Diving in Isla Mujeres

[r. gallagher]

The wife and I will be traveling to Isla this summer. We would like to do a "resort" dive while there. We both snorkel where ever we travel to but have decided to do a dive so we can mark it off her bucket list.

Anyone have any experience with any of the dive shops in Isla? Good or bad comments are welcomed.

 

[caguy]

If you check Google Earth you will find 3 or 4 listed there.

 

[Warpiper]

Please, please, please get certified as a Basic Open Water Diver before filling that bucket list entry.

Diving, like sailing has hidden dangers that can kill you. You really need proper training through PADI, NAUI, YMCA etc.

Resort dives will teach you enough to be very dangerous to yourself.

Breathing compressed air is not a simple thing. You can get an embolism on a very shallow dive.

Bouyancy control is an acquired skill. Pressure equalization of your ears is a skill.

Scuba diving is a wonderful sport but should not be taken lightly. I have seen the training given to tourists at resorts in the Carribean and even good training is too short.

I have been sport scuba diving for over thirty years. I wish you a wonderful, safe trip and offer this advice as a friend.

Best of Luck!

Bob

 

[fred1diver]

I second the get certified before you go, get a good instructor and learn at your pace.

as for the courses they teach down south, they don't call them suicide course for nothing

 

[caguy]

The water is so clear down there that if you don't take lessons you can always snorkel. There is plenty to see. The reef dives there are very shallow.

 

[Kestle]

I concur with the warnings; i had a diving accident when equipment failed (my weight belt clasp broke and fell off suddenly in dense kelp). It scared the crap out of me, and I'm a good swimmer. Now I only free dive.

Don't screw around. Take a real dive course, not the resort ones. Proper diving requires you think of a number of things at once. You don't want that info just stored in short term memory.

Jeff

 

[Kestle]

Hey CAGuy...doesn't it blow like stink around that island too? I seem to recall warnings about when the wind picks up around there. Almost like Santa Ana's here in Los Angeles.

Jeff

 

[caguy]

Hey CAGuy...doesn't it blow like stink around that island too? I seem to recall warnings about when the wind picks up around there. Almost like Santa Ana's here in Los Angeles.

Jeff

We hired a Hobe18 Cat and a couple of guys to take us to Isa Mujeras from Cancun. On the way we stopped and snorkeled at one of the reefs. We had lunch on the Island at a open air market with a bunch of food concession stands. The lunch was included but the flies convering the food made it inedible. We bought some fruit instead.
On the way home the sun started to go down and the captain told us to hang on. A few seconds later we started flying, what an E ticket that lasted about 10 minutes until (boom) the main sail head plate tore through. We came in under the Jib still screaming across the water. All in all it was a great day.