My wife and I are staying at the Grand Xcaret in Feb 2005 and plan to do some diving. Anybody have any experience in dealing with Dive Xcaret or recommend any other operators in the area.
Dive operators at Xcaret
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Tanked Monkey
Contributor
If you mean Gran Xcaret Occidental Flamenco, or something like that, I'll be checking in on Sept 2. We're going to be spending the previous week in the jungles of the Yucatan. I'm leaving on Aug 28th. Let me know if that's the place you're staying.
From what I've heard, the major operations run out of Playa del Carmen (just north) and Akumal (just south). The Playa ops seem to favor local reefs, as far as Coz, and also the cenotes. Seems like the Akumal ops favor mostly the cenotes, but I may be wrong here. I'll also check out the op running from the hotel. Who knows . . . it may be great.
Anyway, I'll be sure to post a full report when I get back. So stay tuned
BTW . . . this is my first post to scubaboard. Woo hoo!!!
From what I've heard, the major operations run out of Playa del Carmen (just north) and Akumal (just south). The Playa ops seem to favor local reefs, as far as Coz, and also the cenotes. Seems like the Akumal ops favor mostly the cenotes, but I may be wrong here. I'll also check out the op running from the hotel. Who knows . . . it may be great.
Anyway, I'll be sure to post a full report when I get back. So stay tuned
BTW . . . this is my first post to scubaboard. Woo hoo!!!
Well then welcome to the board, both of you! I don't know anything about the dive operators of xcaret, but xcaret itself is a good days fun.
While I have never used their operation, maybe you can try Tank Ha, they have a shop onsite the Xpu-Ha Palace which is not far from where you will be staying. They are very good and professional. If you have the chance, and depending on your experience and bouyancy control, try www.hiddenworlds.com for some awesome cenote diving.
If you don't like what you hear from Tank-Ha, you can also try Akumal Dive Shop (for info jesus@akumal.com)
Maria
If you don't like what you hear from Tank-Ha, you can also try Akumal Dive Shop (for info jesus@akumal.com)
Maria
OP
Let me know how the resort is. I will be looking forward to your trip report.
Tanked Monkey
Contributor
We had a great time on our 2 week trip to Mexico (28 Aug - 12 Sept). Since this was the first vacation where my wife and I are certified to dive, we didn't do a dive-your-brains-out type of vacation. The first week, we drove all around the Yucatan, visiting ancient Mayan ruins. We saw 16 different sites! Some were very remote. Amazing. PM me if you are interested in this type of vacation, but this is a scuba website, so I'll skip that part in this post.
The Hotel: We stayed at the Occidental Gran Flamenco Xcaret for the second week of the vacation. This was my first time at an all-inclusive hotel, so I learned many new things about how they work. The hotel was nice. The rooms were large enough, and the grounds were enormous. They had several pools, and an inlet (dredged out) where you could swim in salt water. We only spent a few hours at the inlet. Most of the wet time at the hotel was spent at the huge lagoon-like pools. One of the main pools (on the north side of the hotel) was more euro, and they played music and had organized activities. This wasn't really for us, even though it was closer to our room, so we spent more time at the other pool (south), which was more american.
The Eco-park: A week's hotel stay also includes entrance to the Xcaret eco-park. This was fun, but very commercialized. They have an underground river, that you can snorkel around, but the only fish we saw were in the end, where it dumps out into the ocean. The park is right next to the hotel, so we could walk between the park and hotel very easily. If I did it again, I would visit the park in the morning, snorkel the river in the afternoon, then return for the evening show after dinner (where actors re-enact Mayan and Spanish historical events). During the snorkel, if you check any stuff (shirts, shoes), they will bring it to the end for you in a locked bag. There are several points to exit the river, but that makes it difficult to locate your stuff at the end of the river. I would also bring a dive light, so I could peer into the caverns visited by the river.
Food/Drinks: There were bars everywhere throughout the hotel, so the drinks really flowed. They have a large buffet, which was well stocked. Also, there are several areas near the pools with smaller buffets. They had 5 restaurants, which were adequate, but not the best food we had on the trip. You have to make reservations to eat at them (we were allowed dinner 4 reservations since we were staying 7 nights the rest of the meals were at the buffet). I would recommend making your reservations right when you get there, as it may be difficult to get a table with short notice. They screwed up the dates for our dinner reservations, causing us to miss one, and we had to scramble to fix them. There is also a taco and pizza place near the main buffet, but they are only open for dinner.
Small Complaints: Nothing seemed to dry in the room (bathing suits, wetsuits), so we had to put it out on the balcony. Since we like to get out and about, we went to Playa del Carmen often. The hotel dive op was fairly expensive, and the dive coordinator didnt even know the names of the sites they visited. So we went up to Playa del Carmen for the dive operator.
The Dive Operator: We did 7 dives during this trip. We visited The Abyss (in the Blue Parrot Hotel), Tank-Ha, and DiveMike. We ended up selecting DiveMike (www.DiveMike.com), although the 2 other operators seemed great too. We really liked the feeling we got after speaking with the people at DiveMike, so we selected them.
