News and Updates

Discover Adaptive Scuba classes are now being offered!  Targeting adventurous people with disabilities, this class allows participants to be introduced to scuba diving and the underwater world in a safe, fun and barrier-free environment.

The class is conducted at the Wyndham Cozumel Hotel and Resort, which hosts a full-service Dive Paradise PADI Training facility. Each student works directly with two specially-trained guides – a certified adaptive scuba instructor and a certified adaptive scuba divemaster. Both are expert educators with extensive international credentials, experience and local knowledge.

Our Discover Adaptive Scuba class is a natural extension of the wide range of trips and courses already available at the dive center.  Working in conjunction with the Diveheart organization, we created a unique experience to welcome even more potential divers to the underwater world.

Each Discover Adaptive Scuba class is customized to meet the specific needs of each participant. Specially trained and certified instructors and divemasters make the experience safe, enjoyable and most of all, memorable for each diver.

There are two options available – the à la carte class and the shore excursion. The class is a two-hour option that includes instruction and supervised in-water training. The shore excursion lasts four-hours and is ideal for cruise ship passengers as it not only includes the training, but also a day pass to the Wyndham Cozumel Hotel and Resort Beach Club.

For more information, visit: Dive Paradise Adaptive Scuba Diving and contact us at (855) 798-5300  (toll-free from USA) or send us a message HERE.

Let’s go diving!

As always, the safety of both our customers and our staff remains our top priority.  During this unprecedented time, we want to share our newly implemented practices to maximize our ability to keep everyone safe & healthy:

1. Our boat trips are running at reduced capacity to maximize social distancing.
2. Our public store locations and desks are cleaned and disinfected twice a day. 
3. Our boats are cleaned and disinfected in the morning at the harbor before all dive trips, and again after the trips. During trips, our crew has disinfectant products to keep cleaning as needed, especially high-touch surfaces such as w.c. handles, bars, ladder, etc. 
4. Hand sanitizer is readily available for guest use and convenience at all our locations.
5. All Dive Paradise staff are wearing masks.
6. We request that all guests observe social distancing, avoid physical contact, and use face masks as much as possible.  We have reusable 3-layer cotton masks for sale in our shops at $5 each.
7. We ask all Divers to submit their Waiver and Diver Registration Form online, rather than in person.  These forms are best filled out prior to arrival, or if on-island, they can still be accessed via personal smartphones or tablets. 
8. We ask all Divers to please follow DAN International recommendations to protect oneself and others:
   • Wash hands frequently
   • Maintain social distancing
   • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
   • Practice respiratory hygiene for cough/sneeze etiquette
   • Seek medical care early for a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing
   • Stay informed and follow advice given by one’s healthcare provider
9. Any Diver who experiences a fever, cough, or headache is requested not to join dive trips, to avoid risks to others.  If such circumstances arise, a customer can call our office to cancel and receive a rain check for future visits.
10. Equipment: 
    • Divers with their own gear are free to use our fresh water tank, which contains quaternary ammonia with sufficient concentration to safely sanitize dive equipment. 
    • For rental equipment, please note:  regulators are rented without mouth pieces.  These are also available for purchase from our shop and other scuba boutiques in town.  If Divers bring their own, we can help install them. 
    • Divers are required to clean and rinse rental equipment each day during their diving schedule.  
11. On-board food is now organized into sealed sack lunches for each individual Diver.
12. We request that all guests bring their own drinking water bottle.  Reusable bottles are also available for purchase at our store and at local grocery stores.  

 💙   Thank you for your collaboration!  💙

Effective June 12th, 2020, Dive Paradise is running dive trips again for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown began in March. 

We are thrilled to be able to welcome our customers back to Cozumel!  Our staff has been eagerly awaiting this day, and we know our customers are excited to experience the new bloom of undersea life that’s been unfolding during the shutdown. Getting salty in the ocean air and sunshine is the perfect place to be these days!

