kldomino
Registered
My family of 4 dove with divePro Cancun (in the hotel zone, either KM 5 or 9) last week, and it was one of the best operations I have used in 30 years of diving. They were professional, competitively priced, honest, and pleasant. Miguel was my pre-trip point of contact, Keila was my onsite contact, and Lars was our dive guide. I was very happy with the quality and the speed at which all three performed their jobs.
After visiting their website, I still had many questions, and Miguel answered my multiple emails swiftly and completely. He was booked for our trip dates, but then emailed us back within hours that he had done some rearrangement to accommodate us.
He was very patient with me, as I was recently scammed online for accommodations, and was ultra-paranoid about getting scammed again by people posing as others and/or misrepresenting their offerings. He provided any info I requested (and more!) and held our tentative reservations while I attempted to find alternate accommodations (without me expecting he would, which was appreciated during peak New Year's season).
Their pricing is not fixed - it depends on the season, and the number of divers in your party - so that is why rates are not posted on their website. They provide personalized service that other cattle boats do not, with a max of 4 divers per guide. For us, their pricing was competitive ($75USD/2 tank local morning reef dives + $3USD one-time park fee), and it included all equipment except an optional shorty wetsuit ($8USD). They did not require a deposit, unlike most operators. Miguel is honest and very customer service oriented.
When we arrived at the affiliated location (ScubaPro Cancun), Lars greeted us initially, with his infectiously-happy personality. Similarly, Keila was pleasant and professional as she went over the required forms, C-Cards and handled the money, while Lars visually evaluated us (quite accurately for our sizes!) and gathered up needed equipment. The billing was as expected from Keila, due to good communication from Miguel. Their methods were like a well-tuned machine, and it was refreshing to waste no time at all and be on the boat within 20 minutes, with decent-quality, good-fitting gear which took almost no effort on our part. That showed experience, and a desire for great customer service.
I regret that I did not note the name of the boat, but both docked were large, and well-appointed for diving. There were two side-entries, and two rear ladders for getting back in. Ice cold water was provided (dispenser with cone cups), but no other beverages or snacks. I think we were allowed to bring our own, but we didn't see a need. The Captain and mates were helpful.
Lars was the best guide ever, hands down. We were a mixture of experienced and beginner divers, so he had a challenge there, AND the current was exceptionally strong that day (my husband and I even had a hard time with it). He asked and answered questions, and completely took care of transferring our equipment to the second tank, and removing/packing/hauling our rental equipment.
Our reefs were at 55 feet, so bottom time was 45 minutes (limited by the air supply of one daughter). The other 2 groups on the boat did their own itinerary, with all 3 groups inflating a flag for pick up wherever they ended up. This allowed groups to spread out, and to have varying lengths of time at depth. I hadn't seen the vertical inflatable flags used before, and it worked well for having groups of divers of varying experience levels.
The strong current/slight surface wait for boat pickup caused sea sickness for two of us, and we opted not to return the next day only because dive conditions looked to be the same or worse. Current varies widely, and apparently we just had an unlucky week of strong wind/current. Keila and Miguel handled the day-before-cancellation well.
The water temperature was about 79 degrees at the surface, and my husband and I comfortably dove 12/30/14 in just dive skins, while our teen daughters (not much body fat) needed wetsuits. My daughter dove the first tank in just her bikini but was cold, and she had to put on my 3mm between dives. The other daughter rented a shorty for both dives and was fine.
I was pleasantly surprised that the reef was in good condition, with a medium amount of coral and fish. We saw one small black-tip shark, but the highlights of both dives were seeing eagle rays (1 on the first dive at Grampin and 2 together on the second dive at Herradura). I didn't see my first eagle ray until I had about 50 dives, so my daughters don't know how lucky they are seeing them on their 10th dive.
I will definitely use divePro when we return to Cancun, and would recommend them to beginner or experienced divers. I will also ask for Lars, hoping he is still there!
After visiting their website, I still had many questions, and Miguel answered my multiple emails swiftly and completely. He was booked for our trip dates, but then emailed us back within hours that he had done some rearrangement to accommodate us.
He was very patient with me, as I was recently scammed online for accommodations, and was ultra-paranoid about getting scammed again by people posing as others and/or misrepresenting their offerings. He provided any info I requested (and more!) and held our tentative reservations while I attempted to find alternate accommodations (without me expecting he would, which was appreciated during peak New Year's season).
Their pricing is not fixed - it depends on the season, and the number of divers in your party - so that is why rates are not posted on their website. They provide personalized service that other cattle boats do not, with a max of 4 divers per guide. For us, their pricing was competitive ($75USD/2 tank local morning reef dives + $3USD one-time park fee), and it included all equipment except an optional shorty wetsuit ($8USD). They did not require a deposit, unlike most operators. Miguel is honest and very customer service oriented.
When we arrived at the affiliated location (ScubaPro Cancun), Lars greeted us initially, with his infectiously-happy personality. Similarly, Keila was pleasant and professional as she went over the required forms, C-Cards and handled the money, while Lars visually evaluated us (quite accurately for our sizes!) and gathered up needed equipment. The billing was as expected from Keila, due to good communication from Miguel. Their methods were like a well-tuned machine, and it was refreshing to waste no time at all and be on the boat within 20 minutes, with decent-quality, good-fitting gear which took almost no effort on our part. That showed experience, and a desire for great customer service.
I regret that I did not note the name of the boat, but both docked were large, and well-appointed for diving. There were two side-entries, and two rear ladders for getting back in. Ice cold water was provided (dispenser with cone cups), but no other beverages or snacks. I think we were allowed to bring our own, but we didn't see a need. The Captain and mates were helpful.
Lars was the best guide ever, hands down. We were a mixture of experienced and beginner divers, so he had a challenge there, AND the current was exceptionally strong that day (my husband and I even had a hard time with it). He asked and answered questions, and completely took care of transferring our equipment to the second tank, and removing/packing/hauling our rental equipment.
Our reefs were at 55 feet, so bottom time was 45 minutes (limited by the air supply of one daughter). The other 2 groups on the boat did their own itinerary, with all 3 groups inflating a flag for pick up wherever they ended up. This allowed groups to spread out, and to have varying lengths of time at depth. I hadn't seen the vertical inflatable flags used before, and it worked well for having groups of divers of varying experience levels.
The strong current/slight surface wait for boat pickup caused sea sickness for two of us, and we opted not to return the next day only because dive conditions looked to be the same or worse. Current varies widely, and apparently we just had an unlucky week of strong wind/current. Keila and Miguel handled the day-before-cancellation well.
The water temperature was about 79 degrees at the surface, and my husband and I comfortably dove 12/30/14 in just dive skins, while our teen daughters (not much body fat) needed wetsuits. My daughter dove the first tank in just her bikini but was cold, and she had to put on my 3mm between dives. The other daughter rented a shorty for both dives and was fine.
I was pleasantly surprised that the reef was in good condition, with a medium amount of coral and fish. We saw one small black-tip shark, but the highlights of both dives were seeing eagle rays (1 on the first dive at Grampin and 2 together on the second dive at Herradura). I didn't see my first eagle ray until I had about 50 dives, so my daughters don't know how lucky they are seeing them on their 10th dive.
I will definitely use divePro when we return to Cancun, and would recommend them to beginner or experienced divers. I will also ask for Lars, hoping he is still there!