The Diving: We went on a morning 2 tank reef dive. Since this was our first boat dive, we visited Tortugas and Sabalos. Tortugas had many turtles, and is a novice dive. We saw some nice fish too, but not too much coral. I believe this was because the current was running in the opposite direction than normal, so it threw everything off. On the second dive, Sabalos, the current was running the normal way, so we saw more coral, but the visibility was pretty low, as the current had just changed directions. A 3 mil full wetsuit was fine for these dives.
We had a few problems at the start of the Sabalos dive, which kind-of ruined that dive for us. When we rolled into the water, the person next to me rolled in late, and ended up rolling on top of me. Her tank banged my head under water, producing a knot and a lot of blood. I figured the pressure would help, so I continued on. My wife had some trouble descending in the swift current, without a descent line, as we had always used in our previous dives. So the guide dragged her down to 15 feet. He stopped when she vigorously signaled that her ears were hurting. This seemed very dangerous to me, and could have caused barotrauma. Luckily, she wasnt injured, but both of us were thrown off for the rest of the dive.
The next day, we went on a night dive at Jardines, which was beautiful. The coral was very nice, and we saw lots of fish, and a few octopuses, which changed color with the lights. We also saw a 4 foot moray eel out of his hidey hole, swimming along the reef. Very exciting.
The next 4 dives were Cenotes, and DiveMike picked us up at our hotel both days. We started with a dive at Dos Ojos and one at the Bat Cave (part of the same system). There was only one other diver with us that day. Our guide (Victor) was excellent, and very thorough. The stalactites/stalagmites were beautiful, and the entire dive was amazing. The next 2 dives were at Chaac Mool and Kukulcan (part of the same system). My wife and I were the only divers that day (plus the guide). There werent as many enormous decorations, but it was still an amazing dive. The halocline was a very interesting effect. A 3 mil full wetsuit was slightly cold, but acceptable. In the future, I might bring a beanie.
All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip. The next time, I will definitely use the same operator (DiveMike). I think the bump on the head was an accident, but my wifes rapid descent should have been avoided.
The Hotel: We stayed at the Occidental Gran Flamenco Xcaret for the second week of the vacation. This was my first time at an all-inclusive hotel, so I learned many new things about how they work. The hotel was nice. The rooms were large enough, and the grounds were enormous. They had several pools, and an inlet (dredged out) where you could swim in salt water. We only spent a few hours at the inlet. Most of the wet time at the hotel was spent at the huge lagoon-like pools. One of the main pools (on the north side of the hotel) was more euro, and they played music and had organized activities. This wasn't really for us, even though it was closer to our room, so we spent more time at the other pool (south), which was more american.
The Eco-park: A week's hotel stay also includes entrance to the Xcaret eco-park. This was fun, but very commercialized. They have an underground river, that you can snorkel around, but the only fish we saw were in the end, where it dumps out into the ocean. The park is right next to the hotel, so we could walk between the park and hotel very easily. If I did it again, I would visit the park in the morning, snorkel the river in the afternoon, then return for the evening show after dinner (where actors re-enact Mayan and Spanish historical events). During the snorkel, if you check any stuff (shirts, shoes), they will bring it to the end for you in a locked bag. There are several points to exit the river, but that makes it difficult to locate your stuff at the end of the river. I would also bring a dive light, so I could peer into the caverns visited by the river.
Food/Drinks: There were bars everywhere throughout the hotel, so the drinks really flowed. They have a large buffet, which was well stocked. Also, there are several areas near the pools with smaller buffets. They had 5 restaurants, which were adequate, but not the best food we had on the trip. You have to make reservations to eat at them (we were allowed dinner 4 reservations since we were staying 7 nights the rest of the meals were at the buffet). I would recommend making your reservations right when you get there, as it may be difficult to get a table with short notice. They screwed up the dates for our dinner reservations, causing us to miss one, and we had to scramble to fix them. There is also a taco and pizza place near the main buffet, but they are only open for dinner.
Small Complaints: Nothing seemed to dry in the room (bathing suits, wetsuits), so we had to put it out on the balcony. Since we like to get out and about, we went to Playa del Carmen often. The hotel dive op was fairly expensive, and the dive coordinator didnt even know the names of the sites they visited. So we went up to Playa del Carmen for the dive operator.
The Dive Operator: We did 7 dives during this trip. We visited The Abyss (in the Blue Parrot Hotel), Tank-Ha, and DiveMike. We ended up selecting DiveMike (www.DiveMike.com), although the 2 other operators seemed great too. We really liked the feeling we got after speaking with the people at DiveMike, so we selected them.
