shore diving near Cancun?

[mberman]

Hi everyone! This looks like a great board! I certified in 1986 in Alaska and didn't dive again till Jan 2006 (I had a leak in my dry suit so didn't have a great time certifying). I took a resort course at a hotel in Hawaii where we were staying on vacation and did a 40 minute shore dive and loved it. Didn't get a chance to dive again that trip. We are leaving next week for the riviera Maya (south of Cancun) and I would like to try another shore dive if possible. I took a refresher course at a nearby dive shop but I don't think I am really up to trying a boat dive though I was told I could try to hire a dive master to go with me if I really wanted to try it. Cozumel is not too far from where we are staying-- does anyone have any suggestions for easy diving in that area?

 

[doea]

I stayed at Caribe Blu and used their resident dive shop Blue Angel http://www.caribeblu.net/index.html . It was great. They have a house reef for shore diving and unlimited tanks so it would be valuable experience IF you can partner with an experienced diver. You have to be careful with the currents. IMO a boat dive is a much better/safer bet. They will pair you up by skill level and you will be guided by a dive master as part of the dive. The DM knows where the best animals are and takes all the stress out of getting back to the boat. He'll keep an eye on you with regular reminders to check your air. They will also make sure equipment is right and help getting it on and off, all of which lowers stress.

 

[nocalparrothead]

There was a discussion a while back about this topic in the Riviera Maya. From what I recall, it was determined that it's really not possible.

However, I am an inexperienced diver, and have used 3 different operators in the RM over the last several years. They have all been wonderful and watchful. I have made a point of letting them know my experience level, and my caution. They are happy to make sure your dive fits your ability.

We were down a few weeks ago, and had not been diving for 1 1/2 years. After much conversation by email with our dive shop (Mayan Aqua Divers), Ben was able to set us up with a shallow 2 tank to get our feet wet again(shallow didn't mean boring, by the way!), and then we dove Cozumel a few days later, with the same dm. I have to say that I felt much more comfortable with doing a 110 foot dive with someone who has seen how I dive, and knew me a little bit. The other great thing was that we were the only divers on two dives, and there were only 3 of us on the 2nd day. Find a shop that only puts 4-6 divers per dm, and you will feel more comfortable. Search around here for the cattleboats to avoid. There are some good recommendations I've read for dive shops in the RM. We had a good experience with Dive Aventuras (also only had 3 people with the dm that day), in Puerto Aventuras.

PM me if you would like any other info.

Personally, I don't think that shore vs. boat is about experience. If you swim out and dive to 80 ft, does it really matter how you got there?