Just wondering if anyone has done any diving here recently and what your thoughts are. We are thinking of a trip next Sept/Oct and would like to do some diving. Looks like most of the dive sites are pretty close to shore. Also, I'm wondering what cenote diving is like. I'm not really even sure what it is. Is it like cave diving or could you surface while in a cenote?
Akumal
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ScubaCatgirl
Contributor
Hi Traciedee,
I've never done any diving in Akumal, but if the diving there is anything like the snorkeling, you'll enjoy it tremendously!!! Akumel is great for snorkeling. A cenote is basically a sinkhole with fresh water. Yes, you can surface while in a cenote & it's awsome diving, kinda erie like with shadows from the tree branches & cool fish, etc.. You'll enjoy diving the cenote. Of course, if your going to do Akumal & the cenote your not that far from Cozumel. You ought to just go ahead & jump the ferry in Playa Del Carmen & do a couple of dives there. That would make for an awsome trip!
I've never done any diving in Akumal, but if the diving there is anything like the snorkeling, you'll enjoy it tremendously!!! Akumel is great for snorkeling. A cenote is basically a sinkhole with fresh water. Yes, you can surface while in a cenote & it's awsome diving, kinda erie like with shadows from the tree branches & cool fish, etc.. You'll enjoy diving the cenote. Of course, if your going to do Akumal & the cenote your not that far from Cozumel. You ought to just go ahead & jump the ferry in Playa Del Carmen & do a couple of dives there. That would make for an awsome trip!
sbaggs
Registered
I did my open water dives in Akumal and thoroughly enjoyed it. The viz wasn't as good as I wouldn't hoped...we were there in Nov. We also did a cenote dive...Chak Mool. It was pretty cool, especially when you can see the fresh water and salt water meet. You can surface at certain points during the dive, but obviously not all the time since you're essentially in a cave. Seeing as I was a newly certified diver, I probably didn't enjoy the cenote as much as others, since I was more focused on just breathing! Not sure I would do it again, but glad I tried it once.
I've been diving in Akumal for about 6yrs. The increase in development and lack of marine protections have started taking a toll on the reefs. There's still lots of turtles and you will see a variety of fish and marine life, but the corals, sponges fans and gorgonians are not in the greatest shape anymore. Your impressions will depend on where you've dived before and what condition those reefs were in.
But, it's easy, relaxed diving, small boats and 6-8 people on a boat, and you can't get much more relaxed then Akumal. Dives are done as single tank trips (9a, 11:00a and 2:30p) and you rarely have a boat ride longer then 10 minutes.
Sept/Oct is very hot and humid and it's the rainy season. The current isn't very strong so after a couple rainy days the viz really goes down and can take several days to clear up. The best time for diving is Apr-June. The winter has a chance of getting a norte, but otherwise the diving is good them too, and that's when you'll get more rays, including eagle rays.
But, it's easy, relaxed diving, small boats and 6-8 people on a boat, and you can't get much more relaxed then Akumal. Dives are done as single tank trips (9a, 11:00a and 2:30p) and you rarely have a boat ride longer then 10 minutes.
Sept/Oct is very hot and humid and it's the rainy season. The current isn't very strong so after a couple rainy days the viz really goes down and can take several days to clear up. The best time for diving is Apr-June. The winter has a chance of getting a norte, but otherwise the diving is good them too, and that's when you'll get more rays, including eagle rays.
Not all cenote dives have areas where you can surface. Dos Ojos and Bat Cave are probably the most popular cenote/cavern dives, and there are areas where you surface in both. In many others, the whole dive is in the caverns and you won't have a place to surface other then the entry/exit point, which will be the open part of the cenote that is like a swimming hole in the jungle.
Thanks for the info.
I've read that people snorkle in the cenotes, so I was hoping there were some that I could do as a diver, but would be easy to surface in. I'm not fond of close, enclosed areas when I dive, but they sound beautiful. But, if I can't find one I feel comfy with, I'll just stick with a cenote snorkel.
Would Oct or Sept be better-weather/vis wise? Know it's hurricane season, but I always travel that time of year. Knock on wood.
Is the diving that much better in Cozumel? Would it be worth the hassel to haul our dive gear on the ferry for the day? Do you know if one of the dive shops would pick us up at the ferry or would we have to get a taxi?
Dive trips- Roatan, La Paz, BVI, Bonaire, Belize, San Carlos, Turks & Caicos
I've read that people snorkle in the cenotes, so I was hoping there were some that I could do as a diver, but would be easy to surface in. I'm not fond of close, enclosed areas when I dive, but they sound beautiful. But, if I can't find one I feel comfy with, I'll just stick with a cenote snorkel.
Would Oct or Sept be better-weather/vis wise? Know it's hurricane season, but I always travel that time of year. Knock on wood.
Is the diving that much better in Cozumel? Would it be worth the hassel to haul our dive gear on the ferry for the day? Do you know if one of the dive shops would pick us up at the ferry or would we have to get a taxi?
