Cenote Diving Recommendation needed in Playa Del Carmen Area

[gkornfeld]

Looking for three recommendations..

First - if we have one day dedicated to Cenote diving - what would you dive and what can be accomplished in one day.

2nd - What is a dive operation that deals in small groups and some TLC.

3rd - We have some non-divers who want to snorkel; are any of these places accomodating to both groups. Not a must; but curious.

Thanks

 

[scubamarketing]

I went with Blue Life (frank@bluelife.com), they're the best I've found at small groups and TLC. I'm not sure which cenote I'd recommend, they're all pretty incredible, but they can work with your schedule and help you figure out which will work best both with your itinerary and group needs. Technically any cenote will work with snorkelers, but some are better than others. Tell him Nick sent you

 

[Jorge Loria]

Visit Phantom Divers, you can contacts us at info@phantomdivers.com. We have daily trips to cenotes with an excellent responsible guide. Our usual sites are Chac Mool or Dos Ojos, however we can arrange special trips for more experienced cave divers to angelita opr any other cave at your request!

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

contact Nicolas from www.cenotexperience.com.mx/ He provides snacks and drinks. You can snorkel at Dos Ojos cenote and Gran cenote. He can pick you up in PDC and south.

 

[Dhboner]

Check out "Beyond Diving". The owner will dive with you and he runs a great boutique operation.

 

[oldmaninthesea]

Casa Cenote is good for diving and snorkeling. It is a mangrove lagoon and a cenote (flooded cave system). Mangroves provide protection for juvenile fish so you see lots of fish. We saw a school of young tarpon when we were there.
casa cenote /cenote manatee

 

[TSandM]

If you are coming down from Playa, you might want to do the cenotes that are closest. Cenote Eden (Ponderosa) has a beautiful open water basin, with lots of cichlids and freshwater eels, and beautiful mosses -- I think most swimmers and snorkelers would really enjoy it. Shoot, I enjoy puttering around on scuba at the end of a dive! The cavern dive at Eden doesn't have a lot of decorations, but has many beautiful views out toward Cenote Corral, and has crystals in the walls, and pot shards. Nearby is Taj Maha, which has fantastic halocline effects and a fair number of decorations. The two would make a good single day's diving, and wouldn't require an unmanageable drive from Playa.

In addition to the suggestions you have gotten, I might suggest talking to ProTec Playa about tours. I have friends who dive out of that shop and are very happy with them.

 

[robint]

If you really have 0-24 dives, then you need to skip the cenotes for now.

 

[Beyond_Diving]

If I may, I suggest my dive shop, Beyond Diving. We run only small groups, no more than 4 divers per guide (ever). We can accommodate divers and non-divers alike your group by going to a cenote in which you can do diving and snorkeling. We can also do a package which could include a combination of cenotes, Playa del Carmen ocean diving and Cozumel for you. Check us out on Scuba dive in Playa del Carmen, Cenotes and Cozumel with Beyond Diving.


Erik

 

[Byte Me]

+1 for Nico at CenoteXperience, great guide and instructor.

Also +1 for TSandM's suggestion for location. You can do two cavern dives in El Eden and the snorkelers will have a big area full of life to kick around in. Fish, birds, turtles - tons of life! Gran Cenote is another nice snorkel spot and there are other cenotes in the area so you could drop the snorkelers there, go back and dive Temple of Doom or another and for your 2nd come back and do Gran Cenote, however, those are all the way down to Tulum so quite a bit further than El Eden.

Lastly, +1 on Robint's advice. You should be very comfortable with your buoyancy, gear and generally in the water before you head into the caverns. They are fantastic, but not for everyone.