Frequently Asked Questions
Check out our frequently asked questions page to find out more about general information, reservations and gift certificates. Contact us if you have any additional questions!
General Booking Questions
All prices are displayed on our website, we do not provide personalized quotes nor give special discounts regardless of the number of participants in your group, unless we have a special contract agreement if you are a tour agency.
To get a total for the services you wish to do, just add them directly to your shopping cart on our website and follow the booking process. You may add extras such as equipment during this process.
Don’t forget to use code SCUBA15 to get the 15% discount!
We recommend you book at least 2 weeks in advance so that we can guarantee your spaces.
If you have booked with at least 2 weeks in advance you do not need to send an email to confirm spaces as they will be guaranteed. Still, please check in with us upon your arrival to the hotel.
If you booked with less than 2 weeks in advance, please send us an email.
Sometimes our clients miss their planes or transportation, or their plans change due to unforeseen circumstances. By coming to our dive center, we are certain you have arrived plus we can provide you with your pickup information. Divers must also fill in documentation before their scheduled dives.
If you are diving locally, just present yourself at 8:15 am at our dive center to fill in our documentation and prep and brief you up. If you have any other scheduled activity and need pick up information, please send us an email a few days before your activity to provide you with it.
Because the 15% discount is only valid for booking IN ADVANCE. If you book online while you have already visited our dive center or spoken to our salesperson on site, you will have to pay the remaining amount listed at our dive center in order to be given service. NO EXCUSES!
It is the credit card processor’s fee, and it is non-refundable.
Please read our Refunds policy here: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/about/cancellation-policy/
We offer local dives only for guests staying at hotels where we have a dive center. For other excursions, if not staying at any of our hotels, we can pick you up at meeting points in Playa del Carmen and all along the road from Playa del Carmen to Akumal. We may do a few exceptions if you are staying around the Mayakoba area in the north and around the Chemuyil / Bahia Principe area in the south. We do not offer any of our services for guests staying in the areas of Cancun, Puerto Morelos or Tulum except for the whale shark snorkeling tour.
Because the time on your confirmation email is when we begin doing pick-ups. Your specific pick-up time depends on the hotel where you are staying and depends on the number of participants going on the same tour. Always confirm with us at our activity center or via email your pick-up time and specific pick-up location at your hotel as some hotels have many lobbies.
All of our prices are a flat rate regardless of age. We charge per spaces on our boats/vehicles.
Local Diving Questions
Yes! You may do a Discover Scuba Dive aka Resort Course that includes a short training and a dive in the ocean: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/dive-courses/discover-scuba-dive-resort-course/. This option can also be done in Cozumel.
Local dives are done right in front of the hotel. The hotels our boat leaves straight from the beach are Viva Maya/Azteca, Grand Palladium/UNICO and Grand Sirenis. We do not pick up divers from other hotels for local dives so local dives can only be done at the mentioned hotels.
- In the Playa del Carmen area:
Moc-che, Jardines, Sabalos, Tortugas, Barracuda, Chun-Zumbul and Mama Viña - In the Akumal area:
Palmeras, Ruina Maya, Acuario, Tankenah, Cañones, Umbrella, Barracuda, Xcatic, Dorado and Cruces.
For beginner divers to 45ft (12-15 mts) and for advanced divers to 90ft (30 mts).
Our boats have a maximum capacity of 16 people, but we rarely go out with that many divers. Each Divemaster according to PADI regulations may take up to 8 divers but we segregate our groups according to their certification level and experience.
No, you may organize your dives as you wish according to your vacation time. Our staff can sign you up once you are at the hotel, to the dive slot you wish to do but please do so with at least one or two days in advance.
We DO NOT do shore diving; all our dives are boat dives and we do not rent equipment for shore diving.
Unfortunately, due to hotel regulations at our locations, we are unable to do Night Dives.
No, double tank just means you are buying two tanks and you may choose the day and the schedule that better suits you to use them.
Unfortunately, not at this moment. All our dives are done with regular air. We do offer nitrox on our Cozumel dive trip, and you may add it to your shopping cart during the booking process.
We have DIN and INT adaptors if you wish to bring your own regulators.
