Cozumel Diving Trip — Local services in Isla Cozumel

I had the pleasure of spending an amazing day with Cozumel Diving yesterday. There are generally some common things I consider when working with a guide/tour company. Gear, Communication, Staff, and the overall experience.

First off, the gear, was mostly new, meaning masks, fins, BCDs (very new), regulators and octopus, were all in great shape and recently purchased. No issues there at all.

As this business does not have a brick and mortar location, communication is all via email, or WhatsApp. (At least in my case). From the start, communication was easy and straight-forward. Quick questions and introductions as well as gauging my experience and so on were all done on WhatsApp. This is very common in Mexico, most businesses communicate in this manner. Both English and Spanish were spoken very well. I speak both, and tend to flip back and forth in Mexico depending on the situation. Communication during the day was fun, clear, positive, intelligent, and overall a good experience. I find this to be one of the MOST important details with any guide. Also, communication 'after' the event was helpful as the company provided me with photos of the dive as well as a nice edited video, which they will provide if you wish for an fairly priced additional cost.

The staff is comprised of two people. Engin, who was my dedicated guide for the day, and Xime, who was guiding another group of people that day. I was NAUI certified about 10 years ago and have not dived in over 8 years. I did not have my card or my dive log with me, but I still really wanted to dive. This was solved by providing me with a 'Discovery Dive Class'. Honestly I was very glad to do this as I had forgotten a lot. We started the day at a place named Sunset Bar on the west coast of Cozumel. There is a little restaurant, bar, and a dive shop along side the water and beach which has a nice set of steps and guard rail to enter the dive site. Wow, even this first part of the day, which was mostly some lessons, minor tests, and a dive to around 20 ft, was amazing. This is definitely where Engin shined. He is not only a Dive Master, he is a certified instructor (in case you need to get certified, he's your guy) and has a nice, confident, reassuring instruction style. He was very patient with my initial hesitancy and by the end of the day I was feeling confident and happy. We completed two more dives from a boat, after the morning instruction, that afternoon. Again, shallow water dives, no more that 40 feet. Engin was the best. On top of being a great dive buddy, he found so may great animals! Spider crabs, large sea turtle, manta rays, barracuda, and more! He also has a serious love for the environment making sure we did not touch or damage any of reef or environment while diving. Honestly, the guy is a stud. Haha. His partner Xime was also working very well with her clients, giving clear instruction, while also making sure everyone was taken care of and having a great time.

Overall, the experience is top notch. Great gear, great staff, great communication. Comfortable transportation on a good boat with food, water, and fun conversation. What else can you ask for?! I will be back to dive Cozumel as it is some of the best diving I have ever experienced. Warm water that doesn't require a wetsuit, AMAZING visibility, beautiful plants, and plentiful wildlife. Call this team, make your plans, you won't regret it. To Xime and Engin, I will...

Initial Communication. As soon as I emailed Cozumel Diving Trip they responded right away with all the required info.

Booking. In the email they provided a link directly to their website and the appropriate booking page (i.e. respective of discovery dive or standard charter). The website booking tool is easy to use and instantly provides confirmation emails. I would like to recommend to the company that they should add a feature for clients that want to book multiple days at once.

Price. The price was similar to most other charters and cheaper than several. Considering the service we received (described later) we got a bargain.

Rendezvous. Personally, I was used to conventional/orthodox dive charters that have clients meet them at the dive shop, fill out administrative forms, and get fitted for any required rental equipment. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Cozumel Diving Trip has transitioned to a more remote business model: all admin is done online, they prep your gear for you based on dimensions you provide, and they meet you at the marina with everything needed for the dive. At first I was quite nervous about this business model, but Engin and Xime did not disappoint. They were on time and brought exactly what we needed. They are incredible professionals.

Quality of service. The divemasters, Engin and Xime, both speak multiple languages and have been diving all around the world for over 20 years. They have been operating at Cozumel for 13 years and they offer expertise second to none. They are so kind and helpful and really fun. Xime in particular acts as the “Boat Mother” and was even helping clients of other charters that weren’t getting as much help from their own charter. Xime and Engin were so great at explaining the route for the dive and what kind of flora and fauna we should look for. Although I have years of dive experience, my brother-in-law was doing his very first discovery dives. I have never witnessed better instructors than Engin and Xime. Engin gave excellent instruction before the dive and Xime was incredibly patient and helpful in the water. Truly remarkable. The dives were some of the best in my life, and that is in large part to the Xime’s skill as a divemaster and guide. After the dives, Xime and Engin took excellent care of our gear and brought it out again the next day and even brought my own gear back to my hotel after we were finished our trip.

Continued communication. Xime provided her WhatsApp number and she provided a recap and some excellent photos from our dives just hours after and she provided instructions for the following day.

Overall, this has been a truly remarkable experience. Cozumel Diving Trip is one of many many charters in Cozumel, so there is a very steep competition. It is not easy to earn five stars in that market, but there is no question that Engin and Xime have earned their five...

So you’re looking to get certified in Scuba diving in Mexico huh? You’ve come to the right people! Ximena and Engin are the best people we’ve met in Mexico thus far. Very sweet couple who have a passion for scuba diving while being safe and fun. They are so helpful and kind throughout the process too - from signing up to saying goodbye from the certification dives, they are your mentors and become your friends. They want you to enjoy yourself and will work to make sure you are having fun, while learning the necessary skills to be a competent scuba diver. You will walk away this course confident and excited for your next underwater adventure!

My fiancé I and reached out via email and they were very responsive. Most responses under an hour (if not within 10 mins) via email and then we got their WhatsApp and they were even more responsive (all this prior to even meeting them)! They send you all the material to read and videos to watch. Spend some time and study this and you’ll have so much fun!

First day is going over some material on paper and pen and then getting wet. Engin took the time to explain any questions we had while going through some questions. Very nice guy. Explains in depth. Really gives you the attention you need while you’re getting used to all the equipment.

Day 2 and 3 we had Ximena. Day 2, we reviewed some remaining material, and then practiced some skills underwater. Day 3, we headed out to sea for dives 3 and 4! Open water!! She was sweet in how she coached us throughout our remaining skill tests and made sure we were comfortable before taking us to the water. For our open water dives, They took us to the COOLEST places/reefs in Cozumel. We dove some beautiful underwater topography and then the second dive of the day was wonderful aquatic life. The whole time, they are watching over you - making sure you are okay while showing you another world! We saw stingrays, all kinds of FISH, beautiful corals, eels and even a grazing turtle! Easily the coolest experience I’ve had in my 30s for sure!

Side note: we bought shirts from them because we felt so strongly about supporting their cause. I got a L but I normally wear an XL. I asked for a larger shirt and Ximena met me at the airport on our way out to exchange a larger size for me. Talk about customer service!!!

You won’t go wrong with this couple for your diving experiences - seriously! We will be returning for recreational dives and future...