Cancun-Recommended Dive Operations

[jse]

Taking Family to Cancun in a week or so. First time in Mexico. I am looking for a good Dive Outfit to use the 10 days we will be there. I would appreciate any feedback from those with some experience in the area.

Thanks much.

 

[dive pro]

Hola, if you wish to design your own dive pack, avoid the crowds and get personal attention check out Manta Divers!Toll Free Cancun 1-800-659-0712 - Home call toll free, for any questions, doubts, info, schedule and to let us know what you like so we can put something together for you.
Hope this info helps.

 

[SarahOP]

I just got certified earlier this year in Cancun with Ben at Mayan Aqua Dive. I was just doing some reading on the boards and I saw that Ben started his own shop. I guess it's called Scorpio Divers and here's the link: SCORPIODIVERS.COM

Anyways, I felt very comfortable diving with him. He was fun, professional and I would highly recommend him. Even the people I met while diving said they heard he was the best and came to dive with him. I'm going back the day after Thanksgiving with a friend and we're already planning out some dive sites we'd like to try. I'll definitely check out Scorpio Divers.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[Stephanie Kidwell]

My husband and I just got back from Cancun and we STRONGLY recommend Mayan Aqua Dive. I dove with several of the instructors/divemasters and they were all wonderful (Karl, Isidro, Ulises). I've heard some horror stories about some of the larger dive companies LOSING divers, boats leaving without divers, etc., but the guys at MAD were very focused on safety - they keep divers with divemasters at all times, they pay attention to the divers, and help improve their diving. My husband is kind of a nervous diver, and I noticed that the instructors watched him very closely. They dive open water, wrecks, cenotes (sink holes), and they also have trips with SCUBA Mau in Cozumel (but a MAD divemaster accompanies the clients). We both got our advanced open water certification with MAD and they really focused on the skills we needed help with, discussing them on the boat and greatly assisting us in the water. They also made it really convenient for us to dive with them. They had the same taxi driver pick us up and return us to our hotel for no additional charge, and they kept in frequent contact with us to update/confirm dives (e.g. in case of changing weather conditions). In total, I did 9 dives with them, and I wish I had time for more!! I will be returning to Cancun shortly and I will only dive with this group. I hope this helps - have a great trip!

 

[snorkymn]

Wow, I'm possibly going to Cancun next month and most of these posts seem like they're made as advertisements for the Dive Shops.. possibly by people working there.. It's hard to really know who to use.

 

[Froid]

Wow, I'm possibly going to Cancun next month and most of these posts seem like their made as advertisements for the Dive Shops.. possibly by people working there.. It's hard to really know who to use.

snorky,

Yes, I will admit guilt with shilling certain dive shops. But remember information is part of the reason SB is here. We share our personal experiences with equipment, dive locations, and dive shops. No, I don't work for any dive shops.

With that said, I will only dive with with Scorpio and Ben Mooney while in Cancun. He runs a safe dive shop with good people. For me the most important part of diving with my family is safety. We all, to a point, trust our well being with the dive shop, their equipment, and how they handle the diveboat.

There is my shill for the day.

 

[Stephanie Kidwell]

I see your concern, but I promise I don't work for a dive shop - I'm a nurse in NYC!

 

[Abidon]

Wow, I'm possibly going to Cancun next month and most of these posts seem like they're made as advertisements for the Dive Shops.. possibly by people working there.. It's hard to really know who to use.

I know that it looks as though we have stock in these dive-ops. But when you've been subjected to countless sales pitches (starting at the airport ) for time-shares and activities by just about everyone you come across in Cancun, it refreshing to have a dive-op that only focuses on diving.

I had the same geat experience with Mayan Aqua Dive that Stephanie Kidwell had about 1-1/2 months ago. I think Ben had already left MAD to start his own thing, but the service there was still top-notch. They didn't ask for a credit card number to make my reservation, and arrainged for a taxi to pick us up at our hotel and drive us back when we were done. They didn't even bill me for the dives until afterwards... by email.:shocked2: That kind of trust in customers is hard to come by these days.

Because we were in Cancun for 3 days, I only got to spend one afternoon diving with MAD. I certainly would have done more diving with them had time permitted. They don't treat you like some "mark" to sell time-shares or additional activities/services to. They treat you as just a diver looking for a good spot to jump in.:cool2:

 

[Jay_SMART_Diver]

Another vote from me for Ben Mooney, I was super impressed with him and the operation. I dove with him at Mayan Aqua Dive but if he's somewhere else then I'd definitely go there.

 

[Chuxter]

The first time I used manta divers was about 5 years ago and they were stll up at the north end of the hotel zone. This was before I was certified and was doing about my 3rd year of hotel certification, Finally went and got certified instad of doing that every time we went down. Had a very good time with them. I was back there 2 years ago and did a Cozumel dive through them and will never do it again. To many people packed in van for the ride to Playa, once we got there had to carry all of our gear 4 to 5 blocks to the ferry dock. When we got to Cozumel had to carry all of our gear what seemed like a half a mile to the itty bitty shop that we had to go through there lost 2 people in our group just getting to the dive shop. Pack people into thoselittle taxis down there for the ride to the marina. The good thing was the it was my 1st wall dive and it was awesome and the 2nd dive was a reef dive which was nice too. Pretty much the same story in reverse for getting back to Cancun. Headed back in April and will be looking for somewhere else this trip.