Aquamarinas: The Complete Guide
Aquamarinas is a German-run PADI dive centre in Cozumel led by biologist Volker Pohl, with three licensed boats, a maximum of six divers per guide, cenote trips and a fully published USD rate card.
Aquamarinas: The Complete Guide
Best for German-speaking divers, budget planners who want every price up front, and anyone who insists on six divers per guide
Aquamarinas is a German-run PADI operation on Cozumel led by Volker Pohl, a certified biologist, and it does something almost no other dive centre on the island does: it publishes its entire rate card — dive trips, courses, rentals, nitrox surcharges, private guides and non-diver seats — in US dollars, on a single page.
That transparency, combined with guiding in German, English, French and Spanish and a hard cap of six divers per guide, is the shop's whole proposition. Aquamarinas states it is the only German diving centre licensed to conduct dives inside the National Marine Park off the coast of Cozumel.
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Why Choose Aquamarinas
Because you can budget the whole trip before you email anyone. Two tanks, three tanks, night dives, snorkelling, a seat for a non-diving partner, every course from Bubblemaker to Divemaster, and every rental item down to a dive light — all of it is priced on the website. In a destination where most shops answer "how much?" with "contact us", that is genuinely unusual.
Because the group size is a published number, not a promise. Aquamarinas runs a maximum of six divers per group and guide. It also runs a boat, Deep Exposure II, that is licensed for a maximum of six divers in total, so the group and the boat can be the same thing.
Because a biologist is guiding. Volker Pohl is a certified biologist, and the shop presents him as the contact person for questions about marine life and diving education. On a reef system as rich as Cozumel's, that changes what you notice on a dive.
Because German, French and Spanish are all covered alongside English — a wider language range than most island operators offer.
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Diving Style and Experience
Cozumel is drift diving, and Aquamarinas dives the island's stretch of the second-largest barrier reef in the world. The shop states that Volker responds to divers' wishes on dive site, depth and speed, which is the practical benefit of a six-diver group: a small group can be steered, a group of eighteen cannot.
Boats typically leave between 09:00 and 09:15, either from San Miguel or from Fonatur harbour about 4 km south of town. Aquamarinas does not provide transport to the boats — you take a taxi — though hotel pickups are available for guests staying south of the San Miguel town centre, depending on which boat is running.
A few operational details the shop publishes and that are worth knowing before you pack:
- Tanks are aluminium 12 L with INT valves; DIN adapters are available on request
- Gloves and knives are prohibited inside the marine park, except on wreck dives
- Water temperature runs 26–31°C, and a 3 mm wetsuit or thicker is recommended
- The minimum certification for reef dives is PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Equipment storage and cleaning are available at the shop
Aquamarinas also offers cenote dives on the mainland alongside the reef programme, and night dives, which run with a minimum of four divers.
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Courses and Training
Aquamarinas is a PADI centre and publishes prices for the full recreational ladder. Technical training — Trimix, Deep Air, Cavern and Cave — is offered on request rather than at a listed price.
| Course | Published price (USD) | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblemaker | $90 | Children trying scuba in shallow water |
| Discover Scuba | $90–95 | First-time divers, no certification |
| Resort Course | $160 | Try-dive with more water time |
| Scuba Diver | $300 | Limited certification, shorter than Open Water |
| PADI Open Water Diver | $550 | Full entry-level certification |
| Advanced Open Water | $400 | Certified divers adding depth and navigation |
| Rescue Diver | $550 | Divers building emergency skills |
| Divemaster | $1,350 | First professional rating |
| Emergency First Response | $250 | CPR and first aid, a Rescue prerequisite |
| Enriched Air Nitrox | $250 | Longer no-stop times on repetitive days |
| Trimix / Deep Air / Cavern / Cave | On request | Technical divers |
Asterisked courses on the shop's own rate card include equipment rental — confirm which when you book.
If you are deciding between levels, our pages on the PADI Open Water Diver course, the PADI Scuba Diver course and the Advanced Open Water course set out the differences in time commitment and depth limits. For repetitive Cozumel diving, the Enriched Air Nitrox course usually pays for itself in bottom time across a week.
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Boats and Group Size
Aquamarinas publishes three boats, and the difference between them matters more than the names suggest.
| Boat | Licensed capacity | Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Exposure | Max 16 divers + 2 crew | WC, freshwater shower, weather shelter |
| Deep Exposure II | Max 6 divers + 2 crew | Toilet |
| Big Splash | Max 25 divers + 3 crew | — |
Whatever the boat, the in-water rule is the same: a maximum of six divers per group and per guide. On Deep Exposure that means the boat splits into groups; on Deep Exposure II the boat is the group.
