Best spots to hit from Cancun?

[pete.glass]

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.

Hi there!!
I was saddened to hear you had a bad experience on your vacation with your family.
However I CAN RECOMMEND YOU TO A GUY MY WIFE AND I MET 12 YEARS BACK.I had been diving many years before that.But my wife had'nt so we met Alvaro, hes a guy who was a commercial diver on oil rigs.I guess you cant get much more experience than that. He now teaches scuba diving and has done for some time diving for more than 30 years.
Alvaro is a great person beleave me i know.. subal9@hotmail.com or look at always diving on the web. He got us to dive masters both my wife and I. He's wonderful with kids. although he make diving fun he also make sure you are all save to dive. i know the waters around cancun like the back of my hand i should do i dive there twice a year on 4 week vacations.
If you get in touch with Alvaro say hello from Paul and Mandy in the UK.

 

[mstevens]

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

We went on a whale shark trip with Solo Buceo a couple of years ago. They used a converted cigarette boat, so we got to the Holbox area much faster than I'd expected. Everything was very well-run.

 

[billinwilliamston]

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.

I would say do the cenotes last for the same reason you say to do them first.

 

[yak]

I would say do the cenotes last for the same reason you say to do them first.

not to mention the extended fresh water rinse...

 

[Mark Rappaport]

Hello all. First post. We are novice divers, OW certified in Aruba last winter. We dove with Scuba Cancun, did a refresher, which was waste of time in a pool with 12 people doing the resort course (they said it was the same thing). The Cancun dives were lovely and we were lucky because they moved us from a large boat with way too many people, to another boat with a "smaller" group (7 divers one DM). The DM was very helpful. Then we did the Coz trip. We did not dive with Scuba Cancun there (the stamp in my book says Caballito Del Caribe. SC must have an association with them). We walked quite a ways from the ferry to this little shop (me lugging all my equipment in a non-rollable bag - never again). Most of them only spoke Spanish, and the rental equipment my fiance used was terrible (antique BC that leaked, bad reg, but they had a spare on the boat, stinky wetsuit). The boat was an old wreck with barely enough room to get the equipment on, but it got us out there. We felt very rushed to get out to the reef, get in and get out of the water . . . We did the Santa Rosa wall first. Although we are novice OW divers (60' max right?) we went right down to 100 - 115'. It was like heaven, but I know we should not have done that! The DM just said jump in, go with the current, don't worry because we will know where you are and the boat will be there when you come up. The dive was truly amazing, and the boat was there (we got about 35 minutes, the other divers were advanced and got more time down). But, when I got to the surface, I got a mouth full of gas/oil from the old outboard engine, nearly puked. With a short SI, we went to a shallow reef where we drifted at about 50' for 45 minutes. It was also very beautiful. The sit down lunch was at an authentic family run restaurant, and the food was quite good (all the meals were 50 pesos - wish that was the case in Cancun . . . LOL). The driver/escort was a great guy. So, I guess a mixed review for Scuba Cancun.

 

[Spratman]

Good first post, Mark. Glad you had some good bottom time. Next time try Mayan Aqua Dive offers Cancun Diving, Snorkeling, Cavern Diving, Cozumel Dives & PADI Courses. You'll not have those problems.

Yeah, Cancun is expensive if you stick to the hotel zone. Some decent restaurants downtown, if you are adventurous.

Dive safe.

Jack

 

[Mark Rappaport]

Thanks. We did go downtown, found Habecheula (sp). Great. We also liked the El Shrimp bucket across from the 2 Marriotts where we stayed (super hotels, especially if you stay free with points). The Argentine steak house at Casa Magna is also great, amazing salad/appetizer bar and great big filet . . .

We know all about Aquaworld. no way. How would you compare Mayan Aqua with Manta and Solo Buceo? Also, we may stay in Cancun, and take a 2 - 3 day side trip to Coz, instead of the all-day affair with the van and ferry adventure. Some of eh dive operators in Coz sound super.

OK I digress. we are also considering the following trips instead of Cancun, all would be for 2 weeks in mid-February: 1. Curacao and a side trip to Bonaire (I know what they say about Bonaire, and think I may want to save it until I have at least another year of experience, and nitrox cert). 2. St. Thomas. 3. St. Kitts 4. Back to Aruba where we trained with Clive at Dive Aruba - he was an amazing teacher, and due to circumstances beyond our control we had five days of private lessons and dives. As we were learning, we didn't really get to fully experience the refs there - how do they compare? Thanks again!

 

[Lenmonster]

I don't think I'd dive in Cancun with anyone else than Ben at M.A.D. Why take any chances? I've not heard anything bad about Manta. The thing I like is that Ben and his staff are really great, his boat is awesome...fast and they changed the inboard to outboards, creating a nice dive deck on the stern that lets Ulisis drag you out of the water really easily! ;-) Seriously, it's an easy boat to giant stride or backroll from. There's just a sense of customer coming first with them that I truly didn't get with Scuba Cancun.

My son is now starting SCUBA training, and I would have no hesitation once he's ready to take him out on those reefs with M.A.D.

 

[Lenmonster]

Mark...We stayed at the Gran Melia last year, and El Shrimp Bucket was right across the street. We went there twice...my kids' favorite restaurant (that bacon wrapped shrimp was killer).

 

[nocalparrothead]

Aw, Len...
You just brought up great memories for me! Ulysis was incredible! He was great at pointing out turtles and other hiding creatures, had me holding some cool stuff... and took a great u/w photo of my husband & I off Cozumel. We had the most fabulous couple of days w/ Ben, Marisa (?) & Ulysis. They made our last trip down there. I would HIGHLY recommend them.