Scubacaribe, Playa Del Carmen

Scubacaribe, Playa Del Carmen

Scubacaribe, Playa Del Carmen
4.5
Scuba & SnorkellingWaterskiing & JetskiingKayaking & Canoeing
About
Scubacaribe specializes in providing a complete range of water sports and activities for hotels and resorts. The company was formed in 1991 when it began operating and providing services for the Riu Hotels in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Since then we've grown continuously, providing service to the most prestigious hotels in the largest Caribbean vacation destinations. Our fast growth is based on a philosophy of always implementing the latest and best technology available. Our mission is to satisfy clients by providing a wide range of water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurf, sailing, rowing, parasailing and a variety of aquatic excursions. Everything we do is executed with the highest regard for personal safety standards. Respect for the environment and a commitment to the local communities where we operate is of prime importance for us. We operate within an established corporate code of conduct, encouraging community relations and training local personnel for management positions, which also helps to improve overall administrative efficiency.
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Meets animal welfare guidelines

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024

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Travelers talk about

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles990 reviews
Excellent
803
Very good
88
Average
25
Poor
24
Terrible
50

Tim Smith
Whitstable, UK32 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
As a PADI Master Instructor I tend to be over critical of other dive operations but feel it's of benefit to all to make of it what they will.
Overall the guides I had during my trip were faultless. For Cenote dives and the dives at Cozumel I had Pedro who was 1st class. A great deal of local knowledge, helpful and always aware of his clients, can highly recommend.
For my two days of boat diving locally again the guide and boat crew were exceptional.
Their boats which are catamaran in hull shape are fine for a non windy and calm day. When it comes to any kind of sea other than that getting back onboard is certainly an experience. The boats are very high sided which is a great hindrance. Holding onto a line running down the starboard side of the hull waiting to board wearing dive gear in a choppy sea is certainly and adventure. In my view there are much more comfortable boats that would suit some better.
Wetsuits and fins supplied that I saw were of good quality and condition.
BCDs seemed ok but the one I had could certainly do with some deep cleaning with sticking deflate button, several taps soon got it free and working a little better.
Regulators, theses had all seen better days. First set the cover over the purge button was torn. Second set had a leaking pressure valve, third set had a leak at hose connection to regulator, forth set had another leak from pressure gauge connection.Final set could do with a rebalance as they gave a slight constant flow of air.
There were issues with the weather, dives kept being cancelled which is one of those things but gave more than apple time for general equipment care, checks and maintenance which seemed lacking.
Overall good but certainly areas for improvement with little effort by the company.
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi TimS650, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are happy to hear that you had a wonderful time and enjoyed our services. We will be looking forward to welcoming you again soon. Warmest regards, Your ScubaCaribe Team
Written January 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ApplePieBoy
Hartlepool, UK203 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
I was staying at the RIU Palace Riviera Maya in January 2020 and decided to reactivate my Advanced Open Water diver certification, having being 4 years since I last dived.

ScubaCaribe have a dive centre on the beach at the hotel so I decided to arrange the PADI Reactivate programme to get things started.

Javier, from Barcelona was to be my instructor. We went through all the elementary stuff in a small air-conditioned room then went out to get fitted up with my gear.

Most of the equipment is of a fair standard and we walked round to the pool to start the practical skills test. I was VERY rusty but Javier was a very patient instructor and helped me assemble the gear, we entered the pool and did an equipment on in the pool with dive belt, BCD etc. So down we went in only 4 feet of water so not really ideal.

Anyway did the regulator recovery, mask recovery all the basic stuff and had a zoom about the pool for a while doing buoyancy work etc. So Javier was satisfied all was remembered and passed my fit to go!

YAY!

So, we did an easy local reef dive after this. The waves were VERY choppy and you have to wade out quite a way with all gear except tank and weights, using a line. As ScubaCaribe us a very large dive boat they can't get too close too the beach and this results in a 60m line pull to the boat. I was totally exhausted just getting onto the boat.

Anyway we were off, gear on after 19 mins and down we went onto Barracuda reef, Javier was a great buddy and we did a weight check and tank reposition. Visibility was poor a 7m but we saw a giant spotted Eagle Ray, big shoal of big eye Jack's plus box fish etc. Current was pretty strong at times, not the most enjoyable first dive for a long time.

