Unsafe Cancun dive operator?

[Ed Marshall]

I'm heading to Cancun in January for a bachelor party but the bachelor and I are more interested in diving than anything else. We will spend at least one day diving Cozumel. Long story as to why we got stuck staying in Cancun and not Cozumel...

I've been looking for dive operators in Cancun and Manta Divers pops up quite a bit. They have a very imformative and professional http://www.mantadivers.com/, and seem to get fair to good reviews here on the board, based on my searches.

My concern is http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/tripreports.php?s=2798 I read on a different board, which seems to indicate unsafe practices, namely filling cylinders with air polluted by engine exhaust. I am willing to believe this was a temporary problem that has since been resolved, but I'd like to know if anyone can confirm or deny that based on more recent experience, since 2004 anyway.

Alternatively, I would enjoy other suggestions about dive operators you may know and trust in Cancun. Thanks for your time!

Ed

 

[Chris Walrod]

Check out Dive Puerto Morelos. Speak with Cat, she is great. Puerto Morelos is a small town about 25 minutes south of the aero puerto.

 

[Spratman]

http://www.scubacancun.com.mx

Dove with them last year and probably will again this year. Although, Manta has a better variety of mixing and matching dives.

Jack

 

[Rondo]

In reference to the report you cited,you have nothing to worry about while diving with Manta.

I actually was with Jason (the report author) on those specific dives, I saw no problems,and noticed no bad air.

As part of a redesign of their shop the compressor was moved out of it's original placement recently(I was there in May).The air intake now has a high unimpeded placement.

 

[Ed Marshall]

In reference to the report you cited,you have nothing to worry about while diving with Manta.

I actually was with Jason (the report author) on those specific dives, I saw no problems,and noticed no bad air.

As part of a redesign of their shop the compressor was moved out of it's original placement recently(I was there in May).The air intake now has a high unimpeded placement.

Thanks for the info!

Ed

 

[divernva]

Just got back from a trip to Cancun. Manta Divers took us to Chak Mool for a nice easy cavern dive. The guide, Lief, is top-notch. For the same type of dive, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.

As for the compressor, I thought it looked kludgy also. It's a car motor with the intake high 20-30' off the ground. I wasn't about to go diving on their air without checking it out... so I had my buddies check out the air in the tanks since they were renting equipment and needed to checkout their regs anyway ;-)

Air was clean, no queasiness (sp?) whatsoever. The guide dove off the same air, for whatever thats worth.

Did a boat dive with Scuba Cancun in May of this year. Good guys, good size boat. Definitely bring a signal bouy... and try to stick with the divemaster. We surfaced and it was a good 10 - 15min before the boat got to us...

Overall great experience with both outfits. Have fun!

 

[Narcd_dvr]

Just got back from a trip to Cancun. Manta Divers took us to Chak Mool for a nice easy cavern dive. The guide, Lief, is top-notch. For the same type of dive, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.

As for the compressor, I thought it looked kludgy also. It's a car motor with the intake high 20-30' off the ground. I wasn't about to go diving on their air without checking it out... so I had my buddies check out the air in the tanks since they were renting equipment and needed to checkout their regs anyway ;-)

Air was clean, no queasiness (sp?) whatsoever. The guide dove off the same air, for whatever thats worth.

Did a boat dive with Scuba Cancun in May of this year. Good guys, good size boat. Definitely bring a signal bouy... and try to stick with the divemaster. We surfaced and it was a good 10 - 15min before the boat got to us...

Overall great experience with both outfits. Have fun!

Divernva,
Can you please tell me more about the cavern diving at Chak Mool. On Manta Divers site, they say that any certified diver can go cave diving as long as the DM is a certified cave diver. How deep did you guys have to go?

Thanks.

 

[divernva]

Divernva,
Can you please tell me more about the cavern diving at Chak Mool. On Manta Divers site, they say that any certified diver can go cave diving as long as the DM is a certified cave diver. How deep did you guys have to go?

Thanks.

All I can say is.... its Mexico. ;-) Actually, you're no more than 150' away from an opening. It was a very easy dive, the guide provides a good brief (ie. no straying, rule of thirds, light signals...) on the ride down from the shop. He also decides on which cenote to hit depending on experience of the group. We were a group of 4, and we had one guide. No other DMs, and if someone in your group is a certified DM... I'd recommend sticking with the guide.

My computer logged a max depth of 45', but the overall profile is a gradual "saw-tooth" with max / min of 40' / 15' respectively. Water temp is about 72F, I wore a 1.5mm full-length heater and got a little chilled with about 10min left in the second dive. I'm a skier, so I'd like to think I'm not the type to get cold very easily. They switch out the tanks in the water, so there's virtually no surface interval. Which also means you won't have a chance to get the camera for the second dive.

I highly recommend the trip and Manta Divers, Lief in particular. The sit down lunch in Playa del Carmen is great.

Enjoy!
Ken

 

[dlndavid]

claro que si, es muy facil

 

[Geko]

manta diver used to use as they say a car motor, it isn`t particular the safest but even the instructors their have no option, at the moment they use other facilities till their "old motor" is fix ... their air would be the last think I would be concern, more than anything would be to be stranted if you go to a reef dive, their boat is falling apart ...jejeje ...

When I go to mexico one needs to be "VERY" flexible ... still I wouldn`t never use manta divers again, I dove few times with them for a while till I observe more the logistics of the shop, I much prefer to reserve my dives with independent instructors, sometimes can be cheaper and they defetenally they make sure you have a better time than the shop operators. When I go now I do try to dive directly with Alex (and his wife) if he can accomodate me ... sometimes if he can he send me to people he knows ...

http://spaces.msn.com/divEmotions/