Aldora Divers
"Only the Best of Cozumel"
Diving
Cozumel
from the Mayan Riviera
OVERVIEW
Diving Cozumel with Aldora Divers is a unique experience. The semi private
charter with limited groups of 6 or less similar divers, double the dive time
per tank while at only the best dive sites in the Caribbean has long been the
quality standard of the world. Numerous awards, Internet postings, and
consistent positive reviews from unbiased sources attest to this fact.
For our first decade of operation we were able to consistently provide that
experience to Cozumel based divers but those whom have accommodations on the
mainland of the Yucatan, from Cancun to Tulum, found it difficult if not
exceptionally tiring to enjoy diving Cozumel the Aldora Way. The main problem
was that our Cozumel based divers for the most part prefer a departure at 7:30
am. That means those coming from the mainland had to be on the 6 am ferry from
Playa Del Carmen—and 5 am or earlier wake up calls are not the choice of many
vacationers! But over the years many have done so, occasionally spending one
night on Cozumel for two days of diving, some even making the trek by ferry on
multiple days!
We have long recognized this as an inconvenience for them but we just did not
have the infrastructure or resources to properly serve both our Cozumel based
divers and those from the mainland. So, in the past we focused on divers staying
in Cozumel and for them have done a great job of providing unique
experiences--building a reputation as one of the premier dive operators in the
world. But as our customer base has grown, and the Mayan Riviera has expanded we
have seen more and more of our loyal customers staying there for one reason or
another (usually non diving family members) but who wish to dive Cozumel. Some
of them unfortunately have been forced to take later excursions and dive Cozumel
with not so wonderful results--we don’t like that any more than they did!
The good news is that we recognize this growing need and at this time Aldora
Divers has the infrastructure necessary to provide regular scheduled dive
experiences with later departures and will begin that service January 15th,
2007. Our schedules will be flexible and set around reasonable arrival times for
the ferry, expecting that mainland divers can catch the 9 am or 10 am ferry. The
costs will be no more than for our regular land based dive customers.
MORNING TWO-TANK DIVES
Aldora will hold a boat (or boats) for a later than normal departure to
accommodate those cruise ship or ferry passengers who take the 9 am ferry from
Playa Del Carmen. It is expected that in most situations the boats will leave
between 10 and 11:30 am and the diving will be to normal Aldora Standards with
fast boats, high capacity tanks and personalized service regardless of skill
level. That means that with our high capacity tanks and required dive computers,
the divers can expect double the dive time per tank…and every second will be
enjoyed at only the best sites in Cozumel.
The schedule will be the same overall as our earlier dive boats which is about ½
hour to the dive sites, 1 hour on the first dive, 2 hour surface interval on the
beach at usually at Mr.Sancho's, then about 1.5 hours on the second dive and a 30 minute
return. Overall the time out on our dive boat will be 4.5 to 5 hours after
departure. The departure time will be based on the arrival time of the divers
that we have reservations for, but we will remain flexible to accommodate
special needs. For those arriving prior to departure time Aldora will make every
effort to minimize waiting time, or at least make it enjoyable.
We cannot guarantee that all divers arriving for those departures will have the
exact same skills and interests, but if we expect divers of widely varying
skills on any one boat we will then provide multiple dive instructors. That
means experienced and novice divers would have their own separate Aldora Dive
Guide--and even smaller groups with more attention, or less if that is that is
appropriate!
AFTERNOON TWO-TANK DIVES
Afternoon one or two tank dives may be available on a limited basis with departures after 1 pm. Check with Aldora to see about availability for any given date.
NIGHT DIVES
As a SPECIAL option, Aldora will provide night dives for those doing daytime dives with us on, Wednesday, and Saturday nights regardless of the number of divers who want to go. THAT MEANS, EVEN IF IT IS JUST ONE DIVER WE WILL TAKE THEM ON A NIGHT DIVE! Departure time will be seasonally adjusted to be shortly before sunset.
TWO DAYS OF DIVING THE EASY WAY
The best way to enjoy diving Cozumel is to arrive for a late departure, as described above, then spend one night in Cozumel followed by another terrific day of diving the Aldora Way. That way, mainland visitors can even fit in a night dive or find out about the special above surface charm of our island. Aldora has great connections for some very nice hotels and depending on the season this may be a surprisingly inexpensive option--so don’t worry about leaving an overpriced empty room for one night. Just check with Aldora and see how easy it might be.
COSTS
The rounded off costs will be the same as for our land-based divers. For two tank trips that is $89 per two tank dive plus tax of 10% plus $2 for the National Park fee for a total of $100 per diver. For night dives that is $56 plus 10% tax, plus $2 for the National Park Fee, a total of $63. The Aldora Office is just three blocks from the ferry pier so transportation is not an issue.
In order for Aldora to hold a dive boat for
ferry passengers we must have full payment in advance, at the time the
reservation is made. We don’t want to keep anyone’s deposit for circumstances
beyond their control, but more than a few times we have had a boat and crew
standing by most of a day while some inconsiderate divers have been nursing
hangovers on the ship or mainland.
If the divers cannot make it to the Aldora Office and diving for any reason
beyond their control, a full refund will be made promptly. Or if we receive a
cancellation anytime up to 24 hours in advance, a full refund will also be
issued--that is for any reason. But a “no show” without any notice to Aldora
will result in the loss of the deposit.
So if you would like to make a late departure reservation for the Best of
Cozumel Diving you can do it by a secure Internet reservation system or by
phone. Our US number is
(210) 569 1203, or if you are in Mexico the number is
987 872-1477 extension 201.
Make an Internet Reservation over a secure server—click here.
For more info about diving with Aldora Divers, please go
here.
We really look forward to serving you.
Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
