Take advantage of these great deals on our “long weekend” Thursday-Monday dive packages at our favorite Caribbean destination… SCUBA CLUB COZUMEL!! Although this trip is ideal for Open Water students getting certified, anyone can go along. This is a “land only” package, allowing you to get your own flight. Use your air miles, book the flight on-line, or we can even book it for you to avoid the hassle.
Cozumel has one of the most spectacular reef systems in the world, and you can maximize your bottom time with UNLIMITED shore diving… a night dive every night if you want! All the meals are included, and there’s plenty to do besides diving! You can visit the Mayan Ruins, lay out on the private dock, rock yourself to sleep in one of the comfy hammocks overlooking the ocean, walk into San Miguel to shop ‘til you drop, visit the beautiful windswept beaches and bars on the other side of the island or head into town and dance the night away at some of the wildest clubs in the Caribbean!!!!
Thursday.....Book an early morning flight from Springfield, St. Louis, Bloomington, or Peoria and you'll arrive in Cozumel in the early afternoon. Scuba Club will meet you at the airport and whisk you to the resort. The OW students can do the first dive or two that afternoon right behind the resort. Certified divers can get wet, too. Night dive anyone?
Friday.....OW students will complete their certifications this morning behind the resort. After lunch they're free to do more shore dives or maybe add an afternoon boat dive to their package. Certified divers can do one of their days of 2 tank boat dives this morning on Cozumel's incomparable wall. This afternoon is unlimited shore diving, (you can start your Advanced Open Water Course) and of course, night diving.
Saturday.....2 tank morning boat dives for all, free afternoon shore dives, ( a drift dive from the lighthouse back to Scuba Club is an excellent dive!) Or add an afternoon boat dive excursion to dive the exciting wreck "Felipe". Night dives available again, how many octopi can you count on one dive?!
Sunday.....For those who still have another unused day of boat diving, (OW students, for example) we have a 2 tank morning boat dive. If you've booked 3 days of boat dives you'll be on the boat again! You could complete your Advanced Certification on this trip, too. In fact, between shore dives and boat dives, you could easily have 8-15 dives on this trip! Since we're flying out tomorrow, this afternoon is dive free. A rental car excursion to the other side of the island is a great way to spend the rest of the day. We’ll be checking out the crocodiles in the Southern Lagoon, relaxing on
beautiful beaches, enjoying great snorkeling in Punta Sur park, exploring the
Mayan ruins, playing in the surf at Playa Bonita, and eating local seafood and
sipping tropical drinks in fun beach bars. Sunday evening in downtown San Miguel is a great time, the locals are all out in their Sunday best, street musicians are playing, food stands abound, and a carnival atmosphere provides for an excellent last evening.
Monday.....Midday flights home, you should be back in your own bed early this evening, and back at work tomorrow.
Want to Stay Longer? No Problem, Just Let Us Know!
Other Helpful Information!!!
Documents… US citizens need to bring a Valid Passport. Certified scuba divers must bring their certification card. No C-card = No Diving!!!
Location… Mexico’s largest island, 10 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula. 28 miles long by 9 miles wide. Cozumel follows central standard time.
Language… Spanish and Maya, but English is widely spoken. Airfare Options… Book the flights online or we can help you book them. These long weekends are always a great time to use air miles! You can get flights directly into Cozumel from many different airports like St Louis, Bloomington or Peoria. You can also fly into Cancun and take the ferry over to Cozumel. Airport Arrival… Cozumel has an international airport, fully equipped for both large jets and private planes. International arrivals are expected to fill out a Customs Declaration & a Mexican Tourism Card before the plane lands. You must first clear the Immigration Area, where your passport or proof of citizenship is required. Mexican Custom & Immigration… After going through immigration, you proceed immediately to the Baggage/Customs area, which is just beyond the immigration. After you pick up your luggage and present your customs form to the officer, you will be asked to press a button on a machine resembling a stoplight. It flashes, at random, either a green (Go) or a red (Stop) light. Green means your luggage will not be inspected, red means it will be quickly checked. The whole process, from getting off the plane to getting out of customs takes about 15 minutes, rarely longer than 30 minutes, speedy by U.S. standards. Airport Transportation… Transfers are included in your package if flying into Cozumel. Be sure your luggage has been loaded into the van before getting in. Make sure your luggage is unloaded at your arrival. The ride is only 10 minutes. Airport Departure Tax… Set aside $20 US per person in cash to pay when you leave. Traveler’s checks and credit cards are not accepted. ATM… You can get small amounts of pesos (approx. $100 US) with your VISA and MasterCard credit cards. Be sure you remember your PIN number. You can also get pesos through the local Amex office with your Amex credit card. Money Exchange… Local currency is Pesos. Travelers checks are accepted everywhere. Personal I.D. such as a driver's license will be required for cashing Travelers Checks and payments made with credit card. Bring plenty of $1 and $5 bills. Do not bringbills larger than $20. The official rate varies daily. Exchange hours at the bank are 10 am until 1 pm only on weekdays. On weekends and after hours you can use the Exchange House in town. The hotel front desk can exchange small amounts of money however their exchange rate is slightly higher. All exchanges are into pesos. Telephone Service…
