PdC ocean/reef dives worth checking out?

[the_one_who_waits]

I will be in PdC for about a week for a course and allocated a 3 days after for dive tours. Just want to get some feedback on whether it's worth doing ocean dives for one of the days, or just stick to cenotes (which I've never dove before).

 

[Sunn]

for only 3 days, go to cenotes ! (Angelita, Kukul Kan, for example)

 

[34109411]

not much of a reef in front of pdc. go in the cenotes. (back in the days read in 2005, the reef in cancun was actually really nice with lots of fish). Unfortunatly , hurricane, coral bleaching and over fishing change all that. Going back to pdc not much of a reef there.

 

[arew+4]

If, after doing a cenote or two you decide it's not for you a dive in the ocean could be worthwhile, We were just there in January, no one wanted to do a cenote ( 1/2 the group had done a few before the other half had no interest in "wet limestone lifeless holes in the ground", me personally been there done that, cool but...) so we did a 2 tank PDC reef. I would say the two reefs we dove were similar to what you get in the middle keys of Florida, patchy reefs in Sandy areas. Good amount of sea life. But if you have the time and inclination take the ferry over to Coz.

 

[Barefoot_Lawyer]

You can book direct dives to Coz reefs from PDC on dive boats without taking the ferry, but the seas between PDC and Coz can be pretty harsh.

Also you could check out Akumal - you can snorkel (guide required) or do ocean dives from a boat there and you usually see a lot of turtles but otherwise the “reef” is pretty bland.

EDIT: not sure of the course you are taking, but if you are certified to recreational limits, Angelita and El Pit are very cool (and very different) deep cenotes. You could pair each with a shallow cenote for a day of diving.

 

[34109411]

If, after doing a cenote or two you decide it's not for you a dive in the ocean could be worthwhile, We were just there in January, no one wanted to do a cenote ( 1/2 the group had done a few before the other half had no interest in "wet limestone lifeless holes in the ground", me personally been there done that, cool but...) so we did a 2 tank PDC reef. I would say the two reefs we dove were similar to what you get in the middle keys of Florida, patchy reefs in Sandy areas. Good amount of sea life. But if you have the time and inclination take the ferry over to Coz.

wet limestone lifeless holes in the ground are no interest cause you stay in the cavern zone. Pass the sign for cave diver trained only this where the true magic happen, uneless you ve done it you dont know what your talking about.

 

[arew+4]

That was members of my "party" hence the "". I'm not into cave diving or cavern for that matter, I've seen videos of some pretty cool caves, but in my personal calculus it's a little too much risk, for too little reward.

Full disclosure, I'm fine with tight spaces, I like to do ocean wrecks. I don't do great lakes diving because it's cold colorless diving, kinda like caves, quarry's, and most fresh water sites in general. It's just not my thing.

 

[MidOH]

The surface of some of the cenotes, is filled with turtles, guppies, and little catfish.

Not to mention the best blue in the world.

No need to dive them. The good stuff is in the snorkel zone.

 

[34109411]

The surface of some of the cenotes, is filled with turtles, guppies, and little catfish.

Not to mention the best blue in the world.

No need to dive them. The good stuff is in the snorkel zone.

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Stick with the cenotes. You can dive a reef anywhere but you can only dive the cenotes in the Mayan.