Diving - Cancun? Belize?

Hiya all,

Currently planning a trip to South America backpacking for 3 months (Sept -
Dec 04).
Am thinking of finishing off the trip with a tour of Mexico which ends in
Cancun.
Can anyone advise what the diving's like there?
Or, if there is better diving close by, can someone make some suggestions?
It'll be the end of the trip so money will likely be tight, so can't afford
to stay on an expensive island resort for a week... was thinking more of a
daytrip or two?
Not a guaranteed end to the trip, but I'd hate to travel half way around the
world, spend 3 months there, and not do *any* diving...

So, where would you go if you were in the area?

Thanks,

Ness
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A nervous wreck.

Cozumel is close by.

"Ness" <vanessaUNDERSCOREdillon@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OCPEb.58881$aT.5780@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Hiya all,
>
> Currently planning a trip to South America backpacking for 3 months
(Sept -
> Dec 04).
> Am thinking of finishing off the trip with a tour of Mexico which ends in
> Cancun.
> Can anyone advise what the diving's like there?
> Or, if there is better diving close by, can someone make some suggestions?
> It'll be the end of the trip so money will likely be tight, so can't
afford
> to stay on an expensive island resort for a week... was thinking more of a
> daytrip or two?
> Not a guaranteed end to the trip, but I'd hate to travel half way around
the
> world, spend 3 months there, and not do *any* diving...
>
> So, where would you go if you were in the area?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ness
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
> A nervous wreck.
>
>

"Ness" <vanessaUNDERSCOREdillon@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OCPEb.58881$aT.5780@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Hiya all,
>
> Currently planning a trip to South America backpacking for 3 months
(Sept -
> Dec 04).
> Am thinking of finishing off the trip with a tour of Mexico which ends in
> Cancun.
> Can anyone advise what the diving's like there?
> Or, if there is better diving close by, can someone make some suggestions?
> It'll be the end of the trip so money will likely be tight, so can't
afford
> to stay on an expensive island resort for a week... was thinking more of a
> daytrip or two?
> Not a guaranteed end to the trip, but I'd hate to travel half way around
the
> world, spend 3 months there, and not do *any* diving...
>
> So, where would you go if you were in the area?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ness

Take the ferry from Cancun to Cozumel (about 70 pesos). It drops you off
pretty close to the La Ceiba Hotel. There are plenty of operators on the
island.

Buck

"Ness" <vanessaUNDERSCOREdillon@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OCPEb.58881$aT.5780@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Hiya all,
>
> Currently planning a trip to South America backpacking for 3 months
(Sept -
> Dec 04).
> Am thinking of finishing off the trip with a tour of Mexico which ends in
> Cancun.
> Can anyone advise what the diving's like there?

Still interested in Belize? Check out Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.

Ness wrote:
> Hiya all,
>
> Currently planning a trip to South America backpacking for 3 months (Sept -
> Dec 04).
> Am thinking of finishing off the trip with a tour of Mexico which ends in
> Cancun.
> Can anyone advise what the diving's like there?
> Or, if there is better diving close by, can someone make some suggestions?
> It'll be the end of the trip so money will likely be tight, so can't afford
> to stay on an expensive island resort for a week... was thinking more of a
> daytrip or two?
> Not a guaranteed end to the trip, but I'd hate to travel half way around the
> world, spend 3 months there, and not do *any* diving...
>
> So, where would you go if you were in the area?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ness
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
> A nervous wreck.
>
>


The other two posters are spot on with their Cozumel suggestions. From
Playa del Carmen, take the ferry over to Cozumel, there's one departing
about every hour or so. If you can arrange a dive shop to meet you at
the town pier, you'll be all set. Tell them what gear you'll need, and
the earlier you head out the earlier you get back for other stuff. Keep
your schedule flexible for adhoc delays.

For contact info --> http://www.cozumel-diving.net for a variety of dive
ops on the island. One other dive op without any retail hooks (and not
listed) is (shameless plug --->) Fernando at http://www.mantaraya.com.
I personally give him a thumbs up with my many years on the island, and
if you book with him, tell him Gerald sez Hola! Fernando runs a tight
ship but allows a loose dive profile at your preference. But you gotta
promise me one thing, leave room for me on the Mantaraya, she's clean,
dependable and fast with new zincs.

--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur