XTC Dive Center
XTC Dive Center
5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
XTC Dive Center is located within the Xcalak Reef National Marine Park, a strictly protected region of the Meso-american Barrier Reef system. The area boasts some of the most breathtaking dive sites on the Yucatan peninsula and offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy the pristine marine environment without the crowds present in the more developed areas of the coast. XTC Dive Center is internationally known for our world-class customer service, top notch equipment and expert guides. We provide a seamless customer experience through careful planning, logistics and proprietary local knowledge. All of our standard trips and courses provide great value!
Xcalak, Quintana Roo, Mexico
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
470 reviews
Excellent
403
Very good
43
Average
7
Poor
12
Terrible
5
beaubo
Cleveland Ohio USA335 contributions
Aug 2020
I booked a last minute trip with XTC and was very pleased with my experience.
Xcalak was an easy 4.5 hour drive on two straight paved roads. I rented a car for a week for about $100, which was a much better situation than the cost of a taxi or the extra time in taking a bus.
The shop is more like a complex- a retail store, a hotel, a restaurant as well as the dive shop. The two managers Milly and Rodrigo were organized and professional. It turned out that Milly had actually attended the same dive shop in Utila where I did my Instructor certification, so we swapped stories about who we remembered from there.
The dive sites are in excellent condition and Rodrigo had a keen eye for finding small stuff. The dive sites are close by, so the boat returned to shore for surface intervals, and we could get fresh food prepared. y Dalwain and his staff Libnee and Carlos. We also were escorted by the two DMTs Luzy and Taylor who seemed to be enjoying their training. The owner Javier and Melody were also on site for a bit.
While there is no competition I Xcalak, XTC does not rest on heir laurels. They still provide an excellent value proposition. It was worth the trip.
Xcalak was an easy 4.5 hour drive on two straight paved roads. I rented a car for a week for about $100, which was a much better situation than the cost of a taxi or the extra time in taking a bus.
The shop is more like a complex- a retail store, a hotel, a restaurant as well as the dive shop. The two managers Milly and Rodrigo were organized and professional. It turned out that Milly had actually attended the same dive shop in Utila where I did my Instructor certification, so we swapped stories about who we remembered from there.
The dive sites are in excellent condition and Rodrigo had a keen eye for finding small stuff. The dive sites are close by, so the boat returned to shore for surface intervals, and we could get fresh food prepared. y Dalwain and his staff Libnee and Carlos. We also were escorted by the two DMTs Luzy and Taylor who seemed to be enjoying their training. The owner Javier and Melody were also on site for a bit.
While there is no competition I Xcalak, XTC does not rest on heir laurels. They still provide an excellent value proposition. It was worth the trip.
Written August 12, 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.
B R B
2 contributions
Mar 2021 • Business
If you have the means to go to XTC DIve Center I recommend it. Javier taught me the two day Gas Blender Course and as part of the course we Oxygen Serviced my Oxygen Whip and he upgraded it to make partial pressure blending with it easier and safer. The group at XTC are friendly and approachable. The restaurant is recommended both on price and quality. I also recommend renting a car ($65/day for a sedan) in Chetumal and driving.
Mahahual is about 1hr 15min from the Dive Center and classes started after 8am. I was able to pick and choose where to stay, Xcalak is a very small village and escaping a couple of evenings was a welcome break.
Mahahual is about 1hr 15min from the Dive Center and classes started after 8am. I was able to pick and choose where to stay, Xcalak is a very small village and escaping a couple of evenings was a welcome break.
Written March 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.
Thank you for your review Bryan! Good luck with your continuing training, we hope to see you again soon.
Written April 7, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Taniatalbot
Philadelphia8 contributions
Dec 2020
If you are looking to get Scuba certified, I can't recommend doing it at XTC more!
My boyfriend and I got our Open Water certification with Annemeik and Geth and had such an amazing experience. We both had never scuba dived before, and Annemeik and Geth were so great about spending all the necessary time with us in the training to make sure we were comfortable and prepared. Both of them were so positive and enthusiastic and helped us to correctly learn all the necessary techniques. We started off in the pool, and when it was time to go out into the ocean to dive I felt really comfortable and safe being with the two of them, despite being a bit personally nervous. Annemeik has so many years of experience and it really shows in her teaching style. She was direct and clear, and made me feel confident in my own newly learned skills. We went on a few amazing dives and saw gorgeous reefs and even a manatee!
Everyone on staff was so lovely and kind, and the experience was one of the best I've ever had.
