Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

javelindan · 02-20-2005, 10:43 PM,

Headed to Cancun the first week of March and looking for good outfits to dive with and good sites to dive. My son is taking his open water class and confined water training before we go so we're also looking for recommendations for dive operators to do his open water check out with. Suggestions? THANKS in advance!

**freedivernd** · 02-21-2005, 01:03 PM,

If you're renting a car or inclined to do the bus thing... it's a ways south of cancun... but scubamex at Pamuul is reasonably priced.. has a referrel program, easy drift dives only minutes from shore. and are great with beginners. Lester is the one to visit with there. They don't treat us freedivers to well but my wife did a resort dive with them and I was impressed.. I went scuba with them a few weeks ago and they treated me well... now if only they'd let me freedive along with them > Sad

Pamuul is about 10 minutes or so south of playa del carmen, about 5km north of Puerto Aventuras - and when you're in that area that's where all the cenotes are.... -- sorry I don't know a thing about dive shops in or near Cancun. Are you booked into a room or hotel in cun? the reason I ask is that there's plenty of beach, sand, and water there but all the good diving is either south of there or over to Coz..

javelindan · 02-21-2005, 05:06 PM,

Thanks for the feedback. We're booked at Crown Paradise Club Cancun, an all-inclusive resort. The resort's site mentions the closest good diving is on reefs in the bay of Isla Mujeres. I talked with Bill at Scuba Daddy's and he gave me a card for an outfit he's worked with running out of Isla Mujeres. The island is located just off the north side of Cancun. Playa del Carmen and Cozumel are accessible but about 25mi south of where we'll be staying.

**freedivernd** · 02-21-2005, 05:38 PM,

I think the ferry to isla mujeras leaves outta Puerto Morelos which is just south of cancun.. that will be the place to get to then.. I do know that there are several dive shops in Morelos... maybe they'd be an option too, but you'ld have to do some google searching as I'm not familiar with those.

Al · (This post was last modified: 02-24-2005, 09:22 AM by Al.)

I dove with Manta divers a couple summers ago in Cancun and they were ok.Â American owners and english speaking divemasters.Â They are located on the peer where you catch the ferry to go to the island Isla Mujeres.Â There are some reefs off of the shore, a wreck etc but my favorite part was the cenote's.Â Manta drove us south and tooks us to Choc Maal(?) which was really cool cavern diving (also cooler water).Â It may be cheeper to take the bus but it was sure nice to just be driven to the dive site.Â Your hotel may also have some "discount" package for diving.

p.s.Â Go into town and get away from the crazy main drag.

javelindan · 02-24-2005, 09:30 PM,

Thanks for your comments, FreediverND and Al. I went online and checked into the cenotes... looks like some cool diving to be had! I presume there are a number of cenote dives which are available for general diving (I don't have a cave diving cert)?

**freedivernd** · 02-25-2005, 07:35 AM,

javelindan, yes, the cenotes are available for non certified cave divers.Â They will most likely be cavern dives but I can tell you from freediving in them that it would really be worth the dive even at that.Â The scenery around the cenotes (jungle) is great,Â the setting is worth seeing whether a person got in the water or not.Â A note about the cenote diving.. I wore a 3m suit, the water in the cenotes is about 73 deg. so a bit cool compared to the ocean at 78 - 81 or so.Â 'course, I wore a 3m suit in the ocean every time too.. in fact, next year I'm leaving the 1.5m at home.Â Just which cenote to go to is a tough call... I've been to 3 and each one was different and each one was great in it's way.Â Dos Ojos with it's stalactites/stalagmites and sun filtering through the jungle vegetation was very good.Â Casa Cenote was the 1st one I was to and it was mostly rock and mangrove roots, super clear, and hardly anyone else there.Â I still enjoy going there (it's free for freedivers)Â And then Yal Kul (well, I guess that was a lagoon) was really just a place for snorkeling.. it was only about 6' deep.Â I'd say to do some searches and ask about the cenotes.. try not to pass them up for diving.. Dos Ojos would be my recomendation but I'm sure you can glean a lot more info from people who have visited other cenotes.

Also, sorry... I guess the ferry to Isle Mujeres leaves outta Puerto Juarez.. not Morelos. and there are day trips ferries from cun to isle to.

javelindan · 02-26-2005, 10:11 AM,

Thanks for the additional feedback, freediverND.Â Great info.Â I'll check into Dos Ojos and do more homework on the cenotes and ferries this weekend before we arrive Mon...Â I dropped my 10yr old son off at Scuba Daddy's this AM for his Open Water class and will be joining him and the class for their confined water sessions the next couple of days.Â Looking forward to diving again and enjoying what Cun and the Yucatan have to offer!