Cenotes, Cozumel and Playacar reefs, Mexico - Jan 2007

[thehappychappy]

Alex.
Where did you stay?
Did you book the cancun part as a package holiday?
Roughly what did this cost?
Did you need to do Cave training / qualification?
Can you do this trip at any time of the year?

[gwilson]

I wanna go, and if I could combine it with a trip out to belize again ie week in each that would be awesome

[Scuba Dub]

Originally Posted by thehappychappy

Alex.
Where did you stay?
Did you book the cancun part as a package holiday?
Roughly what did this cost?
Did you need to do Cave training / qualification?
Can you do this trip at any time of the year?

Wot he said...

Nice report and great pics!

[thehappychappy]

Originally Posted by gwilson

I wanna go, and if I could combine it with a trip out to belize again ie week in each that would be awesome

Gareth if thats you volounteering to be my buddy for this trip lets sort it and go for it!

After reading Clare and Alex's recent Mexico trip reports I so want to go this Almost anytime this year suits me fine.

I can defintly go 5th may for a few weeks, in fact its possible I can take a a month off from 5th may if you fancy diving roundabout Mexico / South america / Pacific ocean.....



Davie.

[gwilson]

I'e pm'd you.

I need to wait to hear bout job front, if i get it i'll be off for 6 weeks at a time, however us mere helicopter engineers are on alot lower wages than IT people. So may need to spend some off my time off privately working to pay for this. however it does sound a pretty good idea. I worked in belize for a few months but didnt get to dive, and apparently guatemala isnt too bad either. was drunk last time i was there though and escorted by armed militia ?????????????

[alexmaclennan]

Alan and I stayed at a hotel 20 mins north of Playa del Carmen as we were attending a medical education meeting that ran in the mornings and then dived afternoons - except for the day off that we went to Cozumel.

The price for all guided diving, tanks and weights, pickup and drop off at the hotel and trip to Cozumel was $725 each from Barracuda - I arranged the diving beforehand by email. We probably gave about $120 in tips over the week.

If I was to do it again, I'd consider staying at Akumal if Cenotes were what I wanted to dive, as it was a 45min to 1hr 45min trip south to the cenotes. They are mostly between Akumal and Tulum. For nightlife either Playa or Cozumel would be good.

Playa del Carmen is where the ferry to Cozumel berths ($11 per person each way) and if you like reef diving then consider two days diving in Cozumel - you can visit just for the morning as we did. Playacar reefs were poor but the weather/tide was against us so might be better on another day.

Feel free to contact the people I left details for - thay are all very personable and Marcia or Alex will give you all the info on Cenote diving you could wish for.

You do not have to have any specific training to do the dives we did. Alex will not take you to Angelita unless he feels your buoyancy and diving abilities are up to scratch. There are specific cavern/ cave courses you could do if you wished. Cost of full cave diver training $1600 - if you pass.

You can dive cenotes at any time of year as temp and viz do not vary much - according to Alex. Cenotes are best dived when sun is overhead as that's when the slanting rays are most prominent. Summer in Mexico is slightly warmer but much more humid. Temp was 75 to 85 degrees when we were there in January.



alex

[JohnK]

I seem to remember that when I did Dos ojos (with aquaworld) it was AOW divers only and min 50 dives. I think this was todo with the "mental state" required for diving enclosed spaces. Personally I preferred the LH dive as there were a lot more openings in the ceiling. The RH dive to the bat cave had a lot less openings and felt more like a cave dive (not that im a cave diver but the lack of sun did start to play on my mind !!!)

I loved diving Cozumel and would recommend it - big reefs/swim thrus/drops/fish/corals. Would definitely go again

great report and thanks for stirring up the memories !!

[alexmaclennan]

JohnK,

You could be right. I didn't specifically check with Barracuda.

Me - PADI Rescue Diver >150 OW dives
Alan - PADI DM > 450 OW dives

alex