Cozumel Port Closure
When foul weather arises resulting in the Cozumel Port closure, what are you to do?
I have put this page together to help our divers fully understand the what and why’s of a Cozumel Port Closure, and what options do exist.
What is Cozumel Port Closure?
Cozumel Port Closure is when the Port Captain Authority of Cozumel decides to close all harbor activities. This means no boats can exit harbor for any reason. Any boats which are currently out at sea must return to safe anchorage in harbor immediately. This includes all tourist-based activities included, but not limited to, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and booze cruises. It is important to note that Salty Endeavors has no say in this decision, but must abide by it’s rule.
Why would they do this?
For starters, this is for your safety. This is a weather-related problem that can cause unsafe sea conditions which are favorable to sinking boats. Right about now you might be looking at blue skies and thinking it is a beautiful day for scuba diving, but please do not get confused. When we discuss weather in Cozumel which cancels the diving, most often the sole cause for this is WIND. Although some days the wind might be accompanied by rain and clouds, other days will be absolutely beautiful days to explore Cozumel – from land.
How long will this last?
If we could answer this reliably, we would be working the wrong industry. Simply put, when the wind either shifts directions or calms down, resulting in calmer seas, the Port Captain will lift the restrictions. Usually this is just one or two days, but it can be longer in rare situations.
Have a view at this link – Cozumel Wind Report
Any wind coming from the North or Northwest or West is going to cause us a problem at sea. Any steady winds in excess of 10mph is getting borderline to closing the ports. Any steady winds in excess of 15mph have no doubt closed our ports. The ports will reopen when wind speeds come back below 10mph OR shift back to our traditional eastern trade winds. Any winds from the Northeast are questionable based upon exact wind direction and speed.
So what can we do on a Cozumel Port Closure day?
There are actually several options, both diving and non-diving, of which you can partake. Let’s have a look!
East Side Shore Diving
This can be hit -or- miss depending on the wind, but many times if the wind is out of the north or northwest we can find calm seas on the west. We can make a 2-tank shore dive, chosen from several locations we’ve picked out. The east side of Cozumel is the windward side traditionally, and as a result we simply don’t dive here on any regular basis. However, this also plays into why many divers like this excursion as it is something different from the traditional Cozumel diving.
Note: weather conditions can varying quickly and as a result we cannot promise these dives can be completed until the group actually arrives to survey current conditions.
Continuing Education
If both of our diving options sound less than ideal to your taste buds, but you still don’t want to lose a day of doing something diving related, perhaps consider doing some con-ed in scuba. There are several choices of con-ed which do not require any diving whatsoever – Enriched Air Nitrox, Equipment Specialist, Science of Diving, Boat Diving… not to mention any of the other specialties which are diving related. Get a jump on the class by reading the textbook while at the beach!
Mainland Cenote Diving
We can gather our gear and head to the mainland and do some cenote diving! We have a few options on cenotes we can dive, but as this is usually a last minute decision, the options are most often limited to some extent. Keep in mind you are not the only Cozumel divers looking to submerge, so usually the cenotes can be crowded with divers. Additionally, keep in mind that with a Cozumel Port Closure the ferry crossing to mainland will be, shall we say… interesting???
I’m not trying to un-sell this excursion, merely paint an accurate picture. This is a long day of travel and diving, but most everyone agrees it’s better than not diving!
Non-Diving Related Excursions
There is nearly an unlimited list of adventures and excursions to take part while in Cozumel. Our blog has covered a number of land-based excursions. Day adventures like mural hunting in Cozumel (over 35 hidden across the city!), beach or beach-bar hopping, shopping on the square, the turtle rescue program (seasonal), or perhaps even a tequila tasting tour! If you consider heading to mainland Mexico you also add in many world-class adventure and theme parks.
Contact us for more information and pricing details.
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