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Cozumel's Diving Derby

"Gentlemen, start your engines!"

Nobody actually gives that famous command, but nearly every morning, along the western shore of Cozumel, it seems like someone must.

The little island just off the Yucatan coast has become one of the Caribbean's most popular dive spots, and between 8 and 8:30 every morning, a fleet of dive boats embark from various docks and dive shops and make a mad dash for the series of reefs that dot the underwater regions of the southern part of the island. It's a big ocean down there, but the most popular dive spots can get crowded.

I was diving with Tony Castillo's Del Mar Aquatics, which boasts Cozumel's "fastest fleet." We did seem to pass a number of other dive boats, but I was more impressed with the efficient service, good-quality rental gear and expertise of the dive masters.

Our first dive was at the Palancar Reef. This beautiful reef is in about 80 feet/24 meters of water, and the infamous Cozumel currents were practically nonexistent when we arrived. We swam through fissures and tunnels in the coral, admiring the colors and the fish life in the crystal-clear visibility.

We were visited, halfway through the dive, by a large and inquisitive grouper. My dive buddy had a camera, and I swear the fish was posing.

We surfaced and got back on our very fast boat for the quick trip to the next reef: Yucab. Following the safety rules of the dive tables, we only went down to about 40 feet/12 meters on this dive, and here the currents were much more evident.

A strong flow runs south to north along Cozumel's coast, and divers not used to it can run into trouble. But our dive master, Miguel, had the right idea: He simply descended to about 5 feet/1.5 meters from the bottom, hung there upright with his arms folded on his chest and drifted, motionless, for the length of the 30-minute dive. I would not be surprised if he took a little nap along the way.

The rest of us quickly got used to the idea of the current doing all the work. But since this was all new to us, unlike Miguel who did it every day of his working life, we wanted to swim around and look at stuff.

And so we did, silently surfing at a pretty good pace past the coral outcroppings, playing with schools of tang and angelfish, waving at a pair of grouper and noting a sleek silver barracuda resting on a tabletop rock.

Cozumel knows how to cater to divers: There are dive shops up and down the coast and even places in the main town of San Miguel. A regular ferry service operates from Playa del Carmen, which in turn can be reached by bus or taxi from Cancun's hotel district. AeroCozumel also runs regular commuter flights from the Cancun airport.

While it's possible to do a Cozumel dive as a day trip from Cancun, it's perhaps more relaxing to plan on spending a few days on the island. I stayed in the Casa del Mar Hotel, just across the street from the Del Mar Aquatics shop. Rooms are comfortable, if not fancy, and its La Palapa restaurant serves up filling meals and fun conversations with the friendly group of waiters.

And, instead of joining the daily rush to the reefs, you can do more leisurely beach dives (there's a sunken airplane just offshore) or even try a night dive.

For information, contact the Cancun-Cozumel Tourism Board for a list of other dive shops and hotels on the island.

Posted online 02/01/98.

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