Reef playacar-Riviera Maya dive shop

[scubakittymarie]

I am going to stay at the Riviera Maya reef playacar and plan on diving in January. Has anyone stayed there or know anything about the dive shop? How is diving in Riviera Maya? We have been to Cozumel, Belieze, Grenada, Curacao, and Bonaire.
I appreciate any help or recommendations.
Thanks,

 

[Ed Hatfield]

Don't quote me on this but I seem to recall bumping into someone last July who was staying at the 'Reef Playacar' and had done a couple of dives. He and his wife were then walking the 5th Ave mandatory 'gift shop' souvenir trip and just popped into some dive shops to get an idea and compare prices. We were having lunch in front of GeoFish and Scuba Playa (between the two morning dives and the afternoon dive) and he stoppped to talk. Our gear was drying in the sun so it wasn't too hard to see we were divers. We started talking prices and he said he was feeling 'ripped off' when he compared the package price he was paying to the average prices of the dive shops in Playa. When I told him we paid $540.00US for 17 dives including 5 cenote dives and a night dive he was livid. He also said that they cut his dives short because of the beginners on the boat.
To be fair I'm not 100% sure he said 'Reef Playacar' so if anyone has more accurate info please speak up. I would suggest you get some quotes from some of the downtown Playa shops as well as the resort shop. The resort shops also don't tend to be flexible in talking $$ (a deal) because the resort gets a cut and sometimes they even dictate the price. ON THE OTHER HAND it can sure be convenient to dive right from the resort. ME...I like to shop around and don't mind the walk to the dive shop in the morning to stretch my legs. When I get a package price I leave my gear in whatever shop I choose and pick it up at the end of the week.

 

[Byte Me]

Good advice from Ed. The Reef Playacar is the first AI in a long line of AI's headed south in Playacar. We've stayed next to it at Riu Palace Riviera Maya a bunch of times now. I've not stayed at the Reef but have looked at it from our patio the couple times we've gotten rooms on that side. The Riu Palace is something else. VERY extravagant. Might be the nicest place on that strip of AI's (for certain of the other Riu's) but I've only seen the other places from walking the beach in front of them.

I've seen the dive boats from Reef (and Riu who's on site shop is Scuba Caribe) both leaving full and out on the reefs, also full. A mix of experience levels but most look beginner. In fact on more than one occasion we've been heading to a dive site, seen an AI boat coming and hustled to get our gear on and in the water ahead of them to stay out of the meat grinder of fins, arms and legs.

If you look around there are a number of shops in Playa with great reputations on the board. Ed has mentioned a couple, I always dive with Jason (playacountryboy on the board here) of Fantaseadive - was there with him again a couple weeks ago. pretty much any place in town is a $5 cab ride from the Reef Playacar.

Most any shop can set up ocean, Coz and cenote dives. If you've never done a cenote I HIGHLY recommend it. Totally different experience and I'm getting to the point where I like them better than the Playa ocean dives...well, maybe not!!

When we were there a couple weeks ago vis wasn't what I'm used to because of recent storms but the dives were still nice. The reefs are in decent shape, plenty of schooling fish, eels, squid, an occasional pipefish or seahorse, barracuda, rays, etc. Every once and a while something bigger will pop in for a visit.

If you search for posts by playacountryboy Jason has a ton of videos he's done over the years of taking people out - should give you a good idea of what to expect!

 

[darkstar]

I've stayed at a few AI's along the strip South of Playa del Carmen, including two of the RIU resorts. It's well worth the cost of a cab into Playa to dive with one of the town shops, vs the ones attached to the resorts.

The ocean diving is nothing to write home about. Turtles are common, but the coral and fish life is pretty tame. By far, the best diving experiences are the cenotes.

Last time I was in Playa (about 3 years ago), I dove cenotes with Yucatech divers. I'm down there again in 9 days and so may dive with them again.

 

[scubakittymarie]

Thanks for the information. Any suggestions on which dive company besides fantaseadive? I will look into Jason at Fantaseadive.

 

[Montana Diver]

Thanks for the information. Any suggestions on which dive company besides fantaseadive? I will look into Jason at Fantaseadive.

I dove with Geofish last year and they were good. I am headed back down in two weeks and have been conversing with Scuba Playa in Playa del carmen. They are very close to the beach. Divinglife on this board is the contact. I am interested in some ocean dives and planning on going to Coz for several dives with Aldora. I was impressed with the staff at Scuba Playa when I visited this Spring.

I have heard both ways about fantaseadive.

Hope you have a great time.

 

[ibj40]

Thanks for the information. Any suggestions on which dive company besides fantaseadive? I will look into Jason at Fantaseadive.

We just got back and dove with The Abyss Dive Center. Did two days of ocean diving (plus the obligatory Bull Shark dive), and a day in the cenotes. Their shop is in the same general vicinity of GeoFish.