Open Water Diver: Your diving options in Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is one of the best places in the world for scuba diving, with many sites accessible to the PADI Open Water Diver level.
Not all cenotes are accessible at the Open Water level, but some sites are perfectly suited.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Very clear water, rock formations, and light effects.
Spectacular atmosphere with stalactites and accessible caverns.
Ideal for a first cenote experience.
Cenote Chac Mool
Impressive halocline and unique visual effects.
Excellent light effects for photos.
Requires good buoyancy control.
Cenote Carwash
Large open area, exceptional visibility.
Easy, calm, and very clear dive.
Perfect for a relaxing dive.
Cenote Jardín del Edén (Ponderosa)
Large open natural pool, very bright.
Ideal for a refresh dive.
Possibility to visit the cavern zone on the second dive.
Ocean diving is also suitable for the Open Water level, depending on the sites.
Playa del Carmen (ocean)
Depth between 10 and 18 m, generally calm conditions.
Varied marine life: turtles, rays, tropical fish, moray eels.
Perfect to regain confidence or discover ocean diving.
Cozumel
Several sites accessible to Open Water divers.
One of the best reefs in the world: gentle drift dives, spectacular seascapes.
Abundant marine life: turtles, eagle rays, parrotfish, groupers.
Bull sharks (conditions)
Normally reserved for Advanced Open Water divers.
Possible for Open Water divers with around 25 logged dives and good buoyancy.
Strict supervision, static dive, dependent on daily conditions.
Wrecks (conditions)
Most wrecks are too deep (25–30 m and deeper) for Open Water divers.
Some centers may exceptionally accept Open Water divers on shallower wrecks if conditions allow.
Advanced level is strongly recommended to fully enjoy the dive safely.
Safety tips:
Always dive with a certified cenote or ocean guide.
A refresh dive is recommended after more than 6 months without diving.
Always respect your certification limits.
Site selection depends on weather conditions, current, visibility, and recent experience.
To check whether your level allows access to a site or to book a dive with a French-speaking instructor:
👉 Contact us, we’ll advise you based on your experience and the conditions of the day.
What is the depth of cenotes in Mexico ?
The cenotes of Mexico fascinate with their beauty, but also with their often little-known depth. While some are only a few meters deep, others plunge to more than 100 meters, like the famous cenote The Pit, one of the deepest in the Riviera Maya. Their formation is the result of thousands of years of limestone erosion, creating cavities that gradually expand before collapsing and filling with water. The structure of a cenote depends on the type of collapse, the evolution of underground passages, and even the mixing of freshwater and saltwater, which creates unique visual effects such as the halocline. These characteristics explain why some cenotes are accessible to the general public, while others are reserved for technical divers. Cenote diving requires perfect control of buoyancy, equipment, and safety procedures, as the environment is enclosed, sometimes dark, and leaves no margin for error. Despite this, many sites remain accessible from the Open Water level, offering an unmatched experience to divers from around the world.
When is the best time to go diving in Mexico ?
The best time to go diving in Mexico depends on the region.For diving on the Caribbean side (where the famous cenotes are), the ideal period is between November and April. If you’re heading toward Baja California, it’s better to plan your trip between May and November to enjoy warmer water and better underwater visibility. Some […]
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Cenote Maravilla is one of the most spectacular along the Ruta de los Cenotes, near Puerto Morelos, in the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula. Reserved for advanced divers, this cenote reveals impressive limestone formations, such as its bell-shaped stalactites, as well as a rare natural phenomenon: a thick layer of hydrogen sulfide that transforms the […]
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