by Frances Stanford

Created on: May 22, 2009   Last Updated: May 30, 2009

Cozumel, Mexico, located on the Yucatan Peninsula about two hours from Cancun, is the premier diving location in the Western Hemisphere. Divers who come to enjoy the second largest reef system in the world, the Great Maya Barrier Reef, must make sure they bring their dive card and documentation with them. Dive shops are numerous, so you can rent the equipment on site rather than have to bring it with you. You will need to show your documentation, though, before you will be permitted to rent any diving equipment.

You can save money by booking a dive package at the hotel you choose for your accommodations. This is because such a package usually includes two dives per day, but there are some dive shops that will give you a discount on an afternoon dive when you pay full price for a morning dive. If you do have a medical condition, make sure you bring a letter showing that you do have a doctor's permission to dive at this site.

There are two main types of diving activities at Cozumel. The first is called drift diving and for novices of this sport, this may be the first experience in this type of diving activity. The strong currents around the reef will also dictate the manner in which you dive because they pull at different speeds and depths. A strong current can play havoc with a dive group. The dive master on such an excursion is the one who has the authority to choose the diving location and to decide whether or not it is a good diving opportunity.

The second type of diving you can experience in Cozumel is cenote diving. The underwater world is a veritable system of caverns due to the numerous sinkholes in the region. The waters around these locations are tranquil giving you the sense of floating on the water as you make your way through the caves. Here you can see the many stalagmites and stalactites. All these dives take place during the daytime and are about 45 minutes in duration.

Some of the most popular dive sites in Cozumel are:

* Palancar Reef. Here the depth of the water is about 260 feet. Divers are surprised to find a life size statue of Jesus under the water about 17 feet below the surface.

* Santa Rosa Wall. This is located on the edge of a steep drop in the ocean floor. There are towering columns of coral that form deep canyons making for an exquisite diving experience.

* San Francisco Reef. This reef is very popular with those who like to take photos of the marine life of the reef. The reef itself is one km. wide and features a wall of coral. The currents tend to be very strong in this location, so it is not for the novice diver.

* Yucab Reef. Here you may be accompanied on your dive by schools of fish called groupers. Most divers consider this diving location to be an underwater aquarium where they can swim with the colourful marine life.

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