Travel To/From
Wednesday December 25, 2024 Chicago-Ohare to Cancun @ 8:37am on American Airlines #1503...
Tuesday December 31, 2024 Cancun to Chicago-Ohare @ 2:32pm on American Airlines #1910
The entire family stayed at Hotel Xcaret Mexico. I would NOT recommend this hotel if you intend to go scuba diving for most of your stay. It is an all inclusive resort and thus expensive and going "offsite" can be a bit of a pain. They do not make it easy for third parties (other than Taxi) to come onsite and I've been told by at least one dive operator they are not allowed to pickup clients at the hotel. Which means you'll need to take a taxi to the dive shop or another pickup location. Not cheap. I was able to coordinate with a dive buddy to have him pick me up via his rental car, but even that was a bit of a song and dance. I had to talk to two concierges and one security guard and even then they checked multiple times before allowing him in via the various security gates. Plan accordingly.
Otherwise, it is a beautiful hotel and the family loved it.
Otherwise, it is a beautiful hotel and the family loved it.
Akumal (Shore/Boat) - Akumal Dive Center
Water Conditions
- Moderate Swell and Minimal Current
- 79F @ 40ft \w no thermocline
Basic Gear Used
Akumal Dive Center was super easy to work with, though a bit unorganized . I contacted them via WhatsApp and reserved a spot on the morning 2 dives (9am and 11am). I requested Nitrox and my buddy requested doubles (he was trying to practice skills). When we arrived we did the normal paperwork and got shown our tanks...not nitrox and not doubles. They eventually scrounged up some doubles for him and we headed out to the boat.
The boat...ahh the boat...like nothing I've ever dove from. Click on the image to the left...it's the boat on the left. You will enter the boat from a janky ladder (I ended up getting hurt at the end of the 2nd dive as I was getting into the boat due to my inexperience with this setup) and exit the boat for your dive with a backroll. There is no platform for entering/exit.
The dives were excellent and our divemaster and captain were great. No complaints. Not as nice as the reefs in Cozumel but we saw turtles, eels, lion fish, barracudas and an assortment of other fish.
The boat...ahh the boat...like nothing I've ever dove from. Click on the image to the left...it's the boat on the left. You will enter the boat from a janky ladder (I ended up getting hurt at the end of the 2nd dive as I was getting into the boat due to my inexperience with this setup) and exit the boat for your dive with a backroll. There is no platform for entering/exit.
The dives were excellent and our divemaster and captain were great. No complaints. Not as nice as the reefs in Cozumel but we saw turtles, eels, lion fish, barracudas and an assortment of other fish.
Tulum Cenotes - GoDiveMX
Water Conditions
- Crystal Clear Water \w No Current
- 76F @ 10ft
Basic Gear Used
- My Standard Chicago Drysuit gear
- Minus the weighted STA
The GoDiveMx shop is super small and easy to miss, but it has everything we needed. It is well organized and just the right size for a small team. I showed up with my gear, my tanks where waiting for me to analyze, we did some paperwork and quick chat about which cenotes to visit and off we went!
My drysuit was WAY overkill for the water temperature. However...Emőke, my GUE Fundies instructor and owner of GoDiveMx, practically insisted I bring my drysuit for more practice and she doesn't routinely dive in cold water and thought I might freeze to death. hahahah. I could have easily done this in my 3mm wetsuit.
My drysuit was WAY overkill for the water temperature. However...Emőke, my GUE Fundies instructor and owner of GoDiveMx, practically insisted I bring my drysuit for more practice and she doesn't routinely dive in cold water and thought I might freeze to death. hahahah. I could have easily done this in my 3mm wetsuit.
First stop was cenote Dream Gate. The road to get there was a minor adventure and you are certainly "rural". It is not as well developed as many of the other cenotes, but we had it to ourselves and it was wonderful.
When you get there you can get out of the truck and look over the edge and see a beautiful opening a couple flights of stairs down. God help you if you want to dive doubles, because you'll have to take them up and down those stairs.
Our guide took us down without our gear to explain what to expect and how we would begin our dive. We then walked back up the stairs and he conducted the GUE EDGE briefing (minus the equipment piece). After that was completed, we got suited up in our drysuits and worked out way down to the water. I was the third (of four) to enter the water at the steps and as I took my first step off the stairs I got a cold rush of water on my right hip...I quickly stepped back out, knowing I had screwed up closing my drysuit zipper. Turns out I did not have it fully closed, which was easily resolved. Then back into the water and we circled up for the GUE EDGE equipment check. Okay signs given and off we went.
Beautiful structures, crystal clear water, great teammates and my first cenote/cavern dive was a success.
When you get there you can get out of the truck and look over the edge and see a beautiful opening a couple flights of stairs down. God help you if you want to dive doubles, because you'll have to take them up and down those stairs.
Our guide took us down without our gear to explain what to expect and how we would begin our dive. We then walked back up the stairs and he conducted the GUE EDGE briefing (minus the equipment piece). After that was completed, we got suited up in our drysuits and worked out way down to the water. I was the third (of four) to enter the water at the steps and as I took my first step off the stairs I got a cold rush of water on my right hip...I quickly stepped back out, knowing I had screwed up closing my drysuit zipper. Turns out I did not have it fully closed, which was easily resolved. Then back into the water and we circled up for the GUE EDGE equipment check. Okay signs given and off we went.
Beautiful structures, crystal clear water, great teammates and my first cenote/cavern dive was a success.
Next up was cenote Nohoch, which had just recently installed a "new" cavern line. This is a much more developed and "tourist" attraction location which has not only cave divers but snorkelers. Kind of funny to be scuba diving at 10ft and seeing feet above you.
This was a much more challenging dive from a buoyancy perspective. Additionally, a group of cave divers had incorrectly created a "jump" off the cavern line which..I'm told...is super dangerous for us newbs...our full cave certified guide was not happy with them.
On our way back out we passed a diver and a photographer who had set up lights in the cavern area which made everything pop. Was super cool to see everything lit up for a photoshoot. Again a beautiful and uneventful dive was had. I would certainly do it again.
This was a much more challenging dive from a buoyancy perspective. Additionally, a group of cave divers had incorrectly created a "jump" off the cavern line which..I'm told...is super dangerous for us newbs...our full cave certified guide was not happy with them.
On our way back out we passed a diver and a photographer who had set up lights in the cavern area which made everything pop. Was super cool to see everything lit up for a photoshoot. Again a beautiful and uneventful dive was had. I would certainly do it again.
