Diving in Playa Del Carmen and Riviera Maya

[nimoh]

I highly recommend the cenotes as well, but it is important to know and respect your limits and comfort level. Maybe some other trip.

 

[Scuba-dan]

I highly recommend the cenotes as well, but it is important to know and respect your limits and comfort level. Maybe some other trip.

Yeah, that's a limit that I will not even think to conquer. I'm not really comfortable to be in a cenote. I've looked at some youtube vids and not for me at all.

 

[tom041959]

Was there last June also dove with geofish good dive op,Very safety conscious.We dove the cenotes with tomas and sergio.We had a great time ,Looking foward to going back.Dive safe :cool2:

 

[carlitosway]

hello scuba-dan. scubacaribe is one of the biggest company for diving in the area, good thing is in your hotel,since is a big company you may not have the personalize service you may need....cheers and have a HAPPY DIVE

 

[Scuba Tom]

I went diving there a year ago and I had smooth drifting dives...just let you drift in the current. Very relaxing.

 

[bigbluemarble]

On the deeper dives (90/100 feet) to the north of Playa and at Mama Vina (wreck mentioned in earlier post), the current tends to be strong. Just make sure your buoyancy is good and just fly along with the current. On other deep dives (60 feet and more), the current depends on the day. Sometimes you just cruise along and don't have to kick, other days you might need to be a little more active to see more of the reef. Some shallow reefs (max. 50 feet) like Barracuda and Sabalos generally tend to have stronger currents (Sabalos has stronger current than Barracuda) than other shallow reefs here. These two reefs are fun to dive and there's a lot to see.

As for down current, Playa's reef formations are very different from those of Cozumel (no drop offs like in Cozumel; also all dives conducted over sandy bottom) so you won't find what is like the underwater version of a rip current (that pulls you down instead of out). However, if you do end up diving in strong current, stay close to the reef where it will be less.

FYI the tarpon have started to arrive in Tortugas and will be here for the summer. Pretty impressive to see them in large schools at the north end of the reef.

 

[LGF]

Hey Folks, I am wondering if the failed Beach Expansion has impacted the quality of the diving in Playa Del Carmen and the health of the reef. Anyone been diving in Playa recently?

 

[Scuba-dan]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback !!!!

Dan

 

[DresselDivers]

Hello Everyone!!

As for cenotes diving: Alot of the Cenotes that are visited are caverns, not caves, which have sufficient sections where access to the surface is always possible.
The cenotes can therefore be enjoyed by certified divers with normal equipment configuration, as long as they are accompanied by a Cenote guide, and have good buoyancy control.

concerning the quality of

the diving in Playa Del Carmen and the health of the reef:​

in some areas the sand has been washed away again, but not in front of the Iberostar resort fo rexapmple, there its been a success. The reefs have not been afected by the movements at all.

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

I've been a guide for here and Coz for over ten years and believe me when I tell ya Playa has minimal currents compared to some of those around Cozumel or even some parts of Puerto Morelos. I've dove many times in 5+knot currents around Coz and Puerto Morelos but pretty much never here off the coast of Playa del Carmen. Playa for the most part has lazy drift dives...perfect for the novice to get aquainted this the drift diving in currents over reefs. Either way...it's great diving down here!