Frequently Asked Questions — Seth Dive Mexico

We serve the entire Riviera Maya corridor from Cancun in the north to Tulum in the south, including Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Puerto Aventuras, and everything in between. We offer free hotel pickup and drop-off from any hotel, resort, or vacation rental in this area. Our most popular pickup locations are Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and Cancun.

Yes, every single tour we run is private. You will never be grouped with strangers. Your guide is dedicated exclusively to you and your group for the entire trip. This means more personal attention, a flexible schedule, no waiting around, and an experience tailored to your interests and skill level.

You can book by contacting us through WhatsApp (the fastest way), our contact form on the website, or by email at info@sethdive.com. Let us know your travel dates, group size, experience level, and what activities interest you, and we will put together a personalized itinerary and quote. We recommend booking at least a few days in advance, especially during peak season (December through April).

In order to book tours we take a deposit of $100 USD. If canceling more than 48 hours in advance we usually can refund the deposit, however if we have had to turn away groups because we are holding your day, your deposit will be kept to pay the guides and admin fees. If we need to cancel due to weather or safety conditions, you will receive a full refund or the option to reschedule at no extra cost.

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off is completely free and included in every tour, no matter where you are staying between Cancun and Tulum. We pick you up right from your hotel lobby at the scheduled time and drive you back after the trip. No taxis, no transfers, no extra costs.

Yes, cenote scuba diving requires an Open Water certification (or equivalent) at minimum. You will be diving in cavern conditions with overhead environments, so certified divers need to have completed their basic open water training. If you are not certified, you have two options: (1) Take our Discover Scuba program, which allows non-certified divers to experience a cenote dive with full instruction, or (2) Complete an Open Water certification course with us — two days of diving plus videos, quizzes, and exams done at home — and you're certified for life.

Cenote cavern diving, as we do it, is very safe. We stay within the cavern zone, which means we always have natural light visible and remain within a short distance of an exit. All our cenote dives are guided by certified cavern or cave divers who know the cenotes intimately. We follow strict safety protocols, use redundant equipment, and never exceed the limits of recreational cavern diving. That said, cave diving (going beyond the cavern zone into full caves) is a specialized discipline that requires additional training — our standard cenote trips do not enter caves.

The visibility in cenotes is extraordinary — typically 50 to 100+ meters (150 to 300+ feet). The water in cenotes is filtered through limestone over thousands of years, resulting in some of the clearest water on Earth. This exceptional visibility is one of the main reasons cenote diving is so spectacular. Many divers describe the feeling as flying rather than swimming because you can see so far in every direction.

Most cenote cavern dives range from 8 to 18 meters (25 to 60 feet). Some cenotes, like The Pit, have deeper zones that reach 30-40 meters (100-130 feet) for experienced divers. We tailor the dive profile to your certification level and comfort. Recreational cenote cavern diving typically stays within the 30-meter limit. If you want to go deeper, additional certifications like Deep Diver or Advanced Open Water may be needed.

We provide all scuba equipment, but you should bring: a swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen (biodegradable is required at cenotes), comfortable clothes, and sandals or water shoes. If you have your own dive equipment (mask, wetsuit, computer), you are welcome to bring it. We also recommend bringing a waterproof camera or GoPro to capture the experience.

Absolutely! One of the biggest advantages of our private tours is that you choose the cenotes. Whether you have a specific bucket-list cenote in mind (like The Pit, Dos Ojos, or Angelita) or you want us to recommend the best cenotes for your experience level and interests, we customize the itinerary to your preferences. We can visit 1 to 4 cenotes in a single day depending on the locations and your energy level.

Basic swimming ability is helpful, but you do not need to be a strong swimmer. We provide life vests and flotation devices for anyone who wants extra support. Our guides are in the water with you the entire time, ensuring your safety and comfort. We have taken non-swimmers on cenote snorkeling trips and they have had an amazing time with the help of life vests.

Yes! Cenote snorkeling is one of our most popular family activities. Children as young as 4-5 years old can participate with a life vest. The calm, clear water and fascinating rock formations make it an incredible experience for kids. We adjust the pace and difficulty to accommodate younger participants, and our guides are experienced working with families.

While snorkeling in a cenote, you will see ancient stalactite and stalagmite formations, tree roots reaching down through the limestone, crystal-clear blue and green water, fascinating light effects from the sun filtering through jungle openings, small freshwater fish, and the unique geological features of each cenote. Some cenotes also have underwater caves visible from the surface, and the limestone formations are millions of years old.

Yes! Our cenote snorkeling tours include a delicious lunch of authentic Mexican cuisine as part of your day out. Vegetarian and other dietary options are available if you let us know in advance.

Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) is an introductory scuba program designed for people with no prior diving experience. It is not a certification course, but rather a supervised experience that teaches you the basics of scuba diving and lets you make your first dive under the direct supervision of a PADI instructor. The program includes a briefing, confined water skills practice, and one or more supervised dives. It is the perfect way to try scuba diving without committing to a full certification course.

