Thank you for visiting our web site. Here are some comments from friends and visitors that will give you a more personal picture of the quality of service we offer. We would love to have you sign our guestbook too. If you have dived in Cozumel with us and want to tell others about your trip, make a suggestion, comment on our website, or just say hello, click here to add your comments. We love visitors, both electronic and in person.
My wife and I were vacationing in Cozumel, MX and I was looking for a scuba diving opportunity since my wife doesn't dive. As luck had it, I ended up joining Freddy Contreras and his crew on the Mestizo. He picked me up at the Cozumel Palace. Now I'm a relatively new diver with no buddy; but, I felt right at home with Freddy and the other divers. Everybody was into photography and I had my camera and I enjoyed a great time diving and taking pictures and videos of the beautiful reefs of Cozumel. By coincidence, I am half Chinese and half Swiss and Mestizo refers to the offspring of different cultures. So it was my lucky day indeed to have found Freddy. I highly recommend Mestizo for your diving pleasure. You will feel safe and sound while you enjoy the depths that Cozumel has to offer.
Dennie Mah
Willmington, De. USA - Thursday, July 08, 2010 at 05:30:37 (PDT)
I just returned from a day of diving with Freddy and his crew. The only problem was it was only 2 dives. We came into town on a Cruise Ship and Freddy and I corresponded via email for almost a month before our trip. His level of professionalism and attentiveness to safety was unmatched by any commercial boat i have ever used. Our arrival into port was late morning...like 11:00. It is well known that dive operators anywhere and everywhere have a morning trip and an afternoon trip if business is good. That being said, Freddy just ran one trip for the day...for us only. Even though we paid for the minimum of 4 spots, the price was more than fair. And the best part...we were a party of 2. 2 divers....3 crew. We didn't lift a finger. It was awesome...and I have not even mentioned the diving yet. I have to mention we were in Cayman the day before on a trip booked through the Cruise Ship. What a waste of time and money. I love diving, and any day in the ocean is a good day, but it was a joke. Very mediocre dive site, divemasters who talked too much and a bottom time of about 25 minutes...after all the talk. And EXPENSIVE!!! Totally different experience with the Mestizo operation. Freddy quickly recognized our skill level and our attention to safety and just let us dive. Chose Santa Rosa wall for our first dive and it was spectacular. God, not Freddy gets the credit for that though. It was awesome. It was a day I will never forget. We are already looking to go back. I would without hesitation use Freddy for all of my diving in Cozumel. The farthest thing from a cattle boat. The most personalized commercial dive operation I have ever used. Looking forward to many future trips. I apologize for the length of this review, but I think if you are booking a trip out of the country, investing time, money, and your life in an operation you are not familiar with, it is important to know that you are making the right choice. Stop your search now for a Cozumel Dive Operation!...email Freddy n! ow.
Scott Pluskis
Coconut view, Fla USA - Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 05:34:00 (PDT)
After much research preparing for our 1st. dive following our certification, we chose Mestizo. What a wise choice!! Freddie and Charlie not only provided us with a wonderful experience but made sure our dives were safe for our level of experience. Both Freddie and Charlie kept a close, protective eye on us the entire dive, without making us feel like we were holding their hands. They made US responsible for our dives while keeping a watchful eye on us. We learned so much from Freddie about the reefs, breathing techniques, and he even threw in a few history lessons. But most importantly, conservation of the sealife we encounter while diving. We are GUESTS of the reef. We will carry Freddies respect for the creatures and plantlife whenever we venture below the surface. When we return to the beautiful waters of Cozumel, and we will.. we will dive with Mestizo and her crew. They call you Family, and they treat you like family. Thank you Freddie and the crew of Mestizo for the wonderful experiences we had with you. Happy trails.....till we meet again. Lynn and Doug Buchanan P.S. The luminescence on our night dive was a wonderful thing to see.
