Costa maya diving?

[nuts4corals]

Hello All,
Going to be on a cruise in late October early November 2024.

I will have single shore days at costa maya. Shore day will be 8am-5:30pm.

Costa Maya, MX

I would like to do some diving. I'm usually a 2 tank drift diver like most of us, I guess. I want to see the wildlife and corals mostly reef not into wreak diving. I do have close to 500 dives with my own gear. However, I am not sure I will be taking my gear with me this time so may be renting. I dove extensively in cozumel mx and is very nice. I do reef restoration there. Should I even bother diving in Costa maya?

I would love some reccomendations from experts here on the port of call above. Preferably with dive ops that will pick up and drop off at or walking distance to the cruise port...

Also have a question about dive knives and equipment on cruise ships... specifically Norwegian. Do they allow you to bring equipment (less tank) on board? Anyone have expierience with this?

Thanks in advance for any and all reccomendations offered.

 

[halocline]

I was going to recommend a cenote dive but then I looked up where Costa Maya is and it’s really south, near Belize. I’ve never been there but I’ve wanted to go exploring down there so I’ll be interested in this thread. There are some excellent cenotes near Tulum but that may be too far. There are other threads about Costa Maya, if you search you might find something useful.

 

[fantroym]

There is a small dive shop right on the beach called ALUX Divers I have dived with them twice from a cruise ship and it worked great. We rented a gold cart and my wife and kids hung out at the Crazy Lobster while I did my dives. you can find them on facebook and google.

To answer you other question about if its worth it, I liked it. the corals grow in a way it kind of reminded me of walking thought a forest with pathways. It was also a lot less crowded.

I just ran across your other post, yes they will do snorkeling too. They dropped me and the DM off at the dive site and went shallower for snorkeling and then came back and picked us up an hour later.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I went to dive in Costa Maya via cruise ship a very long time ago when it was a sleepy little village. I don't know if the village have changed much, but the speed bumps were mooring ropes laid across the road and I dove with the only scuba diving operation in town. It was apparently a cruise worker favorite, but they were very informal. Went out in a wooden fishing boat, a cruise worker's HP hose couldn't inflate the BC, so he decided to orally inflate it underwater when necessary. Both of our dives were deep and long, not sure if anyone hit NDL w/o knowing.

As far as the dives, I remember all the sites having lots and lots of sea plume, so the sight looked like this brownish bush like covering as far as the eye can see. My description was from just 2 dives many years ago, so take it as it is.

 

[Altamira]

I dove with Alux Divers in 2022, and found it to be an excellent dive op. See my trip report titled “Alex Divers- Mahahual” using the search function. I will certainly use them when next in Costa Maya. They are very laid back, but safety conscious. My two tanker with them was a blast, and wished I could stay for two more.

I dive a lot from cruise ships, take my own gear, use dive op’s tanks and weights, Never had a problem with gear going on the ship. Leave your knife at home. Shears and cutting tools OK on board. Knives are prohibited, and if discovered, security will confiscate and you will have to remember to pick it up as you leave the ship.

I found the diving at Costa Maya to be very worthwhile. It is not Bonaire, Curacao, Roatan, or Cozumel, but I have never been disappointed in my six cruise stopovers at Costa Maya. Have fun.