Playa del Carmen

Overview

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

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 fish to hide—turn a corner and you can find a wall of fish in front of you.

Morning dives

Our morning dives feature reefs and a wreck up to 30m/100ft deep—best for more experienced divers. 40m/130ft is available for Deep Specialty divers.

Currents on these deeper dives tend to be stronger than in the afternoon, so you can expect a great drift dive. We typically do a deeper dive first, then a shallower second dive (about 12–14m / 40–50ft).

We have a large choice of sites—sponge gardens, walls and a shipwreck. We try not to take you to the same place twice when we can help it.

Afternoon dives

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

New divers enjoy shallower reefs and milder currents. Expect schools of colorful fish, moray eels, and turtles (roughly a third of the time). Reefs sit next to sand, so buoyancy issues are less likely to stress delicate corals.

Experienced divers can explore every nook—small critters, milder current, and an underwater photographer’s playground.

What you might see

Morning and afternoon sites both deliver Caribbean reef life—grunts, sponges, turtles, rays, and classic wall-of-fish moments on drift-friendly sections. Wreck and deep morning lines add structure, glassfish, and bigger pelagic possibilities when luck lines up.

Comfort and safety

Most of our boats each have multiple engines, and our 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.

Some of our captains are also divers so they really know 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 fruit or cookies.

Going a little deeper (SDI Deep Dive)

Thinking about depth beyond 18 m / 60 ft? Add optional SDI Deep training (+$400) to your morning Playa dive. Expand this quick guide to see how it works, what’s included, and how it fits your certification path.

The SDI Deep dive involves reading the Deep chapter of the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver manual and 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 SDI Training Standards, for you to be eligible for the deep 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 some 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?

Open Water divers are trained to a maximum depth of 18m / 60ft. We adhere to SDI, PADI and industry standard recommendations not to 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 Adventure Diver course when you choose to continue your learning.

The Deep training dive is one of the five dives you would do as part of the SDI Advanced Adventure Diver course and therefore you will need to complete the relevant SDI paperwork with us. As with all SDI 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 SDI Advanced Adventure course. This is a great course with a good balance between theory and practical exercises. The course really does not reduce your enjoyment of the dives and you will leave with a new level of skill, confidence and certification.