Hi, from Tennessee

[Sabra White]

Hello, I am a new diver. My son and I got our OW in December and are now planning an April trip to Cancun for a week of diving. So, I have a couple of questions.
1) Although we both love the resorts there, we are hoping to spend most of our time in the water and figured we wouldn’t need all the amenities of the resorts. I’ve looked into apartments and Hostels, but the reviews are very misleading. One person says it’s great, the next says it’s a dump. Suggestions would be very much appreciated.
2) We are trying to decide if we should go ahead and do the AOW course or just pick out one of the weekly packages. We were really hoping for 2 dives a day for 5 days including the CeNotes and Cozumel. Is it really worth getting the Advanced cert?
3) I already read some of the posts about the dive shops in that area, but would love some more advice on who you all think would help us to make the most out of trip.

Thanks in advance for all the comments and advice!
Sabra

 

[Schwob]

Hello, I am a new diver. My son and I got our OW in December and are now planning an April trip to Cancun for a week of diving. So, I have a couple of questions.
1) Although we both love the resorts there, we are hoping to spend most of our time in the water and figured we wouldn’t need all the amenities of the resorts. I’ve looked into apartments and Hostels, but the reviews are very misleading. One person says it’s great, the next says it’s a dump. Suggestions would be very much appreciated.
2) We are trying to decide if we should go ahead and do the AOW course or just pick out one of the weekly packages. We were really hoping for 2 dives a day for 5 days including the CeNotes and Cozumel. Is it really worth getting the Advanced cert?
3) I already read some of the posts about the dive shops in that area, but would love some more advice on who you all think would help us to make the most out of trip.

Thanks in advance for all the comments and advice!
Sabra

Welcome.
Cannot help you with Cozumel (have only been there 1 day so far), but can offer you a perspective on if AOW is worth it:

A couple of years back, my son and I were freshly certified - on different continents at different times, longer story... So we never dove together an were about to go to Bonaire. Everybody and their brother advised against taking AOW too early and to do some diving first instead. Well there the diving is DIY and I was a bit concerned about the father - opinonated teenager (wants to be a lawyer some day) dynamics and possible differences in how safety relevant things might be handled. So, first thing we did was to take the AOW class. Was it the best class ever? No, certainly not. But it was worth while, the buoancy drills were very helpful, getting our bearings and more importantly, getting on the same page on deep, wreck, navigation and night diving did not hurt either. A great, harmonious week of father & son DIY diving followed. And from that point of view, the decision to spend money and time on that class was the best decision I made in a long time.

 

[Insta-Gator]

Welcome to SB.

We can never know you or your son via just posts in a thread. That said, buoyancy and trim are critical, IMO, regardless of your certification level. AOW probably won't buy you anything at this point. Stay with a DM while you gain skill and confidence. Then AOW and a trip to Bonaire for some shore diving, on your own, if you are up for it. There is no rush. Safety first.

 

[TMHeimer]

As just mentioned, we don't know how "good" you are-buoyancy, skills? Also, I don't know whether the Cenotes dive operators require AOW card or not. You'll get a lot of advice, but all I'll throw in is it always makes sense to me to do AOW or any course locally and just dive on vacation. That may not be possible where you are this time of year. Good luck.

 

[decompression]

As to your plans, I’d suggest Playa del Carmen as a better spot as it’s right where the Cozumel ferry is and much closer to the Cenotes. Shop around for the AOW in Mexico as it could be cheaper than local and it’ll give you some local dives as well. Further, your Instructor will be a good resource to ask questions about buoyancy and the possibility of you doing the cenotes. On that topic, do not take the Cenotes lightly, for intents and purpose they are a very dark and close in cave. Your buoyancy must be excellent........and zero claustrophobia. Otherwise just enjoy the reefs and work on skills there. Also, there are several expats in the area which I’m sure can give you a good lead on apartments or villas so you can hit the grocery stores for cheap eats and spend money on the important stuff.....DIVING!

 

[bamafan]

I highly recommend staying in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel. You couldn't pay me to stay in Cancun.

 

[Sabra White]

Thanks for all the info. We greatly appreciate it. We are definitely looking at staying in Playa del Carman.

 

[tomcatbubba]

Hi, if it were me, I would focus on fun diving since it is vacation. You may find that based on the training dive required, you could be sent to dive sites that otherwise wouldn't "wow" you. Plus, you'll tend to be focused more on training than the sights, which seems a waste to spend all that travel $$. That said, if they have a good deal on Nitrox certification and you don't already have it, that would be a recommendation. There is nothing you need to do when diving it (other than monitor your P02); all of the learning and prep work are before the actual dives. And, since no dives are actually required you could even complete before you go down there. Just a thought.