Diving in Cozumel: drift diving on the Mesoamerican reef

Why Cozumel is on every list

Cozumel appears in practically every ranking of the world's best dive destinations, and not because of marketing. The island sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest reef system on the planet, and the Caribbean current constantly sweeps it with clean open-ocean water.

The result is a combination that is hard to find anywhere: visibility that routinely exceeds thirty metres, vertical walls disappearing into the blue, coral swim-throughs you pass right through, and barrel sponges the size of a person.

What drift diving is and why it is the norm here

In Cozumel you do not dive by swimming — you dive by floating. You let the current carry you along the reef while the scenery parades past, and the boat follows on the surface to collect you wherever you finish.

It has two huge advantages. First, you use far less air, so dives run longer. Second, you cover much more reef than you ever could swimming. All you need is decent buoyancy control to hold your depth; the sea does the rest.

The reefs you will dive

Palancar is the most famous: a system of canyons, caves and enormous formations you travel through from the inside. It has several sections (Gardens, Caves, Bricks) and each is a different dive.

Santa Rosa Wall is Cozumel's classic wall: it drops vertically, with giant sponges, swim-throughs and black grouper patrolling the edge.

Colombia and Punta Sur are the most dramatic, with cathedral-like formations and stronger current. Reserved for experienced divers.

The exact site each day depends on the current and the wind.