Lynn Buchanan
Martinsburg, Pa USA - Thursday, May 06, 2010 at 05:41:11 (PDT)
Just spent a week diving with Freddy and it was great. Freddy has lived on Cozumel most of his life and has a wealth of knowledge about the island as well as the dive sites. He only takes small groups, up to six. Almost every dive it seemed as though we were the only group on the site. Even took us to a couple of sites not normally dived by the larger outfits. Both were awesome! Freddy and his staff could not have been nicer. They really wanted to make sure we had a great time while with them. This was are first time with Freddy and we will be back again soon. Thanks again Freddy, hope to see you again soon. John & Monique
John & Monique Loving
Mechanicsville, Va USA - Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 18:15:06 (PDT)
My wife and I just spent a week in Cozumel and decided to try scuba diving. We took a basic course with Freddy and he is an excellent instructor. He also has safety as a primary focus and while he is very fun and friendly he also is very much in control at all times. He explains the physics or fundamentals in a way that helped me remember things because I understood them, not just memorizing rules. We found it to be a positive that the basic course was taken in shallow water instead of a confined area like a pool. Made the testing a little more real and once we were ready to go we could just start scubaing. Once you pass the beginner course you area allowed to scuba dive with an instructor for the next 14 days in depths no greater than 40 feet. We decided to do this one afternoon with Mestizo divers based on our great first experience. This dive was also wonderful. Freddy and Carlos do a great job of guiding you through the reef and pointing out extra neat thi! ngs that are around. Between the two dives we saw a school of several thousand fish which we swam among, a five foot barracuda, 2 large eagle rays, a moray eel, a sea turtle, lots of large lobsters and much more. Highly recommend Freddy and his crew Carlos and Enrique for diving instruction or just diving.
David Radloff
Hutchinson, Mn USA - Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 20:15:10 (PST)
Well I finally did it,I got certified by Freddie on a trip especially for this purpose ! We have a trip planned to Cuba in March and wanting to take my open water course ,we booked a trip to Cozumel and contacted Freddie! I met Freddie 3 years ago on MY first trip to Cozumel with my husband Randy,whom had told me all about Freddie over the years.He was everything and more,Freddie met us at our resort the first evening we arrived and his charm and friendly manner was awesome ! Now Randy has tried to get me to take the course over the past 15 years with no luck! But getting to know Freddie and Enrique over our 2 week stay in Cozumel, my comfort level grew and for the first time I really wanted to give this a try! We went back to Cozumel the next year,contacted Freddie for me to take the course but I had an ear infection so was unable to go ahead with the course,Freddie never once attemped to push me to do it anyway, as some may have . YOUR safety and well-being are Fredd! ie and Mestizo"s Diving top priority and not the dollar!!We went to Cozumel in February and with Freddie and Enrique's guidance and encouragment,I received my Open Water Certificate!! I have to Thank Freddie and Enrique for all the encouragement they gave me.Enrique was always there on the boat with a big smile and encouraging words whenever I got back on the boat,he was there to help with putting on the BCD,he is awesome!Thank-you Freddie for your help and encouragement,you made learning fun and enjoyable and NOT once did I think I couldn't do it and Never felt unsafe!
Heather Smith
Estevan, Saskatchewan Canada - Monday, February 22, 2010 at 08:41:21 (PST)
I first met Freddy in the early 1990s when he was my instuctor for my Divemaster Course as well as a couple of specialty courses. What struck me most about Freddy at that time was his commitment to safety and his seemingly endless patience. He will never sacrifice his values in the name of making a buck of just getting it done, he will always take the high road. Freddy considers his divers to be family and treats them as such. I have always felt Freddy was more friend than Dive Instructor. My wife and I began going back to Cozumel 3 years ago after several years of going to "other" vacation destinations. I immediately looked up Freddy for my diving, and found out that he was now in business with a new partner. I booked some diving and found that to my great pleasure Freddy and Enrique working together show the same level of excelence that Freddy showed me years earlier. Their boat "Mestizo" is a very comfortable platform for diving and is well equiped. Smaller groups of divers are much more enjoyable than what you get on the big "cattle" boats. My wife Heather also began to notice the level of professionalism at Mestizo Divers. Noticed enough that she felt confident enough to become an Open Water Diver herself. Now I am not the kind of person to hand Heather over to just anyone, but knowing Freddy and his values made me feel very good about Heather training with Mestizo. Anyway, to make a long story short, Heather and I went to Cozumel again in February 2010 and she took her course. She was treated extremely well by Freddy and Enrique for the duration of our stay and I am happy to say I now have full time dive buddy. Finally I would once again like to extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to Enrique and Freddy for being a major part of a wonderful vacation in Cozumel. I have no doubt in my mind that Mestizo Divers will be my first stop in Cozumel next year.
Randy Smith
Estevan, Saskatchewan Canada - Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 08:22:26 (PST)
I am a 57 year old man, in moderately good condition and not the quickest learner. I live in Alaska, so I don't spend much time in the ocean. Freddy taught me everything I needed to become a certified open water diver in only four days. Two more days were spent scuba diving with Freddy in what can only be described as breathtaking and fascinating natural aquatic beauty. OMG!! Don't have any reservations about Mestizo Divers or Cozumel. "I'll be back".
Wilfred Fernandez
Wasilla, AK USA - Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 17:08:52 (PST)
My wife and I spent a week diving with Freddy of Mestizo Divers. We’ve been diving for about 18 years now and have traveled to many different destinations and dove with many different dive operations throughout the Caribbean plus other sites such as Galapagos, PNG and Cocoas Island. I am happy to say that Freddy and Mestizo Divers ranks right up near the top of the list for the overall quality of dive experience that he provided. His boat has all of the amenities (marine head) and safety necessities that make for a comfortable pleasureable trip back and forth to the dive sights. Being locally raised on Cozumel he has historical knowledge of the island and reefs that adds an extra bit of interest to the trip. He has good safety/dive protocols and briefings. He keeps the size of group down to a max of 6 divers so you never feel you are a numbered steer on a large cattle boat. You are also allowed the freedom to dive your computer instead of having to surface afte! r a predetermined amount of time. Given that neither my wife or I speak Spanish it was a definite plus that Freddy has an excellent command of the English language. We’ve been to Cozumel a number of times but this has been the first time with Mestizo. However, it certainly won’t be the last. Two thumbs up and a high recommendation.
Gord & Meryle lehn
Cochrane, alberta Canada - Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 13:26:00 (PST)
My husband and I went diving with Freddy last week for three incredible days. It was our first time diving in Cozumel and we were anxious to see the amazing creatures and beautiful reef. Freddy is very knowledgeable about the reefs and the history of Cozumel. He picked us up every morning at our hotel pier and we were at the dive site within minutes. Before every dive, he would tell us the local folklore about the history of the reefs and why they have such interesting names. He is a wonderful, safe diver and great at teaching relaxed, calm diving techniques which allowed us to see some amazing animals which otherwise may have hid. We were so impressed with his diving techniques that we decided to get advance open water certified with him during the trip. During each dive, he would point out all different types of animals, fish, lobsters, sharks, turtles, sponges and different types of coral. After each dive, he would give us exotic fruits from the island to try, inc! luding two types of cactus fruit, while we went to the next dive site. Freddy has made us better divers who are more conscientious of our dive surroundings. It was a magical week and I would recommend Mestizo divers for anyone, no matter their skill level. In fact, we have a 6 yr old and when she is ready to do her open water certification we will take her to Freddy!
Vandra Livingston-Tallis
Tucson, Arizona USA - Friday, September 11, 2009 at 04:41:43 (PDT)
Issaquah, WA, USA body: I can't really say if Freddy is the BEST dive instructor in Cozumel since I only went diving with him and can't compare, BUT I can compare him to other dive masters I've been with and he is by far one of the best. He is a master craftsman. He has decades of experience. He is a great teacher. Very conscientious of the way you should dive, the dive site, the reefs of Cozumel and your safety. I highly recommend him, he takes out small groups, you get individual attention and he takes good care of you. I am so glad I got a chance to meet and dive wit him. I'll be back for sure. Mark Griffith
Mark Griffith
Issaqua, WA USA - Monday, June 22, 2009 at 15:58:19 (PDT)
Well my experiences with Freddy started five years ago. My parents, my sister, and I were in Cozumel for vacation when my parents decided to get certified through Freddy. At the current time he was working for Aqua Safari. As my parent came to an end in their open water certification course, Freddy offered my sister and I an intro dive. He was so friendly and made my sister and I's scuba experience so enjoyable. From that point on, I was captivated at the vast variety of underwater life. After our experience Freddy offered his personal contact number to stay in touch, but in the four years following we had lost his number and had no way of contacting him. Since then, I have been certified while back in the states and my parents finally found his number. Freddy's friendship over money way of business sealed the deal that he would be the one that would take us diving this year. Although it had been five years since, our friendship with Freddy, has re-kindled and we had a! n amazing time diving this year. His comforting and easy going way of life made my parent's and I's diving experience so enjoyable. We will definitely continue diving with Freddy and Mestizo Divers!
