Cozumel Question: Devil's Throat

[Dive Master]

Ok, all you Cozumel experts. I will be in Cozumel on Carnival's Fantasy in February with a port time of 9 to 5. I am looking for a dive operator who will take me Punta Sur for a dive at Devil's Throat.I know it is considered an advanced dive and is deep.I believe I have the skills and experience to handle it (regularly do 150 feet plus, solo dives in a cold mountain lake).I realize lots of divers can talk big but can't perform once in the water (had the priviledge of playing Rescue Diver with a few). Anyone know of an operator that would trust my word and get me out there ? Right now I am booked with the shp's excursion (Sand Dollar) and I am OK with that, but I would love to see Devil's Throat.

[ktnolan]

Hi,

We were there in August. I highly reccomend Chucho Divers. Chucho the divemaster has yeasr of experience. Was the Divemaster for Dice with Alice for years. His Wife Christi handles booking on the web site. He picked us up every day and took care of gear. We did 13 dives in 5 days with him. He was excellant with those that were new as well. We are going on Liberty RCI in April and have already booked a day back with him and he is picking us up at the pier. Try this http://www.chuchodivers.com/

Good luck

Kevin

[ktnolan]

Spellings not my forte

[Dive Master]

Hi,

We were there in August. I highly reccomend Chucho Divers. Chucho the divemaster has yeasr of experience. Was the Divemaster for Dice with Alice for years. His Wife Christi handles booking on the web site. He picked us up every day and took care of gear. We did 13 dives in 5 days with him. He was excellant with those that were new as well. We are going on Liberty RCI in April and have already booked a day back with him and he is picking us up at the pier. Try this http://www.chuchodivers.com/

Good luck

Kevin

 

 

Thanks for the information. It sounds like a private charter may be the way to go. Now if I can just find a couple of divers on the ship who would want to go and that I could trust on that dive.

[georoc01]

Not likely..Maybe you can find a charter that would take you there, but given the depth of the dive and the time spent in what is effectively a cave, I doubt most operators would take you to Punta Sur w/o a checkout dive first, which just doesn't work with a cruise where you time in port is limited. The cave starts at 80 feet and comes out at 130 feet, pushing the rec limits.

 

Plus its a long boat ride down to the site, which further complicates things.

 

Personally on a one day trip, I'd try and find an op that would take you to the Palancar reef and then a more shallow dive on the way back (San Francisco wall or Punta Tunich). Saves about an hour on the boat each way.

 

Aldora is one of my favorites that does run a boat for cruise ship divers.

[Dive Master]

Not likely..Maybe you can find a charter that would take you there, but given the depth of the dive and the time spent in what is effectively a cave, I doubt most operators would take you to Punta Sur w/o a checkout dive first, which just doesn't work with a cruise where you time in port is limited. The cave starts at 80 feet and comes out at 130 feet, pushing the rec limits.

 

Plus its a long boat ride down to the site, which further complicates things.

 

Personally on a one day trip, I'd try and find an op that would take you to the Palancar reef and then a more shallow dive on the way back (San Francisco wall or Punta Tunich). Saves about an hour on the boat each way.

 

Aldora is one of my favorites that does run a boat for cruise ship divers.

 

 

Thanks for the information. I was thinking most operators would want to see someone in action before they took them to Devil's Throat and I can certainly understand that.I probably would too.This dive may have to wait until I am fortunate enough to get one week in Cozumel.

 

I have dove Palancar Gardens with Sand Dollar before and really did enjoy it.I can do this excursion with the ship and not worry about port times, transportation, etc.

[bruce-r]

I was thinking most operators would want to see someone in action before they took them to Devil's Throat and I can certainly understand that. I probably would too.

You got that right. Any dive operator you'd want to go with wouldn't take a diver to Devils Throat on their first day diving with them.

 

You'll love a week on the island BTW. WAY better than a cruise IMO.

[whirlybird3]

You got that right. Any dive operator you'd want to go with wouldn't take a diver to Devils Throat on their first day diving with them.

 

You'll love a week on the island BTW. WAY better than a cruise IMO.

 

Agreed. Most dive operators would like to observe your dive skills first before diving into Devils Throat. If you do get to explore this dive site, remember to bring a flashlight... cool dive :)

[bruce-r]

Agreed. Most dive operators would like to observe your dive skills first before diving into Devils Throat. If you do get to explore this dive site, remember to bring a flashlight... cool dive :)

I'll take that one step farther: always take a flashlight on everydiver. It is the only way to see the actual color when you are at depth.

 

I have the Ikelite PCa which is small enough to fit in almost every BC pocket, but still bright enough to use on a night dive in a pinch. I take it on every dive and I've never regretted taking it.

[jimw]

Check out Aldora, they popularized this dive some years ago and are still doing it regularly I understand--they are the kings of gigundo tanks and computers on Cozumel.

[Middleager]

Check out Aldora, they popularized this dive some years ago and are still doing it regularly I understand--they are the kings of gigundo tanks and computers on Cozumel.

I did remember Aldora, as I was hoping to go diving with them in my port stop years ago. They have 120cf tanks, so most dives are 1hr or longer. But they are further north, and Punta Sur is further south.

 

Plus they (or any dive op) won't take someone they don't know out for this advanced dive without seeing the diver first. So again, wait for a land vacation in Coz to go on this dive.

[jcm996]

We stayed at Scuba Club for a week and in our group were 4 divemaster/instructors/shop owners and it still took 4 days of convincing them to let us do the devil. And even on the day they did, their divemaster went down and checked conditions and almost called it off.

 

I would say chances of comming of a ship and going would be slim to none.

 

A week diving Cozumel is better than a cruise. Just get an all inclusive because there is nothing else worth while on the island other than diving. Unless you like drinking yourself silly, but then might as well save money using an all inclusive dive resort.

[Dive Master]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

 

I noticed one of our local dive shops has a trip planned to Cozumel (Scuba Club) this coming June.I hope to go with them on this one if I can get the time off.Maybe I can see Devils Throat on that trip.

 

I think I will just dive with the ship in February with Sand Dollar.The day we are in Cozumel is our 25th anniversary and the wife will be pissed if I am gone all day. I rememeber years ago I dove with them and we did Palancar Gardens.I really enjoyed that dive. Anyone have any recent experience with Sand Dollar and the dive sites they may visit from the Carnival pier?