mouthful of sand as it looks for lunch. No matter whom you select as the guide for your scuba experience what you will see in the ocean is going to depend on being in the right place at the right time. There simply is a lot of luck involved. The factor that is under your control will be the people on the boat who are the dive masters, the crew, and the boat itself. The service of getting you to the site, seeing the site, getting you safely out of the water and what happens to your gear after the dive is completed, is what makes diving go from a good dive to a great experience. Scuba Du does this better than any other dive company I have used in over 30 years of diving 100’s of dives.. Scuba Du boats are spacious and have a head. There are separate fresh water filled containers for cameras and masks. The boats are not the fastest in the water but fast enough to get you where you need to go within 30-45 minutes with out bouncing you around. What you sacrifice in speed is made up in comfort. The staff will check out your equipment, help with weights, check tank air pressure, and if you want they will attach your bc and regulator to the tank. Aluminum 80 tanks are standard but if you ask 100 steel tanks are available. Nitrox is also available.The number of people per dive master can be as few as one to one but rarely more than 5 to one. The pre-dive briefing stresses safety and what to expect regarding terrain and sea life. The dive masters range in experience from several years to decades. If you have a particular interest in seeing a special critter tell them and they will usually find a way to show it to you. Entry in to the water is by giant stride off a wide platform on the back of the boat. A crew member is there to help. Once in the water you are expected to follow the leader, but there is a reasonable amount of lee way for photography and for the more experienced divers to explore as they wish. Every 10 -15 minutes the dive master asks for a pressure read out from all divers. If you gulp air expect to surface with your buddy before the rest of the group. The dm will send up a signal float with the 15 foot 3 minute safety stop marked on the line. The boat crew will spot you and pick you up. If you are conservative with air the dive will usually end at between 45-50 minutes with everyone going up at the same time. Getting out of the water can be a challenge especially in choppy water. A dive master stays in the water helping each diver as they need it, to remove gear and lift it to one of the boat’s crew. Then each diver climes up the wide ladder. Two tank boat dives have about an hour between dives. During this down time divers are served fresh fruit and baked goods. Water is always available from a cooler of purified water. At the conclusion of the two dives each diver is given a cool damp face towel to wipe the salt from your eyes. At the dock all gear is taken off the boat by crew members. Then, if you want it, your equipment is taken by another member of Scuba Du’s staff to be washed dried and prepared for the next days dive. Next morning it will be sitting on the dock ready for your next adventure. This is premium service start to finish. A word about the hotel Presidente. I have stayed at 4 locations on Cozumel island and visited for inspection purposes several others. The Presidente is by far the best. This opinion is based on the quality of accommodations at all price points, the consistent helpful and friendly staff, the physical beauty of the garden like atmosphere the attention to detail the appearance of the beach, which is racked clean every night, the quality of the food at all locations and the personalized service each guest receives from arrival to departure. There are no venders peddling things and no loud parties. It is quiet at night. This is a resort set up for people to relax and enjoy a peaceful vacation. For divers Scuba Du is right there, ready for you at 7:45 AM. The Presidente is more expensive than a lot of other locations on Cozumel. It is not all inclusive. As with everything else you get what you pay for.
Websites	Scuba Du
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	30 years throughout the Caribbean. Bonaire, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, St.Croix, Virgin Gorda, Curacao, Barbados, St Martin, Antigua, (snorkeling Galapagos )
Closest Airport	czm	Getting There	Delta, United, American and others can usually get you there with one or two stops from many US locations
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	choppy, currents
Water Temp	78-81°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	40-70 Ft/ 12-21 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	80 foot depth 45-50 minutes bottom time]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Fresh water buckets on the boats. No dedicated camera shop on shore. Go Pro rental at dive shop.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Scuba Du in Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan

Scuba Du: "CZM is as good as ever. Brain coral is suffering,everything else is OK", Feb, 2020,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Scuba Du in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan