Frequently Asked QuestionsQuestions Are Never Indiscreet, Answers Sometimes Are

Oscar Wilde

FAQs for People Doing the DSD

I have some health issues… Are any of them a contraindication for scuba diving?

Scuba diving is not considered a sport and most of the time is a peaceful, quiet and relaxing activity. However, diving may demand a certain level of strength and stamina sometimes.

We encourage our divers to be in good shape which will translate into having a better experience when they go diving. Now… there are some health issues that are deal breakers for people trying to scuba dive.

High blood pressure, heart problems, diabetics, and epileptic seizures are just some of the conditions that will keep you from diving.

We will send you a Medical Questionnaire that will help you to determine if you are or are not suitable for scuba diving.

Where are we going to be diving?

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions.

Answer… we don’t know for sure.

We choose the dive site based on:

  • Divers needs, level of experience, and performance.
  • Time frame (i.e. if you have to be back to the cruise ship at a certain time).
  • Weather and water conditions.
  • How many boats (and associated divers) we may encounter once we get to a dive site.

There will be times when it will be possible to plan a dive in a specific reef, but it doesn’t mean that we will dive there no matter what.

We try to avoid dive sites that we suspect or know in advance, have poor visibility, extremely “bad currents” (not to be mistaken with strong currents), too many divers already in the water, and rough waves.

Safety first.

How many divers are going to be on the boat?

There is no conclusive answer for that, as it’s very hard for us to tell the number of divers more than a week ahead of time. People reserve with months of anticipation and also a day before the dive.

We mainly use boats that can carry 12 and 14 divers…but sometimes we use smaller boats with capacity for 6 divers only.

You have to remember this: by PADI Standards the maximum number of students is 4 per instructor.

It doesn’t matter how many other people we may have on board, if you are a student, you will be diving in a group of No More than 4 Students per Instructor.

How deep and how long are the dives?

According to PADI standards, we e cannot take students deeper than 40 ft. Shallow dives allow for more bottom time, less air consumption, and more light and life as well.

We plan our dives to last 60 minutes underwater or us taking you to the surface when you have 700 psi of pressure in your tank, whatever happens first.

How long does the whole experience take?

We recommend you not to make any other plans for the day of diving, since we have many variables that may affect the length of the education and diving experience.

Think about 4 hours and a half.

Depending on how far we travel that day and how quickly you learn are some of those variables.

Class takes about 30 minutes.

Dives are no more than 60 minutes each.

We need a break between dives of 60 minutes.

Water training lasts between 15 minutes to no more than 30 minutes. if after 30 minutes you cannot figure out the breathing and perform the skills we need you to learn, we will have to invite you to try later (during the break in between dives) or to join us just to snorkel.

Note for cruise ship passengers: don’t worry; we will have you back in time for your departure.

I will like to use my GoPro and take video and selfies, may I?

Ok…we totally understand the excitement behind going into and adventure, have evidence of it and share it on Facebook and Instagram… Now, let me ask you this:

Would you allow your son or daughter to Snapchat or text the first time they go behind the steering wheel of a car?

Diving, breathing underwater, and preventing harm to yourself and the reef, requires your full attention.

We DO NOT allow our non certified divers to bring any cameras on their first dive… If they do well on their first dive and we believe that using a camera will not be a distraction that they cannot handle… then… we may let them use a camera on the second dive.

Please: think about your safety. An error and you can easily blow up a lung or float to the surface and risk being hit by a boat. Unfortunately, cameras are a BIG distraction even for certified divers.

We can provide the service of a Professional Underwater Photographer that will capture your adventure, if you want the photographer to come along let us know. You can see some of his work on our Gallery and Facebook pages.

I am not a great swimmer, is that going to be a problem?

While we don’t need you to swim 100 meters in less than 30 seconds, we do need you to be very comfortable in the water. If you feel apprehensive or afraid of having your head covered by water, diving will be challenging for you. It doesn’t mean that you can’t dive if you don’t have an extended experience swimming or snorkeling but certainly it will make things easier for you to have it.

We will be happy to teach you how to dive but we need you to be honest with yourself and decide if you are ready to try.

We will give you the Instruction and Training you need, but we cannot breathe, take care of your ears, or swim for you.

If you do what we tell you to do, follow our instructions and control yourself…you will have a good time.

If you cannot control yourself, or fail to follow our instructions, your experience is not going to be very pleasant.

What happen if I try but I don’t like it?

Once we give you the class and take you into the water for training, we will charge you $70 USD, if you decide not to dive at all, we will not refund that money but you can spend your time snorkeling with us.

If you are doing the DSD by boat and want to do only 1 dive we will charge you $ 105 USD

What is the best price you can give me on the course, are there any discounts if I pay cash or if it is low season?

The expenses of running a dive operation remain the same regardless of high or low season; we still have to pay the crew, taxes, fuel, etc.However, we may have low season specials, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram updates.

Our gear is in great shape, we constantly renew and give service to all our gear (gear wears out quickly when using it on a daily basis).

The price is fair considering you are doing boat dives (versus shore dives).

If you want to spend less money, we can take you on a beach/shore dive. We don’t do 2 tanks from the beach, only one and the price is $75 USD. Or we can take you for a single boat dive for $105 USD.

We don’t charge you any extra fee for paying with credit or debit cards.

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card.

I am coming with a group of friends and/or family, do you have group rates?

Sorry, no group rates apply for instructional dives.

I hear great things about Punta Sur, Chankanaab, Maracaibo and Barracuda reef. Would you take me there?

Those reefs along with sections of Palancar and Santa Rosa wall are way too deep for non-certified divers.

We have many excellent places where to take you diving that are shallow enough for you.

I am really interested on encountering a lot of marine life, sharks and turtles, a manta ray or whale shark will be awesome. Can we do that?

Ok, let’s make this crystal clear: You are going to be diving in real reefs, with a lot of life but…there is no way we can guarantee what kind of life it will be.

Nurse sharks, barracudas, rays, turtles, eels, eagle rays, are some of the many kinds of animals we may see, BUT we may as well not see any of them at all.

This is a natural wild environment, not an aquarium.

Where do we meet for the dives? Do you provide ground transportation?

Whether you are staying on the island, Cancun, Playa del Carmen or coming in a cruise ship. We do not provide ground transportation, none of the dive shops do, it’s not a practice on the island due to the taxi union.

We will meet you and pick you up at the pier closest to the place where you are staying.

If you are coming from the mainland to the island or coming in a cruise ship, we will meet and pick you up at the closer pier to the disembarking area of the cruise ship or the ferry.

90% of the time, all the piers we use are walking distance from wherever you are staying or disembarking.

Do your prices include all taxes and fees? How do I reserve and pay?

Reservations are made via PayPal, $20 USD per diver will be enough. Once we exchange emails and agree on pick up time, expectations etc. I will send you a PayPal request. After you pay the money requested your spot will be secure.

Balance: Cash, Visa, and Mastercard are welcome.

We do prefer a healthy mix of some cash and some card payment, but it’s not required.

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card.

Pier fees are not included; some piers will ask for a pier fee that varies from $1 USD to $18 USD per person. We always direct our divers to those piers with the lowest fees as possible, but we do not pay for those fees. The exception to the rules is the ferry pier and Aqua Safari pier in downtown where we do absorb the pier fee.

TIPS are not included. Our boat crew, divemasters, and instructors get paid for what they do, and the truth is that TIPS are a significant part of their income. We believe that the TIPS should not be included and we don’t take them for granted. We work hard and give personalized and professional service and attention to our divers in order to EARN those TIPS.

If you feel that the service was nothing out of the ordinary or worse case scenario: if you got a bad service, don’t give any TIPS to the crew and your guides.

On the other hand, if you felt welcome, safe, well cared for… please show your appreciation. How much should you give as TIPS? Well… it seems like nobody has an issue giving 15% to a person that takes your order and brings your food to the table. You can use that as a good baseline to give TIPS to the people that keep you safe underwater and comfortable on the boat.

Again, it’s a personal consideration and at no point an obligation.

What do I need to bring to the boat in terms of food, clothing, towels...?

