Dive guide · PLAYA DEL CARMEN SCUBA DIVING

The 15 Best Dives in Playa del Carmen

45 dives  ·  from $39 a head

Cenotes inland, reef offshore and bull sharks through the winter, all from one town. The 15 below compare certification needed, depth and price.

Scuba Diving in Cenote Dos Ojos from Playa del Carmen - Setting up the equipment at Dos Ojos
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Scuba Diving in Cenote Dos Ojos from Playa del Carmen

1.Scuba Diving in Cenote Dos Ojos from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 453 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) Our pick

Meet at 8am in Playa del Carmen for a small-group scuba outing to Cenote Dos Ojos. With guides such as Pepe, Don, Alexis, and Ana, you’ll complete two routes, often the Bat Cave and Barbie Line, using provided equipment. Expect careful safety checks, clear briefings, snacks, lunch, and a return around 2:30pm to 3pm.

“Don was awesome— experienced and knowledgeable, kind and patient, and so fun to spend time with. Booking with Dani was a breeze and she was super helpful. Dos ojos was such a once in a lifetime dive!”

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Scuba Diving in Cenote Kukulkan from Playa del Carmen - Getting ready before entering the water
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Scuba Diving in Cenote Kukulkan from Playa del Carmen

2.Scuba Diving in Cenote Kukulkan from Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 370 reviews · 7 hours (approx.)

Meet at 8 am in central Playa del Carmen for a small-group scuba outing to Cenote Kukulkan and a second cenote. Remi and the multilingual guide team provide equipment, safety checks, two underwater routes, snacks, and lunch. You need Open Water certification, recent experience, and must bring no underwater camera.

“We had a fantastic time diving the Cenotes with The Cenotes Guy guide Remi. It was beautiful, safe, exciting and amazing in every way. We would highly recommend this tour for all divers.”

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Discover Scuba Diving & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya - The three steps that make the lesson manageable
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Discover Scuba Diving & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

3.Discover Scuba Diving & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $150

At Maroma Beach near Playa del Carmen, you’ll learn basic scuba skills, practice in shallow water, then explore the Mexican Caribbean with a bilingual guide. Carlos, Alex, Juan, Ivan, and Ursula are among the instructors praised for calm, patient coaching. The package includes equipment, insurance, beach access, water, and shared hotel transport.

“First time scuba diving for both of us and we chose the right people to do it with! Carlos, Alex, and Juan were incredibly helpful and positive. We immediately got our friends to book an excursion with them. We only had one person become afraid in our group, but the divers encouraged the person into diving still with the perfect amount of attention needed.”

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Two reef discovery dives with professional instructor (no experience necessary) - What the small group really changes
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Two reef discovery dives with professional instructor (no experience necessary)

4.Two reef discovery dives with professional instructor (no experience necessary)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $150

Start at Tank-Ha Dive Center with an SDI instructor, complete online study and pool skills, then head by boat to two Playa del Carmen reefs. Groups are limited to four, with gear, water, and pool fees included. Expect depths up to 40 feet and up to an hour underwater at each site.

“Fantastic experience! The instructor I had was a great teacher and it was obvious he really enjoyed what he was doing. He took great care with the morning learning session; he was very patient and thorough. There were two dives in the afternoon, and I had great difficulty getting comfortable out in the ocean on the first dive. Rather than being a problem for the whole group, I went back to the boat and missed out on the first dive. For the second dive, my instructor literally took me by the hand and spent the time with me getting me comfortable and successfully getting me to dive. I can't thank…”

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PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program in the Riviera Maya - A closer look at the four-hour schedule
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PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program in the Riviera Maya

5.PADI Discover Scuba Diving Program in the Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $126

Start with a short classroom briefing and pool session at Pro Dive International, then head by boat to a Riviera Maya reef with an instructor beside you. Guides such as Alex, Nicole, Anna, Jordan, and Toby have helped first-timers gain confidence, including children age 10 and up. Hotel pickup is available in much of the Riviera Maya for an extra fee.

“An incredible experience. With a clear structure and emphasise on safety at no point did I have concerns. The team were welcoming and friendly and Nicole was a great dive leader. A small group size made sure we were supervised all the time and it was clear that we had to be able to complete safety drills in the pool before we were going to go out on the dive boat. The reef was incredible and I would recommend putting your hand in your pocket and buying the video and images taken off your dive as they are a great quality and memory of a fantastic morning.”

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PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen - The shallow pool session is useful, but brief
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PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen

6.PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 61 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $135

Meet at Hotel Riu Yucatan for a short PADI theory lesson, pool practice, and a boat trip to a local reef. An instructor stays with you throughout the ocean session, where you can see tropical fish, turtles, octopi, and sea anemones. No prior scuba experience is needed, but comfort in the water matters.

“Terrible experience. The training is for less than an hour and is very rushed. The practice "tank" is actually a 3ft resort pool in which we were taught to breathing and hand signs for about 20 minutes. There was no pool lesson on equalizing pressure etc. We spent more time waiting for the boat to arrive than on the lessons itself. I felt very uncomfortable after the lesson and chose not to go into the ocean. My husband went and within 10ft in the ocean felt ear pain and couldn't complete it. This would've been identified if the practice tank was deeper. We spent a lot of money for nothing...…”

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Cozumel Dive Package - Certified Divers from the Riviera Maya (4 dives) - Day two and the ferry to Cozumel
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Cozumel Dive Package – Certified Divers from the Riviera Maya (4 dives)

7.Cozumel Dive Package – Certified Divers from the Riviera Maya (4 dives)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 51 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $378

You’ll complete four guided scuba sessions over two days, starting with Riviera Maya reefs and continuing in Cozumel Marine Park. A professional guide handles the plan, ferry travel, and reef briefings, while lunch is included on day two. The package suits certified open-water divers who want a compact reef trip with groups capped at 12.

“ProDive is one of the top companies in the district, covering Cancun all the way down to Tulum. Instructors are excited to share their passion of scuba diving with their customers. Sales and admin on the other hand are a whole different matter. After equalization issues and bad weather, we decided to rest for the couple days left of vacation that we had, and when we visited the dive shop for a refund, they became argumentative and combative. 30 minutes of argument later, and the worst Customer Service on the planet, they were adamant to no refund policy. BUYER BEEARE! We have dives across the planet and would never use…”

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PADI Open Water Diver Course in the Riviera Maya - Day two and beyond: four boat outings near Cozumel
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PADI Open Water Diver Course in the Riviera Maya

8.PADI Open Water Diver Course in the Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $602

Train with Pro Dive International in Playa del Carmen through five self-study chapters, five pool sessions, and four guided boat trips. Your course includes gear, certification fees, and reef time near southern Cozumel. Instructors may include Boris, Esteban, Erica, or other multilingual staff. Pickup is available for an extra fee.

“My 11 year old son and I met Alexia and Diana at the Occidental Xcaret. After a trial run with them we wanted to go further and get our certification. What an amazing experience. Karim was very patient with us and helped us learn so much. All the instructors were very friendly and made us feel very welcome. We were lucky enough to see a bull shark on our third dive. My son had a blast and won't stop talking about it. Anytime I'm in playa I will be diving with these folks again. Even if I never dive again, it was worth it. I was scared to even snorkel…”

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Half-Day Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen for Small-Group - Checking in at Tank-Ha Dive Center
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Half-Day Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen for Small-Group

9.Half-Day Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen for Small-Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $100

Join Tank-Ha Dive Center for two boat trips to separate coral reefs near Playa del Carmen. Morning outings suit recently active Advanced Open Water divers, while afternoon trips fit recently active Open Water divers. Expect a full briefing, small groups of up to five, tropical fish, coral, and possible turtles or moray eels.

“I had a very great experience! Anna our guide was absolutely perfect in everything. She made sure I could join the dive since my last one had been a good 6 years earlier. We had 2 different divings in 2 different spots. Both of them very nice despite I might say I preferred the second one. The communication from the very first moment up to the very last second was super as well as the organization. I booked a very last minute activity without any problems. Absolutely highly recommended!!!”

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Fun Dive Machine in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel-For Certificates - What the four-hour schedule likely feels like
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Fun Dive Machine in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel-For Certificates

10.Fun Dive Machine in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel-For Certificates

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $251

Choose two reef sessions in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel with The Dive Machine. Certified guides such as Paulina, Ricardo, Pancho, and Federico lead small groups of up to four. You get full gear, boat transport, snacks, and water, with Cozumel reached by speedboat when available. An environmental tax costs 500 MXN per person.

“The diving experience was amazing! It was my first time diving, and the instructors, Jessica and Pauli, were incredibly attentive and patient with me. They made me feel safe and confident the whole time. I would definitely do it again. It was even better than I expected”

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PADI Open Water Diver Course in Playa del Carmen - Five pool sessions before the sea
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PADI Open Water Diver Course in Playa del Carmen

11.PADI Open Water Diver Course in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · 3 days 4 hours (approx.) · from $590

Train with ScubaCaribe in Playa del Carmen and earn your PADI Open Water Diver certification in about three days. You complete theory online, then learn skills in five pool sessions before making four boat trips along the Riviera Maya. Instructors may include Jorge, Dany, Muni, Lot, Pierre, or Billy. Hotel-zone meeting details vary, so contact the center one day ahead.