If a genuinely small day matters to you, ask which boat you are booked on. Deep Exposure II with a freshwater shower absent but a toilet present is the small-group option; Big Splash at 25 divers is the busy one.
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Location and Getting There
Aquamarinas operates in Cozumel, Quintana Roo 77600, Mexico. The website does not publish a street address, which is worth knowing if you like to walk in — plan to make contact by phone, WhatsApp or Signal on +52 987 111 2490, or by email, before you arrive.
Boats leave from San Miguel or from Fonatur harbour roughly 4 km south of the town centre. Because the shop does not run transport to the boats, factor a taxi into each dive morning unless you qualify for the southside hotel pickup.
Cozumel itself is reached by ferry from Playa del Carmen or by air into Cozumel International Airport. For an overview of where the island's reefs sit relative to town, see our Cozumel dive sites guide.
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Prices and What's Included
This is Aquamarinas' strongest suit. Published dive rates, per person, in USD:
| Trip | Published price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Two tanks | $119–130 | Standard dive day |
| Three tanks | $150–190 | Minimum 4 divers |
| Night dive | $95 | Minimum 4 divers |
| Snorkelling | $50 | — |
| Non-diver seat | $40–45 | For companions on the boat |
| Nitrox | +$12 per tank | Add-on |
| Private guide | +$50–60 | Add-on |
Included in the dive trip price, in the shop's own words: "Catering during the surface interval, Drinking Water, Entrance Fee into the National Marine Parc, Guide, and of course, Tanks and Weights."
Rental gear, per person per day: mask $6, fins $6, BCD $11, regulator $11, wetsuit $11, dive computer $15, dive light $8. A complete set is $27, or $40 with a computer.
Because the marine park fee is inside the trip price, the quoted number is close to the number you actually pay — the main variables are gear, nitrox and whether you want a private guide.
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Who It Suits Best
German-speaking divers. This is the clearest fit. Full German-language service from a German-run centre licensed for the marine park is a narrow niche and Aquamarinas owns it.
Divers who want a small group and want it in writing. Six per guide, published, with a six-diver boat available.
Mixed groups. With snorkelling at $50 and non-diver seats at $40–45, a partner or family member who does not dive can come along without an argument about cost.
Naturalists and photographers. A biologist guide who adapts site, depth and pace to the group is a good match for anyone who wants to look closely rather than cover ground.
Trip planners on a budget. You can build a full week's cost — dives, gear, nitrox, courses — from the website alone.
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Who Might Prefer a Different Shop
Divers who want a walk-in shop with posted hours. Aquamarinas does not publish a street address or opening hours, so it is a phone-or-email-first operation rather than one you drop into on the way to dinner.
Divers who want door-to-boat transport included. The shop states no transportation is provided to the boats; southside hotel pickup is boat-dependent, so budget for taxis.
Anyone hoping to end up on a very small boat by default. Big Splash is licensed for 25 divers. The six-per-guide rule still applies in the water, but the boat itself can be full.
Divers seeking on-site professional and instructor training beyond Divemaster. Divemaster is the top published rating here; if you are heading for an instructor certification, a centre with an IDC rating — such as Dive Boutique Cozumel — carries the full path in-house.
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Practical Information
- Name: Aquamarinas
- Location: Cozumel, Quintana Roo 77600, Mexico (no street address published)
- Phone / WhatsApp / Signal: +52 987 111 2490
- Email: info@aquamarinas.com
- Website: https://aquamarinas.com/
- Owner and guide: Volker Pohl, certified biologist
- Certification agency: PADI
- Languages: German, English, French, Spanish
- Boat departures: 09:00–09:15, San Miguel or Fonatur harbour
- Group limit: maximum 6 divers per guide
- Minimum certification: PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent
- Tanks: aluminium 12 L, INT valves, DIN adapters available
- Also offered: cenote dives, night dives, private guides, snorkelling, non-diver seats, equipment storage and cleaning
Guest testimonials published on the Aquamarinas website date back to 2005. The site does not state a founding year or opening hours.
For the wider picture on choosing an operator, see our full guide to Cozumel dive centers and our guide to the best scuba diving in Cozumel.