The Diving: We went on a morning 2 tank reef dive. Since this was our first boat dive, we visited Tortugas and Sabalos. Tortugas had many turtles, and is a novice dive. We saw some nice fish too, but not too much coral. I believe this was because the current was running in the opposite direction than normal, so it threw everything off. On the second dive, Sabalos, the current was running the normal way, so we saw more coral, but the visibility was pretty low, as the current had just changed directions. A 3 mil full wetsuit was fine for these dives.
We had a few problems at the start of the Sabalos dive, which kind-of ruined that dive for us. When we rolled into the water, the person next to me rolled in late, and ended up rolling on top of me. Her tank banged my head under water, producing a knot and a lot of blood. I figured the pressure would help, so I continued on. My wife had some trouble descending in the swift current, without a descent line, as we had always used in our previous dives. So the guide dragged her down to 15 feet. He stopped when she vigorously signaled that her ears were hurting. This seemed very dangerous to me, and could have caused barotrauma. Luckily, she wasnt injured, but both of us were thrown off for the rest of the dive.
The next day, we went on a night dive at Jardines, which was beautiful. The coral was very nice, and we saw lots of fish, and a few octopuses, which changed color with the lights. We also saw a 4 foot moray eel out of his hidey hole, swimming along the reef. Very exciting.
The next 4 dives were Cenotes, and DiveMike picked us up at our hotel both days. We started with a dive at Dos Ojos and one at the Bat Cave (part of the same system). There was only one other diver with us that day. Our guide (Victor) was excellent, and very thorough. The stalactites/stalagmites were beautiful, and the entire dive was amazing. The next 2 dives were at Chaac Mool and Kukulcan (part of the same system). My wife and I were the only divers that day (plus the guide). There werent as many enormous decorations, but it was still an amazing dive. The halocline was a very interesting effect. A 3 mil full wetsuit was slightly cold, but acceptable. In the future, I might bring a beanie.
All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip. The next time, I will definitely use the same operator (DiveMike). I think the bump on the head was an accident, but my wifes rapid descent should have been avoided.
OP
Thanks for the info. It is a great heads up for us. Looks like you had a great time.
My wife and I are recently certified also and will be going to Grande Xcaret in mid January. We went to this resort two years ago, right when they opened. It was wonderful, very romantic. No one was there b/c it was so new. We enjoyed the Eco Park (Xcaret Park) next to it. It was in some regards a giant, zoo amusement park w/o the rides. Near the sea they have all the snorkeling, swimming, diving, swim with the dolphins, etc. You have to follow the trail signs as the park is very dense and spread out. If your use to SCUBA then don't waste your time in the river. Its a constant 64-68 degrees and you get cold. At night they do an excellent show. I would advise you to see it.
The Grande Xcaret is very very nice. The food was always excellent. We always made a point to eat lunch at the buffet at the ocean bar. In the distance you can see Cozumel. If I could I would stay at this place every time we went. I love the fact that you can eat and drink w/o having to pay cash everytime. Although, tips to the bartender gets you special things. We never made reservations at a restaurant mainly b/c why hassle w/ it when the buffets offered up anything from A to Z. We will be at the Royal Club for the first time. More amenities and we get a place w/ an Ocean view. The rooms are great no matter what.
The dive OP we have chosen is Emerald Dolphin Dive Services on Cozumel. We have chosen this one b/c our dive instructors from Scubatoys here in Dallas have highly recommended them. I don't have any experience w/ them other than word of mouth. But to me, knowing the instructors and what they expect means when they offer up a DO as the best I'm going to have to believe them.
I am looking forward to this and will report back w/ info on our return.
_____________
PlanoDvr
The Grande Xcaret is very very nice. The food was always excellent. We always made a point to eat lunch at the buffet at the ocean bar. In the distance you can see Cozumel. If I could I would stay at this place every time we went. I love the fact that you can eat and drink w/o having to pay cash everytime. Although, tips to the bartender gets you special things. We never made reservations at a restaurant mainly b/c why hassle w/ it when the buffets offered up anything from A to Z. We will be at the Royal Club for the first time. More amenities and we get a place w/ an Ocean view. The rooms are great no matter what.
The dive OP we have chosen is Emerald Dolphin Dive Services on Cozumel. We have chosen this one b/c our dive instructors from Scubatoys here in Dallas have highly recommended them. I don't have any experience w/ them other than word of mouth. But to me, knowing the instructors and what they expect means when they offer up a DO as the best I'm going to have to believe them.
I am looking forward to this and will report back w/ info on our return.
_____________
PlanoDvr
Ontario Diver
Guest
If you are in that area, check out hidden worlds and go and dive the cenotes. They are fantastic and you'll love them.
catbrown
Guest
I would have to presume Dive Xcaret is the operator inside the park - went to Xcaret one day with some visitors (in other words i was forced, eco park indeed!) , went into the dive shop to talk to anyone, there was no-one to talk to except the gift shop salesperson and I tried to explain to her that the dive flag flying outside the shop was upside down...eventually had to get a tshirt and show her what I meant - the white line goes this way not that way...mmm. Yes you must do cenotes and find an operator outside a hotel, I always favour Abyss in Playa.
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