Going to Cancun tomorrow 10-11-08, few questions.

[JackSpearo]

I wanna do at least one dive (probably in cozumel) should I bring my 5mm?

what will the water temp be?

anyone have a favorite mexican restaurant?

what is a great ruin close by?

my fiance wants to get into scuba diving, do you think one of those half day classes where they get to dive in the ocean is a good idea?

anything very fun to do that I should know about? like trips, atvs, some activity center, etc etc?

thanks guys and gals!

Jack

ps our hotel is Gran Melia Hotel

 

[Sideways]

I wanna do at least one dive (probably in cozumel) should I bring my 5mm?

No.....just rent a shorty

what will the water temp be?

Warm....85 ish??

anyone have a favorite mexican restaurant?

In Playa del Carmen, lots of great lil eateries like Carboncitas. If you want fine dining...someone else might know, Im happy with excellent tacos

what is a great ruin close by?

Tulum.....down the coast about 30 miles

my fiance wants to get into scuba diving, do you think one of those half day classes where they get to dive in the ocean is a good idea?

Absolutly!! Resort courses are very cool with a good DM

anything very fun to do that I should know about? like trips, atvs, some activity center, etc etc?

Do NOT miss a cenote!!!!

thanks guys and gals!

Jack

ps our hotel is Gran Melia Hotel

Have fun

 

[RAWalker]

The water temperature was 80F last week after a week of rain and clouds. My wife and I were comfortable in shorties while others were in swimsuits.

 

[robint]

If you are going to be in Cancun you should go to Mayan ruins Chichen Itza just to the west, it is closer and much bigger and better than Tulum. It will be an all day excursion as it covers a huge area while Tulum is a little area that you can see in about an hour or two at most. ::- VISIT MEXICO -:: Chichén Itzá

Your non-diving friend would probably love Xcaret. It is south of Cancun and a full day of activities. Sorta like a mayan Disneyland with all types of land and water activities and snorkeling. Xcaret - Cancun most amazing eco archaeological park .

robin

 

[driftwood]

I wanna do at least one dive (probably in cozumel) should I bring my 5mm?

what will the water temp be?

anyone have a favorite mexican restaurant?

what is a great ruin close by?

my fiance wants to get into scuba diving, do you think one of those half day classes where they get to dive in the ocean is a good idea?

anything very fun to do that I should know about? like trips, atvs, some activity center, etc etc?

thanks guys and gals!

Jack

ps our hotel is Gran Melia Hotel

Lot of questions when you are leaving tomorrow,

I have seen people in t shirts up to 7mm suits. Personally, I use a 3/2 shorty.

There are no significant ruins "close" to Cancun. The Mayans were smarter than to build a city on a barrier island. CI is worth a day trip. Tulum has a wonderful setting with the cliffs, beach and ocean. The only ruin I would spend the time to visit again is Ek Balam.

I am not a big fan of the discover scuba course. Too much to learn for a lot of people and that makes them very nervous. See if one of the shops has just a pool intro, a lot do that for free, to see how your lady likes it. Then go from there.

Try to spend one evening walking 5th Ave in Playa del Carmen. A bit more laid back than Cancun.

Have a great trip!

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

jack,
if you want to do a local dive out of cancun give me shout, its way under rated, the wreck dive is great and the reefs filled with all the marine life around, we got to dive with seven dolphins on thurday too! if you want your fiance to take the plunge we can do that too, an intro 30ft dive at manchones reef off of isla mujures!
mayan ruins, like driftwood said, ek balam is great, its under a little of re construction but fablous day out, you can still climb up the temples too and close by is a great cenote to jump into and cool off.
cancun has some of the best restaurants around and very close to you at the gran melia, puerto madero just across the street is #1 in cancun for steak and lobsters, the thai lounge gets my vote but if you want authenic mexican and mariachi you have to get downtown to la parilla or pericos.
too much to see and too much to do, enjoy your stay and if you need any help with the dives shoot me pm. avoid aquaworld at all costs, they work out of the melia!

 

[adambisi]

You may want to look at diving Puerto Morelos which is halfway between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.

One of the Navy Minesweepers is located in that area and is an excellent dive!

I went with Wet Set Scuba Divers based at Ojo de Agua Hotel.

Wet Set Water Adventures of Mexico..the best little PADI dive center in the Mexican Caribbean

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

yes the wreck in pm is a great dive.
the c 56, 100ft under still intact, awesome penetration and full of wildlife, plus it doesnt have those mean and wicked currents like the two wrecks in cancun!

 

[Spratman]

As you will get a lot of naysayers regarding discover scuba class, that is how I got started into diving. Ben was my instructor and there are none better IMO. Both my son and daughter took this class with them and he is with them the entire time. Of course, I was with them, as well.

The diving in Cancun is very good. People get a bad taste of reef, because many of the shops dump people off on Chitales, which is virutually a junk pit. It's been destroyed by many hurricanes. Punta Negra and Manchones reefs are great dives! I've been diving them for five years and they have always been productive.

As Driftwood said, it is much busier than further down the coast, but these areas are starting to catch up now, with all the AI resorts that are being built. I highly recommend PDC if you are looking at cenotes though. AWESOME!!

Talk to Ben about training your spouse/SO. If she is not comfortable in the pool, she won't be going on the reef.

 

[driftwood]

As you will get a lot of naysayers regarding discover scuba class, that is how I got started into diving. Ben was my instructor and there are none better IMO. Both my son and daughter took this class with them and he is with them the entire time. Of course, I was with them, as well.

I really do understand the discover scuba course and done correctly there should be no problems. I have found that there are just enough operations in Mexico that play fast and lose with the rules for a general 'great thing to do while you are there' to be taken with a large dose of salt.

Many years ago, my wife and me took a class that was video, gear up and hit the ocean. I call it 'kill a tourist course' when conducted that way. More recently, 2006, a shop in Akumal included discover scuba students on regular dives without increasing the number of dive masters to supervise them (one DM on a boat of 10 divers with three discover scuba's included). Maybe its just me, but that sounds a bit more adventurous than PADI what intended. Personally, I would want a DM watching out for the Discover students like an avenging angle and not distracted leading 7 other divers around. 40-60' dive btw.