Mexico (Puerto Morelos)

[firstbreath]

My wife and I are heading down there for a friend's wedding in April 2011. I just received my certification in September 2010.

So this will most likely be my first dive (not counting my open water certification training). I'm not looking to do anything crazy, like do things beyond my basic open water certification. Looks like they have one or two locations perfect for beginners like myself.

Has anyone ever been or heard about Puerto Morelos? Any insight/suggestions would be helpfull.

Thanks!

[MikeS]

I have not been there, but I would definitely recommend that you tell the dive master that you are a new diver.  He/She will not let you get in over your head (pun intended) and will keep and eye on you.

[dwitt2n]

...absolutely Mike's suggestion - and - as you're just beginning your dive career - purge the phrase 'doing anything crazy' with anything associated with your diving......

[firstbreath]

ok, thanks for the advice. I've already begun e-mailing the dive instructor...asking all sorts of questions.

I just hope, that if get put with a group, that they aren't too advanced, there for I'll be holding them back by doing beginner dives.

[Detectorguy]

Hi First Breath,
I know this is a month old post but I hardly go on WISCUBA and mostly hang out on MNSCUBA.

I have been to Puerto Morelos a couple times and dove with "Almost Heaven" dive shop a couple times. The first dive we did was on the C56 wreck at 90'. Current was not bad but sometimes it can be ripping there. Nice dive and fun to see. The second dive was in "the Gardens" but even though Enrique the owner was our dive master, we were dropped in the wrong spot. We hung out on the bottom while Enrique went up to find out where he was. He came back and we did a drift dive through the moonscape. This was not a real good dive as we were not in the right spot. I would dive with Almost Heaven again but I like the other dive shop better on the South the town square on the water front (I can't remember the name of that shop). We stayed at Ojo De Agua hotel (eye of the water)and there is a nice fresh water spring about 200 yards South of Ojo De Agua Hotel. This is about 12'-15' deep and easily snorkel/freedivable. There was a Goliath Grouper that would hang out near the spring about 7' long, but he died 2 years ago. Once you stay in Puerto Morelos, You will never want to stay in Playa or Cancun again. Quiet town with a surprising amount of retired Canadians There. If you have a non diving day, there is a nice beach at the South end of town (need to drive ther with a rental car as it is a mile from town). This beach is not protected by a reef as the Shipping channel is just North of here. The waves are about 4'-5' high all the time and fun to body surf. Just leave the area by night as this is a drug drop off point coming from South America. There are stories of 35' Cigerette boats with 55 gallon drums for fuel tanks that drop off 30 million dollars of drugs, The local police and Army help unload the drugs, Then they get paid off and the boat is turned out to sea and the boat eventually runs out of gas. Not sure if that is the way it actually happens or not but there are Mexican DEA agents there all the time during the day.

[firstbreath]

very nice...thanks for the insight. Since I have really nothing to compare this dive to, I'm not too picky on where he takes us (just as long as I get back  ). I've already e-mailed Enrique a few times to get some info. I'm staying at a resort not too far from there for 4 nights, and plan on going diving just one of the days....so i'll having pleanty of time to do some non diving activities.

I'm hopping to stick to the Gardens and La Pared, if I had to choose...Those two sites seem to be "beginner friendly"...nothing too advanced for me.

[firstbreath]

Just got back Mexico from my first ever dive. Everything was wonderful. I did a two-tank dive in the reef out from Riviera Maya. We were able to spot an Eagle Ray that had a good 5-6 foot wing span...amazing. Also was able to see a yellow stingray, along with an abundance of other sea life.

Apparently, that's the second largest reef in the world (first being the one in Australia of course). I guess they have a problem with Lion Fish in Mexico, so dive masters are given the green light to kill them if they see them. I guess the Lion fish eat all the baby/little fish, preventing them from growing up. We spotted one of them and our Dive Master killed it. However, when we surfaced our Dive Master got introuble with the local DNR. I guess the process he used to kill the lion fish was illegal. He was using some sort of spear gun to do it...and he got it taken away right after our dive. They argued in spanish for about 20 minutes (didn't understand a word that was said), before finally taking his weapon and leaving.

The weather was clear and the water was about 80 degrees. Visibility was great, not sure on the distance though. The first dive was 30 feet and the second was 40. Apparently I need to practice my breathing. I was only under for about 30-35 minutes before running out of air (started with 3000-2500 psi). I was the first one to surface in both dives...oh well. Any tips?

Can't wait to get out again...I'll probably go somewhere local in WI in the later spring or summer time.