Managed 45 minutes then we ascended for the safety stop, I made a total mess of the buoyancy and ended up with Javier trying to pull me back down. Not his fault.

So, as there had been no diving for days due to the weather I think ScubaCaribe were pretty desperate to generate some income in not ideal conditions.

10/10 for Javier and his 1 to 1 assistance, a great professional instructor, highly recommended. A
Written January 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi ApplePieBoy, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. ScubaCaribe is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest priority. We hope to welcome you again in the near future. Warmest regards, Your ScubaCaribe Team
Written January 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

tpmondy
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021 • Couples
My wife and I purchased the 6 dive package which included 2 local reef dives, the Cozumel Express dives (a boat ride to Cozumel and two dives) and the two Cenote dives. Scuba Caribe employees are amazingly patient and willing to help divers any way they can.

My wife was very tentative about the cenote dives, so I requested Pedro as our guide. We dive with Scuba Caribe last year and Pedro helped my wife navigate the C-53 wreck off of Cozumel. With his patience and guidance, my wife and I successfully did two cenote dives. We enjoyed the cenotes, and the site itself was beautiful, but we prefer the reef dives with the corals and fishes. But, now we know for sure.

We also did the bull shark dive with Loth. My wife struggled with her mask leaking, and Loth did all he could to help her, but she went back to the boat while I did the rest of the dive. It was a unique experience seeing the sharks and all told, we saw either 5 or 6 sharks.

Fernando took us on the Cozumel Express trip and he too was excellent as a guide. We saw turtle, stingray and even a spotted eagle ray on one of the dives. The beauty of the Cozumel reefs is something everyone who dives should experience.

Scuba Caribe’s package is a great way to do the Playa side dives with the cenotes and bull sharks, then do a one-day trip to Cozumel for two beautiful dives there.

All in all, our experiences with Scuba Caribe could not have been any better. The group sizes are really small right now due to COVID, so the attention by the guides is individualized and amazing.
Written February 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear tpmondy, Big thanks for sharing your fantastic feedback with us! It's been a pleasure to have the two of you diving with us, and we can't wait to welcome you again this month. Sunny regards from Mexico, Yours ScubaCaribe Team
Written February 16, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Grant K
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Couples
I booked the combined package with 2 dives close to the RIU Yucatan where we stayed, 2 cenote dives and 2 dives at Cozumel. The staff were knowledgeable and the dive masters were good. I did one local dive with 3 other people and due to scheduling they took me by myself for my second dive at the Tortugas site. The cenote dives were good, visibility was amazing. Due to poor weather the Cozumel dives didn’t happen and I received a refund within 2 weeks. Overall very pleased with the service.
Written April 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Grant! We are so glad you are satisfied with your experience with ScubaCaribe. Thank you for sharing your trust and confidence in our team with our community. We would love you to do the Cozumel dive the next time with us. :)
Written April 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Melfisch
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
My husband and I went diving with the team at the Playacar Riu Yucatán Scuba Caribe location and they were all absolutely amazing. We went diving with Natalia, Pedro, and Javier and they were all the best instructors and guides! Pedro and Javier have some incredible knowledge of all of the cenotes and caves in Mexico (and good tacos!) and Natalia has immense knowledge of all the coral reefs and wildlife in the ocean. This team has a serious passion for scuba diving in the area and I highly recommend diving with them. I should also note, we would not have found this company without Cristando and Gilberto who found us on the beach and signed us up for a week of diving! The whole team was amazing and made our trip a complete blast!!!!
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wsask
Assiniboia, Canada54 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Friends
Dived with ScubaCarib. 6 tanks local reef Cozumel and Cenote. Very good operation. Cozumel dives were very good local dives average and Cenote was interesting.
Dive master Fernando is fantastic. Very professional and makes you feel like an old friend. Great explanation of dives and expectations.
Omar at the Riu Playacar scubacarib shop was extremely helpful and attentive to our needs. Individuals at Riu Yucatan took great care to make sure equipment was ready to go. Highly recommend this shop.
Thanks to all.
Written December 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sanna H
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
We were staying at riu tequila and came in contact with Cecilio who helped us book our advanced open water course at scuba caribe. We were diving with Dany, an excellent instructor that made us feel very calm and safe. He explained everything good and gave us confidence in the water. The service was amazing, they helped out with everything on the boat and in the shop. All the equipment was fresh and modern, so was the boat.
One day it was bad weather conditions that unfortunately made us miss one of our adventure dives, but we immediately got a refund of our money and it was no problem fixing it.

