Palancar Bricks

Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexicoreef28 m maxintermediate

Conditions & tides

Channel site — tidal current funnels through here and can run fast, changing quickly with the tide. It is usually strongest around mid-tide and eases near the slack windows below. Dive with a local operator who knows the timing.

Palancar BricksCozumel

Good · 5/5

conditions visualisation

Good5/5

Calm and diveable right now — best window today 7 AM–5 PM.

Wind9 kn ENE

Current~0.9 kn N · model

Swell

0.4 m · 5s · ESE

Water

29 °C

Max depth

28 m

Conditions through the day

6 AM6 PM

Calmest current near slack — 02:30 & 14:30 local

Sunrise 06:53 · Sunset 18:10 local

Show details

Tide · local

Outlook — select a day for full conditions

On-face swell 0.1 m — the component of the swell aimed at this site’s exposed face. Strong-current reef: plan a drift and enter near the slack windows above. Current is a regional model value (Copernicus, ~9 km grid) — a guide to the area, not a precise reef measurement. Imagery © Esri · not depth or visibility.

Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model

Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.

Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?

About this site

Palancar Bricks is a section of Cozumel's Palancar reef system, rated as an intermediate dive site reached by boat, with depths running from 50 ft (15 m) down to 90 ft (27 m). Large coral formations rise from a white sandy bottom that slopes away into open water, and there are countless caves and canyons winding along this stretch of reef—enough that multiple dives still leave sections unseen.

The site's signature visual is the contrast between the bright sandy bottom and the deep blue of the abyss beyond it, making upward-angle photography a highlight. Divers move in and around the large coral structures, where marine life is consistently abundant. Turtle, shark, and eagle ray sightings are described as very common, and schooling fish including grunts and snapper are a constant presence.

Currents at Palancar Bricks are typically mild to moderate, and visibility is normally excellent, with December through April considered the ideal period. Water temperature ranges from 25–29°C across the year. The site can be dived year-round and suits intermediate-certified divers; the swim-throughs and caves present throughout the reef are the primary hazard to be aware of.

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