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We will be staying at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar in May and are looking for a reputable dive shop close by. (Yes - we know the hotel has a dive shop, but we've heard mixed reviews on the service, prices, etc.)
You'll have to go into PDC to dive any of the local ops. I'm staying there in April, and have chosen to dive with DiveMike. Do a search in this forum on PDC dive ops and you'll come up with a few to review. PM me and I can send you what I've found on local pricing, including the on-site Dressel op.
I dove with the folks at Dressel Divers that are right at that hotel. They cost a little more but I feel that they are safe and very friendly. I would give the Service an average rating. I have had better and Much worse. If you book the dives in advance they usually give discounts (15% right now). Nice to get the boat right at your hotel... No lugging gear into town.
If this is the Iberostar located at Playa Del Carmen, my wife and I stayed there last year for a week. The hotel is great. It was built around the existing jungle and still has all the jungle life, etc. therein, including monkeys. The food is wonderful!!
However, we found the dive operation to be outrageously overpriced, and as an all-inclusive hotel, this activity is not included.
We used Sea Life Divers, located on Mamitas Beach. Luis is the owner. They have great package deals which include the cenotes if you wish. We have our own equipment and leaving it at the shop was not a problem. They run a great operation, there is also a small retaurant located right next door and Luis will arrange for a discount. BTW, mamitas is an optional topless beach. We used taxi to & from the hotel. Next time we go, we'll contact Luis, he has told us he can arrange for hotel and meals for about $60 a day. We would definately use Sealif again. If Danni is still a DM there she is excellent. I say this as another pro. Luis csan be contacted at: www.sealifedivers.com
We will be staying at the Iberostar Paraiso Del Mar in May and are looking for a reputable dive shop close by. (Yes - we know the hotel has a dive shop, but we've heard mixed reviews on the service, prices, etc.)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks and safe diving!
Love the resort! Dressel on site - yes definitely "average". It can be pricey compared to private ops, but the shop is convenient, although the boats are small and fast - a "slam 'em in slam 'em out" type of situation. Sit near the rear to avoid being banged to death by the waves. I would suggest, as is probably a good idea with any unfamiliar dive op, that you are confident in your own abilities. The DMs tend to do an okay job, but we seemed to be pretty much on our own throughout every dive. On each dive, they also made us all surface after 45 minutes although many of us had quite a bit more air and bottom time left.
I haven't used any other ops in Playa del Carmen area, but if you go to Cozumel I highly recommend Anita Divers with Rudolpho. It's a top notch operation in every way.
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Originally Posted by kimwrighta
