Diving Maui, HI or Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

[rlrtaw]

Hi All,

I am new to Scubaboard, and to diving. I just got certified December 12, 2004, in Jamaica, at the Grand Lido Negril. I have 5 dives under my belt and have only been down 40 ft. Yippee.

My question is if you had the choice to dive in Maui, HI or Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
where would you go and why.

On Maui I would go diving with the Maui Divers, and on Playa Del Carmen I would go diving with DiveMike http://www.divemike.com/index.html .

Thanks for the advice.

Renee

 

[murphdivers286]

Welcome to the board rlrtaw. As for the question, I would not know. I have not dived any of those place, but I would like to try them all....

 

[El Orans]

Hello Renee,
welcome (Scub)aBoard! :balloon
Laurens

BTW, you'll probably get better answers if you post your question in the Mexico and/or Hawaii forum.

 

[SoCalOffshore]

I have dived Cozumel once and never Maui, but I am going again to Coz in February and Maui in May. Coz diving is great, but most dives start at 80 feet or so. You will want good bouyancy control and be comfortable diving deeper than what you have done. Good luck.

 

[Charlie99]

Both Maui and Cozumel have great diving. Both typically have awesome visiblity. Cozumel has lots more big soft stuff like gorgonians and sponges. Boat trips are a LOT more expensive in Maui. Maui has a lot more topside activities for non-divers. Maui and Cozumel are both great, but different. I do like Cozumel enough that, even though I spend 3 or 4 months a year in Maui, I still try to get to Cozumel once a year for a week or two.

Playa del Carmen, OTOH, isn't nearly as nice as either Cozumel or Maui. Although PDC is just across the channel from Cozumel, the diving is not nearly as nice.

Charlie

 

[liquid_lunch]

I just came back from Playa del Carmen. I water is warm! it was awsome. due to bad weather though I was only able to do 2 dives. both boat dives and check this out we saw a bull shark!!!!! it was so awsome. saw lots of other fish and colours oh my god colours! its going to be hard to jump back in a lake up here to swim with the one pike that lives here. and every thing is green and brown and c-c-c-c-cold.

i total recomend using Tank-Ha diving company. $60us for two boat dives, provide drinks, one divemaster to max 8 divers, boat holds only 10 people so no mass confusion. very professional, organized. loved it will go again.

email me if you need any other info. liquidlunch@shaw.ca

cheers

 

[AmyJ]

Both Maui and Cozumel have great diving. Both typically have awesome visiblity.

Playa del Carmen, OTOH, isn't nearly as nice as either Cozumel or Maui. Although PDC is just across the channel from Cozumel, the diving is not nearly as nice.

Charlie

I love PDC.. we go several times a year. It doesn't have the drifting and the coral that Coz does, but the fish life is excellent and the cenotes are out of this world. I can't speak about HI, but love PDC!

 

[rlrtaw]

Hello Renee,
welcome (Scub)aBoard! :balloon
Laurens

BTW, you'll probably get better answers if you post your question in the Mexico and/or Hawaii forum.

Oh okay, great responses!

Thank you!

 

[Charlie99]

I love PDC.. we go several times a year. It doesn't have the drifting and the coral that Coz does, but the fish life is excellent and the cenotes are out of this world. I can't speak about HI, but love PDC!

I didn't say the PDC diving is bad .... just not as good as Cozumel or Maui

I've enjoyed ocean diving in both Cancun and Akumal. Cancun is a good place to go with non-divers and still be able to do some nice diving. But if you are planning a DIVE trip, IMNSHO, Cozumel is the place to go for great diving.

A newly certified diver like the original poster should not be in the cenotes, even doing one of the "cavern" tours of places like Dos Ojos. Even though there are companies willing to take anyone with an AOW cert, it really is something that shouldn't be done until you are very comfortable in the water, and have much better awareness of your surroundings than the typical new diver.

 

[scubajoe]

Welcome to the board!

Joe