Big coral mounts and valleys with many different species of colorful hard and soft coral, sponges, tunicates, shoals of different kind of fish, nudibranchs, sea worms, crabs, lobsters, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, green turtles, eels, nurse sharks… If you are lucky you may get to see dolphins or reef sharks. Also, although it is rare, we have encountered hammerhead sharks, whales harks or even manatees.
Bottom time length depends on the general air consumption of the group. We try to segregate divers according to their experience but in average they last from 45 – 55 minutes.
Playa del Carmen (north) hotels: 8:30 am deep dive, 10 am and 2:30 pm shallow dives.
Akumal (south) hotels: 8:30 am deep dive, 10 am and 1 pm shallow dives.
*The 10 am dive is only done on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
We do single tank dives each time since the reef is a short 10 min ride from the hotels.
If you purchase local dives, tanks with regular air are included (depending on the number of purchased dives), a guide (dive master or instructor level certified), weights and weight belts and the boat ride. You may add equipment during the booking process if needed.
Full equipment rental includes BCD, full 3mm wetsuit, regulator, fins, mask, weight belt and weights.
We have all sizes from XXS to XXXL.
No, dive computers are a personal piece of equipment, and each diver should configure it according to his liking, you have to bring your own dive computer or guide yourself analogically with the help of the provided manometer.
No, prescription masks made specifically to match the wearer’s defects of vision therefore they must be brought by the diver.
If you have some kind of musculoskeletal weakness or need any assistance due to your age, sure! Our staff will be very happy to assist you carrying your equipment to and from the boat. If you are in perfect physical condition, however, and although we are always happy to help, please don’t expect our staff to carry all your equipment all the time.
Yes! We have secure storerooms at our Grand Palladium, Grand Sirenis and Viva Maya dive centers.
If you are staying at Viva Azteca, you may leave the equipment at our dive center in Viva Maya although you will have to carry it to our dive center upon arrival and back to your room when you are done diving with us. The distance between both hotels is a 700 mts walk on the beach.
Sure! Even though we are a PADI 5-star instructor development dive company, we are happy to take you diving as long as you present your dive card and you are active diving.
If you have not dived in more than a year, it is compulsory that you do a ReActivate program to brush up your knowledge and skills. This is for your own safety and the safety of the other divers you will be diving with. It is also a requirement from our insurance policy provider. You may purchase a ReActivate program here: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/dive-courses/discover-scuba-dive-resort-course/
Our staff will check your log book for the last logged dive upon your arrival.
Most hotels have kids clubs free of charge and they will look after your kids while you are diving. They typically open around 9 am but please contact the hotel staff or your concierge to make sure you are able to leave your kids at the kids club. Some hotels also offer a ‘nanny’ service for an extra charge, but they will look after your kids as long as one of the parents are at the property (so, both parents can’t go diving together unless they assign a guardian from their immediate family such as grandparents, etc).
No, we do not have a joint excursion for snorkelers and divers on local dives. The only dive excursion where snorkelers may join divers and be on the same boat is our Cozumel trip: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/snorkeling/snorkel-in-cozumel/ Snorkelers have an exclusive guide on this trip.
Unfortunately, no. Diving is a medium risk sport and for insurance reasons we cannot take divers with certain specific medical conditions.
No. But we certainly hope that the new member of the family gets introduced to the amazing world of scuba when he/she turns 10!
We are unable to do private dives unless the price of at least 80% of the full capacity of the boat is paid. We have quite a complex operation due to the various tours and activities we offer, so destining resources for a private group means making very difficult changes to our operation. We appreciate your understanding.
The only packages that include diving in Cozumel and the Cenotes are:
Mexican Explorer Package (2 local dives + 2 Cozumel dives + 2 Cenote dives)
Mexican Greatest Package (6 local dives + 2 Cozumel dives + 2 Cenote dives)
Salt & Fresh Package (2 Cozumel dives + 2 Cenote dives)
If you bought another package other than the ones mentioned above, you will only be diving at the local reef, not in Cozumel nor Cenotes.
