Riviera Maya Trip July 5th...need help

[Bar-10-der]

I am traveling to Mexico (Riviera Maya) in early July and will be staying at the Valentin Imperial Maya. The dive shop at the resort is Aquaworld which I am not sure I want to use. I am looking for a 2 tank reef dive for 1 day (Family trip and they don't dive) and am debating taking a cab up to Puerto Moralos and dive out of there. Any recomendations in PM or am I better off going to PDC? I am a newly certified diver and am looking for 40' reef dives to get my "feet" under me.

Any Help would be great

Brian

 

[GinaRae]

I just got back from Riviera Maya last week. I booked a Cozumel 2 tank dive through my resort and the dive company they set me up with was Aqua World. When I saw the brochure I was a little nervous. It looked kinda cheap and tacky. I was pleasantly surprised! They were very professional and helpful. They had a wide range of equipment (including spares) that was in good shape. Near the end of the 1st dive I was having some buoyancy issues (had trouble getting down to where the sea turtle was) so the dive master dropped an extra 2 lbs in the pocket of my bcd and that did the trick. I am a newly certified diver so those were only dives 8 & 9 for me. I had done a reef dive through my resort (with a different company) and the bcd started leaking, they couldn't repair it and had no others, so I was only able to do the 1st dive. I would recommend the Cozumel dive if you are only diving 1 day. The water was clearer and there was more aquatic life. They also have a photographer on the boat that has very reasonable photo prices.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I would go to PDC; the reef systems in your area of the Riviera aren't really all that great. Tank-Ha is a pretty good Op in PDC; plus they do trips over to the world class diving in Cozumel and to the Cenotes. The diving in the PDC area is generally pretty easy stuff, but the surface conditions can be chopper sometimes. The good thing is that I've always seen the big fish in this area.

 

[UforSCUBA?]

I'll be in Puerto Morelos from June 8-17th. I'm also a new diver. We're using Dive In Puerto Morelos for the week. They have great reviews on Trip Advisor. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[NYCSurfer]

+1 on Tank Ha in PDC. Did 6 dives with them this past February. 2 reef dives on the local reefs, 2 in Cozumel, and 2 cenote dives. The dives to COZ with Tank Ha use their own boat to traverse the channel rather than the ferry. Saves at least 2-3 hours on the trip. Left at 8 AM and was back in PDC to have a late lunch with my non- diver wife.


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[Pez de Diablo]

I will recommend heading up to Puerto Morelos and getting in touch with Brett at www.divepuertomorelos.com/

 

[UforSCUBA?]

Just got back from Puerto Morelos. I originally scheduled 3 days of ocean dives and 1 cenote dive with Brett @ Dive In Puerto Morelos. I ended up only going on the cenote dive, which was absolutely beautiful. I'm a new diver with 15 dives and a slight aversion to boats, so after seeing this boat, I was a no-go. My boyfriend and another friend ended up going and they encountered 6-8ft seas and ripping current. On the other hand, they did say that the reef was beautiful and looked virtually untouched. Brett was a class act and it really wasn't his fault. So, if little boats and rough seas aren't a problem for you, then go for it. If you're a chicken like me, go over to Cozumel or do a cenote dive instead. Francisco was our cenote guide and he was top notch. I do have to say that the cenote freaked me out a little, so I didn't go in as far as the guide was willing to take me. We stayed closer to the opening. I feel like I got my money's worth tho. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Hope this helps! Have fun!

Edit: The dive boat is like the one in the front of the pic, not the big sailboat.

 

[Bar-10-der]

Thanks for the update, I am still not sure what I am going to do. I got seasick doing a shore dive the other day up here in connecticut in choppy seas. The currents and rough seas seem to be a recurring issue in that area of Mexico.

 

[lthomas132]

Thanks for the update, I am still not sure what I am going to do. I got seasick doing a shore dive the other day up here in connecticut in choppy seas. The currents and rough seas seem to be a recurring issue in that area of Mexico.

Don't mis the cenote diving. It's the best part of diving on the mainland around PDC. No seasickness but really incredible!

 

[Racer_X]

For a new diver, scuba in the cenotes might be a bit off-putting. I'd recommend doing a snorkel first to see how you'd feel about an overhead environment. There are some busy currents in PM this time of year, no doubt, so if you are going diving there be prepared. Things usually get quieter further south.