We went to Cozumel for the first time last year, in June, which is the off season and a good time to go since prices are lower and the island is not as swamped with tourists. The diving was fantastic, with tremendous fish schools, interesting corals, and good conditions. This was one of the first tropical trips for me with my DSLR underwater camera setup, and while I did get some great shots, the typical "drift" diving in the area made for some tricky and sometimes altogether impossible macro shooting. Sometimes the current was simply too strong and you moving too fast to search for anything interesting, let alone stop and compose a shot. We typically did 2 dives a day, then a shore dive by ourselves - just renting tanks in front of our hotel - Villa Blanca - and entering from the pier right there. It was good to have that shore dive to work on technique by myself, without worrying about keeping up with a group. Rays and turtles, schools of silversides, needle fish and barracuda were seen right next to shore. A night dive was a highlight, and so nice that we actually switched a day dive the next day to do a second night dive. We saw tons of octopus, and the bio luminescent plankton was really amazing. Weather top side was a little blah - 80's, party sunny, and a little rainy, but it didn't effect the diving. All in all, a great destination for a tropical dive fix without the larger price tag of flights and accommodations at more remote pacific locations.