Isla Mujeres Worth Diving?

[Scubagolf]

Here is the link to my trip report three years ago.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/me...eat-location-diving-better-than-expected.html

 

[Jordan23]

Mixed emotions here. I won't go back for diving there. Since beginning all my diving in Roatan from day one, I'm pretty much ruined for other dive sites in the Caribbean except for Bonaire. IM is good to chill and watch hot Israeli women march along the beach in dental floss thongs. Food is pretty good, arty, cheap...a drinkers paradise. Went to a sports bar down on the main bar strip and saw no less than 200 German cockroaches scampering about. You gotta love people.

hi

do you mean that roatan and bonair are the best place that you like to dive?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Sounds more like Roatan and Bonaire and Isla Mujueres are the only places swimbody has dived.

I love Roatan and the diving is nice but it's not the best diving I've ever done.

 

[texmaxdiver]

I'm going to go with NO. I spent a week diving in Isla about a year ago and for the most part was unimpressed. The sculpture museum is kinda okay, but really just a bunch of statues under water. Their reefs aren't bad, but are super shallow. I don't think you can do much diving there below 40' unless you dig a hole in the sand. There was a wreck dive that was cool, but it's a bit further out. There were some eagle rays that just seemed to hang motionless in a very strong current above the wreck. It was a bitc* getting down and back up due to the current. If you lost your grip on the anchor line you'd be long gone. The wreck itself is okay, but it was the eagle rays that really make the dive.

If you're used to diving in Coz, you'll think Isla is a snoozer. There is just no comparison.

OTOH, I really like the island. I'm seriously considering going back to do the whale sharks. The people are friendly and the beaches on the north end are spectacular. Lots of good restaurants too. I stayed at Marina Parisio and thought the staff was amazing. I don't know if they are all still there. Marina Paraiso Isla Mujeres

 

[mmmbelows]

I'm going to go with NO. I spent a week diving in Isla about a year ago and for the most part was unimpressed. The sculpture museum is kinda okay, but really just a bunch of statues under water. Their reefs aren't bad, but are super shallow. I don't think you can do much diving there below 40' unless you dig a hole in the sand. There was a wreck dive that was cool, but it's a bit further out. There were some eagle rays that just seemed to hang motionless in a very strong current above the wreck. It was a bitc* getting down and back up due to the current. If you lost your grip on the anchor line you'd be long gone. The wreck itself is okay, but it was the eagle rays that really make the dive.

If you're used to diving in Coz, you'll think Isla is a snoozer. There is just no comparison.

Sounds like all your dives were on the inside between isla and cancun, this is the 'money' areas for the dive ops as it's close, fast, shallow diving IE = cheap and profitable diving for them, not so exciting for you. Find a dive operator to take you out to the open ocean sites to the north and the east of isla next time for something different, that's open ocean diving which opens up the possibilities for encounters with sea life you'll never see on the sheltered side of isla or the diving in cozumel since almost all of the diving at cozumel is also on the sheltered mainland facing side of cozumel too.

By the way, in the winter months that wreck you were on typically has a squadron of eagle rays that hang out there for pretty much a guaranteed sighting and if you know how to use the wreck to block the current you can sidle up real close to them, way closer than you'll ever get to eagle rays in cozumel.

 

[Jordan23]

thanks. we rented a house in cozumel for july. it wikl be the firdt time forr us

 

[texmaxdiver]

You're exactly right, mmmbelows. All the dives were on the inside between Isla and Cancun. My trip was over Christmas, so you're on point with the eagle rays on the wreck. We did use the wreck to block the current and were able to get up close to them. I'll know better next time.

Speaking of next time, I'm heading down in August to do the whale shark snorkel trip. Do you have any recommendations for a dive operation that will do those north and east dive sites? I'm willing to give it a shot again if I can have a different experience than before.

Also, looking for recommendations on a good operator for the whale shark trip.

 

[htatton]

TexMaxDiver: I strongly recommend Casa del Buceo as a good whale shark operator. Enrique is a great dive master. They are a small operation so you get very personalized service. www.Casadelbuceo.com Check them out.

Hyrum

 

[Sharkphoto]

August is getting to the end of season for Whale Sharks. It is possible you might have days when they can not find them. Also it is the peak (Aug - Sept) of hurricane season. Cannot comment about season for people.

 

[cleung]

I noticed that most of the dive ops in Mujeres list different types of dives (reef, drift, wreck, night). For that area, what type of dive would be the best in terms of most marine life? I figure that if I'm there on the island, I might as well do a day of diving in additon to the whale shark day. But I certainly probably won't want to do more than a day of diving there as I would go to Coz right afterwards. So for that one day of diving, which type of dives would you go for?