Even though we are the only dive operation in the area with a USD$2,000.000 insurance policy, scuba diving is an activity done under your own responsibility. We do recommend you have DAN insurance: https://dan.org/membership-insurance/
Cozumel Dive/Snorkel Tour
We go on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week.
We begin picking up clients at 8:30 am at different hotels to then go to the ferry pier in Playa del Carmen and take the ferry over to Cozumel. Then our boat picks us up right at the Cozumel pier to go diving. We come back to Playa del Carmen at around 3 pm.
We have a 20-diver boat with a giant stride exit in the back. The boat is also fitted with a modified bathroom for your convenience.
Includes transportation, marine park fees, ferry tickets, snorkeling/diving equipment, guide, snacks, box lunch and beverages.
Yes! We do offer nitrox on our Cozumel dive trip and you may add it to your shopping cart while completing you booking.
Yes! We will give you your ferry tickets and you may come back whenever you wish. Transportation back to your hotel is not included in this case.
No, snorkelers can come as well and while divers do 2 dives, we take snorkelers to 3 different sites. Both divers and snorkelers go together on the same boat. Book the snorkeling option here: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/snorkeling/snorkel-in-cozumel/
We can go to any of the following sites, but it depends on the ocean conditions the day you will be diving:Paraiso, Chancanaab, Punta Tunich, Santa Rosa and Palancar.
We are unable to do private dives unless the price of at least 80% of the full capacity of the boat is paid. We have quite a complex operation due to the various tours and activities we offer, so destining resources for a private group means making very difficult changes to our operation. We appreciate your understanding.
All of our prices are a flat rate regardless of age. We charge per spaces on our boats/vehicles.
Cenote Dive
We go to the Cenote on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
You must be at least 14 years old and be Open Water Diver certified.
Includes 2 dives at the same cenote. Transportation, expert guide, snacks and beverages are also included.
Yes, this tour is exclusively for certified divers. We do not allow snorkelers nor companions because we have limited spaces in our vehicle and there is nothing to do in the middle of the jungle. If you are not diving, you will stay on the surface profusely sweating and being attacked by mosquitoes.
We always do 2 dives at one cenote on the same day but at different sections of it. The options we have for the cenotes we go to that are included in the advertised price are TajMaHa, ChickinHa and Dream Gate. Other cenotes may be possible to visit for an extra charge as long as they are located in the Riviera Maya area (not the more distant ones in Tulum nor any in Puerto Morelos). Please send us an email with your request and we will provide you with a quote.
We begin picking up divers at 9 am and we head back at around 2 pm.
We do not offer nitrox for cenote diving because it is not customary to use it unless you dive a deep cenote like the Pit, but for the cenotes we generally go to, the average depth is not past 6-7 meters.
Diving Courses
You must be at least 10 years old (to go for a Junior Open Water diver certification), be healthy (not presenting any health/medical condition such as diabetes, low/high blood pressure, cancer, back/neck problems, recent surgery or being pregnant.
If you have to do some dives as part of your certification training, you will typically need to invest most of the morning and part of the afternoon (from 8:30 am until around 2:30 pm during the length of your course). There are obviously breaks for relaxing and eating.
PADI has the option for you to do the theory online and the pool sessions at a dive center in your city and this will cut down training days depending on the course you are signing up for. Follow this link to PADI’s E-Learning site: https://apps.padi.com/scuba-diving/elearning/apmain.aspx?access=p
For an Open Water course for example:
If you decide to only do the theory online, your course will be cut down by one day (called E-Learning Referral).
If you decide to do the theory + the pool work at home, the course is cut down by 2 days (called Referral).
You may purchase the E-Learning Referral or Referral courses here: https://aquaexcursions.com.mx/dive-courses/referral-course/
You can find us in the PADI site as Aquaexcursions Diving Centers and our PADI number is S19932.
You may organize your course with our staff as you wish as long as you commit to the required time and days for its completion. Although we strongly suggest you do the course in consecutive days to have a richer learning experience, you may break it into separate days.
PADI materials are translated to almost every language so we will give you the reading manuals in the language of your choosing if available, although the one-on-one training with our instructors will be in English or Spanish. Sometimes we may offer other languages depending on the availability of staff.