Dive trips- Roatan, La Paz, BVI, Bonaire, Belize, San Carlos, Turks & Caicos
docmartin
Contributor
i'd agree with scubawife, the reef is a little beat up in places. however, to me it's not worth the hassle of going to cozumel but then again i have been there numerous times 
fish life in coz is no better than around playa/akumal. one could even argue that there is more around Playa. however, the underwater "landscape" can be very dramatic in coz if they take you to the right sites.
you can arrange your cozumel diving through a playa dive shop (e.g. playacountryboy on this board). there are even dive boats that will take you from playa straight to dive sites in cozumel.
fish life in coz is no better than around playa/akumal. one could even argue that there is more around Playa. however, the underwater "landscape" can be very dramatic in coz if they take you to the right sites.
you can arrange your cozumel diving through a playa dive shop (e.g. playacountryboy on this board). there are even dive boats that will take you from playa straight to dive sites in cozumel.
The cenotes you can visit on your own (without a guide) and snorkel, most people stay in the open area, or go just into the cavern openings. Cenote dives must be done with a guide and although you are in what's considered the cavern zone (the "daylight" zone, no more then 250 ft from an exit point and always with visable daylight....), you do spend most of the time in cave-like conditions. It is pretty cool, but if you are at all clausterphobic or have been uncomfortable in long, dark swimthroughs, then a cenote dive might not be for you. Maybe try a snorkel at someplace like Grand Cenote and just peak into the enterance to get a feel for it and then decide if you'd be comfortable diving in those conditions.
Sept and Oct are going to be about the same weather and conditions wise. It'll be hot and humid with a good chance of getting rain. Some years it rains more then others... no real way to predict that.
Cozumel is completely different then Akumal both above and below the water. Cozumel offers more variety in types of diving - walls and a variety of types of reef - you're diving in a marine park so the reef is in better condition and there is more marine life. A stronger, steady current (compared to the mainland) has really benefited the reef's recovery in the last 2 yrs after Wilma.
Akumal is still better then many places in the Caribbean, but don't expect Bonaire...
i'd agree with scubawife, the reef is a little beat up in places. however, to me it's not worth the hassle of going to cozumel but then again i have been there numerous times
fish life in coz is no better than around playa/akumal. one could even argue that there is more around Playa. however, the underwater "landscape" can be very dramatic in coz if they take you to the right sites.
you can arrange your cozumel diving through a playa dive shop (e.g. playacountryboy on this board). there are even dive boats that will take you from playa straight to dive sites in cozumel.
I was in Akumal a few weeks ago for the second time this year, and I've had 7 trips to Coz in the last 2 yrs. My experience has been that the marine life is more abundant in Coz... with the exception of turtles. Like you, if I'm on the mainland I don't go over to Coz and visa versa. But I've been going to both places for awhile so I don't feel the need. If it was one-time trip to the area and diving was going to be the primary activity, I'd probably just go to Cozumel. If I wanted to also do some other land-based activities, then Akumal would be a better choice.
One interesting thing in Akumal this trip was that we saw 6 good sized nurse sharks over the 9 dives I did. I think I've seen 2 total in the past 6 yrs!
I've dived in Playa as well, and surprisingly, the look and feel of the reefs do change the further south you go on the mainland, even just 30-40 minutes south it's different. Diving around Aventuras/Akumal/Tulum is not quite the same as diving out of Playa.
We just got back from that area (stayed in Playa del Carmen, dove in the Akumal/Tulum region). I would definitely say to time your trip as late as you can. It was still VERY hot and humid, and we had thunderstorms every day. A lot of the ocean diving on the mainland side was blown out by the winds while we were there (although because of the wind direction, it was possible to dive in Cozumel). September would be even hotter, and more likely to be stormy.
We weren't able to do any ocean diving while we were there (the one day we had hoped to, we got blown out), so I can't compare it to Cozumel. But if I were going to spend a week there, I'd probably make the effort to take the ferry over and dive off the island at least once. From what I've been told, there are none of the massive coral walls off the mainland, and they're worth seeing. Winding through underwater canyons covered in colorful macro life is a great deal of fun, although it wore on me after a week.
You can read my report of doing cavern tours there in March. People are often concerned that they will feel confined in the caverns, but one of the definitions of the cavern zone is that you can't go anywhere where you can't comfortably swim two divers side by side. In addition, some of the more open caverns, like Carwash and Chac Mool, you can literally look over and see the top of the open water any time in the dive. (That's not true for others, like Taj Mahal and Dos Ojos, though.)
On the other hand, there are cenotes where you can snorkel under the overhead and get a glimpse of the beautiful formations that lie in the water below you. And who knows? Seeing them might spark a desire to see more!
We weren't able to do any ocean diving while we were there (the one day we had hoped to, we got blown out), so I can't compare it to Cozumel. But if I were going to spend a week there, I'd probably make the effort to take the ferry over and dive off the island at least once. From what I've been told, there are none of the massive coral walls off the mainland, and they're worth seeing. Winding through underwater canyons covered in colorful macro life is a great deal of fun, although it wore on me after a week.
You can read my report of doing cavern tours there in March. People are often concerned that they will feel confined in the caverns, but one of the definitions of the cavern zone is that you can't go anywhere where you can't comfortably swim two divers side by side. In addition, some of the more open caverns, like Carwash and Chac Mool, you can literally look over and see the top of the open water any time in the dive. (That's not true for others, like Taj Mahal and Dos Ojos, though.)
On the other hand, there are cenotes where you can snorkel under the overhead and get a glimpse of the beautiful formations that lie in the water below you. And who knows? Seeing them might spark a desire to see more!
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