We have implemented enhanced sanitation protocols and social distancing rules to maximize customer and employee protection from the coronavirus.  Boats will be running with reduced capacity to maximize social distancing, hand sanitizer will be readily available, and all staff will be wearing masks.  In addition, on-board food will now be organized into sealed sack lunches for each individual diver. 

In order to celebrate the re-opening of Dive Paradise and Cozumel, we are offering a “Welcome Back to Paradise” sale, with 15% off all scuba diving trip and course bookings made between now and June 30, 2020, for travel through Dec. 20, 2021!  The sale also includes great deals on stay & dive packages with Hotel Cozumel & Resort and Villablanca Hotel.  More information can be found here: https://diveparadise.com/paradise-sale/.

Warm island wishes to everyone!  Hope to see you soon!

We Miss You!

Dear Dive Paradise Family,

Many of you have reached out, asking how Cozumel and our company are faring in this time of extraordinary crisis. The crew misses you all very much and are looking forward to welcoming you back to our beautiful island just as soon as possible!

In the meantime, like most of the world, Dive Paradise remains hunkered down:  The port has been closed since the end of March, and non-essential businesses are temporarily shuttered.  When we venture out to look after our locations, boats and equipment, we are wearing masks and gloves, and are practicing social distancing.  We are doing our best to stay stocked with Lysol, bleach, marine-friendly cleaning products (and toilet paper!) to protect ourselves from the virus.  We are also training ourselves on new industry safety and sterilization best practices we will be following when dive operations resume on the island.  Importantly, our entire crew is staying healthy so far and are looking out for one another.

We are all painfully aware that this pandemic has been a challenge for most small businesses worldwide, and Dive Paradise is no exception.  Ever since the day I unexpectedly stepped into this role, my goal has always been clear: to honor my aunt Apple’s legacy by retaining and enhancing Dive Paradise’s legendary attention to customer service while protecting the livelihoods of our dedicated crew.  I’m proud of what we have accomplished together, and feel a strong sense of optimism for the future of our Dive Paradise family, including our crew and our guests!

Of course, right now the world is reeling and figuring out how to adapt to new realities.  During this time, Dive Paradise continues to support our staff to the fullest extent possible.  However, as they rely on trips and the generosity of customer tips for a significant portion of their income, many on our crew are finding themselves struggling to remain financially stable as we weather this storm.

As has happened many times as I’ve been learning my way through this adventure, I’ve been humbled by the help, guidance and encouragement (and, yes, sometimes by a shoulder to cry on!) of the Dive Paradise family.  This crisis is no exception:  This week, longtime Dive Paradise friends Debbie and Isaias Alamilla launched a GoFundMe campaign, to provide financial help directly to our on-island staff during this extraordinary time.  One hundred percent of every tax deductible donation from this effort will be distributed directly to our employees so they can remain healthy and safe and ready to serve you when dive operations resume.  Any funds that remain when this crisis has passed will be donated to nonprofits on Cozumel that have long been supported by Apple and Dive Paradise.  A link to the GoFundMe site is included below.  If you have ever been touched by the warmth, hard work and dedication of our team, now is the perfect time to reward them with an extra tip to help them feel as secure as possible during these stressful times.

None of us know exactly when this coronavirus crisis will be over, nor do we know exactly what life will look like on the other side.  One thing is certain, however: Dive Paradise will be here, waiting to explore and share the wonders of our underwater world together, and to welcome you back to Cozumel.  I’ll leave you with a bit of good news: Anecdotal reports from all over the island indicate that marine life is thriving during this break from cruise ships and boat traffic. 

All of us at Dive Paradise hope you and yours are remaining healthy and safe during these trying times.  We can’t wait to see you again!

With love,

Michael Penwarden

Dive Paradise, Inc.

Click HERE to help support Dive Paradise staff and crew on island during the COVID 19 crisis

At Dive Paradise, customer safety and care are our top priorities and both are on our mind as we all face the rapidly evolving situation surrounding the novel coronavirus COVID-19. I want to assure all our guests that we are redoubling our efforts to maintain the cleanliness of all of our boats, store locations and rental equipment:  We disinfect all surfaces and equipment with Lysol cleaning products regularly, have antiseptic gel at all locations, and we use a reef-safe cleaning product called BioBac to clean all of our boats each day. It is important to note that, as of this writing, there are zero detected cases of coronavirus on the island of Cozumel and a total of 12 reported cases throughout Mexico.

