Isla Mujeres dive shops?

[dbuster]

I'll be spending a week on Isla Mujeres this winter and plan to do a few days of diving. I'm open-water certified with 15-20 dives.

I'm looking for a recommendation or two on dive shops you have used.

I found one listed on PADI's website, but it seems to have gone belly-up and didn't get such great reviews when it was alive and kicking. And other dive shops that turned up on a Google search either are slow to answer e-mail queries or also seem to be out of business.

So, has anybody on the board dived on Isla Mujeres in the past several months? What shop(s) did you use and what was your level of satisfaction with 'em?

Thanks much.

Dennis

 

[Balam Nautic Center]

Hi Dennis. We are on the playa norte of Isla Mujeres, located inside the beautiful hotel Nabalam with our small caribbean diveshop. Our concept is totally different from the rest of the diveshops in the area. As very experienced research divers we discovered a couple of very exclusive interesting spots with a lot of sealife and frequent encounters with reef, lemon and bull sharks. Very small groups and personal care, our politic is totally against the big boats with 25 divers on (Cozumel style) but every trip with us is a real adventure and generally we use the rude authentic diving boats for authentic divers... groups of max 5 divers and in case of more we split our groups. On the nabalam.com you can find all the informations you need and you can contact Guido at the nauticaatnabalam.com(diving manager)

 

[joeabroad]

(this should move to the regular Mexico list)

We're also going to Isla Mujeres for a week this winter. I was certified there so it's always fun to go back. The owner of Coral Scuba Dive Center retired last year, and two new operations grew out of it: Carey Dive Center, which occupies the same space, and Enrique's Unique Dives, run by one of the Coral divemasters.

I've only just heard about the new Balam Nautic Center, and look forward to checking them out.

 

[trigfunctions]

We dove with Enrique's Unique Dives earlier this year and had a great time. Our divemaster was named CJ. The diving was off of a small fishing boat. For the first dives there were three of us and the afternoon dives only two. It was great!

 

[Balam Nautic Center]

Hi guys. At the moment I am the only real instructor on the island (Padi M.I., Cmas 3stars, Dan instructor too, EFR instructor trainer, oxygen provider, etc.) the rest all divemasters.
The difference betwen me and the others is that I dive for passion first... than money. So I'm introducing a different concept on the island: real dives for real divers... not "manchones and bandera". My dives are very far from the shore, sometime more than 1 hour and half by boat to search different types of sharks and all kind of staff and I'm not worried about the gasoline I spend, as the most part of the shops here. By the way I can affirm that Enrique is a very good and professional diver. Ciao

 

[mdalseg]

Hey Dennis.
I dove with Andres and Manual at Squaloadventures on Isla Mujeres over the past months of October and November. THey're a great crew, really laid back and just a lot of fun to dive with. My first package i bought was a great deal for 6 tanks over three days for $125 USD minus 10%. Email me to get their website cuz this site says i have to send atleast five messages to be able to link URLs and i just signed up today when i saw your post. Or you can look up Squaloadventures dot com and find them
Give them a try!
Marshall mdalseg@hotmail.com for more info

 

[cornflake_girl]

Hey Dennis!

I have been to Isla Mujeres in octber,spent there a month, at the NaBalam Dive Shop and it was the best time I ever had in a dive shop.
Friendly stuff, amazing trips (even saw 7 sharks on a dive) and prices you can deal with!
I really recommend you to go to NaBalam, especially cus it#s located directly on the beach, not like the other diveshops....on concrete...and the trips are a real adeventure: small boat, nice guide and nice boat crew.
It's worth trying, before choosong another diveshop from the Isla. If you don't like it, you can just walk away and choose another one.

But please let me know what you didn't like...cus for me it was just the nicesest diving experience!

Enjoy

 

[Balam Nautic Center]

Thanks Cornflake girl... you didn't sign the post with your name but of course I know who you are...
you and that dive are unbelieveble !!!! A big kiss... ciao
G.

 

[jerryscuba]

I've been In Islamujeres twice (three in mex)
dives are very nice but beware of fake local dm. I disagree with the mexycan style, many divers lost and basic standards bypassed too easily... sorry my vote is for guido, the italian instructor of nabalam
jerry from belgium

 

[Balam Nautic Center]

thanks man.... hope to see you here soon. Greetings to Jessyca
G.