“Great staff. Excellent coach made our kids confident with good learning curve and pleasure.”

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Scuba Diving in Cenotes - Meeting at Be Diving in Playa del Carmen
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Scuba Diving in Cenotes

12.Scuba Diving in Cenotes

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $190

Meet Jon, Carol, or another Be Diving guide in Playa del Carmen for two cenote descents along the route to Tulum. Expect small groups of up to four certified divers, about 45 minutes underwater per session, snacks, water, private transport, and cenote entrance fees paid separately.

“Wonderful experience to dive in Casa Cenote with Jow and Carol. There was a crocodile inside the cenote and we could see him there.”

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Local Dive in Playa del Carmen - Choosing between a morning and afternoon departure
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Local Dive in Playa del Carmen

13.Local Dive in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $155

Join Be Diving Scuba Academy for a two-tank boat trip from central Playa del Carmen. Your guide, often Jon, Mariana, or Javi, matches the reef and pace to your certification level. Bull sharks are commonly seen from November through March. The trip lasts about four hours, with morning and afternoon departures. Scuba equipment costs extra.

“Be Diving was a great experience. We did two dives just off the shores of Xcaret. Jon was very thorough in his briefings and explained the safety points and dive plan very well. I very much appreciated the debrief after the dive also. Felt safe and well looked after. Would highly recommend. P.S. Frankie was a big help too!”

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2-Tank Morning or Afternoon Dives in Playa del Carmen certified Divers Only - What the two reef visits are like
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2-Tank Morning or Afternoon Dives in Playa del Carmen certified Divers Only

14.2-Tank Morning or Afternoon Dives in Playa del Carmen certified Divers Only

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $89

Meet Scuba Libre in central Playa del Carmen for two boat trips to Caribbean reef sites. Certified divers choose an 8 a.m. deeper first session or a noon option with two shallow sessions. Groups are limited to eight, with tanks, weights, guide, boat, and water included. Suni is among the guides praised for friendly, capable supervision.

“The team was great! The time I wanted was not available, but they were very nice in rebooking for the afternoon. The equipment was in good shape and the dive guide was excellent. They also provided us with the complete dive details! I will use Scuba Libre again. Thank you!”

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Scuba Referral Dives & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya - What each day on the water is likely to involve
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Scuba Referral Dives & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

15.Scuba Referral Dives & Beach Club with Transportation In Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $300

Finish your scuba certification in Playa del Carmen with four open-water boat sessions at Maroma Beach. You bring signed referral papers, and the crew provides gear, transport, insurance, and bilingual instruction. Guides such as Amauri, Alexander, Carlos, and Gandhi are known for calm support, while Paradise and Archos offer varied underwater sites.

“As a beginner scuba diver, I had the pleasure to dive at Maroma Beach on 2 separate occasions in 2025. Each time, my dive master was ‘Mau’ (not sure on the spelling 🤪). Mau, Captain Eddy, and Gustavo provided top-notch service and support each time! Check out their’Paradise’ dive. It’s a stunning coral reef full of sea life! Looking forward to diving with them again:)”

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New in Playa del Carmen Scuba Diving

★ 5.0Try dive in Cozumel islandFrom $2004 reviews
★ 5.0Full-Day Playa del Carmen Reef Diving ActivityFrom $1903 reviews
★ 5.0Try dive in beautiful Casa cenote for 2 peopleFrom $1906 reviews
★ 5.0Cozumel Express 2-Tank Dives from Playa del Carmen/ Only for Certified DiversFrom $2292 reviews
★ 5.0Private Scuba Diving in Cenote around Playa del Carmen7 reviews
★ 5.0Advanced Open Water Diver course PADI in Playa del CarmenFrom $4703 reviews
★ 5.0Scuba Diving in Playa del Carmen for Small Groups2 reviews
★ 5.0Cenotes 2-Day Scuba Diving Package in the Riviera MayaFrom $3519 reviews
★ 4.5Cenote diving Dream GateFrom $1953 reviews
★ 5.0Cenotes diving Dos Ojos and The Bat CaveFrom $2103 reviews
★ 5.0Cenotes divingFrom $26012 reviews
★ 5.0Diving in Cancun Underwater Museum of ArtFrom $2404 reviews
★ 5.0Discover Scuba Diving PADI in Playa del Carmen including underwater videoFrom $2004 reviews
★ 5.0Bull Shark Dive in Playa del Carmen – Dive Machine ExperienceFrom $1999 reviews
★ 5.0Cenote Diving – 2 Tank Dive Trip for Certified Divers6 reviews

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