SNUBA in Cozumel - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

canarymoon · 05-26-2007, 08:38 AM

I did the Snuba excursion offere by RCL in Cozumen earlier this month.
Here are my impressions:

I am glad I got to try this, BUT while it was fun, and interesting, I am not sure I would do it again. For me, it was a LOT of WORK and not enough seeing and enjoying what was under the water.

I arrived at the appointed meeting place on the pier a few minutes early. The guide was there a few minutes later, passing out the required consent forms.
After filling out the form and turning it in, I was told to wait 'over there' for our tour to start. It really was a bit of a wait... I'm thinking at least 25 minutes.

We were then taken to the taxi area, and driven a few minutes to a beachside watersports facility where we could rent a locker for our things.

Instruction time was next. Our group was fairly small - maybe 8 or 9, and included a couple of small children. The instructor talked a lot about how to use the wquipment and demonstrated breathing technique, clearing your mask, and hand signals. He was very thorough, but a little hard to understand.

We were not allowed to take our underwater cameras with us, but they did take a couple of pics that were available for us to purchase afterwards.

In the edge of the water, he had us practice first before floating the raft containing the air tanks with our hoses attached out into deeper water.

Here I must say that the guide was extremely watchful and helpful to everyone in the group. no complaints there. In fact, I felt a little embarassed that I needed his help more often than the little kids!

I had trouble staying down... on two occasions, he added more weights to my weight belt, but I still kept floating up! zhe patiently showed me how to sink myself. But I floated up again and again an kept having to sink myself again. So, this is why I am not sure if I will try it again or not... Most of my time was spent on struggling to stay down, and NOT on enjoying the experience and the things to see on the sea floor.

Although I really THOUGHT I was following the 'how to' on the breathing technique, obviously, I was doing something wrong!

Afterwards, we could hand out there, and when ready, we were to ask for a certain person to get us a taxi back to the ship and this was included in the price.

I relaxed a few minutes drinking a soda from their bar, then requested my taxi. It was about a 10 minute wait until they had a taxi full. While waiting, one of the staff there sat at a table with me and VERY patiently allowed me to practice my Spanish with him. I was surprised and how much I as able to remember in a simple, SLOW and relaxed conversation. It didn't hurt that the young man was very helpful and patient with me, either! For me, THIS was the highlight of the excursion!

Chudley · 05-26-2007, 08:52 AM

Goo9d report, Sheila. I'd like to try that. It sounds different than I expected. I assumed you'd just swim down to the depths but it isn't that simple is it? I can dive pretty deep while snorkeling, do you think I could do this?

canarymoon · 05-26-2007, 08:59 AM

There were little kids doing it!

I used to free dive (no snorkel, mask, or anything to about 30-35 feet when I was a teenager. But the older I get, the more boyant I seem to get.

I couldn't float at all when I was young. Would sink like a rock. Thank goodness I was a strong swimmer. But can float just about forever now.

Blizzard · 05-26-2007, 10:41 AM

Were you using a buoyancy compensator? It is an inflatable vest that makes it easier to be able to carry more weight and then adjust it as needed.

As I recall from my diving days, sometime we tend to take deep breaths and that will cause us to rise. It has been many years since I have been on a dive, I may have to try it again.

Thanks for the information.

Cruise Cat · 05-26-2007, 11:30 AM

Did they say WHY you were not allowed to take your cameras? Can you tell us the name of the tour company so I can be sure NOT to use them in the future?

canarymoon · 05-26-2007, 12:52 PM

CruiseCat -
I don't recall the name... I booked on the ship through RCL, though, if that helps.

Blizzard -
I don't even know what that is, so must not have had one. They fastened a large belt around my waist, with pockets for weights. I think I started out with three of the pockets with weights in them and finished up with al lest 5.

Blizzard · 05-27-2007, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canarymoon

CruiseCat -
I don't recall the name... I booked on the ship through RCL, though, if that helps.

Blizzard -
I don't even know what that is, so must not have had one. They fastened a large belt around my waist, with pockets for weights. I think I started out with three of the pockets with weights in them and finished up with al lest 5.

When I dove with a wet suit, I needed 35lbs of weight to get under.
A BC does make it a lot easier to dive, I am surprised they did not have you use them.

canarymoon · 06-14-2007, 05:28 PM

Here's a photo of the site where we did the Snuba:

pwkenner · 04-04-2008, 12:46 PM

Thanks for the information. This is one of the excursions I'm going to do on the Glory in August.

canarymoon · 04-04-2008, 07:28 PM

I think it would have been great fun if I had done it right. Pretty sure it was a breathing thing.