US divers and cenote tours

[TSandM]

I spent some time at the Tacoma Dive Expo yesterday, chatting with the owner of one of the dive shops in Playa del Carmen. He told me he was making the rounds of the US dive shows, trying to get some handle on how American divers arrange their trips. Apparently, in Europe, things are simpler and more centralized; the majority of trips are arranged through some kind of agent, so if the dive shops cultivate relationships with those agents, they have their work done. Americans apparently don't do this much. He asked me if I knew how they DID arrange their trips, and I told him what I do, but warned him that it's quite atypical.

But he sparked my curiosity, and I thought SB would be a great place to see if I could answer the question -- thus the poll.

 

[DennisH]

Interesting poll. My partner and I are off to Playa and Cozumel this Friday (April 15). We will be diving the cenotes as well as the reefs. Just to add detail to my poll answers: we picked a dive operator based on ScubaBoard recommendations and contacted that operator independently.

 

[Byte Me]

Have always booked travel separate from dive op and in the past have coordinated Cenote trips through the OW shop but that will change the next time I'm there. In the future I'll dive with someone different than I have in the past and would try and book both OW and Cenote through them.

One of my future dive goals is to spend at least a week there and get cavern/cave certified - I think I'd really be ok doing that and never getting in the ocean for dives!

Man I miss the Cenotes!!

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Have done it all ways, trying to find operators that will work well with us and our groups. We have a nice selection now to choose from all over that area, that cater well to us and our style of multiple deep dives. For the cenotes we also have a couple of great ones to choose from but they are often different than who we choose for the ocean diving - we like to stick with what folks do best!

In fact I am heading down to Akumal on Friday for a week of cenotes, caves & reef dives, and it took a while to find an operator who has us covered - in the caves every morning and out on the reefs every afternoon!

I'll be happy to share who we use if anyone is interested - PM me

 

[robertarak]

Some friends and I just got back from a trip to Coz with a 1-day stay in Playa for cenotes. The diving was planned with an op we knew could handle both Coz OW and Playa cenote diving for us and keep the boat/group size limited to the 4 of us.

Our next trip will be to Playa first for a few days of cenotes then over to Coz to end the vacation on the reefs. Again we will book our diving through a small op. We were very happy that way.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

We're heading down real soon now.
We arrange our flight and resort through one of the online agencies. We contact the dive op ourselves. Our cenote dives are with the same op. Obviously not all dive ops are going to meet the standards for guiding the cenote trips, but I'd be willing to bet that they all have someone they refer to.
I'm curious how much time people spend in the cenotes? We're planning on 40-45 dives this trip, but only 3-4 will be in the cenotes. The rest will be open water.

 

[fire_diver]

I don't know that the SB members are typical of most divers. We are generally a more involved, and more informed appendage of the body.

I don't know what type of diver is apt to hit the cenotes either. Are they the typical vacation diver, or the more active ones?

 

[TSandM]

I don't know the answer to what kind of diver does the cenotes, but with the number of articles that have appeared in the mainstream diving magazines (like Dive Training, Scuba Diver, and Alert Diver) I'd guess most anybody who GOES to that area at least knows about the option. We've certainly seen brand new divers here asking about doing the tours.

 

[baricat]

We're going in a couple of weeks. Because we're staying some distance outside of downtown Playacar and the need to take a taxi adding exponentially to the expense (just got an email saying it will cost $45 plus tip round trip if the dive op transports us,) most likely will only do one day of cenote. (If anyone knows of a good, dependable taxi driver, please pass his contact info along to me!) We have been diving over 20 years, and always plan the hotel part separately, then read scubaboard for the best operators, and contact them directly. As for diving on the Mayan Riviera, if they'd have complimentary hotel pick-up as they do in many other locations, we'd book more diving. I'm sure it has to do with the taxi unions not allowing them to do this, but in this case, at least, it's taking money away from the dive ops' business. I'd suspect we're not the only ones who feel this way.

 

[Baja Dive]

The last time I Dove Coz. I visited some local operators and checked there Gear and asked to talk with the Dive Masters and to see the Boat.I have found that What you see online as far as boat photos and Gear is that your not getting that 55 foot custom boat on the web site because they dont really own that boat they just put that photo up to snag customers.I dont always carry my gear so I want to see what Im getting before I pay.Im not going into a cave with a unexperenced Dive Master with one or two months experence leading tours.
I know that shops will take a non certified Diver and turn him into a Dive master in a few weeks Wow from carpenter to Dive Master leading groups in three weeks thats not how I like to Dive.I have 20 years experence Diving but the whole Dive can go bad if there is unqualified personal leading tours.Shops ask to see your Cert. Card so I want to see the Dive Masters Card.
So its OK to check Scuba Board and get advice from tour operators but also check it out yourself.If you dont see good gear,and dont like the Boat or Dive masters keep checking around.Be safe its your Life.