My boyfriend and I got our Open Water certification with Annemeik and Geth and had such an amazing experience. We both had never scuba dived before, and Annemeik and Geth were so great about spending all the necessary time with us in the training to make sure we were comfortable and prepared. Both of them were so positive and enthusiastic and helped us to correctly learn all the necessary techniques. We started off in the pool, and when it was time to go out into the ocean to dive I felt really comfortable and safe being with the two of them, despite being a bit personally nervous. Annemeik has so many years of experience and it really shows in her teaching style. She was direct and clear, and made me feel confident in my own newly learned skills. We went on a few amazing dives and saw gorgeous reefs and even a manatee!
Everyone on staff was so lovely and kind, and the experience was one of the best I've ever had.
Written February 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.
Thank you Tania and Konstantinos! We were so happy you decided to return to make the upgrade to Open Water. We hope you continue on your diving adventures, and visit us again in the future.
Written March 14, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daniel G
Toronto, Canada2 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Very mixed feelings about this place. The staff and Dive masters was very friendly knowledgeable, and always accommodated our requests to go to locations where we had a better chance of seeing the manatees, but management and rental equipment was terrible. First off it seems this place exploits Dive masters trainees with repetitive dives within the day, some of which would go right back out to dive after returning from a previous dive, not giving enough surface time(I assume).
The rental Equipment needs to be replaced, especially BCDs and regulators( leaking air) if I was a first time diver I would panic. I also over heard one of the other divers say that the air tasted oily.
The boat they have is to small for the amount of people they tend to take. The waves at the dive sites are to choppy for this type of boat. It was hard to always get back on the boat.
They had engine issues which our planned trip to Banco Chicharon was cancelled, and they didn't want to tell us until the last moment.
The restaurant in this location is average at best and they had a menu with old prices.
We did see one manatee(in 5 dives), the tarpons were amazing to see, lots of crabs, shrimps, flounders, various fish , and turtles. The water temperature was 30°C, Visibility was poor but this is due to the seaweed problem that most of the south east of Mexico is facing.
I would not recomend this dive center for new divers or anyone needing to rent equipment unless they upgrade.
The rental Equipment needs to be replaced, especially BCDs and regulators( leaking air) if I was a first time diver I would panic. I also over heard one of the other divers say that the air tasted oily.
The boat they have is to small for the amount of people they tend to take. The waves at the dive sites are to choppy for this type of boat. It was hard to always get back on the boat.
They had engine issues which our planned trip to Banco Chicharon was cancelled, and they didn't want to tell us until the last moment.
The restaurant in this location is average at best and they had a menu with old prices.
We did see one manatee(in 5 dives), the tarpons were amazing to see, lots of crabs, shrimps, flounders, various fish , and turtles. The water temperature was 30°C, Visibility was poor but this is due to the seaweed problem that most of the south east of Mexico is facing.
I would not recomend this dive center for new divers or anyone needing to rent equipment unless they upgrade.
Written June 1, 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.
Hi Daniel, thank you very much for your review. Unfortunately, we were experiencing some engine troubles during your time here, which our mechanic was unable to repair in a timely manner, and caused a shift in our entire schedule. We did our very best to accommodate all of our customers who were displaced from their trips, which did create a very busy time for us. Fortunately, it is not always like that!
As I'm sure you understand, the global pandemic has been a hard time for many businesses in the travel and diving industry and we are maintaining as best as possible under the circumstances. Any issues you may have reported with the equipment were dealt with immediately, and no complaints of oily air were made.
We do hope we to welcome you back to Xcalak so you are able to experience the incredible dives in Banco Chinchorro, as well as the other fantastic marine life mentioned!
Written July 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jasper P
Conil de la Frontera, Spain64 contributions
Jan 2022 • Solo
The Good:
The staff here are all really great. Very friendly, very professional and they look after you and your gear extremely well. They take everything to and from the boat, set up your tank, rinse everything after the dive, all with a smile. The dives are well guided.
The Bad:
When I booked 10 dives in advance I repeatedly asked if there was variation in the dives and enough to keep me interested. They repeated assured me there was. I realise now I was being a little naive, dive shops are there to sell dive packages and make money, nothing more. There is not a lot of variation in the dives here, the topography is a little different, bit that's about it.
The Ugly
This reef is dead or dying. All the coral is brown and covered in algae. There is no colour to any of the coral. They have a major issue on this reef and they try desperately not to talk about it. It's a massive elephant in the room they all try to ignore, because it's their jobs on the line. I got really depressed diving here, there was silence on the dive boats coming back. New arrivals looked sad or shocked, most didn't book any more dives and left quickly. And there is very very few colourful fish to be seen either, you just spend 50 minutes finning around empty dead coral, with the dives guides looking embarrassed afterwards. In 9 dives I saw one shark, one small turtle, a few lobsters, a few fish, and thankfully a pod of dolphins that were going past, I wish I could have joined them.
