how do people rank cancun

[SafetyStopBait]

hey,

i know rankings are a relative thing always but i wanted to know how people would rank cancun diving - amongst carribbean diving or against any benchmark you would hold it up against.
i need to choose quickly between an intensive diving trip to cancun (in august) and a trip to israel where i could do some diving in Eilat but limitied (i'd be going around with a non-diver).

 

[sasscuba]

If I have my choice, Cancun to party, Cozumel to dive.

 

[divad]

Cancun is a hideous place.

 

[divingjd]

Whatever one may think of Cancun, the diving is not bad. I would say it is probably underrated. There are some decent reefs out near Isla Mujeres and there is an abundance of marine life. It is not the equal of Cozumel, but it is certainly worthwhile diving. Because it is exposed to the wind, the harbor often closes when the wind kicks up. There are not a lot of highly-regarded dive ops in Cancun. Avoid Aquaworld, which has the concession to run the resort courses for virtually all of the hotels. I have heard some good things about Manta Divers. It has been about seven years since I have been there and the shop I used to dive with is closed.

You are also 60-90 minutes away from the cenotes down near Tulum. If you are not familar with the cenotes, they offer the chance for guided cavern dives with a cave instructor. The cenotes are world-class diving. It is also possible to get over to Cozumel for some diving. It's a bit of a haul, about an hour down to Playa del Carmen to catch the ferry, then about an hour on the ferry over to Cozumel, but it's doable. It makes for a long day for a two-tank dive, so you probably wouldn't want to do it every day, but I would recommend doing it once.

 

[joeabroad]

Cancun is a hideous place.

Very true, but IMO Eilat is the Israeli Cancun.

Diving in Eilat itself can be a little grim, too--the coral has been smashed to pieces, I think mostly as the direct result of the high volume of overweighted OW students processed there. However, if you hop across the border to Aqaba it's a different world--wonderful reefs, wrecks and marine life that Cancun can't hold a candle to. Red Sea Water Sports in Eilat can probably organize an Aqaba trip for you, or you can stay at one of the hotels in Aqaba. Several dive operations there. Aqaba is only about 5 miles from Eilat.

And awful as Cancun is, there are other places very near that are far less awful but share the same water--Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos. Cancun is where I did my OW certification dives (with Manta Divers, very excellent small shop) and I think about the reefs there all the time.

 

[Charlie99]

Whatever one may think of Cancun, the diving is not bad. I would say it is probably underrated. There are some decent reefs out near Isla Mujeres and there is an abundance of marine life. It is not the equal of Cozumel, but it is certainly worthwhile diving. Because it is exposed to the wind, the harbor often closes when the wind kicks up.

All of the above points match my observations. Lots and lots of marine life, probably more than Cozumel. Nice reefs formations, but not the truly awesome, massive formations and swim throughs of Cozumel. Were Cancun not so close to Cozumel, it would have a much better reputation.

 

[ckofabq]

Another thread that reminds me why I appreciate ScubaBoard and its shared knowledge. Thanks. Previously, I wouldn't have given a second thought to Cancun diving.
CK-

 

[mccabejc]

Cancun is a hideous place.

Oh no you di'n't !!! :11:

Gorgeous beaches. White sand, deep blue water. The nightlife is a blast. Some wonderful resort hotels (ever been to the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach?). Many of the restaurants around town are absolutely INSANELY good. Possibly my favorite non-diving vacation.

What is hideous? Maybe if you're talking about the constant barrage of locals trying to sell you stuff, then yeah, that can be a pain.

 

[Jcsgt]

If I have my choice, Cancun to party, Cozumel to dive.

That's about right. I dived there, a couple years ago. The diving wasn't really bad, just not as good as Coz or other Caribbean locales I've been to. Sure beats the Oregon coast, though!

If you do dive there, Scuba Cancun is a class operation. They also run trips over to Coz and the Cenotes.

 

[dlndavid]

Cancun Rocks! Manta Diver or Scuba Cancun work quite well. The Cenote are a must do dive.