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Dive Review of Living Underwater/Caribe Blu in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel

Living Underwater/Caribe Blu, Aug, 2007,

by Lee Fenner, OH, USA (Contributor Contributor 12 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 3582.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments We chose Jeremy (Living Underwater) and the Caribe Blu based on Undercurrent reviews and completely endorse those reviews with our own outstanding recent experiences. We had planned to dive six days with Jeremy and stay seven nights at the Caribe Blu. Unfortunately, Hurricane Dean's approach to Cozumel limited our diving to three days since Jeremy prudently took his boat out of the water to prepare for the worst.

We had eight dives over three days and can honestly say we've never had a better diving experience. Jeremy's fast boat is set up for a maximum of eight divers and you have a choice of low pressure steel 95 or 120 cu ft tanks. Jeremy visited us the afternoon of the day before we started diving to meet us and talk about what we would like to do. He picked us up at 7:45 at the hotel's pier and his helpful crew assembled our gear on our way to the dive site. Getting on and off the boat couldn't have been easier. Carlos put the tank/BC on the seat and assisted you into it. Then all together do a back roll into the 84 degree water. Once the dive is over, the boat captain, Fernando, throws out a current line from the front right side of the boat. You swim to the boat and he is waiting at an open door to take your tank/BC. Then using a line tied to the side of the boat, you move to the ladder, pass your fins up, and climb aboard. Carlos offers water, snacks, and towels. Between the first and second dive on two days, we stopped at dock and you could get off and stretch your legs walking to a "rustic" bathroom area back in the brush. Between the second and third dives, you stop for lunch. Once we ate at a beach hotel and the other time at a little cafe in the small boat harbor. After a day of diving, the crew rinses your gear and will keep all of your gear, including wetsuit, for the next day.

Jeremy is a fantastic dive leader. He takes the time to show you large and small marine life. He carries a magnifying glass, erasable slate, and a bunch of other gear to make communicating underwater easy. He used a lure to coax a Splendid Toadfish out of its den and found both a miniscule post-larval Trunkfish and Juvenile Cowfish. There were just the two of us on the second three tank day. Talk about personalized service! Jeremy led us on an extensive tour around and through the wreck of C-53 minesweeper. I think we visited every compartment inside the ship. Our third dive started out with a seahorse hunt and in 30 minutes we found four. Then Jeremy used his slate to ask us if we wanted to continue the search or go to the reef. We chose a tour of the reef and ended up with a memorable 74 min dive.

The fees were reasonable considering the quality. We paid $85 for two-tank dive, $55 extra for a third tank, and $10 per tank of nitrox (95 or 120 cu ft). There is no additional charge for going to distant sites.

Since this was our first trip to Cozumel, we don’t know what it was like pre-Wilma. However, we thought the mix of drift diving, walls, picturesque reefs, and abundant creatures made for tremendous fun. We now understand why divers love to return to Cozumel as often as they can.

The Caribe Blu is a great value about a 20 min walk from downtown. The air conditioned rooms are large and kept extremely clean. All face the ocean and have balconies with plenty of space for drying gear. There is a small restaurant above the Blue Angel dive shop next door with hours from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m. Prices are reasonable. For dinner, we took a taxi to San Miguel and ate at great restaurants (La Choza, La Perlita, Prima’s, and Casa Denis) that Jeremy recommended. Cab fares ranged from $4 to $6 and no driver tried to overcharge. Jeanne at Caribe Blu was extremely helpful finding us another hotel when we had to move out early due to the government closing beachside resorts.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving Lake Erie, Tobermory, Lake Superior, Florida: Destin and the Keys, Roatan, Kauai, Kona
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas currents
Water Temp 83-84°F / 28-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 100-150 Ft/ 30-46 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Follow leader loosely, no deco or below 130 ft
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Boat had large Rubbermaid container with fresh water dedicated for cameras.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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