Advanced Open Water Cert- Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

[Dorian Poisson Briggs]

Howdy!

Looking for a fun & knowledgeable dive company for my Advanced Open Water cert. in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Will be heading down there mid-August with the fam (non-divers) and knowing my mother, she'd love to ride along on the boat and take photos. This is our 8th trip to Mexico, and having snorkeled in the Cenotes, I cannot pass up the opportunity to dive in them. Any suggestions, opinions & tips are welcome!


fish

 

[TSandM]

I have several suggestions for cenote guides. Natalie Gibb and Dennis Weeks worth together as Diablo Divers (you can reach them at Natalie or Dennis @diablodivers.com). Natalie is 4'11" (really!) and has a grin that goes from ear to ear. Watching her stand up in her doubles is amazing! Dennis is a long-time cave diving instructor (he did my Full Cave class) and a very nice man. Another suggestion would be my friend and dive buddy, Jason Renoux (essentialscubatraining.com). Jason's a very, very long time diver and a beautiful one. He's also good company, and loves the caves. You wouldn't go wrong with any of them, and whoever you contact can recommend someone for your AOW training, too. (I know Natalie likes Dive with Natalie and Ivan)

 

[rongoodman]

Tank-Ha and Dive Mike are both PADI shops. The Mama Nina would be a nice deep dive, and Jardine's Reef is very nice at night.

 

[bigbluemarble]

You don't mention the agency from which you want to get your Advanced certification so note that most recreational dive centers in Playa offer PADI courses and a few offer SSI.

I'd go with Abyss Dive Center, they offer both PADI and SSI courses. The owner, Dave, is an easy-going, but very professional Canadian guy who has many years of teaching/diving experience in Playa.

Mama Viña is a great dive - 30m/100ft, at times lots of current and schools of jacks, barracuda, spadefish, etc. Lots of dive shops go there for deep or wreck dives as part of the advanced course. As you drift away at the end of the dive, may see a turtle or rays.

 

[ednedfred]

I second Abyss, very professional and dependable. Been diving with them for years. They also dive the cenotes.

 

[Dorian Poisson Briggs]

Thank you everyone for responding so quickly!

---------- Post Merged at 07:04 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 07:01 PM ----------

Hi bigbluemarble

I'm certified NAUI, but I checked with my divemaster and apparently certs are interchangeable with NAUI and PADI. I'll look into Abyss, I'm not sure I've come across their site yet. Thank you for your response!

 

[bigbluemarble]

Hi Dorian

Here's the website address for the Abyss if you need it: Playa del Carmen Diving with The Abyss Dive Center. Enjoy your dives in Playa del Carmen - right now water temps are about 85F/29C and the visibility this week is really great.

 

[marrem]

Hello! Tank-ha also offers SSI (and padi) certifications. the website is:Scuba diving playa del Carmen and Cozumel, Playa del carmen to cozumel, Cave diving, PADI, SSI and you can find some reviews on tripadvisor as well. I work as a freelance dive instructor in the area so just shoot me a message if you need more info. Tortuga is a fabulous deep dive with a very good chance of seeing turtles. Islotes is also very nice. Tank ha also offers direct boat trips to Cozumel ( so no ferry which is great).

have fun in Mexico

 

[Dorian Poisson Briggs]

marrem, thank you for the link.

I've sent out e-mails for every dive shop listed on this thread. Thank you all, you've been a huge help. I'll be sure to post some photos when I return

carpe diem