Diviing Playa

[nodakdive]

Two is enough for the boat to go out -- as you said, the reefs are so close, that fuel costs are much less of a factor than Cozumel.

General consensus is that the food is mediocre when the kitchen is on, and always overpriced.

If two is enough, you might want to be there with 2 divers in your party. The week I stayed there, the afternoon boat went out only once. The third resort dive I did, which was the day after I'd done the second resort dive, it was just myself and one other diver, who Lester hunted down for me so the boat could go out. I was very excited about diving. (On that dive, I saw the biggest Turtle and the biggest green moray I've ever seen, in almost 500 dives.) If I ever go again, it'll be with more divers than just myself.

Maybe the food has changed, but my experience, after having had years of eating in Cozumel restaurants, and having eaten Coz food for 9 days prior to the week stay in Paamul, was that it was good. I ate 3 meals a day there for a week. Yes, a little more expensive, but not outlandish. I'm not very picky so to me the food at Casa del Mar is just fine and there are items on their menu I really enjoy. Paamul's restaurant felt/tasted like a definite step up.

Did you have a bad experience eating there?

 

[ibj40]

We love Puerto Aventuras. We have stayed at Dreams several times. Unfortunately, since they put the Dolphins in, their prices have gotten to high for us. I know the Cat is reasonable but don't really like what I read about it.

We've been to PA about a dozen times, stayed at the Catalonia twice, and rented condos the rest. We figure since we're diving, we don't get a value out of hanging at the pool bar and getting wasted, plus neither of us are big breakfast eaters. We both love to cook, though, and with the Chedraui across the highway and the farmer's market on Saturday and Wednesday, we will cook in a couple of dinners, and then there are sufficient places around the marina to fill in the rest. AI might work for some, but we'd rather be in control of our own dietary needs.

With respect to the dolphins, our rationalization is that at least at PA, their water source is open ocean, as opposed to the dolphin prison across the highway that is landlocked, not that we agree with the concept in general.

 

[LiquidDivingAdventure]

My wife and I stayed at the Catalonia Yucatan a couple of years ago and got a heck of a winter escape deal, less than $800 per person AI and airfare. I dove with one of the shops in Puerto Aventuras, can't remember which one, but was a great shop. Brand new rental gear (I did not rent) and a small 6-pack boat. It was a bit rough on cameras. I was with the same folks each day and it seemed like they were "regulars" to the area, experienced divers. As mentioned, the dive sites were fairly flat and we saw lots of critters. As mentioned no canyons and walls like Coz but we all enjoyed the dives. I just don't get into comparing one place against another. You tend to get disappointed and I'd rather enjoy being in the ocean and the dive, not wishing I was some place else. It was a bit of a haul carrying my gear on foot from the Cat to the boat.

 

[mediumone]

My mistake, it is about 50 miles south of the Cancun airport, and yes I have been on the mainland, it was a typograpical error for which I take full and irrevocable responsibility.

A very gracious response to my dickish post.

No excuse for me, but I'd just come from another forum where the poster had presented himself as an expert, but didn't have any better idea of what he was talking about, than I have of what you had for breakfast on Monday.

Thank you.

 

[DarinJ]

My son & I spent a week in Playa in November. We loved our 3 days with Jason from Fantasea Divers. Max 4 divers in the boat (it was just the 2 of us for all 3 of our days, but November is low season). We saw some great reefs with lots of colour, saw many morays, 2 octopus, 1 very large turtle, some rays and a school of about 20 barracuda. Jason is hands off with gear, unless you want help. He will plan the dives from easy reef drifts to full technical dives.


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