Yes! We encourage certified divers accompanying students to be present during their training and certification dives. This gives them more encouragement. If you are a certified diver for example and your son is getting his Open Water Diver certification, you may purchase 4 dives and join your son!
We are unable to offer private sessions. We have quite a complex operation due to the various tours and activities we offer, so destining an instructor for one person or a smaller group makes very difficult changes to our operation. You can, however, be certain that you and/or your family will receive a quality training from our instructors even if there are more students. We appreciate your understanding.
Fishing
It includes transportation to / from your hotel, all pro fishing equipment, fishing license, docking fee, bait, ice, and beverages (non-alcoholic). You are welcome to bring anything you may want to eat or drink on board. Please let our driver know and he can stop at a convenience store if you wish to buy anything.
We have a 36ft. Fisherman Pro Boat which is a “yacht type” boat with fishing chair and rod holder docked at the Puerto Aventuras marina (transportation included).
8 people is its max capacity.
Yes, the boat has a toilet.
Unfortunately, no. We don’t do shared charters.
Sure! You may keep the fish but unfortunately due to hygiene control at the hotel’s restaurants and risk of cross contamination, they refuse to cook it in their premises. However, there are local restaurants like ‘La Cueva del Pescador’ in Akumal where they will deliciously cook it for you!
We go about 5 km into the open sea still looking land and then we trawl along the coast.
About which fish species you can expect to catch, please refer to the following chart:
Depending on the number of hours you book, it may be possible. It also depends on the ocean conditions. However, being exclusively a fishing trip, snorkeling equipment is not included.
General Snorkeling Questions
It is highly advisable that you know how to swim or at least know the principle of holding your breath to stay afloat. Also, we expect that you have snorkeled in the past and feel comfortable with snorkeling gear and breathing through a snorkel.
We are permitted to bring kids on board as young as 6 years old.
Sure! Although the full price must be covered even if they are not participating in the activity.
Yes, all our snorkeling tours are done with life vests. This is for your own safety and the safety of others plus it is compulsory by law that all participants of a tour wear one.
Yes, we have life vests for kids and adults in the range of XXS to XXXL.
No. But we certainly hope that the new member of the family becomes and avid swimmer and ocean lover!
Swimsuit, towel, a change of clothes, biodegradable sunscreen (super important that it is biodegradable certified) or a UV protection shirt or rash guard, a hat and money for tips and photos.
No, we only offer a box lunch in Cozumel, snacks on the Underwater Maya tour and bottled water on the Snorkel at the Reef tour.
We go to Aktun-Chen cenote.
Whaleshark Snorkeling
Yes, if you do not see whale sharks, we will refund you 80% of the price (20% is used to pay for traveling costs only).
We cover all major hotels from Cancun to Tulum. Furthest Tulum hotels may incur an extra fee.
We usually do not offer private services but if you cover at least 90% of the boat’s capacity, we can take you privately.
Whale sharks swim quite fast! We will strategically position the boat so that you can jump into the water to swim along with it. The actual encounter lasts a few minutes, but you will have the opportunity to jump in the water multiple times!
Unfortunately, not. All participants in this activity must wear a life vest as is required by law.
Even though we provide seasickness pills, this activity may be hard on some people as it requires a lot of boat time at open sea while we try to find the whale sharks. Usually we find them right away but some times, we may take a couple of hours trying to spot them.
Absolutely not! We must be respectful with the marine wildlife as we are only visitors in their ecosystem plus it may be dangerous!
Yes! Although we have professional photographers that will capture the perfect moments with a whale shark for you! Don’t forget to bring money to buy your photos!
Yes, please do specify upon booking your tour about your food preferences or restrictions.
No, we will have to charge you full price regardless of where we meet you or pick you up. Moreover, some of the furthest Tulum hotels have an extra pick-up charge.
The extra fee is to cover docking and marine park fees. These fees are paid to the local and federal environmental authorities, and you will be given a wristband. We do not keep that money.
Swimsuit, towel, a change of clothes, biodegradable sunscreen (super important that it is biodegradable certified) or a UV protection shirt or rash guard, a hat, sunglasses and money for tips, photos and souvenirs.
