Any recommendations for Cancun Dive shops?

[Spratman]

C-58. Tell Ben you want to do the wreck dive. I don't know if the eagle rays are there this time of year, but that is always a great dive!

 

[JillGadget]

Hey all, I'm going to the Dreams Resort in Cancun in July. My buddy's gettin married. Anyway, I was thinking of getting some dives in down there. Currently I have about 50 dives under me. I prefer dives at the 40' depth. Don't particularly care for deeper dives. Does anyone know of a respectable dive shop down there. Or maybe, can anyone recommend any dive sites.

Any replies appreciated, thanks - Patrick

AND DON'T FORGET TO GET BEN TO TAKE YOU TO THE CENOTE'S!!! WILL BLOW YOUR MIND LIKE YOU NEVER THOUGHT.:scubadive

 

[Trainacomin]

hi clint,
please dont be put off by cancun diving, we have awesome dive sites here, 80-50ft reefs, long bottom time, tons of fish, you wont be disspaointed!
heres why cancun has bad press, the operators are big here compared to coz or playa, aquaworld, scuba cancun etc... they ll take you with 30 divers on a boat, drop you on the closest most convienet reef (usually beaten and dead) give you 35min on the bottom then your taken back because they have another boat load waiting! thats the first impression of cancun diving! it sucks!
get with a smaller operator, fast boats, small groups and get to the outside reefs you going to love it, check out "la perdiida", cuevas de afuera", "el tunel" and the c 58, we ve been there 3 times this week, the divers love the eagle rays!
i ve dived all over, oz, thailand, fiji among others and cancun keeps me happy, great variety, fun reefs..... just give it a try!

ben

Thanks for all the info from everyone. With the cheap airfares out of Austin I might try Cancun this fall!

Clint

 

[got2dive62]

I highly recommend Alvaro and Alwaysdiving. If you want great dives in Cancun, Cozumel, or the Cenotes Alvaro is your man. I have been diving with Alvaro for the last five years now and have close to 100 dives with him. We always have wonderful dives. He can take you on the kind of dives that you like to do. With very small groups you get personal service. Alvaro still has that passion for diving that many Instructors or guides seem to lose after years in the business. Every time I go to Cancun or know of people going I always tell them about Alvaro. No one has been disappointed yet.
Hope you have a great time on your vacation. Check out Alwaysdiving.com

 

[tropicaledit]

Thanks to those replies ... and now another !!! I usually dive with a pony bottle. Whether in 10' or 70'. It comes from habit of doing solo dives. Is there any recommendations on how to get/bring a pony bottle via air travel. I'm flying from Fort Lauderdale to Cancun.

 

[Fyshebait]

Ben, I'll be in Cancun during March, week of the 14th - 23rd (exact dates not finalized yet). If I dive with Mayan Aqua Dive, can I book with you ahead of time, or should I wait until I arrive and then book the days? Where exactly is the shop located, and how much of a trip is it from the Golden Parnassus (not certain that's where we're staying, but it's the front runner at the moment). Or do you do pickups at the resorts?

I've seen mention of manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks, etc...but in March how realistic is that? I'd love the opportunity to see some sharks, and get some video of them...but is this the wrong time of year for something like that?

Anything you can tell me would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Spratman]

I'm certain Ben will answer directly. If you are not staying at a Royal Resort, it doesn't matter, although I would plan my dives ahead of time. If you are staying at the Royals, Thomas Moore gets a cut of the action, so I would book ahead of time. The Golden Parnassus is down at the bottom of the hotel zone. Mayan Aqua Dive is in the Hotel Internationale de Cancun (used to be part of the Royals) at KM 4.5. He does do pick ups and returns to the resorts.

It is hit and miss, however, I think realistically, that whale sharks start around May and run until September. If your luck holds out, you might catch all the them. Make sure you schedule a cenote, if you have never done one.

You can contact Ben directly at Ben@mayanaquadive.com.

Dive safe!

 

[Fyshebait]

Thanks Spratman.

I did send Ben an e-mail, but haven't heard back from him yet. We did in fact book for the Golden Parnassus, just this afternoon. There is supposed to be a dive shop in the resort itself, but I'm happier to go with someone who comes recommended, and I suspect the resort shop would be doing the "cattle boat" type of trips.

The Cenotes will definitely be on the agenda. I've been to Cozumel a few times, and loved it, but if I don't get there this time around I'll survive. I'm going to try for a night dive, and hopefully get in some reef diving...as I said, my number one desire is to get some video of a few reef sharks...a hammerhead would be a dream, but that's highly unlikely. And what you said about the timing for whale sharks fits what I've been reading...but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Of course, it's not as if I'll be disappointed with just the usual diving sights...turtles, barracuda, rays, moray eels, octopusses...octopasses...octopieses...those soft eight-armed things...it's all good! The only way I could leave really disappointed is if I don't get to go diving at all!

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

im here!
sorry for my slugish delay, i ve spent the weekend in tulum and playa for my girlfirends birthday! you know how it is!
we did go diving with the bull sharks in playa, big bull sharks, any takers, three weeks left on the season??, out of 10 times only twice we didnt see sharks.
i ll be back on the mail tomorrow (sunday), apologies for any delay

ben

 

[Fyshebait]

Bull sharks? Count me in!!! I've only ever seen them once before, in Cuba three years ago...it was amazing! Only problem is, I don't get there for six weeks, not three...see if you can convince a few of them to stick around for me!