International calls: The Front Desk provides long distance service for collect or calling card calls from 7 am until 9 pm. Be sure to ask the rates before placing your call. There is a service charge of $2 US payable at the time of placing the call. You must present an international card to be able to charge a call. Prepaid Telmex phone cards can be used in most public phones to reach AT&T, Sprint or MCI. Local calls: Dial 201 from the phone located under the stairs, next to the Front Desk. Booth #2. WiFi…Scubaclub has free WiFi in the common areas near the ocean. Getting Around… Taxis are plentiful and very cheap. If you need a taxi it is faster to flag one down as they pass by. Always ask how much the fare will be before getting into the taxi. All taxi drivers must carry with them a rate sheet listing the approved fares. Taxi drivers are notorious for never having any change. Try to have small bills handy. The usual fare between Scuba Club Cozumel and town is about $5 US. (It is only a fifteen-minute walk). Car, Jeep & Motorcycle Rentals… They are available through the front desk, or your group leader will set up rentals with one of our favorite local vendors. Minimum rental time is 24 hours. For overnight parking, you must park your car across the street from the club. NO PARKING ZONES are marked with red or yellow lines painted on the curbs. Park only along white lines. Safety Boxes… Scuba Club Cozumel will not be responsible for valuables left in the rooms. The hotel offers safety deposit boxes free of charge for your convenience. They are located at the Front Desk and can be accessed from 7 am until 9 pm daily. Use the same precautions for your personal items as you would anywhere else you travel. DO NOT LEAVE TEMPTATIONS lying around your room and lock your patio and entrance doors at all times. Drinking Water & Ice… The water in your room is potable but not suitable to drink. Drink only bottled water. The water served in the restaurant is bottled water and the ice is purified. The pitcher in your room can be filled with bottled water available in the corridors and the ice bucket can be filled in the restaurant. Bottled water is sold at any store in town. For Your Safety… Scuba Club Cozumel policy is NO VISITORS INSIDE THE ROOMS. Visitors are only allowed on the premises between 7:30 am and 9:00 pm. If you are expecting visitors, please advise them to check-in at the Front Desk when they enter the Club. This is done for your protection and helps us to keep Scuba Club Cozumel exclusive for our guests. The safety of all our guests is very important to us. Night watchman is on duty from 8:00 pm until 8:00 am. Laundry… There are several places in town to get your laundry done. Please ask the Front Desk to call one of them to pick up your clothes. Sometimes they will take one or two days to get the job done. This service must be paid in cash. About the Rooms… All rooms have AC, ceiling fans, hair dryers, alarm clocks, and a small refrigerator. Finished in tile and stucco, they are ready for wet divers and have drying racks for dive suits on each terrace.
Since a diving vacation should also be relaxing, rooms are not equipped with a TV or a telephone, but instead are spacious, comfortable and have an individual character with a feel of Mexican heritage. Meals at Scuba Club… Meals are included in your package at Scuba Club Cozumel and they are served at the two restaurants located in the center of the resort at "the Fat Grouper Grill". Downstairs is open-air for breakfast buffet style and sit down diver's lunch, with a bar and two TV monitors for watching sports and reviewing the day’s video production.
Upstairs is the main dining room which is air conditioned and has an ocean view for spectacular sunsets. Every evening there is a different selection of entrees, comprised of red meat, poultry and seafood, with a taste of the cuisine from the Yucatan region. Vegetarian meals and special diets can be prepared on advanced notice.
Usually once a week they have a Mexican beach party which includes a full buffet of Mexican dishes. The festivities are completed with a piñata enjoyed by all!
Diving… A fleet of seven customized diesel boats are available to safely transport divers to . The boats are different sizes and can accommodate from 10 to 20 divers. Equipped with dive platforms and sturdy ladders, marine radios, oxygen and first aid trained crews, they will be ready for boarding every morning at the Club's comfortable pier, right after breakfast. Diving guests are normally assigned to the same boat, crew and u/w guide for the length of their stay. Gear Lockers… Dive gear lockers and freshwater rinsing tubs are conveniently located just a few steps away from the docks next to the dive center and on the opposite end of the beach next to the pool. It only takes a few minutes to rinse your equipment and put it away, ready for the next dive. Bring your own padlock, as they are not provided. Unlimited Shore Diving.. You'll find great diving right offshore from the resort. The jagged iron shore limestone wall gives refuge to many juvenile reef fish, lobsters, crabs, octopus, and even an occasional seahorse - great for macro photography. Depth is about 15'-25' and access is easy from either of the piers using the specially built stairs, complete with hand rails. A very easy exit is found through a tunnel that leads to a waist deep saltwater pool and a short staircase up to the deck. Night dives here are fantastic offering unique and memorable creature encounters.
Diving… A fleet of seven customized diesel boats are available to safely transport divers to . The boats are different sizes and can accommodate from 10 to 20 divers. Equipped with dive platforms and sturdy ladders, marine radios, oxygen and first aid trained crews, they will be ready for boarding every morning at the Club's comfortable pier, right after breakfast. Diving guests are normally assigned to the same boat, crew and u/w guide for the length of their stay.
