Prepping for Cozumel
All Travelers
Whether diving or not, all US citizens must carry a valid US Passport. Citizens of other countries should consult with the Mexican Embassy as a visa may be required. Whatever your travel documents, keep them safe and accessible. Consider a RFID blocking pouch for safer storage of your documents.
Handy links: US State Department Travel Advisories, Mexican Embassy link, basics of international travel.
SCUBA Divers
Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been diving, or if you’re leading the dive trip, anyone wishing to get on a boat or under water must be able to provide proof of certification to dive. This includes Nitrox certification card for anyone wishing to dive 32%.
All divers must complete the basic diver registration form (printed front and back), and Nitrox form (front and back) if they wish to do so.
Hotel Requirements
There is currently one document required for all hotel guests: the registration card, which is one per family/person per room. These will be completed at the front desk upon our arrival.
Getting to Cozumel - CZM
CZM: that’s the airport code for Cozumel International Airport. Upon arrival, ready yourself to walk down an old-school set of rollaway stairs to get from the plane to the terminal. After that, be prepared to wait.
You will be given one or two documents to complete; these are required for both immigration and then customs and are ‘one per family’. The immigration line is first, after which you will wait some more for your luggage to make it to the carousel. After you get your bags you’ll place all of your gear on a large x-ray scanner. Grab them at the other end then proceed to the “am I lucky” button. There’s a literal button attached to a mini stop light: green light, you’re good to go – red, they’re checking your bags. It’s supposedly just chance, but if you’re travelling with a Pelican Case (ahem… SCUBA Steve!) it’s a sure bet you’re getting pulled.
If you are coming from the Mayan coast of Mexico, then you’ll be exiting the ferry and turning left (south). Casa del Mar is about 1.5 miles down on your left side (the east).
Resort Details
If your airport transfer is included in your package, just look for one of your dive team leaders once you exit customs. We are here to ensure that the vacation starts as soon as you’re in our hands! Just walk straight past the salespeople barking for your attention and look for the smiling diver in a Spartan tee.
If you are getting to the resort on your own, for whatever reason, almost everyone on the island speaks better English than most Americans, so just let your driver know you’re headed to “Casa del Mar”. Taxi’s and shuttles are readily available and are anywhere from $8-15/person.
If you get lost, or just don’t know where to go or what to do, call your dive leader(s): we will manage your transportation. Just in case you need it, the resort phone number is (52) 987-872-1833. The address is: Chankanaab km 4, Zona Hotelera Sur, 77675 Cozumel, Q.R., Mexico.
The ride to the resort takes 15-25 minutes, but may depend on how many other resorts the shuttle has to stop at on their way.
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!
It’s weird to conceptualize, but even though Cozumel is an island and therefore completely surrounded by water, drinking water is like liquid gold! Anything drinkable is either captured from underground wells and rain, brought in as cargo, or purified on site. It is a massive undertaking and something the local inhabitants hold near and dear to their hearts.
There are chilled bottled water stations throughout the resort and you are encouraged to fill the pitcher in your room as often as you need. It’s also a great idea to take your own hydro flask along, if you’ve got the room in your luggage. The water in your room is described as “potable”, but it is not for drinking. On the other hand, the water served in the restaurant is bottled, and the ice is purified water, so that’s completely safe to drink.
What else can you do?
Conserve where you can. Shower with a buddy, or skip it if you know you’re going diving. Try to use the same towels for more than a day or two, and just have the housekeepers make the bed versus changing the linens. Report any leaks, drips, or drops immediately to the front desk. They are here to protect the natural environment and resources just as much as to make sure you have a great trip.
Help us keep our reefs alive and healthy for years to come. Here are some tips:
Be aware
Be aware of just how fragile the reefs are. Educate others and hold each other accountable! Some of the reef structures in this area can take up to a year to even grow 1/4″.
Master the basics
Don’t dive over weighted! Focus on your neutral buoyancy and keep your gear and trim tidy: don’t let your gauges, body, or fins drag across the sea floor or reef walls.
Use common sense
Photography is a wonderful way to bring back a part of your experience, but don’t sacrifice the reefs for that special shot. Practice responsibly photography and be highly cognizant of where you place your hand or body for stability while getting that picture.
Don't be such a human
Avoid chemicals on your body before diving. No perfumes or dyes. Consider sunscreen marked as “Hawaiian Reef Safe”, or instead wearing SPF dive skins under your wetsuit for all day protection.
Dive information
First and foremost, this is a Marine Park!
On all boat dives you will be diving in a National Marine Park. It is FORBIDDEN to break corals, collect shells or coral, handle, molest or hunt marine life, or take anything out of the water. There is a daily park fee when boat diving which is not included in any package. It is paid directly to the dive shop.
Included in your package
Weights and a belt and all the shore diving you can stomach. You are also scheduled for any number of boat dives during your stay: this number can vary based on length of stay as well as certifications. Check with your group leader if you have questions about a particular dive. If there isn’t a particular dive scheduled, they are your best resource in making it happen!
NOT included in your package
Nitrox and specialty dives, unless specifically included are not typically part of the trip. Also, any equipment rentals necessary for your adventure are the responsibility of the diver. The dive shop on site rents everything from fins to regulators for a daily fee. Current rates for BCD’s (2023) are $11/day (including taxes). Nitrox upgrades are available for $10/tank.
There is also a daily Marine Park fee which changes seasonally and so can not be tabulated as part of your package. This fee is collected at the time of registration and is paid directly to the SCUBA shop.
About the boats
Dive boats typically leave the dock around 0830 (weather permitting). You must be ready, with your gear staged, by 0815 for boarding. It is important that you follow the directions of your dive leader during this process in order to keep the flow seamless. Two dives are made each morning, with the boat returning to the dock for lunch anywhere between noon and 1330 (1:30pm).
Twilight, wreck, or other scheduled dives will have their own listed departure times. You should plan to be ready no less than 15 minutes before listed departure.
There are small “toilet” rooms on each of the dive vessels, that also double as changing rooms. Please be courteous with your time in these rooms as there are many people who have differing levels of urgent need of this space. Be aware that the toilets on board are really for looks, or at the worst your urinary output as they flush by hand pump directly out of the side of the boat. So, be aware of your position in the water when approaching. Last thing anyone wants is another diver’s rapidly expressing taco-turd from the night before slapping them in the face as they approach the ladder.
NOT included in your package
There are any number of extra dives you may be interested in during your stay. Check with the dive shop and your group leader as some of these may already be scheduled and you just need to sign up! We’ve listed a few of the extras below:
- Night Diving: must be completed after the sun has completely set (this is a PADI shop)
- Twilight Dive: two tank afternoon & evening dive. Typically come up in the technical “night” time.
- Wreck Diving: this would never fly in the States, but we’re in Mexico, so let’s do it! This one-tank dive is quite an experience, taking you all the way through the bowels and walkways of the 600-ton Felipe Xicotencati, or the C-53 as it’s more commonly known. Not recommended for brand-new baby divers, but worth the price of admission for those so inclined!
- Nitrox: 32% nitrox fills are available to those certified for it. There is an additional fee for Nitrox fills, as well as required paperwork.
If you are interested in adding any additional dives which are not included in your current package, talk to your group leader and they can coordinate a group, if one doesn’t already exist.
FAQ - AKA, "stuff most people want to know but don't want to ask."
Are there any fees NOT included in my trip?
Unfortunately there is one tax that we just can’t plan for, and therefore cannot include in your trip package: beginning January 1st, 2019 a new local room tax was passed. It is called the Environmental Sanitation Tax, and it is levied on all guests occupying a hotel or B&B rooms in Cozumel. The tax is around $27 pesos per room, per night. The tax does have small increments during the year as it is tied to the inflation rate. This is why it is difficult to factor into the trip, however it is really a small amount, coming less than $20 for the week typically.
Other than this “poo-tax”, the only other thing not included is your scooter or vehicle rental, Nitrox, or specialty liquors listed at the resort.
Food and drinks: what's included, and what's NOT.
You will be asked to sign for all of your meals as you leave the restaurant. Your package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. If you arrive after lunch service on your check-in day, you will get both breakfast and lunch on your check out day! Your meal package does not include the following:
- a few specialty liquors
Your group leader will go over the process for meals during your site briefing.
Local currency.
Obviously the local currency is pesos, which they also call “dollars”, however, that US stuff works just as well most of the time. A word of caution, however: when you pay in gringo money you will get whatever exchange rate the establishment wants to offer. It almost never works out in your favor to do this, often going as much as 2-3 pesos against your favor. Your best option is to try to get some pesos exchanged before you leave. If that doesn’t work out, your next best option is going to be using an ATM, of which there are several in the area. While there is going to be a transaction fee, your exchange rate will be much better than even going to a money exchange site.
You can the current exchange rate HERE.
Can I wash my clothes?
Absolutely! There are several places in town to get your laundry done. Please ask the front desk to call one of them to pick up your clothes. The service is extremely reasonable with a quick, one-day turn around. This service must be paid in cash!
We would also suggest taking a small bottle filled with laundry detergent or other soap of your preference. It comes in quite handy when needing to do a quick sink wash and rinse of something you only brought one or two of!
Quick tips for stinky shorts.
If you read the diving section above you probably saw the part about flying “taco-turds”. Well, unfortunately that’s a real thing, so the water around the area tends to have a bit of an aroma which seeps into and sticks deep within your clothing. Particularly anything “moisture wicking” or labeled as “quick dry”.
Your best option is to first of all rinse your clothing REALLY well after diving. Secondly, do a little sink hand wash in the sink, followed by a vinegar soak. Your dive leaders may also have a small amount of high concentrated lemon/citrus soak called “Sink the Stink” which also helps a great deal. The last option is to just bring enough shorts for every day of the week and leave your previously worn bathing attire drying in the sun on your hotel room poarch.
Where can I get more information?
While we’ve tried to be thorough here, there’s always something more to find, read, or know. Click HERE to check out the Casa del Mar website which contains much of the information listed above. If you have a question about anything else, please chat up the Chief Spartan before you leave, or your group leader on the ground once you arrive.
