By Jersy Augustyniak aka Jorge

Drift Diving in Cozumel – A Real Treat!

Okay, maybe your not a diver, and are not aware of the fact that Cozumel is a world renowned diving destination. Those divers among you don’t have to be told about the quality of diving and snorkeling that can be experienced here.

If your new to diving or just have never been to Cozumel before, you are in for a real treat! The type of diving that is done here is called drift diving, which means that basically, you just drift along with the slow moving current flowing along the fabulous reef formations.

It’s really great.

You get to see a lot more than you ever would in a conventional diving situation, not to mention that it is effortless. You get back after a day of diving feeling great and ready for more. Unlike the type of diving that requires a lot of effort and makes you want to take a few days off, just to recover. Ok, maybe conventional diving isn’t all that bad, but it’s real easy to get spoiled here in Cozumel.

Even though Cozumel is just a short ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, many visitors to Playa never make it to Cozumel. That’s really a same because in addition to its spectacular reefs, Cozumel has so much more to offer. It’s really much different than the mainland.

It’s kind of hard to explain, but the people here on Cozumel are like from a bygone era. Sure, there are plenty of shops and restaurants around, but somehow it’s different. More laid back, easygoing and carefree, maybe? You really need to be here for a while to find out what I mean. Well anyway, if you haven’t been to Cozumel and are staying over in Playa, I suggest you take the ferry over and give us a visit. It only takes one trip and I’m sure you’ll be coming back again and again.

Sorry, got a little sidetracked there - back to the diving.

Most of the best diving is on the southern end of the island. Also there are plenty of great places to just go snorkeling and hang out along the shore. The east side of the island also offers some great dive spots, but the current is much stronger and is better left to the more experienced and energetic divers. I’m not going to go into all the different reefs and there names here. Each has its own special appeal.

There are many fantastic reefs that you can dive depending on your skill level. I have found that many of the shallower dive locations seem to have more marine life and fun things to see, so if your still kind of new to diving, no need to go all gung ho and see how deep you can go, talk with your dive master and tell him you want to do some fun reefs. After all you’re here to have fun, right!

Jump right in and go with the flow. Don’t worry, the boat will be right there when you come back up. It is so easy to get spoiled here. Did I mention that already? Okay, okay, I’m spoiled already!

There are many dive operators on the island, however as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks, choose wisely! You can get a “deal” and end up on a boat with 12 or more other divers or you can look for a more personal approach dive op.

Glad you asked, of course I have a favorite dive guy! You probably have caught on that I’m a laid back kind of guy. That‘s me alright! I like to go diving in an unhurried type of atmosphere where I do not feel crowded or that we need to get back to the dock cause there is another load of divers waiting to go out.

Well if you feel the same way as I do, then I wholeheartedly recommend SEA URCHIN DIVE. They are a small operation that usually only takes out four to six people, sometimes as little as two. If you want to feel like your out on your best friends boat for the day or half day, than these are the guys to see. Just had to get a plug in there for these guys, they really are great.

You can reach them by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or web site: www.seaurchindive.com. Might as well give you a phone number too; 987-800-6797, just in case you’re here already.

Hope this little read helps you to make the decision to come visit our little island of Cozumel or as many of the island folk, including myself like to call it “the land of the swallows”.

Jersy is a from Chicago, U.S.A. and lives in Cozumel full time

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