There are some locations in the world where, if you are a diver, you can’t pass up on diving there. One of these places is Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, and, to be even more specific, Akumal Beach in Chacymal. I have visited the Playa Del Carmen area several times, and that is where I got Open water certified back in 2009. That is why, in 2017, I had the chance to visit again, this time with my Fiancee, a non-diver. I thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce her to some of the finest diving ones can have in North America. If this location didn’t convince her why she should become a certified diver, then nothing would.
The only missing component was who we should do my finance’s discover scuba dive with.
I was looking for someone who would give my Fiancee some personal attention and help her get comfortable in the water. I really didn’t want to get stuck in a large group of Discover scuba students who would be going out with the local dive shop at the resort. These groups seemed fine only because it seemed like a rushed pace with little attention to detail. I knew this would work with what I was trying to accomplish. I was hoping to totally sweep my fiance off her feet with how much fun and adventure one could have scuba diving, and if we could see some sea turtles, I am sure that wouldn’t hurt either.
Before leaving on our trip, I spoke to Matt at my Local Dive shop, DDS. (Dan’s Dive Shop). Mat is one of the most experienced divers I know he has been my instructor for several courses. I have also travelled with the shop several times, so I know he might have some good recommendations for a great discovery scuba experience, and he did not disappoint.
Mat recommended an old friend, Natalie, who runs a private dive operation out of Akumal Beach.
Dive with Natalie and Ivan
I contacted Natalie and Ivan through their website. I explained that I was a certified diver coming down to Mexico and looking for a real personalized experience for my non-diver fiancee. Nataline was very excited to introduce someone new to the sport of diving and promptly took our information down and asked us what resort we were staying at. Unfortunately, we were at a resort that didn’t allow outside operators to come on the property because Natalie explained that she and Ivan do work with some of the resorts in the area and they would have been able to arrange a vehicle to pick us up at the resort and bring us to meet at Akumal beach.
Luckily it was a 10-minute taxi from our resort to Akumal Beach, where we were asked to go to the Akumal dive resort as asked for Natalie.
Natalie and Ivan have an arrangement with the Akumal dive shop where they use their facilities for diving us divers access to a full dive shop. But they operate on a private base.
Natalie introduced herself to us and explained to my fiance what she would learn that day and what to expect on the dive.
Once we had our initial orientation, Natalie brought several teaching aids and started to explain some simple dive theories about why divers need to ascend slowly so that we will be performing a safety stop. Introduced Lindsey to several hand signs you may need on a dive and exposed her to mask clearing on the surface. Natalie explained that Lindey would have to demonstrate some skills she was introduced to in shallow water before heading out on the dive.
Some of the skills were:
- Mask clearing
- Mask removal and replacing
- Check the air remaining in a tank and the appropriate hand signals
The dive
First, we started in the shallows of Akumal Beach. The water was calm, and it was a beautiful day. Natalie took Lindsey into about four to five feet of water and demonstrated the skills she would perform. I was in the water for moral support. Being a certified diver, I didn’t need to demonstrate discover scuba skills, but if you know Akumal beach, let me tell you right in the shallows, there is too much fun to be had, several sea turtles grazing on the grasses along with several schools of curious squid around us. Long story short, I was off viewing the local wildlife being a bad moral support buddy.
Once the skills here were demonstrated to a satisfactory level for Natalie, we got in their dive boat and in less than ten min, we were off to one of their local reefs for a 60-minute dive that was absolutely life-changing for Lindsey. Natalie kept very close to Lindsey to support her if need be on her first dive. Natalie could see how comfortable Lindsey was in the water, so she proceeded to take us on a tour of some of her favourite spots on their local reef. We saw more schools of squid, puffer fish, and a few solo barracuda. Natalie took us to their corral garden, where they grow coral to replant on the reef. The reef looks relatively healthy at this time. Lindsey was instantly hooked after the incredible experience Natalie and Ivan were able to provide.
If you’re looking for a personal dive experience in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, with people who will invest in ensuring you have a great dive experience, look no further than diving with Natalie and Ivan.
The best way to contact them is to click the link here, or their Facebook page, or directly with their
Email:divewithnatalieandivan@yahoo.com
