Puertas Aventuras - Dive Shop? Or make the drive to Playa del Carmen?

[Sevrum]

Going to stay in a big hotel complex just South of Puerto Aventuras in April 11 (Barcello resort). No choice on resort etc, going there for the wedding of my Girlfriend's brother...

I've been looking on the web for information on the local diving, since I'm not going to that part of Mexico without a Cenote and maybe a Cozumel dive trip (hopefully more if I can sneak them in), and the girlfriend is finishing her OW there, having done the class / pool portion at a local dive shop.

I'm looking for recommendations for the general area of Puerto Aventuras. I know that the Barcello has a dive shop affiliated with it, but that makes me nervous... Dive shops affiliated with huge hotel complexes = huge cattle boats (? opinions ?). Hence my desire to find a smaller shop that won't be so overwhelming for her, and will be able to provide me some variety for my dives.

I've seen some decent websites for shops in Playa Del Carmen (SCUBA PLAYA Dive Shop) but no information if they drive down the highway to Puerto Aventuras Hotels to get divers or not...

Experiences? Recommendations?

 

[ibj40]

We've been to PA about half dozen times over the past five years, and have really enjoyed our experiences with Dive Aventuras. They are a full service dive shop, with both ocean and cenote diving available. Just got back from a way too short over Thanksgiving trip and did two days of ocean dives with them.

 

[TSandM]

Both dive ops in Puerto Aventuras have good reputations. My husband has dived with Aquanauts, and had a good experience (but under the prior owners).

If you are interested in cenotes, you can either go with a shop or with a private guide. Two I know and can recommend are Natalie Gibb (scuba.guide@about.com) or Jason Renoux (scubavideoservices here on SB). Both are excellent people with good diving skills and a lot of enthusiasm, and run private and customized tours. The cenotes are not to be missed, as long as you have enough diving experience to have solid buoyancy skills and to be relaxed and calm underwater.

 

[Sevrum]

I'm still a relative newcomer to the sport 37 dives so far since certification in Oct 08, but this trip will be after my second liveaboard trip (coming in January on the Caribbean Explorer out of St Marten). My First liveaboard considerably improved my skills, and I've got more modern equipment for this next one (not the borrowed equipment from my buddy). I did the AOW on the last liveaboard, including the first dive for the peak performance buoyancy... Might finish that specialty in January, but will at least work on that skill...