We are so glad that we chose scuba caribe and highly recommend it, we also recommend Dany as an instructor!
Written February 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for giving us your opinion; we value very much the honesty of your answer, every day we strive to provide our customers the best possible experience with our best instructors and constantly train them for customer service; as for our cancellation and refund policies, we make them as straightforward as possible, and prompt resolution, we hope to see you again soon on your next marine adventure. Mily Customer Care team
Written February 11, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nicholas B
Stockport, UK5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Dived with Scuba Caribe from the Riu Palace Riviera Maya hotel in Playacar.

If you are an experienced diver and looking to dive the interesting / challenging sites around Playa and Cozumel, then it's best looking somewhere else.

On the Cozumel boat trip, we were sharing a boat with divers who were either in the latter stages of gaining their certification or had only recently qualified. Aside from the fact that inexperienced divers shouldn't be on such trips, we didn't even get to dive any of the walls in Cozumel and the dives that were arranged were rather uninteresting - a waste of money in the end.

Also, don't expect them to listen to you if there is a dive site or location that you want to dive, as they're not interested in offering this level of personal service.

The dive centre is organised and reliable - but I think they're more set up to make money from courses / extremely simple shore dives.

A word on costs - Scuba Caribe's prices are quite expensive, particularly considering the poor exchange rate that Brits are currently suffering compared to the dollar, so it's worth bearing this in mind.
Written September 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Nicholas, Thank you for sharing your concerns. We're amazed to read that your experience didn't meet your expectations since, it doesn't matter if it is Palancar, Santa Rosa, Punta Tunich, Chankanaab, Tormentos... any reef in Cozumel is wonderful! We have reviewed our agenda for that date, August 28th, and can confirm that your group guided by Fernando, our ScubaCaribe instructor, was made up of two other Rescue Divers as good as you. Therefore, the required Dive Check was correctly met with the aim of putting together a group of certified divers with similar training levels. In regards to the dive sites, two factors must be taken into account: - Due to the coral reef protection and marine life conservation, environmental authorities prohibit water activities at certains points in Cozumel during periods of the year. - And sometimes, the most famous reefs of Cozumel aren't visited due to the distance of navigation. For example, from Playa del Carmen to Palancar the navigation time is between an hour and a half and an hour 45 minutes. Please Nicholas, be assured that we greatly appreciate your business and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again in the near future. Thanks for your understanding! Your ScubaCaribe Team.
Written September 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Den Duvel
Belgium13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Solo
I dived 9 times on my vacation with scubacaribe. At the office located @ RIU riviera maya are john and his co workers. They are very helpfull,and communicate perfect thrue whats app.Always in for a friendly chat and interested in your stories.Big thanks to them,they do the extra effort ! The diving is correct and they make sure that,even if you dive with different levels,every divers gets the most of his/her experience. Divemaster gorge Loth and his coworker know their job well and will make the most of every dive. They give you time with interesting marine life and quality and space for more experinced divers. On board you can expect a friendly team,they make you feel comfortable and help you where necessary.

Big thanks to the whole crew,next visit i'll be back (sorry,stole this one from the terminator😎🤙)

Gracias,
Pascal
Advanced
Dives 300+
Belgium
Written November 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for making us feel so privileged to be part of a team as exceptional as you. :) Our instructors are incredibly patient, kind and caring toward our customers throughout creating unique experiences. We'll make sure we pass your fantastic words along to all of our team members, who we know will be delighted to read your comment. ¡Hasta la vista, Pascal! ;)
Written November 12, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lena L
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
I have an amazing Jet Ski 1,5 hour tour to the islands with the best instructor I have ever had - Muddi! He has tought me from 0 to Pro how to drive, told an interesting stories about Zanzibar culture, took beautiful photoes and video and gave a perfect mood for the whole day. I have never being dreaming about such an interesting experience! Thanks a lot to the whole team and Muddi! I will be back!
Written December 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Lena, Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic experience with us! Without a doubt, Zanzibar is an incredible place with a lot to offer, and we are glad to know that our team has taught you about the culture and the beautiful landscapes. Above all, you have been encouraged to take this tour. We hope you can visit us again at any of our destinations. Warmly, ScubCaribe
Written December 26, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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