Getting DiveMaster in Tulum, recommendations?

[LBattle]

Hello,

I'm planning on going to Tulum the second week of June next year and spending about two months there and I'd like to get my DiveMaster while I'm there and also take a Cavern Diving course. Does anyone have any recommendations as to a dive shop for me? I have my own gear, I've got a bit over a hundred dives, advanced, rescue and First Aid certified and would like to do my DM and possibly even the instructor course if there's enough time. I would like to be challenged, not just rubber-stamped. Anyway, any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you!

(Also, I don't care as to the certification agency, PADI, SSI, NAUI, etc.... whichever is fine with me)

 

[ElGaucho]

Tulum is not an area known for its ocean diving. There is some diving, but most people just do a DSD or a quick dive. Most in the area go for cavern tours. There´s plenty of IDC/GoPro outfits in Playa del Carmen though. I can highly recommend Anders at GoProPlaya and Angel at IDCMexico both as one stop go pro shops. If you are looking for a smaller outfit, more of a "ill hang there for a long time and see how it progresses" kind of thing, maybe you can find something with more open water diving in the Akumal area. It´s not that there is no diving in Tulum, it´s just not much of it. It all depends on what you are looking for. If you just want to go and do it, both go pro shops I mention will be your best bet probably.

You could also look into XTC Dive, which is in Xcalak, down south (a couple of hours from PDC probably), but you will be in really nice ocean dive sites in a very small town, if that´s your thing.

I just give you some options, but keep looking if you are set on Tulum, there are probably good options, I just don´t know about them.

 

[bigbluemarble]

El Gaucho is absolutely correct, the ocean diving in Tulum is rather dull. The reefs off Akumal are okay, but think Playa has more stuff to see in terms of marine life. Xcalak & Mahahual have some nice diving, but it may be kind of slow down there in terms of diving (especially Xcalak) so if you are looking for a very active shop, may not be the place for you.

There are quite a few dive shops in Playa and it gets pretty busy in July & August so doing a DM course in Playa could be a great learning experience. Get in touch with different dive shops and see which one appeals to you. It doesn''t have to be an IDC center in order for you to have a great course.

 

[LBattle]

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I'll look into shops at PDC