First time visit to Cancun November 2016

[JimJensen]

My dive buddies and I (three of us) are heading out to Cancun for the first time, from 13 November 2016, for a week. Planning to get 3 days diving in when we are out there. I am AOW with 50 dives under my belt, my buddies are also AOW.
Looking for suggestions and recommendations ... seems that Isla Mujeres appears to where the good local reef diving is? Any particular dive sites / dive companies you can recommend in the area?
Anywhere good for sharks? and bull sharks? Is this the right time of year?
Also planning a day's cenote diving when we a re out there as well, again, would appreciate peoples' opinions and suggestions for which cenote and a good local dive guide to contact ...

thanks

Jim

 

[htatton]

I strongly recommend Casa del Buceo casadelbuceo.com on Isla Mujeres. I dove with them the past 3 years and we will be there all week next week Oct 18-24. They are a small family based operation with very professional guides. Enrique and Pablo are great to work with and dive with. The C55 and C58 wrecks are great dives. Don't miss the MUSA museum. It is an easy shallow dive and I just love to hover and marvel.

Tell Pablo that Hyrum send you.

 

[ColoDale]

Haven't dived Cancun but also haven't heard stellar things about it. Maybe I missed something.

If you are going to travel for diving from Cancun then Cozumel has great local reefs. All the sites there are good. See the Mexico/cozumel section for dive ops. There are alot - depends on what you wnat and schedules. You will need to get to Playa del Carmen then the ferry so a bit more work than Isla Mujeres. Whale shark season will be at it's end for your Nov trip for Isla Mujeres. People do dive Isla Mujeres and have said good things but comparatively, if you want large reef sites then Cozumel should be better.

Cenotes would be good but I don't dive the mainland much except Akumal area. I am more of a reef guy as opposed to cenotes, blue holes and wrecks. I was there in Akumal (South of Playa del carmen) June of last year for turtle mating season but that has passed. Did not see one shark although the mainland side is more known for sharks (bulls I hear). Cozumel will have quite a few nurse sharks but there is plenty of other things to see. The reefs in Akumal are more multiple ridges. Coz will have some shallower ridges and formations and also walls.

 

[JimJensen]

I strongly recommend Casa del Buceo casadelbuceo.com on Isla Mujeres. I dove with them the past 3 years and we will be there all week next week Oct 18-24. They are a small family based operation with very professional guides. Enrique and Pablo are great to work with and dive with. The C55 and C58 wrecks are great dives. Don't miss the MUSA museum. It is an easy shallow dive and I just love to hover and marvel.

Tell Pablo that Hyrum send you.

Thanks Hyrum

 

[JimJensen]

Haven't dived Cancun but also haven't heard stellar things about it. Maybe I missed something.

If you are going to travel for diving from Cancun then Cozumel has great local reefs. All the sites there are good. See the Mexico/cozumel section for dive ops. There are alot - depends on what you wnat and schedules. You will need to get to Playa del Carmen then the ferry so a bit more work than Isla Mujeres. Whale shark season will be at it's end for your Nov trip for Isla Mujeres. People do dive Isla Mujeres and have said good things but comparatively, if you want large reef sites then Cozumel should be better.

Cenotes would be good but I don't dive the mainland much except Akumal area. I am more of a reef guy as opposed to cenotes, blue holes and wrecks. I was there in Akumal (South of Playa del carmen) June of last year for turtle mating season but that has passed. Did not see one shark although the mainland side is more known for sharks (bulls I hear). Cozumel will have quite a few nurse sharks but there is plenty of other things to see. The reefs in Akumal are more multiple ridges. Coz will have some shallower ridges and formations and also walls.

Thanks, sounds like Cozumel has the better dive sites

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks, sounds like Cozumel has the better dive sites

Cancun is for partying and lying on the beach, Cozumel is for diving. I have heard (I know--hearsay is worth zero) that even Playa del Carmen has better diving than Cancun. Isla Mujeres is an interesting place to visit, but it's known more for the whale shark snorkeling trips than for scuba diving. (But perhaps Isla Mujeres doesn't get the respect it deserves?) Still, with all of these options within a relatively short distance of each other, Cozumel is most people's choice for diving. Though reef fish aren't super-abundant, the underwater topography can be breathtaking.

 

[Diverspoint]

Playa del Carmen has no real diving apart from the bullshark dive. Your dates are maybe a bit early for the bullsharks.

Cancun has some nice ones, but current may be tricky. Isla Mujeres does not have much itself, most are done on reefs near Cancun.

In the area Cozumel has the better diving, but also some shops carry large groups.

Puerto Morelos has some nice dives, and so far not overrun.

At least consider cenotes

 

[Steve_C]

A couple years ago I was in Cancun for a conference. Showed up early and did three days of diving. Did one trip with Aquaworld. Did not like the boat. I am not anti cattle boat but this was very sub-optimal in every aspect. Did several with Manta. Small boat. Had 2-3 divers + DM on each dive. Back roll and then pass equipment up off a small boat. Enjoyed the dives. Saw lots of fish life, big school of eagle rays. Most dives were on the coral reefs. One was on a wreck. The C-54 or something like that. Did a hot drop and then went through the two pieces. Not claiming they were the ultimate but I enjoyed them. Plenty to see and no long rides to and from the boat. Reefs with Manta looked healthier than the ones with Aquaworld. This was in early December.

 

[alwaysdiving]

My dive buddies and I (three of us) are heading out to Cancun for the first time, from 13 November 2016, for a week. Planning to get 3 days diving in when we are out there. I am AOW with 50 dives under my belt, my buddies are also AOW.
Looking for suggestions and recommendations ... seems that Isla Mujeres appears to where the good local reef diving is? Any particular dive sites / dive companies you can recommend in the area?
Anywhere good for sharks? and bull sharks? Is this the right time of year?
Also planning a day's cenote diving when we a re out there as well, again, would appreciate peoples' opinions and suggestions for which cenote and a good local dive guide to contact ...

thanks

Jim

Hello Jim, my name is Alvaro Gonzalez, I've been diving and conducting divers for over 33 years since I became in a dive instructor in this side of Mexico, I run AlwaysDiving, our base is in Cancun, however we bring people to dive at Cenotes, Cozumel and Riviera Maya, in Cancun we have more than 20 different dive sites, with depths that goes from 30 to 80 feet deep, 2 wrecks with lots of sea life, we believe in making friends not customers, take a look here what people who have visited say about us
Always Diving & Water Sports (Cancun, Mexico): Top Tips Before You Go - TripAdvisor
We would love to take care of you and your friends with your dives, send me a private message or send me an e mail at alvaro@alwaysdiving.com and we can prepare you a customized dive package.
Best regards from paradise.

 

[JimJensen]

Thanks Alvaro, good to hear from you ... already thinking of diving with AlwaysDiving, I will be in touch via email. Best regards, Jim