No prior experience is needed at all. The Discover Scuba program is specifically designed for complete beginners. You just need to be at least 10 years old, in reasonable health, and comfortable in the water. Our instructor will teach you everything you need to know — how to breathe, how to equalize, how to communicate underwater — before you get in the water.

Yes! We offer Discover Scuba in a cenote, which is a truly unique and magical experience. After your skills session in shallow water, your instructor will guide you on a dive through a crystal-clear cenote where you can see ancient formations and incredible underwater scenery. Very few places in the world offer this kind of beginner dive experience.

During a Discover Scuba Diving experience, the maximum depth is 12 meters (40 feet). Most of the dive will be in the 6-10 meter (20-33 feet) range, which is a comfortable depth for beginners. Your instructor will be right next to you the entire time, monitoring your air, buoyancy, and comfort level.

Feeling nervous is completely normal and very common. Our instructors are specifically trained to work with nervous divers. We go at your pace, never rush you, and build your confidence gradually. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, your instructor will help you through it. The private format of our tours means there is zero pressure — if you need more time to practice in shallow water or want to take a break, that is totally fine.

The Caribbean reefs off the Riviera Maya and Cozumel are home to an incredible variety of marine life. Common sightings include nurse sharks, sea turtles (green and loggerhead), spotted eagle rays, southern stingrays, barracuda, moray eels, lobsters, octopus, and hundreds of species of colorful tropical fish. During certain seasons (November to March), you may also spot bull sharks off Playa del Carmen. Cozumel is particularly famous for its healthy coral formations and large marine life.

Playa del Carmen offers reef diving just minutes from shore, with a good variety of marine life and easy logistics. Cozumel, located across the channel, is world-famous for its wall diving, dramatic coral formations, and exceptional visibility (often 30+ meters). There are many reefs we go to around Cozumel — the location we make it to is weather dependant. On calm days we can make it all the way to Palancar, on rougher days we stay closer to the middle of the island. We offer a direct boat to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen — no public ferry needed.

Water temperature in the Caribbean ranges from 25-29 degrees Celsius (77-84 degrees Fahrenheit) year-round. Visibility on the reefs is typically 15-30 meters (50-100 feet), and on Cozumel it can exceed 40 meters. Most reef dives are drift dives, meaning gentle currents carry you along the reef while a boat follows above. A 3mm wetsuit is usually sufficient, though some divers prefer 5mm in winter months.

It is possible but not commonly recommended. Ocean diving typically happens in the morning (two-tank dive), and if you are doing cenote diving the same day, it would need to be in the afternoon. This makes for a very long day. Most divers prefer to dedicate separate days to ocean and cenote diving to fully enjoy each experience. However, if you have limited time, we can discuss options for combining both.

The PADI Open Water course is two days of diving in Mexico, plus some videos, quizzes, and exams done at home before you arrive. Complete the online theory at your own pace, then when you get here, it is two days of hands-on diving in cenotes and Caribbean reefs. The Advanced Open Water course also takes 2 days with five adventure dives.

While the actual cenote cavern environment is not used for Open Water checkout dives (those require open water conditions), we often use open cenotes — cenotes that are open to the sky — for confined water sessions and some checkout dives. This means you get to train in crystal-clear, calm water rather than a swimming pool, which is a far better learning environment. After certification, we can take you on a cenote cavern dive as your first post-certification dive!

The PADI Advanced Open Water course builds on your Open Water certification and introduces you to new types of diving. It involves five adventure dives (two mandatory: Deep Diving and Underwater Navigation, plus three electives). Popular electives include Night Diving, Drift Diving, and Underwater Naturalist. The course can include cenote dives as adventure dives, making it a unique training experience only available in this part of the world.

Course prices include all course materials (digital or physical), all scuba equipment for the duration of the course, your PADI certification card (e-card), all entrance and marine park fees, free hotel pickup and drop-off for every session, and of course your private instructor. There are no hidden fees or extra costs for courses.

We recommend booking at least 3-5 days in advance, especially during peak season (December through April) and holiday periods. During off-peak months (May through November), you can sometimes book just a day or two ahead. That said, the earlier you book, the more flexibility you have with scheduling and cenote selection. Last-minute bookings are sometimes possible — just reach out and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Most trips start with hotel pickup between 7:00 and 8:30 AM, depending on your hotel location and the distance to the dive sites. Early starts mean you get to the cenotes before the tourist crowds arrive, which makes for a much better experience. Ocean diving trips typically depart around 8:00-9:00 AM. We will confirm your exact pickup time when you book.

Yes, you can dive the same day you arrive. There are no restrictions on diving after flying. However, you cannot fly within 18-24 hours after diving (this is a universal dive safety rule). So plan your dive days at the beginning or middle of your trip, not on your last day before a flight. We can help you plan your schedule to maximize your dive time while staying safe.

We accept cash (USD or Mexican Pesos), credit cards, and PayPal. A deposit of $100 USD is required to secure your booking. The remaining balance is due on the day of the trip unless other arrangements are made for multi-day courses. Tips for your guide are appreciated but never expected.