If you take pleasure in a bit of underwater exploration, you’ll want to add diving in Cozumel to your trip to Mexico. In this post, we’ll take a closer look in any way things related to scuba diving in Cozumel.
The island of Cozumel is absolutely one of the best places for scuba diving in Mexico. here you can go diving in the Mesoamerican barrier Reef, the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef system.
It’s part of a protected marine park with excellent walls of coral and a lot more than 500 species of fish. You might see turtles, sharks, and eagle rays here in addition to all the tropical fish like the endemic splendid toadfish.
Even distinguished explorer Jacques Cousteau declared the island of Cozumel to be a world-class diving destination when he checked out back in 1961. Diving in Cozumel really is an extraordinary experience!
Diving is just one of the lots of extraordinary things to do in Cozumel, and if you’re travelling to Mexico, getting under the water must absolutely be on your list.
I recently spent a week diving Cozumel with scuba Tony and I spent a lot more than 12 hours underwater around the island. I met up with some local Padi instructors and spoke with the owners of dive shops to make sure I had all of the information right for this post.
I’ve spent a lot of time diving in Mexico and particularly around the Yucatan Peninsula and I have to say that (in my opinion) Cozumel diving is some of the best in Mexico.
Read on for a in-depth guide to scuba diving on this sensational island in the Yucatan. I’ll cover the best time to visit, average costs, normal marine life, some of the best dive sites, top scuba company and a lot more.
Table of Contents
When to Go Diving in Cozumel
Best Dive sites in Cozumel
Cost of Diving in Cozumel
How Deep Are The Dive sites in Cozumel?
Where to stay When Diving in Cozumel
Cozumel Dive Shops
How to get to Cozumel
Hyperbaric Chambers in Cozumel
Ready to Go Diving in Cozumel?
When to Go Diving in Cozumel
Cozumel scuba diving is great year-round.
I checked out Cozumel in the carry season of late April and early May, but you can really come here for diving any time of the year. There really isn’t a bad time to go scuba diving in Cozumel!
That being said, some months are absolutely better than others depending on what you want to see.
The water is quite warm and pleasurable in all seasons, normally between 78 and 82ºF (25 and 28ºC). While the water is always nice, the temperatures on land can be downright stifling during the summer months.
July to October is also hurricane season here, so you must take that into consideration.
The risk is lower in the summer months but much higher in September and October. One benefit of traveling to Cozumel in the offseason is that prices are lower and crowds are much smaller.
The height season for diving Cozumel is between December and March. While this is a great time to be on the island weather-wise, it’s also expensive and crowded. absolutely be sure to book in development at this time, especially between Christmas and new Year’s.
A sweet spot for scuba diving in Cozumel is between March and April, when crowds start to thin out but the rain has yet to arrive.
The exception is Semana Santa (Holy Week) festival, which is a mini-peak season for locals. See our guide to the best time to visit Mexico.
Cozumel Diving Seasons
January – April
May – August
September – December
Sea Temperature
77°-79°F / 25°-26°C
Sea Temperature
78°-86°F / 26°-30°C
Sea Temperature
77°-84°F / 25°-28°C
Weather
January – February is still generally clear skies and cooler temperatures. It starts warming in March-April.
Weather
May and June the weather starts heating up and in the summer you can expect quick bursts of rain.
Weather
August to October have the highest probability of hurricane, but December has great weather.
Sharks
This is a great season to see sharks, particularly from January to March when you can also see bull sharks (closer to Playa del Carmen).
Sharks
July and August are other high months for shark spotting! You won’t see bull sharks at this time, but there are plenty of reef sharks.
Sharks
From November to December the bull sharks return and give you the opportunity to dive with them.
Rays
Between the months of January to April, you can see the most eagle rays. You always have a high chance of seeing brown stingrays in the sand.
Rays
July & August are also the second-best seasons to see the beautiful eagle rays. As always you’ll see plenty of other rays too.
Rays
September – December isn’t the best months to see eagle rays, but you’ll still see plenty of brown identified rays and other species.
Turtles
You can’t really dive in Cozumel without seeing turtles!
Turtles
May to October is Loggerhead breading season in Cozumel.
Turtles
Yep. You’ll probably still see a green turtle on every dive in this season!
Coral
Every month of the year is great for diving and seeing the extraordinary Coral formations and this season is no different.
Coral
The coral pinnacles will still be fantastic in May-August and the sea is warm enough to dive without a wetsuit.
Coral
The water starts to cool again in October but the fish and coral remain the same, all brilliant, healthy, and vibrant.
Best Dive sites in Cozumel
Cozumel scuba diving is so popular because there are so lots of dive sites to choose from. There are over 20 sites around the island for divers of all levels. You could easily plan your entire trip around diving on this incredible island.
Cozumel dive sites typically have quite a bit of current, but generally, you can flow with the current (together with your group) and the boat will pick you up at the other end of the reef.
Beginners will take pleasure in the shallow sites featuring colorful reefs, while a lot more advanced divers can select some exciting drift diving with swim-throughs. even non-divers can take pleasure in the appeal of the underwater world here by tagging along as a snorkeler.
If it makes sense in terms of dive sites, your non-diving significant other could identify along and snorkel
The dive sites here range in depth from 4.5 meters – 36 meters, however, the best ones max out at 25 meters. Divers with an advanced open Water certification are able to take pleasure in all of the best dive sites in Cozumel.
Here are some of the best dive sites in Cozumel that you can’t miss:
1. Palancar Reefs
Depth: 9 meters – 36 meters (30-120 feet)
Experience Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Current: Mild-Strong
This is considered to be the star of the diving scene in Cozumel. It’s actually divided into four sections — caves, bricks, horseshoe, and gardens. These different sites offer something for divers of all levels.