Derek Woelfel
New Braunsfels, Tx USA - Saturday, August 09, 2008 at 19:31:13 (PDT)
Well, where do i start? Freddy, i would like to thank you and Enrique for the Top grade service provided from 15/6/2008 to 27/6/2008. From being patient with us while we completed our Padi Course and for taking us on some unforgetable Dives. From Sharks to Starfish we saw an amazing aray of sealife, turtles, stingrays, Huge Lobsters, Parrot Fish, Baracuda's, Cracking Coral formations and beautiful Caverns and Caves. As we watched A shoal of sardines on the C52 Wreck we were treated to a feeding freenzy by large groupers. A truly spectacular site. But for me, my favourite moment was when a large hawkbill Turtle just cruised passed my eyeline no more than 1ft away and looked rite into my eyes. I talked to alot of divers while in Cozumel, some of them never even spotted a turtle on 10 dives! I ended up taking a guy and girl from our hotel with us to Get the Mistizo experience! On their first dive, they saw turtles and all sorts, truely amazing and they were stuck for words! There response was the same as mine, there is no better dive master 'ANYWHERE' in Mexico. His Experience and knowledge was second to none! Between each dive you get refreshments and fresh fruit, no other diver i spoke to even got offered water! These are the touches that set Mestizo divers apart from the rest. So well done Freddy and Captain Enrigue who followed our bubbles everywhere. Training and experiences i will surely never forget, See you next year Amigo's! P.S, The fishing charter we also took with Mestizo was Fruitful, a 25kg white Marlin and a 30kg Sail Fish. Hopefully Freddy will put the Pictures up soon!
Alan Palmer
London - Monday, July 14, 2008 at 11:36:25 (PDT)
Hi Freddy, Just want to say gracias for a fabulous week of diving! You are so not like the typical dive operator. No crowds, no fuss - I love it! I will definitely recommend you to everyone I know and even divers I don't know. Next time I'm back in Cozumel, I'll be contacting you to take me diving. Gracias, Hillary
Hillary Bloom
Iselin, NJ USA - Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 13:00:18 (PDT)
But would have liked to have told you what a fantastic time we had!!!!! And your friends are super and very nice to dive with. It would be great to do that as a group again some day. I have to tell you......................when we went with that other dive center it wasn't a very good time. In fact it seemed like work and the fumes from the boat made me sick and it was just kinda like.................well, put it this way............when we were done diving that day with those guys.....I thought that maybe I made a mistake and that diving wasn't as fun as I thought it would be and maybe it isn't what I want to do more often. I was sick, tired and felt just like a "number" with those guys. They were nice, but they weren't attentive, not very much anyway. So I was a little held back when we met with you and your friends to dive. But........................thank you Lord, that we did meet up with you!!! I felt like we came home. As soon as I stepped into your boat, I felt safe and comfortable. It is crazy the difference it made. And we know with you.......we are always safe. Like a father watching his children, we know you are ALWAYS watching, and ready to encourage and/or correct in that gentle way that you have. We never feel stupid asking you things and you always can explain what we need to know. And still keep a sense of humor about things to. Your experience can be seen on your face and in your eyes and it gives a sense of relax......life is good. When we were done diving that day.......I had such a good time that I had tears in my eyes because I didn't want to go home yet. A HUGE change from the previous diving that we did. Bryon felt the same way. We both knew.................. We WILL be back again and again and again. And you can bet.........we will be calling YOU! We plan to spread the word about how great the diving was with you and your boat. WE are hoping to bring the boys back this summer so that you can take them out and get them going again. Dustin thinks he wants to train under you to become an instructor in the future and open a "Dive shop" in the Florida Keys some year. We told him one step at a time and if he stays interested and serious then we will arrange it in the future. He has a lot of maturing to do first. Ha Ha. Well, gotta go, but again .....THANK YOU for such a fantastic time and for saving our interest in diving!!!!!!
Heidi and Bryon
Valley View, Texas USA - Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 22:49:42 (PST)
Hola Freddie, We have arrived back home in Canada and are wishing we had never left sunny Cozumel. We just want to thank you for the wonderful week of diving. You seem to have a knack for finding the best reefs with plentiful sealife. Eagle rays, sharks, green moray eels, turtles and all the colourful reef fish. Could it get any better? We also enjoyed tasting new and exotic fruits and help with our rusty Spanish. Please thank Enrique for all his assistance with our gear. We are already looking forward to our next trip. See you soon amigo!
