This is Joe's favorite dive vacation spot! We love the clean, friendly resort that caters to us as divers. The pictures on this site show it well. We love the many reefs offshore and the drift diving Cozumel is famous for. We go to SCC whenever we can because it is so much fun and very relaxing. Morning coffee is on the patio well before breakfast. And the clank, clank of tanks will wake you if your room is near the dive shop. The breakfast buffet has a big variety of Mexican specialties (I LOVE the chiliquillas!) as well as more traditional potatoes, bacon, french toast or eggs. There is fresh fruit, cereal and several juices every morning.
The dive boats leave after 0800, and the boat crews do everything they can to get you geared up and ready. The two tank schedule starts after an hours ride to Palancar, Santa Rosa and Columbia or one of the closer reefs like Punta Tunich or Paso Cedral. Then the second dive is closer after the surface interval of juice and water. Bring your own snacks if you need one between dives. Divemasters always find many interesting critters, big and small. We've seen reef sharks, eagle rays, juvenile drums and sea horses. I almost got tired of taking turtle pictures on our last trip! It's always a treat to see the Splendid Toads as well. The sea life seems much more plentiful this year perhaps because of the lion fish cull? We love the big pinnacles and swim throughs on the deeper wall sites. There are big colorful sponges and lots of fish. Water clarity during our trip was fantastic.
The lunch special is authentic Mexican, but you may order menu items like hamburgers or tacos. A small salad bar, chips, pico de gallo and a fruit plate are also part of the lunch spread. Drinks are extra but inexpensive. Special diets can be accommodated if you let them know about your needs. Dinner entrees are tasty and offer The Special, pasta, or vegetarian dishes. There's a choice of rolls, soup or salad, and dessert. Eat upstairs in the Fat Grouper and order your favorite drink for a great romantic evening. Of course, the cruise ship dock and town center with plenty of restaurant choices are only a mile away. Taxis are always available.
We like the clean rooms and amenities. WiFi works well. There's an in room safe for valuables. No TV or phones! But you can sit in the bar and watch Mexican television or CNN. They provide plenty of big fluffily towels and daily maid service. There is minimal turnover in staff so we feel like we know everyonel. Dive staff, waiters, and front desk speak good English. Tim Massimino, the owner, is always attentive to resort operation and guests. He has helped me obtain camera items not usually stocked at his store across the street. The dive store has almost everything you might need, however, as well as T-shirts and gift items.
The full service PADI dive operation has rental gear and can fix broken things. They offer PADI training and specialty courses for divers at all levels. A wreck dive or night dives are offered several times a week. I love the twilight dives. The first one begins before dark so you can see where you are going and watch the transition from day to night on the reef. Then the night dive shows off octos, lobster, eel, and crab. They do charge a daily reef fee to be paid in cash. And, you should bring a lock to store your gear.
We keep going back to SCC and inviting new friends to share the experience. They all love the opportunity to meet other divers and learn drift diving. I still love the ride over the reef and not knowing how fast it will be! Even non-divers can find enough to do. The Mayan ruins, many shops and great beaches aren't very far away. That's why we keep going back!
