advice for cancun

[Spratman]

Try giving Ben a holler at benrmooney@yahoo.co.uk. Check his website out, www.mayanaquadive.com. Small dive groups, more personalized service. He offers diving on some great reefs, Cozumel trip, whale shark excusion and cenotes.

If you contact him a couple of days in advance of your trip, he can get Nitrox. Also, he is currently located at km4.5 in the Hotel Internationale and can arrange transportation to and from your hotel, so you don't have to schlep the bus.

Tigerman, on the board here, is scheduled to be down at the same time as you. Might want to drop him a PM.

Try him out, you'll be glad you did.

 

[dlndavid]

I like the diving in Cancun, there are a couple of wrecks and plenty of fish.
I have used Manta Divers and Scuba Cancun, both do a good job. Scuba Cancun uses a good size boat for some of its dives, very comfortable. Manta Divers does day trips to the cenotes, the DM they use is (was) Leif, very funny guy, good DM. If you do the cenotes as your last dives, you get a good fresh water rinse. For good eating, the Ritz Carlton has a Mexican buffet on Wednesdays that rocks, and a Seafood buffet on Fridays that is out of this world, a little pricey, but hey, you only live once.
Have a great rip and safe diving.

 

[mkenwood]

Do look up Ben at Mayan Aquadive, It is a small operation in Cancun but also arranged dives for me at the Cenotes, and told me he can arrange trips to Coz. He runs a first rate operation. He even picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel. I emailed him before my trip told him what I wanted, and he laid out a schedule and dives that worked out really well. . http://www.mayanaquadive.com/index.php

Have a great time

 

[philly]

Thanks Everyone for your help. I have a much better idea now.

Phil

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

If you want to see all the area, first dive Manchones reef off isla Mujerres. Then make 2 days of diving on the reefs of Playa del Carmen, and two days in Cozumel....and if you have time a couple days out in the jungle diving the cenotes. I do all these trips privately with my guest except Manchones in Cancun. I would recommend Manta Divers for you diving out of Cancun. I worked in Cancun diving for 5 months and was not impressed until I moved to Playa del Carmen. Here the reefs are pristine, colorful, and loaded with huge schools of fish including a massive school of very large tarpon here now. I can meet you at the Cozumel ferry pier in Playa del Carmen. I have a dive boat right by that pier. Let me know if I can help you out or answer any of your questions about the diving in the Riviera Maya. Let's get wet soon! ;-)

 

[bubba105]

If you want to see all the area, first dive Manchones reef off isla Mujerres. Then make 2 days of diving on the reefs of Playa del Carmen, and two days in Cozumel....and if you have time a couple days out in the jungle diving the cenotes. I do all these trips privately with my guest except Manchones in Cancun. I would recommend Manta Divers for you diving out of Cancun. I worked in Cancun diving for 5 months and was not impressed until I moved to Playa del Carmen. Here the reefs are pristine, colorful, and loaded with huge schools of fish including a massive school of very large tarpon here now. I can meet you at the Cozumel ferry pier in Playa del Carmen. I have a dive boat right by that pier. Let me know if I can help you out or answer any of your questions about the diving in the Riviera Maya. Let's get wet soon! ;-)

Country, you ain't lyin' about them tarpon. How long are they there? I have a timeshare in Cancun and I'm looking into switching weeks next year for the summer. I figure we can do whale sharks, cancun, tarpon and cenotes. Sounds like a good trip to me.

 

[scubapatton]

Been to Cancun twice, although both times a few years back. I went with Black Shark Dive Shop in Cozumel and they were good. I did a few cenote dives near Playa Del Carmen. I would recommend doing at least 2 days of diving in Cozumel. You may want to stay one night in Cozumel - even if you have to pay for both hotels for one night, it will be worth it.

Cozumel has better diving than Cancun in my opinion. If you are staying in Cancun the whole time, MAKE TIME for Cozumel. You will not regret it.

There is a good drift dive off Cozumel as well

Have a blast!

 

[backprop]

I just got back from Cancun on Tuesday of this week. I agree with the previous posters. Before leaving, I emailed Ben from Mayan Aqua Dive and set up three two-tank trips: Cancun, Cenotes, and Cozumel. I could not have been more impressed. At first I was a little concerned that everything was through email and there weren't specific times for each of the dives, and so on (I'm new to dive travel), but Ben called me at the hotel on the first day and they picked me up right on time each day after that.

The first trip was to the Cenotes. Jesus was the cave-certified instructor and was an excellent guide and diver. We went to Tajma-Ha Cenote which was incredible; Jesus had a knack for lighting up the caverns just right with his light, and pointing out interesting sites. He was concerned only about he safety and enjoyment of the divers. The ride down to the caverns was made a lot more interesting with his perspective on diving and the local culture.

The second dives were in the reefs off Cancun toward Isla Mujeres. While I can't disagree about going to Cozumel at least once during your trip, I would not have wanted to miss those reefs for anything. We saw two nurse sharks, a manta ray, enormous hermit crabs, and incredible massive schools of fish. The current was very strong, but Ulises (the divemaster) was really good about giving directions and helping negotiate the currents.

The third day, we went to Cozumel. Mayan Aqua Dive didn't do a Coz trip on Monday, but Ben seamlessly set up the trip with Manta Divers (with our knowledge and approval, of course). Alex from Manta was the instructor that went with us, in addition to the local divemaster in Cozumel. Both were excellent, very complete about safety, and ensured everyone on the boat (9 passengers plus crew) had a great time. We did a wall dive and then a shallower reef dive, both of which were about the most stress-free, easy dives I've ever done. Alex carried a video camera and two still cameras, and in just a few hours, delivered a great DVD and picture CD to the hotel to take home.

To top it all off, Ben followed up with an e-mail today asking how everything went. After reading positive and negative reviews about most dive shops in Cancun, I have to say that my experience with M.A.D. could not have gone any better.

I realize this is my first post, but please don't hold that against me. I got Ben's name and email from some posts in the SB archives, and I wanted to share my experiences with them as well.

Good luck and enjoy Cancun!

 

[UP4AIR]

I've been to cancun twice so far. Both times I used manta Divers. They picked me up at my hotel and dropped me off after the dive. Both times I did the Cenotes and skipped the ocean. It depends on your likes, but I could go to Mexico and never go in the ocean, and only do the Cenotes.
I probobaly have short changed myself by not going to Cozumel and done some of the dives there.
If you decide to go with Manta, make sure you request Leif. He makes the dives so enjoyable. After the cenote dives they will take you to a local hang-out in Playa Del Carmen for lunch. Leif buys the food, you buy the drinks.

I love it down there! Makes me wish I was going again.
PM me if you need any specifics.

 

[Tigerman]

Im going to cancun next week and currently have 6 two-tank dives set up with Mayan Aqua Dive, with a possible night dive and ill be doing the whaleshark snorkling saturday as im going back home sunday.
Ben has been very helpful to me and hes definetly getting my buisness.

Other than that I cant provide much advice, since Itll be my first trip down there, but there is plenty of people who have pointed me in the direction of MAD.

I will do cancun, cozumel and cenotes, the whalesharks and as mentioned, possibly night dive.
Or to make the short summary, a little of all