Louise Coppen
Red Lake, Ontario Canada - Monday, February 11, 2008 at 08:07:34 (PST)
In 1994 I brought my OW referral letter to Cozumel in order to complete my Open Water certification. Freddie taught me and a family of four from Denver. Not only was I impressed with Freddie's instruction, but by the professionalism and tact he showed when two of the four in the family were obviously not ready to be "signed-off". Rather than embarrass the two, he commented that since they would be diving as a family, and that two were more ready than the others, he wouldn't sign any of their cards until they had another half-day lesson, WHICH HE WOULDN'T CHARGE THEM FOR! (He did certify me that day). Later in the week, I talked to the teenagers in the family and they finally did get certified after their next lesson, but only after hiring Freddie to be their divemaster/guide for their first boat dive. Freddie not only demonstrated his professionalism and tact in handling a delicate situation, he demonstrated the utmost integrity. Freddie may not remember me, but I suspect he might remember the situation. I now have logged over 100 dives - most in Cozumel - and definitely can say Freddie started me out well trained and more capable and confident than most beginning divers.
Steve Dains
Lathrup Village, MI USA - Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 13:18:51 (PST)
I have known Freddie for over 10 years and had the privilege of having him as my first Open Water Instructor. Through his inspiration I have continued to advance my skills to Rescue Diver, Master Diver & Dive Master& Asst. Instructor. When you meet Freddie, you will have acquired a true and loyal friend. I am very happy to see he has ventured out on his own, away from the cattle boats cartel, and is continuing to train divers in a very sincere and personal way.
Steve Gibson
Woodbury, Minnesota USA - Friday, January 11, 2008 at 13:13:55 (PST)
I have known Freddy Contreras since 1994 when I did my Open Water course with him, and have since also done my Advanced (1995) and Divemaster (2004) qualifications with him, and he has become a good friend. Freddy is an excellent instructor and diver, always ensuring the safest dive environment. He is also one of the best dive guides in Cozumel, and knows exactly where to look for all the really interesting stuff! He is also a very nice and caring person. Good luck with your new business venture and Mestizo Divers, Freddy! Tu amigo,
Tony Randell
Rome, Italy - Thursday, November 01, 2007 at 13:13:10 (PDT)
Three years ago I did a resort course with Freddy and he opened my eyes to the amazing underwater world. He is a truly wonderful teacher. Although I was very nervous, Freddy's warm, calm and highly professional manner inspired me with confidence from the start. I couldn't wait to go home and do my training so that I could return to Cozumel and do my certification dives with him. This summer my husband I did our Advanced Open Water training with Freddy on his splendid new boat & what an amazing experience. We were treated like royalty by his crew and had a chance to visit some dive sites that were definitely off the beaten track. Freddy's insistence on buoyancy control and breathing technique have helped me acquire good diving skills. I tell everyone that he is the best and the only dive instructor I would ever consider. I'm looking forward to doing my Rescue Diver training with him from the Mestizo next time in Cozumel. I cannot recommend Freddy, his boat and his crew highly enough.
Pam Ireland
Montreal, Quebec Canada - Monday, October 22, 2007 at 07:37:15 (PDT)
I did my PADI AOW certification with Freddy in 1992 while on vacation in Cozumel. I learned more about diving skills in that class than I did in my basic open water training. So I came back to Cozumel to do several specialty certifications and finally my Divemaster. I know that I would not have the diving skills I have perfected today had it not been for Freddy. As a professional underwater photographer I carry a 12# camera on every dive, yet people always compliment me on my perfect buoyancy skills and continued awareness of what is going on around me. When I teach underwater photography I also teach this very important skill. For the past 12 years I have traveled around the world and visited many dive destinations. I worked as a Divemaster in Southern California for five years and worked with many PADI instructors, but have NEVER witnessed an instructor who was so meticulous about teaching the important details students NEED to know and understand. Freddy has a way of making the whole concept easy to understand and easy to remember. He is in my opinion the BEST scuba instructor I have ever known. I can't wait to make my next trip to Cozumel (my 30th visit to the island) in March so I can dive on Freddy's new boat. Needless to say I highly recommend Freddy, Enrique and Mestizo Divers.
Bonnie Pelnar
Irvine, CA USA - Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 10:30:01 (PDT)
I tell people all the time how happy I am that you were my Divemaster Instructor. When Loop and I were diving with our friends in Fiji, we received many compliments from the Divemasters and instructors regarding our diving skills. They were calling us "the pros" by the end of our stay. But that was not the best part. The best part was that I felt so confident and calm in the water. I am not the same diver I was when I came to you last December.
Terese Britt
