Playa del Carmen - advice needed

[world_traveler]

Hello,

We'll stay probably in PDC but I would like to dive in Cozumel too. Because of health reasons I'm limited to one dive a day, till 15m.
What shallow dive site should I choose in Cozumel and is it worth the effort or it's better to dive shallow sites from Cancun/ PDC?
I try to do a trip that includes 2 cenotes - one I'll dive and the other one I'll snorkel. On Tripadvisor I found good reviews on Bahia Divers center - anyone knows them?

Thanks

 

[lthomas132]

I dove with Bahia Divers (Bahia Divers | Playa del Carmen Diving) several years ago when we stayed at an all inclusive and I did not want to dive with the hotel shop. Great group of people there, mostly Europeans. They picked me up at the resort, which they were not suppose to do, and took me to their small shop on a beautiful beach at Xpu-Ha. I did a couple days of ocean diving and one day of cenotes. Ocean diving from the mainland in that area is not spectacular but the cenotes definitely are! Be sure and do Taj Mahal and Dos Ojos cenotes as long as you are comfortable with an overhead environment and have good buoyancy control. They will only send you with a cave certified guide.

 

[lthomas132]

If you are staying "in" PDC, I would recommend diving with one of the great dive shops in PDC to avoid having to travel elsewhere to dive. For cenote diving (and ocean diving) I would recommend Klaus Bosbach at http://www.playascuba.com/. He is one the most experienced cave divers in the area and did much of the original mapping of the local cenotes many years ago. Yucatek Divers, Yucatek Divers, Playa del Carmen, is also located in PDC and I have heard many good things about them but never dove with them.

 

[jonhall]

A lot of what you want should be discussed with whoever you decide to dive with. Have been on boat dives from the mainland where after each dive, the op came back to shore (probably what you're looking for) and on those where the surface interval between dives was done waiting on the boat. Same thing was true in Cozumel.

From my limited experience, if you are doing boat dives, more of the dives along the mainland coast (at least from Puerto Morelos to Playa del Carmen) are just under or at your 15m limit. Cozumel dives are right on your limit and deeper, although one site I dove was at 9 meters.

If I were given the choice, I would dive Cozumel everyday over Playa del Carmen (calmer and clearer water.) If Bahia Divers is where I think it is, you will be farther south of PDC. Haven't done any diving that far south and it may be fantastic. You will need to do some good planning if you go to Coz as far as getting to the ferry in PDC and getting a dive op in Coz. Bahia Divers, as many dive ops on the mainland do, may set that up for you. That makes it much more convenient.

Also ask about the cenote dive and depth. I'm sure it varies from cenote to cenote, but we just about hit the 15m depth on both cenote dives we did this past October.

Have fun!

 

[world_traveler]

If you are staying "in" PDC, I would recommend diving with one of the great dive shops in PDC to avoid having to travel elsewhere to dive. For cenote diving (and ocean diving) I would recommend Klaus Bosbach at http://www.playascuba.com/. He is one the most experienced cave divers in the area and did much of the original mapping of the local cenotes many years ago. Yucatek Divers, Yucatek Divers, Playa del Carmen, is also located in PDC and I have heard many good things about them but never dove with them.

Thanks ! I'll check the other dive shops too. Is Klaus Bosbach the owner of the shop?

 

[world_traveler]

A lot of what you want should be discussed with whoever you decide to dive with. Have been on boat dives from the mainland where after each dive, the op came back to shore (probably what you're looking for) and on those where the surface interval between dives was done waiting on the boat. Same thing was true in Cozumel.

From my limited experience, if you are doing boat dives, more of the dives along the mainland coast (at least from Puerto Morelos to Playa del Carmen) are just under or at your 15m limit. Cozumel dives are right on your limit and deeper, although one site I dove was at 9 meters.

If I were given the choice, I would dive Cozumel everyday over Playa del Carmen (calmer and clearer water.) If Bahia Divers is where I think it is, you will be farther south of PDC. Haven't done any diving that far south and it may be fantastic. You will need to do some good planning if you go to Coz as far as getting to the ferry in PDC and getting a dive op in Coz. Bahia Divers, as many dive ops on the mainland do, may set that up for you. That makes it much more convenient.

Also ask about the cenote dive and depth. I'm sure it varies from cenote to cenote, but we just about hit the 15m depth on both cenote dives we did this past October.

Have fun!

Thanks! in fact Bahia divers has dives in Cozumel so it's just going with them, not complicated.
The 9m dive was a good one? what site?

 

[jonhall]

The 9m dive was a good one? what site?

Tach Majal (same one as mentioned earlier in thread) is pretty cool. Carrying tanks down the steps wasn't fun, but entry and exit into and out of the cenote was pretty easy. There are areas where you can surface and actually look out through an opening at the surface. Saw a few fossils, bats in some of the cavernous areas, and haloclines which are pretty freaky when you are in it. Did 2 dives at site, but took different paths each time. Good experience and a constant effort at maintaining proper buoyancy throughout the dive.

The water was a lot warmer than I expected (my computer showed 77 degrees.) Not knowing, my buddy and I opted to wear 7 mm suits and actually got a little warm. Could have easily wore the 5 mm.

After we were done diving, we were eating sandwiches in the area were people park and along the edge of the woods, we saw a tarantula the size of a grapefruit. Pretty cool! I would post a picture, but my camera had a drop of water on the lens and it's not very good.

 

[lthomas132]

Thanks ! I'll check the other dive shops too. Is Klaus Bosbach the owner of the shop?

Yes, he is. Merry Christmas!

 

[world_traveler]

Yes, he is. Merry Christmas!

Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too, and a happy New Year!

 

[Don Rogers]

Dove with Bahia Divers | Playa del Carmen Diving in December. Had a great time. Highly recommend them.