All of that said, we understand and respect that, based on recommendations from health care professionals and government officials, some travelers may wish to reschedule trips for a time when there is greater clarity on the situation.  Therefore, effective immediately, Dive Paradise will be waiving all fees normally associated with last-minute scheduling changes, and issuing rain-checks for premature departures.  We ask that you respect our need for advance planning to provide exceptional customer service and therefore strive to give us as much notice as possible of any changes or rescheduling that may occur during this time.

We at Dive Paradise hope that you will continue to consider our beautiful island and its underwater wonders as a sanctuary during difficult times such as the one we are all living through now.  On behalf of our entire team, we look forward to welcoming you to Make a Splash with us again soon!

Sincerely,

Michael Penwarden

CEO 

www.diveparadise.com

We are excited to announce that this fall’s temporary reef closure will end on December 15!  Below are highlights from yesterday’s official government press release on this issue:

Photo by Barry Guimbellot

Press Release Mexico City, October 8, 2019

COZUMEL PROTECTS AND CONSERVES ITS CORAL REEFS FOR THE FUTURE

• On October 7, a rest was announced for a little more than two months, to tourist and recreational activities in the southern portion of the Cozumel Reef National Park.
• On December 15, underwater activities in the area will be resumed, with a rotating rest strategy that incorporates other reefs in the National Park.

In order to give rest to the sites of greater biological interest of the Mesoamerican reef system, and contribute to its recovery from the so-called “white syndrome” which affects the reefs of the Mexican Caribbean, tourism and recreational activities were partially and temporarily suspended in a portion South of the Cozumel Reef National Park (PNAC).  The sites where aquatic-recreational activities were temporarily suspended on October 7 occupy only 21% of the 14 most visited reef complexes in Cozumel.   This strategy gives visitors certainty that they can continue enjoying Cozumel and, at the same time, participate in its conservation.   

The reef sites that remain available for tourist and recreational use from October 7 to December 15 are: Paraíso, Las Palmas, Dzul Ha, ChanKana’ab mountain range, ChanKana’ab bolones, Tormentos, Playa Corona, Yucab, San Clemente, Punta Tunich, Cardona, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Paso del Cedral, La Francesa and Delilah. Similarly, the Wreck C-53 “Felipe Xicotencatl”.

The suspension will end on December 15.  From then on, a rotating strategy will be implemented that allows the rest of other reefs of the National Park without affecting the ecotourism service providers in these sites. 

The above was agreed  upon during an extraordinary meeting of the Advisory Council of the Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, including representatives of the three orders of government along with civil society, various business professionals, tourism service providers, academics and fishermen.  Attendees included: 

• Roberto Aviña Carlín, National Commissioner of Natural Protected Areas
• Adriana Teissier Zavala, Federal Deputy
• Pedro Joaquin Delbouis, Municipal President of Cozumel
• Cristopher González Baca, Regional Director of the Conanp in the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mexican Caribbean

Commissioner Roberto Aviña stressed the importance of “producing conservation and conserving production” and pointed to tourism and the reef as the backbone that sustains the community of Cozumel.  He also celebrated that the community today is moving into series of opportunities to better tourism practices based on environmental conservation, social welfare and sustainable economic development.

Work tables will be organized during the upcoming months to establish, in a participatory way, the rotating rest system for the reefs of the PNAC and other strategies that can help improve the conditions of the reefs.  The attendees acknowledged that we are living an unprecedented challenge, and committed to collaborating for the benefit of the reef system, which is a fundamental piece for the livelihood and quality of life on Cozumel Island.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions as we continue to work with the Marine Park and local community to protect and manage Cozumel’s unique ecosystem.  We look forward to hosting your next visit to our beloved waters!

Laura Alcala Ortega, General Manager

Dive Paradise

Isla Cozumel Mexico