Recommendations Requested For Dive Operators Near Barcelo Resort In Riviera Maya

[HolyDiver54]

Hello,

I will be going to the Barcelo Resort in Riviera Maya in early July and am seeking recommendations for a good dive operator in the area who is reasonably priced and will pick me up and drop me off at the Resort. I am looking to a day of cenote diving and a day of diving in Cozumel. Dressel Divers is on site at the Resort but their pricing is outrageous. I used to use Dive Aventuras in Puerto Aventuras just up the road but they seem to be out of business. So looking for recommendations for alternative operators since Dive Aventuras is no more and I do not wish to pay a King's ransom to dive with Dressel.

Thanks!

 

[halocline]

For the cenote dives, I would recommend Under the Jungle, they are just down the highway from Barcelo, basically at the entrance to Tajma Ha cenote. Very high quality people, you'll be very happy with them.

For the Cozumel diving, your best bet is to just contact one of the dive ops in Cozumel. There are many, everyone on this board seems to have a favorite. Anyhow, you can just take a taxi to playa from Barcelo, it's not that expensive, and then the ferry across. You'll either be getting up very early in the morning to do this in one day, or the more relaxed way to do it would be to head over to Coz on an afternoon ferry, stay in a hotel for a night, and dive the next morning, then take the ferry and a cab back to Barcelo.

 

[jonhall]

but their pricing is outrageous.

Did their prices go up? Dumb question - of course prices have gone up. Used Dressel in 2016 and did 11 dives (which included 2 cenote dives, a night dive, and 2 dives in Cozumel) for just under $58 a dive - that also included the free AOW. Barcelo was the resort we were transported to to pick up gear for the cenote dives to Tajma Ha (Taj Mahal.) Transportation and a day pass at the Iberostar was included for the day of diving in Cozumel. The day pass basically allowed us to grab some food before (if we wanted it) and after diving.

Although convenient because of transportation (getting picked up at a neighboring resort), the free AOW, and what I felt was a cheap price, there are other reasons I probably wouldn't use Dressel on a dive trip. It just worked for us on that one in 2016.

As another option, I've read here on SB that Akumal may have some dive ops. Think you'd have a short taxi ride from Barcelo. I've done that from north Playa del Carmen to Puerto Morelos before - if I forget the extra taxi cost, everything else was pretty nice.

 

[CHSDiver]

I hired a guide from K&K. Picked me up at Mayskoba. Dropped me off. I picked the sites. Nothing fancy but great diving.

 

[Divemasterdave123]

Looks like Dressel is around $65/dive when you book in advance, just got a quote for the middle of December.

 

[jonhall]

$65/dive when you book in advance

$130 for 2 dives?!! That seems awful high. Someone in another thread, as I recall, had them at ~$108 for 2 dives. I wonder if anyone has had success booking upon arrival recently and can share the info.

 

[Big Dan K]

Blue Experience in AKUMAL is a good outfit. They might even pick up from Barcelo Maya.