Tank rentals (etc.) near Akumal

[boulderjohn]

When I was in Mexico last winter, I stayed with some other divers in Puerto Aventuras. We rented our backmount doubles, got fills, etc., with Zero Gravity, which is right there. This year I will be staying in Akumal, so going to ZG would be more of a haul. My buddy and I will be diving sidemount. I just learned that the dive shop right by us in Akumal, which advertises that it does guided cave dives, will not rent tanks for us. They said it is an insurance issue.

Does anyone know of a good source for us that is reasonably close to Akumal?

 

[BigTex1836]

Protec Tulum is 30 minutes away on the north(ish) side of Tulum. Having dealt with them in the past and seen their set up, it's definitely worth the drive imo.

 

[Lanny]

We are also in Tulum and can rent tanks (www.underworldtulum.com), however if you are in Akumal you are probably closer to our friends at ZG. There are 2 shops in Akumal - Akumal Dive Shop and Akumal Dive Centre - have you tried both?

The reason that some places are reluctant to rent tanks is that (apparently) one of the shops got fined when someone died when solo diving their tanks. We will check certifications and satisfy ourselves that you are a safe diver before renting tanks.

 

[karstdvr]

The reason that some places are reluctant to rent tanks is that (apparently) one of the shops got fined when someone died when solo diving their tanks. We will check certifications and satisfy ourselves that you are a safe diver before renting tanks.

Not to hijack a thread,but interesting information pertinent to Mexico cave diving.
#1 So having a C-card is not enough,but proof of being a safe diver is needed- how does one traveling to Mexico provide the proof?
#2 Solo diving is not considered safe in Mexico? So is buddy diving required?

 

[The Laconic]

Surely the question is not what's closest to Akumal, but what's closest to wherever you're going to dive (or if you're picking up tanks the day before, wherever you just dived). If you're going somewhere up by Eden, for example, ZG is awfully close. If you're going somewhere down by Car Wash, then somewhere in Tulum is going to be awfully close.

 

[boulderjohn]

Thanks for the help, everyone, including those who contacted me via PM. I have a host of good choices now.

I agree with the last post. I am staying in Akumal, and I expect to do a lot of the diving in the Tulum area. Some sites are indeed north of Akumal, but everything is within a reasonable range.

 

[The Laconic]

PS I asked around today, and the fill station just south Cenote Azul and Eden (and near to where ZG used to be) apparently does rentals. But if you don't know where it is already, you probably won't find it, because it's completely unmarked. I've been there half a dozen times, maybe more, and I'm not sure I could find it!

Have fun! I'm in Akumal right now and just finished four days of cave diving. I needed practice on jumps and Ts...

 

[boulderjohn]

PS I asked around today, and the fill station just south Cenote Azul and Eden (and near to where ZG used to be) apparently does rentals. But if you don't know where it is already, you probably won't find it, because it's completely unmarked. I've been there half a dozen times, maybe more, and I'm not sure I could find it!

Have fun! I'm in Akumal right now and just finished four days of cave diving. I needed practice on jumps and Ts...

I've been there a number of times, so I probably could find it, but I am happy to use a shop that has knowledgeable employees making good suggestions about dive sites and routes.

 

[mddolson]

Speleotech in Tulum

Mike D