Between the four different sites, you can experience depths of between 9 meters – 36 meters (30 to 120 feet). There are plenty of incredible coral formations, colorful sponges, and lots of fascinating marine life. You may spot sea turtles, nurse sharks, angelfish, and a lot more here.
On my recent trip diving Cozumel, I dove all the sites here and overall the Palancar reefs were probably my favorite on the island. particularly Palancar Caves where you get to swim through massive caverns in the coral reef itself.
If you ask your dive shop what the best Cozumel dive sites are, they’ll likely list Palancar first.
2. Columbia Wall
Depth: 18 meters – 36 meters (60-120 feet)
Experience Level: Intermediate
Current: Unpredictable
Huge coral pinnacles are a highlight here, some rising a lot more than 60 feet (20 meters) from the bottom. You can take pleasure in some deep swim-throughs and wall diving here. look out for grouper, turtles, and maybe even nurse sharks at this exceptional dive site.
I dove the Columbia wall as a twilight dive which was fantastic because as the sun sets it reflects off of the wall and creates some spectacular colors.
If you dive the Columbia Wall, I recommend doing it as a 2 tank night dive, so the first dive is on the wall for sunset, and your second dive can be a nearby night dive (highly recommended).
3. San Clemente
Depth: 10 meters – 30 meters (30-98 feet)
Experience Level: Advanced
Current: Strong
This was my second dive of the 2 tank twilight and night dive and it was fantastic. You can go down to around 30 meters on this one but we stayed at about 20 as it was our second dive of the day.
I highly recommend doing San Clemente as a night dive. The animals come out to play on this reef and it is a spectacular show!
We saw 3 octopus, a nurse shark, eels, brown identified stingrays, and best of all, a massive eagle ray “flew” by us at the end of the dive!
If you get the chance, ask your dive shop to take you on the 2-tank San Clemente and Columbia wall twilight & night dives. These were a couple of my favorites.
Note: like lots of spots for diving in Cozumel, there is current here. When I did the San Clemente night dive it was quite strong. If you’re not used to powerful currents, let your dive shop know so that they can check the conditions before taking you here.
4. Columbia Pinnacles
Depth: 9 meters – 30 meters (30-98 feet)
Experience Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Current: Mild
Like Palancar, there are quite a few dive sites all around the Columbia Reefs. The Columbia Pinnacles were another one of my favorite dive sites because, like Palancar, they had fantastic coral crests jutting up from the seafloor.
There are plenty of swim-throughs and it’s a relatively easy dive.
On the day I went, there was no current in any way and even if there was, there are plenty of places on the leeward side of the pinnacles to rest and regroup, making it a great place for beginners.
5. Columbia Shallows
Depth: 8 meters – 14 meters (26-50 feet)
Experience Level: Beginner
Current: Mild
I dove the Columbia Pinnacles and Columbia Shallows in one day as part of a 2 tank dive day and it was fantastic.
We had a bit of current in the shallows but it wasn’t bad and it was incredibly kicked back to just drift over the corals at a shallow depth; the best shallow dive after the deeper pinnacles.
We saw lots of turtles on this dive, too lots of lobsters to count and I found a small reef shark sleeping under a coral overhang which generally made my day on the water.
6. Punta Sur Reef
Depth: 27 meters – 39 meters (90-130 feet)
Experience Level: Advanced
Current: Unpredictable
This next one is for a lot more advanced divers. It reaches down to depths of 130 feet (30 meters) and is split into two sections. The southern part has an incredible chamber called the Cathedral while the northern part features a cave formation known as the Devil’s Throat.
7. Chankanaab Reef
Depth: 10 meters to 15 meters (35-50 feet)
Experience Level: Beginner
Current: Mild
This is an exceptional spot for some diving in Cozumel for beginners. It’s an easy, shallow dive that’s normally completed as a 2nd dive on a trip.
All the cracks and crevices in the coral here indicate lots of interesting marine life — lobster, identified moray eels, crab, and even the endemic splendid toadfish.
8. C-53 Shipwreck
Depth: 15-30 meters (50-98 feet)
Experience Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Current: Moderate
The C-53 isn’t an massive wreck, but it is one of my favorite shipwrecks I’ve done and it is absolutely the best (most popular) on Cozumel. What I loved about it was that it was completely upright, making it easy to navigate the dark hallways.
That’s right, you get to penetrate this wreck and it’s amazing!
If you’re a beginner to an intermediate diver, you’ll only be able to enter the upper level of the ship which sits at about 20 meters (65ft), but for advanced deepwater divers, you can go a level deeper into the vessel at around 30 meters (98ft).
If you’re scuba diving Cozumel and you want to visit a wreck dive, the C-53 must be at the top of your list.
9. Paradise Reef
Depth: 10-18 meters (32-59 feet)
Experience Level: Beginner
Current: Moderate
This was the second dive that I did ideal after the C-53 Wreck and it’s one of the most popular dive sites in Cozumel thanks to the shallow, easy-to-follow reef system here.
In my opinion, Paradise Reef has some of Cozumel’s best soft coral formations with lively colors and lots of sea life. check under every little nook and cranny to find hiding fish, lobsters, and often nurse sharks.
10. Tormentos
Depth: 15-18 meters (50-60 feet)
Experience Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Current: Strong
Tormentos is another one of the most popular dive sites in Cozumel thanks to its bright colorful coral and abundance of turtles snacking on the reef. I think we identified 3 turtles during my dive at Tormentos.
Out of all of the dive guides I talked to, quite a few of them said that Tormentos was their favorite chilled dive site and I could see why. a lot of agree that Palancar is the best overall, but Tormentos often comes as a close second.
The current can be quite strong here, so be prepared for that, but