Thinking about diving Mayan Riviera? Read this about Diablo Divers

[KidK9]

This week I put 2 days of 3 tanks diving in with Diablo Divers aka Dennis Weeks. I stayed at the Sunscape Tulum, which is all in the same area as Tulum, Akumal, Playa del Carmen, etc. We put dives in at the cenotes Ponderosa, Carwash, Dos Ojos, Grande Cenote, and Taj Mahal. Read on.

I have put a little over 100 dives in in less than 3 years. Not much to some, but considering I live in landlocked Ohio, this is a decent amount. In my short time of diving I try my best to dive with the best operators...not always agreed upon, but I pick off of Rodale's Top 10 list. I have dove with Scuba Shack out of Maui, Jack's Dive Locker in Kona, Olympus in North Carolina, and Horizon Divers in Key Largo. I have dove in Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, all over Florida, Ohio, Aruba, Cozumel, South Carolina, and others...but I have yet to come across a dive operator as awesome as Diablo Divers.

The cenote dives speak for themselves...and I can't do it because pictures and words dont do it justice...it's one of life's great treasure that MUST be seen if you are a diver. I just dont know what else to say.

But I would like to talk about Dennis. Dennis is a Canadian moved to the Mayan Riviera for a better, more relaxing life. He picks you up at your hotel at your desired time in his nice truck with leather seats and cold air conditioning and immediately strikes up a nice warm conversation. Dennis gives you your dive briefing, water, pop (or soda if you're form the east coast), granola bars, buys lunch (if you're lucky, it's at Taco Paco), and when the day is done you get a nice cold beer or two and some great conversation.

Ask Dennis anything you want, he'll talk business, politics, sports, diving, Mayan history, anything at all...and the best part of it is...it's just you and him. I dove with him alone for two days straight and the most he'll take out is 3 or 4 others I believe. Dennis has an extremely high regard for safety, still goes over the open water buddy checks with you, and dives at your comfort level. And he'll tell you so numerous times that it's all about you....how perfect.

I was carrying a camera setup worth a little over $1000 on this trip...strobe, camera, housing, etc...but Dennis treated it like it was worht over a million dollars. The respect level was incredible.

I could go on and on about Dennis, and would happily do so if anyone cared to PM me...but I will say...I can almost GUARANTEE you will not get a better dive experience anywhere in the world. How many people would say that about people on the board? Probably not many, as in my experience, there is usually something that perturbs you about an operator...but not this one.

Happy New Year, and visit www.diablodivers.com if you get a chance. Oh, one last compliment and probably the highest I can give...Dennis is a straight shooting, laid back, honest man. I hope you all get to experience diving with him so that you may see exactly what it's like to get more than your money's worth.

KidK9
Naui Dive Master
Veterinary Medical Student (3rd year) at The Ohio State University

 

[The Chairman]

Great write up... hopefully Dennis can find his way on here as well. Please offer him the invite, and send him the link to this thread!!!

 

[Jmaserati]

Dennis has posted here before... I dived @Tulum and Hidden Worlds several years ago, and when I return I plan on going to Dennis' place.

Thanks for the write-up!

 

[beachbum70635]

Great write up... hopefully Dennis can find his way on here as well. Please offer him the invite, and send him the link to this thread!!!

Dennis has been posting on here for some time now. Pez De Diablo is his screen name. My wife and I dove with him in late October, and will confirm all the good things said about him. With a dive op like this available to SB members we should support him whenever we get the opportunity. Dennis has offerred discounts to SB members a couple of times here and maybe more than that. He does reef dives from Port Aventuras, and while my diving at Coz is limited, I found the reefs here to be just as nice as Coz and maybe more marine life on the mainland reefs. We didn't have time for a cenote dive with Dennis,but when I get back to that area that will be the first dive I make. Scot

 

[Pez de Diablo]

DJ,

Thank you very much for your very kind words. It was a pleasure diving with you DJ!

It has taken me a couple of days of thinking to put together a response to such a review. I wanted to write something from the heart, something humble, however I am not the most eloquent writer (some say not a writer at all). For this, I am sorry that I cannot put together a proper response that shows the appreciation I have for your write up.

I have met lots of great people through Scubaboard and have been able to show them the cenotes that I love to dive. I can only hope that I will always live up to the wonderful words that have been written here and in the past about me. I certainly don't want to let down anyone, especially those that put there names to a recommendation.

Hope to see you again,

Dennis

 

[HammerNoMore]

Thanks for the info KidK9! I'll be heading down to Akumal in may and this was very usefull.

James

 

[KPScuba]

Hey,

I just want to chime in here. I am a very new diver, along with my wife, AmyJ, who posts quite regularly. We dove last fall with Dennis. Everything being said about Dennis is absolutely true. A class act. He was incredibly patient and helpful, as my wife was difficult to fit with a BC (a problem now fixed, thanks to the help of another wonderful person, Scott Zeagle, another story). Dennis was very patient as we tried several bcs and even a backplate, before one combination was found to be adequate. Even with our problems, Dennis remained cheerful, helpful, encouraging, and put together a couple of very nice dives. His skill and knowledge are very evident, however he IS humble, and very easy to talk to. Our safety was his first concern, and our enjoyment of the entire experience was his second. We were even blessed with the opportunity to meet his family. I would send any diver, first timer, or veteran cave diver, to him, with confidence they will get more than their money's worth, and come away from the experience not only having learned something but also made a friend. Not only a great diver/operator, but a truly interesting wonderful person. Dennis, don't even bother with a response. I know you deserve it, even if you are too humble to accept it. That is OK. Those of us who know you know that is part of what makes you who you are. Keep up the good work. If it works out, hope to see you next time Amelia and I are down there.

 

[DiverG]

I dove the Cenotes with Dennis in July, and I concur with everything KidK9 says about Dennis.

Fornutely for me I booked my dive with him while he was running a 2 for 1 deal for Scubaboarders. His normal prices are a great vallue, and when he has a special they are absolutly a great deal.

Here is the post I made about Dennis and Diablo Divers in July. Not as eloquent as KidK9's post, but it says pretty much the same things.

http://www.scubaboard.com/t64862-.html

DiverG

 

[Allen42]

I looked up Dennis Weeks aka DiabloDivers.com aka Pez de Diablo due to this thread, and just dove two different Cenotes with him.

I actually feel that everything written above is a bit of an understatement. Not that he's too good to be believed, but it's the best dive experience I've had, period.

Dennis made me feel like we were old buds just out for a dive, and that I was somehow in charge; yet while providing for our safety and guidance throughout the dive. He even picked me up and deposited me at my cruise ship pier. He offered to let me try out different equipment, even driving back to his house to pick it up if I wanted. That's the kind of guy he is.

And yes, cenotes are magical. Once you are comfortable (some might say 'trained') with cavern diving and have good-to-very-good bouyancy control and trim, you *must* make a point of doing these dives. The scenery and visibility are awesome, and the visibility below the halocline is pretty close to infinite. (That might be an exaggeration, but I'm not positive.)

He happened to have his camera along for one of the dives, and here are some shots: Cenote Dives (Be kind if you want to critique.)

Looking forward to diving more with Dennis.

-Allen

 

[KidK9]

Glad you had a great time. Glad I could sway your way over to Dennis.