Best spots to hit from Cancun?

[desmo900rider]

My wife and I are headed to Cancun the last week in February for a family trip and we are going to squeeze in a few days of diving. We dove for a week in Coz last year, and it was great, maybe even spoiled us a bit, but we are anxious to check out some of the other spots in the area. Most of the packages we are looking at, one with Manta divers specifically, offer a day at the Cancun reefs, a day in Coz, a day in the Cenotes, and a day at some Cancun wrecks. Swim-throughs are usually our favorites, so we are both really excited to go to the Cenotes, and a trip back to Coz I'm sure would be nice, but should we look at anything else? Do we need to try to go to Playa? We are hoping to do about 4 days of diving.

Also, anybody have any experience with Manta Divers? We are looking at them, Mayan Aqua Dive, and Scuba Cancun, but are of course open to suggestions...

Thanks in advance...



Mike

 

[pitdvr]

Mike,
Our family just returned from Cancun. We used Mayan Aqua Divers. The best operation we have ever used. We ended up doing almost 40 dives with them. You can't go wrong!

 

[Spratman]

Second for MAD. Drop Ben Mooney a line at benrmooney@yahoo.co.uk. He's got the best op in Cancun. Fast boat, outstanding staff, pickup/return at your hotel. He runs small groups so you're not banging into other divers. Plenty of sea life, as well. Make sure you get a cenote in!

Great night life as well. La Parilla & La Placita downtown are great restaurants.

They are located on the beach behind Hotel Internationale at KM 4.5. Make sure you get contact information (i.e. his cell number) before going down.

Hope you have great weather and a great dive experience!

Jack

 

[paulw]

Do we need to try to go to Playa? Mike

I made 10 dives on Playa a few months ago and had a great time,lots of critters but you may want to check out the dive shop. I dove with a couple and thought I didn't want to dive Playa until a friend talked me into trying once more with the shop he likes (The Abyss) and they made all the difference. Next time though I want to dive Playa with Jayson from Fantasea, you might drop him an email.

 

[driftwood]

Great night life as well. La Parilla & La Placita downtown are great restaurants.


Jack

This may help you next time, Cancun Restaurants - La Parrilla Coupon. Great place for dinner!

 

[Wasabi1264]

My wife and I are headed to Cancun the last week in February for a family trip and we are going to squeeze in a few days of diving. We dove for a week in Coz last year, and it was great, maybe even spoiled us a bit, but we are anxious to check out some of the other spots in the area. Most of the packages we are looking at, one with Manta divers specifically, offer a day at the Cancun reefs, a day in Coz, a day in the Cenotes, and a day at some Cancun wrecks. Swim-throughs are usually our favorites, so we are both really excited to go to the Cenotes, and a trip back to Coz I'm sure would be nice, but should we look at anything else? Do we need to try to go to Playa? We are hoping to do about 4 days of diving.

Also, anybody have any experience with Manta Divers? We are looking at them, Mayan Aqua Dive, and Scuba Cancun, but are of course open to suggestions...

Thanks in advance...



Mike

I don't want to say anything negative about anyone, but I will. Scuba Cancun, sorry to say, ran the most unsafe Discovery Dive course I can imagine. It was me, my wife, and my 11 year old son and daughter.

They had no downsized equipment for my kids at all, and they had 9 people in the class, with only one instructor. The instructor grouped us into two groups: my family of four, and the group of five. He spent all his time with the group of five in the pool, finally giving us less than 10 minutes with me and my family. I got all the basic skills right away, but my kids were a bit freaked and my wife couldn't do her mask clear in the one try we were given.

I got all the skills and did the dive, but we were given no refunds. And if somehow my kids were able to pass, it would have been a dangerous situation, because of the divers who did go (five total, all beginners), there was only the instructor, no buddies, etc. I got kicked in the face a diver who didn't listen to how to go down the descent line, etc. The current was swirling and a bit tiring.

I'll never dive with them again. But it didn't hamper my enthusiasm for doing things right, which hopefully I'm now doing.

 

[TSandM]

My advice, if you like swim-throughs, is to do the cenotes first.

Most likely, you won't want to do anything else after that

As far as guides go, Dennis Weeks of Diablo Divers has an excellent reputation here.

 

[Beyond_Diving]

Try Solo Buceo. It is a great shop, the dm's and instructors there have many many years of experience (several of them over 20 years in the area), small groups, videographers, safety, plus it helps that several Mexican presidents have used them in many occasions. Index

 

[desmo900rider]

Thanks for the advice all, I have been in touch with Ben from MAD and I am working on booking a trip with him now...

Thanks!

 

[JillGadget]

Thanks for the advice all, I have been in touch with Ben from MAD and I am working on booking a trip with him now...

Thanks!

You wont go wrong with Ben (Mayan Aqua Dive) 1st rate dive! Individual attention and you can't beat being picked up from you Hotel and brought back. I know scuba cancun (not sure about Manta) doesn't do that, you have to take public transportation. Ben will custom your dives to your likes. Great Cenote dives too!!! Came home and got cavern certified because we loved then so much.

As for nightlife.... after all our dives we were so exhausted we stayed at our hotel, (I guess I am old before my time) so couldn't help you there.

HAVE FUN!!!
Jill