Playa del Carmen

We have healthy reefs with a huge variety of life with many schools of fish. We often see turtles, moray eels, lobsters and stingrays and occasionally nurse sharks and eagle rays.

The visibility on average tends to be between 10m/30ft and 25m/80ft. There are currents here, but they are not as strong as the ones in Cozumel. The reef has many spots for the fish to hide, so you can turn a corner and see a wall of fish in front of you.

What will I see? (morning dives)

Our morning dives feature reefs and a wreck up to 30m/100ft deep and these sites will be best for more experienced divers.

The currents on these deeper dives tend to be stronger than the afternoon currents, so you can expect to enjoy an excellent drift dive. We typically head for a deeper dive first before heading for a shallower (12-14m/40-50ft) second dive.

We have a large choice of sites for our morning dives including sponge gardens, walls and a shipwreck. Of course, we will always try to plan the perfect dive for you and with so many sites we can normally ensure that we don’t take you to the same place twice.

What will I see? (afternoon dives)

Our afternoon dives are great for divers of any level. We have five Caribbean reef sites with depths of up to 12m/40ft.

New divers will enjoy the shallower reefs and generally milder currents. You are likely to see many schools of colorful fish, impressive moray eels and potentially turtles (about 30% of the time)

The reefs are adjacent to the sand, so if you have any buoyancy issues you are less likely to damage any delicate corals.

Experienced divers will enjoy the chance to really explore every area of the reef. With many small creatures to find and a milder current these sites can be an underwater photographer’s dream.

Comfort and safety

Our boats each have two engines, and the captains have been working on the dive boats here for many years. Their experience really helps when it comes to selecting the most suitable dive site in changeable conditions.

One of our captains is also a PADI Rescue Diver so he really knows what divers need.

Our boats also have all appropriate safety equipment:

• Emergency oxygen
• First-aid kit
• VHF radio
• Life jackets

Our boats have plenty of space for you to prepare yourself prior to diving and have shaded areas to escape the Caribbean sun. We provide purified drinking water onboard as well as a freshly baked muffin.

Going a little deeper

We can provide you with PADI Deep Adventure training (+$20) to give you the skills and knowledge to dive to depths of up to 30m / 100ft while you dive with us on a morning dive here in Playa del Carmen.

The Deep Adventure dive involves reading the Deep chapter of the Advanced Open Water manual, answering a series of questions in your own time prior to arriving (we will send you materials electronically). On the day of your dive the instructor will review your answers as part of an extended briefing.
Please note, according to PADI Training Standards, for you to be eligble for the deep adventure training we need to conduct a prior assessment of your diving skills (this can take place during a dive or in the pool during a skills refresh).

The instructor will then accompany you on your dive and run through a couple of in-water exercises with you. The in-water exercises typically don't take long to complete and don't detract from your enjoyment of the dive.

Why do you do this?

PADI Open Water divers are trained to a maximum depth of 18m / 60ft. We adhere to PADI recommendations and don't take divers deeper than their training limits. This gives you many benefits, including that travel/dive insurance companies will often only provide coverage for a "depth to which you are trained" and of course our approach will also keep you as safe as possible.

After the dive you will receive a certificate of completion to confirm your participation in the training. At the discretion of other dive centers, this certificate can be honored for future dives which require deep training and can also be used to count towards your full Advanced Open Water course when you choose to continue your learning.

The Deep Adventure dive is one of the five dives you would do as part of the PADI Advanced Open Water course and therefore you will need to complete the relevant PADI paperwork with us. As with all PADI courses you should review the medical questionnaire.. As a 5-star dive center we are passionate about teaching and improving skills, so if you have enough time during your vacation then instead of just completing the deep dive, you might want to consider completing the full PADI Advanced Open Water course. The course is a great course with a good balance between theory and practical exercises. The course really does not detract from the enjoyment of your dives and you will leave with a new level of skill, confidence and certification.