Dive Review of Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel

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Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium: "Strong Current But Great Dives", Feb, 2024, by Gilbert Zeimer, CA, US ( Sr. Reviewer 8 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 12905.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My dive buddies and I left the Sky Princess cruise ship at 10am, grabbed a cab a few miles up the beach, and arrived at Papa Hog’s Scuba Emporium a while later. It was recommended by someone we met in Italy last fall who has dived with these guys for 20 years and this was one of 250 dive shops on the island. Though it was one of the smaller operations, it provided very personable service and a friendly crew. We got outfitted in regulators, depth and air gauges, full-body wet suits, BCs, weight belts, and fins. We were then driven to a boat nearby and were in the water by 11am. After a short ride out on the bouncing current to our first dive site, we backwards rolled into the water as our Divemaster, Miguelito, led the way. It was just Bryan, CeCe and me on a boat named the Iguana. It’s important to note because we were surrounded by about 20 dive boats along the very popular Palancar Reef, so our Divemaster wanted us to know that Iguana was our boat’s name, just in case we boarded the wrong one because of the swift currents. At the Yucab dive site, we tried to stay near the bottom at about 70 feet –– and below the strong current of about 4-5 miles per hour. During the 45-minute plunge, we saw a big barracuda, many parrotfish, and huge angel fish of gray or yellow/blue, as well as quite a few Caribbean spiny lobsters. The reef had a very barren landscape at first, then got healthier as we drifted further. At the second dive site, which was very close to our cruise ship at Paradise Reef, we were in a more sheltered area, which yielded large schools of grunts and yellowtails, a six-foot wide Caribbean sea turtle, and a group of about 18 divers trying to pose for a photo on the bottom. For added convenience, and because we were in a strong current on the first dive and some current on the second, we inflated our BCs when we got next to the boat, unhooked them, and the boat crew schlepped them back onto the boat. We then slipped off our fins and walked up the ladder. This was very helpful to prevent us from climbing up the ladder with 40+ lbs. on our backs in rocky seas. Cozumel is a beautiful island to visit, but the seas surrounding it can get quite rough with the strong winds and fast-flowing current throughout the year. So if you’re not an experienced drift diver, I suggest not trying it here until you’re ready.
Websites	Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Caribbean, California, Mexico, Hawaii, Micronesia
Closest Airport	CZM	Getting There	I was on a Sky Princess cruise to the Western Caribbean and Mexico
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	choppy, currents
Water Temp	80-80°F / 27-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	80-100 Ft/ 24-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	70 foot depth max, stay near divemaster, signal with 700psi, safety stop of 3 minutes at 10-15 feet
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	There were only three divers on our ponga, along with the captain and divemaster. There was a small rinse bucket for cameras that I used between and after dives, plus a large rinse tank back at the shop.

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Dive Review of Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium in Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel

Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium: "Strong Current But Great Dives", Feb, 2024,

Photos Submitted with this Report

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Papa Hogs SCUBA Emporium in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel