Playa del Carmen march 19-26

[Ozwald]

Heading down to playa march 19 for a week. There is going to be myself (aow, deep, nitrox and wreck certified). My bud is just ow. Looking for some nice easy diving and perhaps some cenote diving. Prefer afternoon dives maybe a full day and one afternoon.
also, what are the water temps at that time of the year? Would a 3 mil be fine.

Anyone have any suggestions as far as shops that are reputable and safety conscious ?

 

[bwetter]

3mil for the Ocean would be fine // Cenotes - you may want something a little thicker // I can recommend GeoFish - they can take you to Ocean, Cozumel and Cenote diving.. If you take just your 3mil - they'll hook you up with a shortie for over the top if you decide to cenote dive .. ask for your guide for the Cenotes to be Tomas and have him stop for tacos on the way - if you like "local" food - you'll be glad you stopped
Please feel free to PM if you have any more questions - I was there in November
Hope this helps

 

[Zeke XA3]

I would recommend either Go Cenotes or Mexico Blue Dream.

You will find a wealth of shops in PdC and they all offer Day trips to the cenotes. Due to drive time it is a nearly all day trip with usually 2 dives with a small break in between to change tanks. The dives off PdC are nice and easy, sometimes a little current but not a real drift per se. Most operations have small skiffs off the beach although Mexico Blue Dream just got a nice new dive boat. Morning and afternoon departures are common with 2 tank dives, ask about the dive sites in advance though. Sharkies, Green wall, Mo Che are awesome but Jardines is best missed unless you have been out of the water for a while.

3 Mil is fine for most people. I personally used a 5mm but im stick thin! My old cenote guide dived in his shorts even though is was 25C in the centoes! Most operations have 3mm longs for the centoes and the odd shorty spare to stick over the top for those of us who get cold easy. Dont be put off by the cave divers putting on drysuits, hood and gloves though!!!

 

[warmwaterturner]

Touch base with Max and Morgan at Geofish Dive - Scuba Diving, Snorkeling & PADI Instruction in Playa del Carmen & Cozumel, Mexico. We use them whenever we are in town. They can fill you in on the temps and dive opportunities.

 

[EcodivingTours]

Hello Ozwald,

I would like to recommend ourselves Ecodiving Tours based in PDC. We are experienced operators in both ocean and cenotes and likewise safety and customer service are our key values. We run a full programme of ocean, cenote, Cozumel and have several speciality tours such as shipwrecks or a unique opportunity to snorkel with sailfish in the open ocean. Please check out our website for rates and further information. Also we can offer full transport services to and from your hotel.

Home-Ecodivingtours

Also I would agree with the advice everybody else has given you - bring your 3mm which will be fine for ocean and you will be able to rely on your dive centre to provide you with an extra layer for a cenote dive. Right now the ocean is around 78 but it will have warmed up a little by March - cenotes are consistently around the 72/3 region.

Hope this helps - have a great time in PDC - hope to see you

Dive with passion - Ecodiving Tours

 

[phantom divers]

Hello there...why don't you come to visit us we are located at 1a Av nte con calle 14 we are a block away from the beach and 5th Av or check or web page Buceo en Playa del Carmen - Phantom Divers...
hope to meet you sometime
Regards from phantom divers staff

 

[Tool Belt]

Tank Ha in PDC, dove with them on two trips.

 

[detlef]

Yes, a 3 mil would be fineI. I have been diving in December with Albertos SCUBA in Playa del Carmen.. It was great! We was a small group and we enjoyed our dives.. He even made a beautiful underwater video of us. YouTube - Albertosenplaya's Channel
His dive shop is next to the oldest and nicest restaurant in Playa “La Tarraya” on the 2nd street with beach
This is his homepage: Tabla de contenido

 

[PaigeE]

HI, from Victoria BC, Canada. Try Alvaro with Alwaysdiving.com. I go to Cancun every year and always dive with Alvaro. He is a certified instructor and the best guide. You won't be disappointed.

 

[markmantei]

I love the PDC area, been there a few times. I would highly recommend Abyss Dive Center (Playa del Carmen Diving with The Abyss Dive Center). They are just off 5th ave (1st ave between 10 and 12). The guide and boat crew are excellent and very knowledgeable and safe. One of the biggest reasons I recommend them is the personal service I have received every time. They always take small groups, max 6 people, but often I have dove with just my wife, the guide, and I. Abyss is owned & operated by a Canadian (from Revelstoke, BC if my memory serves me correct), and he runs as safe a diveop as any I have used in Canada.

There are lots of good spots on the reef that should be fine for both you and your ow certified buddy. Barracuda and Sabalos are great and max depth is about 50'. Tortuga is also a great dive and can be done shallow, or you can go deeper (100'), I've done both. Some of the best stuff I have seen on some of the shallower dives. When I was there in November, we had a dolphin swim up just as we were about to head up to our safety stop @ moc che shallow. Abyss can also help you with the centote's. Did those on my first trip, but my wife prefers the ocean with all the life. One suggestion I have regardless of who you choose to dive with is that, particularly if you want to do the bull shark dive, make sure the shop you choose doesn't chum or do feeding dives. Some of the shops do however. Abyss certainly does not.

Full 3mm should be fine for the wetsuit for the ocean. Cenotes are a little cooler water though.

As far as the afternoon dives go, I think most of the shops do 2 tank dives in the am and 1 tank in the afternoon, although if you request it, you can probably get accommodated for 2 in the pm. If your looking for someplace for lunch, check out wicky's on the beach. Its just around the corner from abyss, and was excellent (didn't find it till my last trip there, and man was I missing out).