We will provide fresh water and fruits on board; sometimes we will have guacamole and chips, pastries, and snacks. We do not provide a formal lunch on board, so, if you like or need to eat constantly, feel free to bring any kind of food on board. We have a cooler where you can store your food and drinks.

We will appreciate if you bring a water bottle (we can refill that as many times as you need with purified drinking water), having your own bottle will avoid the use of cups that eventually will end up creating more garbage.

We don’t have towels on board.

Depending on the season, it could be a good idea to bring a light jacket or raincoat. Our boats have dry areas where you can keep your clothes and towels away from the water.

Sunscreen is not allowed in the Marine National Park. We recommend that you bring a hat and a rash guard and stay out of the sun. Our boat is covered with plenty of space to sit.

You will be diving in a Marine National Park. No knives, no metal pointers, gloves or spears are allowed.

FAQ for Open Water Divers

Where are we going to be diving?

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions.

Answer… We don’t know for sure. We choose the dive site based on: Divers needs, level of experience and performance, time frame, weather and water conditions, how many boats we may encounter once we got to a dive site, etc.

There will be times when it will be possible to plan a dive in a specific reef but it doesn’t mean that we will dive there no matter what. We try to avoid dive sites that we suspect or know in advance, have poor visibility, extremely “bad currents” (not to be mistaken with strong currents), too many divers already in the water, rough waves, etc.

Safety first.

How many divers are going to be on the boat?

There is no conclusive answer for that. It’s very hard for us to tell the number of divers with more than a week ahead of time.People reserve with months of anticipation but also a day before the dive.

We mainly use boats that can carry 12 and 14 divers… but sometimes we use smaller boats. If you prefer to be in a small/fast boat, you can request it and we will do our best to accomodate you.

Independent of the size of the boat and depending on the season you could be diving in a group of 4 divers plus the guide (most likely during low season) or 8 divers plus the guide (most likely during high season).
Marine National Park and PADI regulations allow for an 8 to 1 divers per guide maximum ratio.

How deep and how long are the dives?

We normally plan the first dive around 80ft to 60 ft. Shallow dives allow for more bottom time, less air consumption, and more light and life as well.

The second dive will be 60 to 30 ft. deep.

We plan our dives to last 60 minutes underwater or you heading to the surface when you have 700 psi of pressure on your tank, whatever happens first.

We offer extended bottom time dives as well upon request, you must have a Enriched Air Diver certification for those.

I am a beginner and don’t have many dives under my belt; do I have to dive with divers with more experience than me?

We don’t always know what kind of divers we will have on board, how experienced they are, or how good of divers they could possibly be.

If the group is made up of 8 divers or less, we will send 1 guide only.

If we have 9 divers or more on board, we will send 2 guides and we will likely divide the divers based on experience.

If you don’t feel comfortable diving with divers that have more experience than you or you want to have closer supervision and help, we strongly recommend you to hire a private guide.This service has an extra $55 USD charge, and the private guide will be only with you and your party of up to 8 divers max.

I am really interested in encountering a lot of marine life, sharks and turtles a manta ray or whale shark will be awesome, can we do that?

Ok, let’s make this crystal clear: You are going to be diving in real reefs, with a lot of life but… there is no way we can guarantee what kind of life it will be.

Nurse sharks, barracudas, rays, turtles, eels, eagle rays during the winter time, are some of the many kind of animals we may see BUT we may as well not see any of them at all.

This is a natural wild environment, not Sea World.

What is the best price you can give me on the diving rental gear, are there any discounts if I pay cash or if it is low season?

The expenses of running a dive operation remain the same regardless of high or low season; we still have to pay the crew, taxes, fuel, etc. However, we may have low season specials, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram updates.

Our gear is in great shape, we constantly renew and give service to all our gear (gear wears out quickly when using it on daily basis).

We have different rates depending on how many days you dive with us

  • $85 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us 1 day
  • $80 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us for 2 or 3 days
  • $75 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us for 4 or more days

We also have Group Rates.

Rental gear goes as follow per person per day. If you dive with 3 days or more, take 5 USD off from the total rental fee per day.

  • Renting a single piece (either BCD, Regulator, Dive Computer or Wetsuit) wiil cost you 10 USD
  • Renting 2 pieces will cost you 15 USD
  • Renting 3 pieces will cost you 25 USD
  • Renting 4 pieces will cost you 30 USD

So, those are our best rates. Yes, there are other shops that will give you a cheaper rate, throw the gear in for free, etc. All I have to say is this: you get what you pay for.

We don’t charge you any extra fee for paying with credit or debit cards.

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card

I am coming with a group of friends and/or family. Do you have group rates? Body: Yes we do.

For you and your party to qualify as a group and get these special rates, you must:

  • Be 6 divers or more
  • Dive with us for 3 days of more (at least 5 members of your group should be diving everyday)

We have a couple of options for you to choose from:

  • The leader of the group will dive for free.
  • All divers will get a small gift from Alex Scuba.
  • All the divers will get a free 3rd tank (this is a 3rd daytime dive, if you want to upgrade this to be a night dive, we will ask you for a $30 USD per person upgrade fee).

Or

  • The group gets a free pictures package of a day of diving, you can check the quality of the pics in our gallery or on our Facebook page.
  • All divers get a 50% discount on Rental gear.
  • All divers will get a small gift from Alex Scuba.
  • All the divers will get a free 3rd tank (this is a 3rd day time dive, if you want to upgrade this to be a night dive, we will ask you for a $30 USD per person upgrade fee).

Or

  • The group gets a free pictures package of a day of diving, you can check the quality of the pics in our gallery or on our Facebook page.
I haven’t dove in more than a year, is that a problem?

Not necessarily, but our recommendation is to do a Refresher Course, either at home or with us.

The refresher course will cost you 139 USD, will include a class on board, a couple of shallow dives (around 50 to 40 ft.) and a review of the main skills you should have as a Certified Diver, all gear is included.

Be aware that if you decide not to do the Refresher Course and join the dive, we will not spend more time that the maximum necessary to help you with any issues you may have. Keep in mind that we have other divers that also require service and attention. If you find yourself struggling to go down, figureing out the gear, trying to equalize, adjusting the mask, etc., we will give you No More than 5 minutes and if you cannot make it to the bottom, we will have to send you back to the boat.

We like to help people to become better divers, to have fun, but we cannot split ourselves and take care of several divers having issues at the same time.

Remember that you are a Certified Diver, our guides are there to show you the reefs, be sure that no damage is made to it, to be sure that divers don’t engage in unsafe practices…but we are not babysitters.

If you are conscious about any limitations, issues, fears or lack of experience you may have, please, let us know and we will help you with those issues. We will be happy to recommend you the best course of action, taking the Refresher Course, having a private divemaster, etc. but we need to know this in advance.

I hear great thing about Punta Sur, Chankanaab, Maracaibo and Barracuda reef. Would you take me there?

The answer to this question is: No.

We don’t dive those reefs with the exception of Punta Sur (Devil‘s throat and Cathedral).

We take trips to South Point, Eagle Ray wall and the Shipwreck…and we don’t charge you any extra for those dives but…we will not take you there unless we consider that you are a good diver, you have done at least 1 day of diving with us, and we have the minimum number of divers required (5 divers).

Those dives are deep, typically with strong currents, and demand that the group stick together. We don’t take anyone there only because they own a card that says they are Advanced Divers, Master Divers, etc. Sorry, safety is very important to us.

If you are an Open Water Diver, those dives may not be the most suitable for your level of training. We strongly recommend you to get up to speed on the PADI training ladder and get Deep Diving,Computer, and Multi-level training before engaging in dives deeper than 80 ft. we can and will be happy to provide this training.

I want to do 2 dives in the morning, 2 dives in the afternoon and a couple of night dives, how do we book this?

Well, we don’t run morning and afternoon dives every day, so… we are not the right outfit for you in case you plan to do 20 dives in 4 days. Sorry.

We will go out in the mornings 90% of the time and do 2 dives… 3 when we have the minimum of 5 divers, and every once in a while a night dive (also if we have 5 divers minimum).

Where do we meet for the dives? Do you provide ground transportation?

Whether you are staying on the island, Cancun, Playa del Carmen or coming in a cruise ship. We do not provide ground transportation, none of the dive shops do, it’s not a practice on the island due to the taxi union.

We will meet you and pick you up at the pier closest to the place where you are staying.

If you are coming from the mainland to the island or coming in a cruise ship, we will meet and pick you up at the closer pier to the disembarking area of the cruise ship or the ferry.

90% of the times all the piers we use are walking distance from wherever you are staying or disembarking.

3: Does your prices includes all taxes and fees? How do I reserve and pay?

Reservations are made via PayPal, $20 USD per diver will be enough. Once we exchange emails and agree on pick up time, expectations etc. I will send you a paypal request. After you pay the money request your spot will be secure.
Balance: Cash, Visa and Mastercard are welcome.

We do prefer a healthy mix of some cash and some card payment but it’s not required.

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card

Pier fees are not included; some piers will ask for a pier fee that varies from $1 USD to $18 USD per person. We always direct our divers to those piers with the lowest fees as possible but we do not pay for those fees. The exception to the rules is the Ferry pier and Aqua Safari pier in downtown where we do absorb the pier fee.

TIPS are not included, our crew get paid for what they do, and the truth is that TIPS are a significant part of their income. We believe that the TIPS should not be included and we don’t take them for granted. We work hard and give personalized and professional on service and attention to our divers in order to EARN those TIPS.

If you feel that the service was nothing out of the ordinary or worse case scenario: if you got a bad service, don’t give any TIPS to the crew and your guides.

On the other hand, if you felt welcome, safe, well cared for… please show your appreciation, how much should you give as TIPS? Well… it seems like nobody has a issue giving 15% to a person that takes your order and brings your food to the table. You can use that as a good base line to give TIPS to the people that keep you safe underwater and comfortable on the boat.

Again, it’s a personal consideration and at no point an obligation.

What do I need to bring to the boat in terms of food, clothing, towels…?

We will provide fresh water and fruits on board; sometimes we will have guacamole and chips, pastries, and snacks. We do not provide a formal lunch on board, so, if you like or need to eat constantly, feel free to bring any kind of foot on board. We have a cooler where you can store your food and drinks.

We will appreciate if you bring a water bottle (we can refill that as many times as you need with purified water), having your own bottle will avoid the use of paper cups that eventually will end up creating more garbage.

We don’t have towels on board.

Depending on the the season, it could be a good idea to bring a light jacket or raincoat, our boats have dry areas where you can keep your clothes and towels away from the water.

Sunscreen is not allowed in the Marine National Park. We recommend that you bring a hat and a rash guard and stay out of the sun. Our boat is covered with plenty of space to sit.

You will be diving in a Marine National Park. No knives, gloves, no metal pointers or spears are allowed.

FAQs for Advanced Divers

How many divers are going to be on the boat?

There is not conclusive answer for that. It’s very hard for us to tell the number of divers with more than a week ahead of time. People reserve with months of anticipation but also a day before the dive.

We mainly use boats that can carry 12 and 14 divers, but sometimes we use smaller boats. If you prefer to be in a small/fast boat, you can request it and we will do our best to accomodate you.

Independent of the size of the boat, and depending on the season you could be diving in a group of 4 divers plus the guide (most likely during low season ) or 8 divers plus the guide (most likely during high season).

Marine National Park and PADI regulations allow for an 8 to 1 divers per guide maximum ratio.

I am an advanced diver… Will I be diving with beginners?

We do not separate the divers based on their certification level “by default”. If we have a small group of 8 divers or less, we will send them with 1 guide and plan the dive in a way that will keep everyone happy and safe.

We will separate the divers in different groups based on:

  • Diving skills and performance. You may hold an Advanced Diver Card, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are what we consider a “good diver”. You may have 50 dives under your belt but… Still your buoyancy and/or air consumption may need some improvement.
  • If we have 9 divers or more on board.
  • If a diver or a group of divers, Requests A Private Guide (a private guide has an extra $55 USD charge and will cover the service for 1 up to 8 divers). We recommend requesting a private guide when you bring young divers in your party since they should not go into very deep dives.
I am an advanced or experienced diver looking for dives that challenge me above and beyond regular profiles.

While we plan our dives to depths that average 60 to 80 ft for the first dive and 60 to 30 ft for the second, we can also arrange more challenging dives, however we will not take you any deeper that 80 ft until you dive with us for at least 1 day.

We reserve the right to evaluate what kind of diver you are, meaning: How good your air consumption is, how good your buoyancy control is, what is you level of awareness and respect towards the reef, and at least but no less: How good you are following instructions, following your guide, and sticking with the dive group.

Again, if your interest is going deep, taking pictures, and not having to be worried about keeping up with the group, etc. We recommend you to ask for a Private Guide.

I’ve heard great things about Punta Sur, Chankanaab, Maracaibo and Barracuda reef. Would you take me there?

The answer to this question is: No.

We don’t dive those reefs with the exception of Punta Sur (Devil‘s throat and Cathedral).

We take trips to South Point, Eagle Ray wall and the Shipwreck… and we don’t charge you any extra for those dives but, we will not take you there unless we consider that you are a good diver, you have done at least 1 day of diving with us and we have the minimum number of divers required (5 divers).

Those dives are deep, typically with strong currents and demand that the group stick together. We don’t take anyone there only because they own a card that says they are Advanced Divers, Master Divers, etc. Sorry, safety is very important to us.

Where are we going to be diving?

Probably one of the most frequently ask questions.

Answer: We don’t know for sure. We chose the dive site based on:

  • Divers needs, level of experience and performance t time frame, weather and water conditions, how many boats we may encounter once we get to a dive site, etc.
  • There will be times when it will be possible to plan a dive in a specific reef but it doesn’t mean that we will dive there no matter what. We try to avoid dive sites that we suspect or know in advance, have poro visibility, extremely “bad currents” (not to be mistaken with strong currents), too many divers already in the water, rough waves, etc.

Safety first.

I am really interested in encounter marine life, sharks and turtles, a manta ray or a whale shark will be awesome, can we do that?

Ok, let’s make this crystal clear; You are going to be diving in real reefs, with a lot of life, but there is no way we can guarantee what kind of life it will be.

Nurse sharks, barracudas, rays, turtles, eels, eagle rays during the winter time, are some of the many kind of animals we may see BUT we may, as well, not see any of them at all.

This is a natural wild environment, not Sea World.

I am a certified diver, with 100 plus dives, all the specialty course cards money can buy, and I don’t know want to be held back by divers that don’t know what they are doing. Is your dive operation a good one for me?

Quick answer: No

Diving is like a box of chocolates… And I hope you can complete the sentence.

We don’t run background/history checks on our divers. Many times we don’t know what kind of divers we may have in the boat.

I have to say… 90% of the time our divers are decent to good divers.

5% Of the times they need some extra help.

5% We wonder how it’s possible they own a certification card.

2 options here for you:

  • Hire a Private Guide and don’t worry about the other divers, private guide service has a $55 USD extra charge.
  • Find or let us redirect you to a dive operator that welcomes hard core divers… If you are a macho diver or believe that a diver that needs some extra help should not be sharing the same boat with you, please save yourself and us a bad experience and go dive with someone else. No intention to offend but just making things clear.
I am a side mount and/or a technical diver. Do you provide service for divers like me?

Side mount divers are welcome, when you pay for a dive trip we are obligated to provide 2 full tanks 80 cubic ft at 3000 psi.

If you require or want an extra tank or 2 or 3… We can provide that. Each extra tank will have a $3 USD charge.

Nitrox tanks 80 cubic ft at 3000 psi have a $4 USD extra charge.

100 cubic ft air tanks are also available with an extra charge of $3 USD.

Still, dives are planned to a maximum 60 minutes bottom time or 700 psi pressure left on the tank. Whatever happens first, having 2 tanks strapped to you doesn’t mean that you can be underwater longer than 60 minutes.

We do not do technical dives at this point but will be happy to redirect you to the right operator.

I would like to dive Nitrox. Do you provide this service?

Yes, we do.

Nitrox tanks have an extra $4 USD charge, 80 cubic ft at 3000 psi.

It’s required that you are Nitrox certified,present an Enriched Air Diver Certification Card, and you dive with a computer.

If you are not an Enriched Air diver, you can try a Discover Enriched Air Dive; one of our instructors will give you an introduction course and be with you in the water.

Dives are planned to be executed with air unless all the divers are diving Nitrox, meaning: You will follow the plan the guide provide before the dive, not what your computer tells you or allow you.

If you want to dive Nitrox and get the most out of it… We recommend you to Hire a Private Guide, private guide has an extra $55 USD charge.

What is the best price you can give me on the diving and rental gear, are there any discounts if I pay cash or if it is low season?

The expenses of running a dive operation remain the same regardless of high or low season; we still have to pay the crew, taxes, fuel, etc. However, we may have season specials, keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram updates.

Our gear is in great shape, we constantly renew and give service to all our gear (gear wears out quickly using it on daily basis).

We have different rates depending on how many days you dive with us:

  • $85 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us 1 day
  • $80 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us for 2 or 3 days
  • $75 USD for 2 dives if you dive with us for 4 or more days

We also have Group Rates.

Rental gear goes as follow per person per day. If you dive with 3 days or more, take 5 USD off from the total rental fee per day.

  • Renting a single piece (either BCD, Regulator, Dive Computer or Wetsuit) wiil cost you $10 USD
  • Renting 2 pieces will cost you $15 USD
  • Renting 3 pieces will cost you $25 USD
  • Renting 4 pieces will cost you $30 USD

So, those are our best rates. Yes, there are other shops that will give you a cheaper rate, throw the gear for free, etc. All I have to say is this: You get what you pay for.

We don’t charge you any extra fee for paying with credit or debit cards

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card

I am coming with a group of friends and/or family. Do you have group rates? Body: Yes we do.

For you and your party to qualify as a group and get these special rates, you must:

  • Be 6 divers or more
  • Dive with us for 3 days of more (at least 5 members of your group should be diving everyday)

We have couple a of options for you to choose from:

  • The leader of the group will dive for free
  • All divers will get a small gift from Alex Scuba.
  • All the divers will get a free 3rd tank (this is a 3rd day-time dive, if you want to upgrade this to be a night dive, we will ask you for a $30 USD per person upgrade fee).

Or

The group gets a free pictures package of a day of diving, you can check the quality of the pics in our gallery or on our Facebook page.

  • All divers get a 50% discount on Rental gear
  • All divers will get a small gift from Alex Scuba.
  • All the divers will get a free 3th tank (this is a 3th day time dive, if you want to upgrade this to be a Night dive, we will ask you for a $30 USD per person upgrade fee).

Or

The group gets a free pictures package of a day of diving, you can check the quality of the pics at our Facebook page

I want to do 2 dives in the morning, 2 dives in the afternoon and a couple of night dives. How do we book this?

Well, we don’t run morning and afternoon dives every day, so we are not the right outfit for you in case you plan to do 20 dives in 4 days. Sorry.

We will go out in the mornings 90% of the times and do 2 dives… 3 When we have the minimum of 5 divers, and every once in a while a night dive (also if we have 5 divers minimum).

Where do we meet for the dives? Do you provide ground transportation?

Whether you are staying on the island, Cancun, Playa del Carmen or coming in a cruise ship. We do not provide ground transportation, none of the dive shops do, it’s not a practice on the island due to the taxi union.

We will meet you and pick you up at the pier closest to the place where you are staying.

If you are coming from the mainland to the island or coming in a cruise ship, we will meet and pick you up at the closer pier to the disembarking area of the cruise ship or the ferry.

90% of the times all the piers we use are walking distance from wherever you are staying or disembarking.

Does your prices includes all taxes and fees? How do I reserve and pay?

Reservations are made via PayPal,$20 USD per diver will be enough. Once we exchange emails and agree on pick up time, expectations etc. I will send you a paypal request. After you pay the money request your spot will be secure.
Balance: Cash, Visa and Mastercard are welcome.

We do prefer a healthy mix of some cash and some card payment but it’s not required.

If you pay 40% or more of your total tab in cash, we will absorb the 16% sales tax on your total bill.

If you pay less than 40% in cash, we will add the 16% sales tax to the remaining balance to be paid by card

Pier fees are not included; some piers will ask for a pier fee, that varies from $1 USD to $18 USD per person. We always direct our divers to those piers with the lowest fees as possible but we do not pay for those fees. The exception to the rules is the ferry pier and Aqua Safari pier in downtown where we do absorb the pier fee.

TIPS are not included, our crew get for what they do, and the truth is that TIPS are a significant part of their income. We believe that the TIPS should not be included and we don’t take them for granted… We work hard and give personalized and professional service and attention to our divers in order to EARN those TIPS.

If you feel that the service was nothing out of the ordinary or worse case scenario: if you got a bad service… Don’t give any TIPS to the crew and your guides.

On the other hand; if you felt welcome, safe, well cared for… Please show your appreciation. How much should you give as TIPS? Well… it seems like nobody has a issue giving 15% to a person that takes your order and brings your food to the table… You can use that as a good base line to give TIPS to the people that keep you safe underwater and comfortable on the boat.

Again, it’s a personal consideration and at no point an obligation.

What do I need to bring to the boat in terms of food, clothing, towels…?

We will provide fresh water and fruits on board; sometimes we will have guacamole and chips, pastries, and snacks. We do not provide a formal lunch on board, so, if you like or need to eat constantly, feel free to bring any kind of foot on board. We have a cooler where you can store your food and drinks.

We will appreciate if you bring a water bottle (we can refill that as many times as you need with purified water ), having your own bottle will avoid the use of paper cups that eventually will end up creating more garbage.

We don’t have towels on board.

Depending on the the season, it could be a good idea to bring a light jacket or raincoat, our boats have dry areas where you can keep your clothes and towels away from the water.

Sunscreen is not allowed in the Marine National Park. We recommend that you bring a hat and a rash guard and stay out of the sun. Our boat is covered with plenty of space to sit.

You will be diving in a Marine National Park. No knives, gloves or spears are allowed.

Come and experience the true spirit of diving with Alex Scuba!

PROMOTIONSJANUARY

Introduce a friend to AlexScuba and you will both receive 10% off your diving*

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSFebruary

- 10% off a specialty course and 15% off your 2nd specialty

- 10% off Discover Scuba, Open Water and Advanced courses

Get your discount

PROMOTIONSMarch

10% off a specialty course and 15% off your 2nd specialty

Get your discount

PROMOTIONSApril

15% off for children under 18*

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSMay

- 10% off for you and your Mum*

- 10% off Open Water course

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSJune

10% off for you and your Dad*

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSJuly

10% off a specialty course and 15% off your 2nd specialty

Get your discount

PROMOTIONSAugust

- 10% off a specialty course and 15% off your 2nd specialty

- 10% off Advanced course

Get your discount

PROMOTIONSSeptember

Low season discount 15% off diving and snorkelling services*

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSOctober

Low season discount 15% off diving and snorkelling services*

Get your discount

*Rental gear not included. Discount applied to the one day rate for certified divers.

PROMOTIONSNovember

- 15% off Emergency First Response, Rescue and NITROX courses

- 10% off Discover Scuba, Open Water and Advanced courses

Get your discount

PROMOTIONSDecember

15% off Emergency First Response, Rescue and NITROX courses

Get your discount

J Owens

What an extraordinary dive trip. Highly competent divemaster and very easy to be around. A true pleasure. I intend to use Alex Scuba for all of my future trips. Highly recommend.

J Owens

Denise O

Best diving experience ever. I did a one-day diving course with Alex Scuba at Cozumel and it was the best experience I ever had with diving!

Denise O

Patrick2809

Alex scuba far exceeded any expectations we had for diving in Cozumel. My now fiancé didn’t think she would dive as she had trouble equalizing, Lauren (our instructor) made her feel super comfortable and my fiancé ended up getting her AOW cert as well!

Patrick2809

Two brilliant days of diving. Would highly recommend Alex scuba and Lauren is a brilliant instructor, especially if you’re at all nervous about taking the plunge!

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