Xcalak is hugely overpriced as a location, all the accomodation is expensive, there is one local restaurant with no prices on the menu, I think they make them up for tourists, and the most insane number of highly aggressive mosquitoes from dusk till dawn. You can't even swim here as all the beaches are covered in sargaso weed, I couldn't wait to leave and cut my trip to this so-called paradise short by 2 days. I don't know if there reefs are any better further up the coast, I'm trying to find out, but here they are dead.
The staff here are all really great. Very friendly, very professional and they look after you and your gear extremely well. They take everything to and from the boat, set up your tank, rinse everything after the dive, all with a smile. The dives are well guided.
The Bad:
When I booked 10 dives in advance I repeatedly asked if there was variation in the dives and enough to keep me interested. They repeated assured me there was. I realise now I was being a little naive, dive shops are there to sell dive packages and make money, nothing more. There is not a lot of variation in the dives here, the topography is a little different, bit that's about it.
The Ugly
This reef is dead or dying. All the coral is brown and covered in algae. There is no colour to any of the coral. They have a major issue on this reef and they try desperately not to talk about it. It's a massive elephant in the room they all try to ignore, because it's their jobs on the line. I got really depressed diving here, there was silence on the dive boats coming back. New arrivals looked sad or shocked, most didn't book any more dives and left quickly. And there is very very few colourful fish to be seen either, you just spend 50 minutes finning around empty dead coral, with the dives guides looking embarrassed afterwards. In 9 dives I saw one shark, one small turtle, a few lobsters, a few fish, and thankfully a pod of dolphins that were going past, I wish I could have joined them.
Xcalak is hugely overpriced as a location, all the accomodation is expensive, there is one local restaurant with no prices on the menu, I think they make them up for tourists, and the most insane number of highly aggressive mosquitoes from dusk till dawn. You can't even swim here as all the beaches are covered in sargaso weed, I couldn't wait to leave and cut my trip to this so-called paradise short by 2 days. I don't know if there reefs are any better further up the coast, I'm trying to find out, but here they are dead.
Written January 26, 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.
Susana Ferrer
Mexico City, Mexico1 contribution
Nov 2020 • Solo
I have no words to really describe my experience at XTC. First time diving (DSD), I was super stressed and scared in the beginning but Taylor and Milly were the most amazing and caring instructors!! Everything was at my pace, no rush, we practiced together a lot in the pool until I learnt all the skills and felt comfortable enough to go to the ocean. Once there, Taylor was with me all the time and she made me feel so calm, I had a panic attack and she was able to notice it and helped me to recover( awesome communication), then we saw a manatee!! It was a life experience and I’m so happy I was on hands of really kind and responsible people, i definitely recommend XTC, they have lot of experience and know where to go so you can get the best of your dive!! Thank you so much for everything!!
Written December 5, 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.
Thomas Blaye
Leuven, Belgium36 contributions
Dec 2021 • Friends
✅ Communication: all staff members were extremely responsive, clear & professional via email & WhatsApp.
✅ PADI Open Water Diver e-learning course: pool training & open water training sessions were absolutely top notch, with veteran diving instructors in an amazing setting who truly put safety & proper skill acquisition first.
✅ Room: our suite was comfortable with amazing sunrise views from a private balcony.
✅ Catering: was reliable & affordable.
✅ Staff: really pleasant & easy going.
Only points for improvement:
- Beds should have been separated prior to our arrival as per the booking, but this was no biggie.
- Dishes served are not 100% in line with as described on the menu: adapt one to align with the other to manage expectations...
✅ PADI Open Water Diver e-learning course: pool training & open water training sessions were absolutely top notch, with veteran diving instructors in an amazing setting who truly put safety & proper skill acquisition first.
✅ Room: our suite was comfortable with amazing sunrise views from a private balcony.
✅ Catering: was reliable & affordable.
✅ Staff: really pleasant & easy going.
Only points for improvement:
- Beds should have been separated prior to our arrival as per the booking, but this was no biggie.
- Dishes served are not 100% in line with as described on the menu: adapt one to align with the other to manage expectations...
Written December 31, 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.
Kelly S
Snoqualmie, WA209 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
We booked a private snorkeling tour with XTC for the last day of out trip to Mexico. We reviewed their cancellation policy in case the tour would be cancelled due to bad weather or unsafe conditions. XTC would refund or reschedule if that happens, which for us was important as we couldn't reschedule if the tour was cancelled for factors out of anyone's control. As luck would have it, there were strong winds that made any trip unsafe. Since contacting XTC, asking for information, all through the moment we had to scrap out trip, Vero (from XTC) responded to all inquiries efficiently and in a timely manner. I will definitely come back and reschedule my tour with XTC!!!
Written February 21, 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.
Matthias Fehr
5 contributions
Jan 2022 • Friends
Diving with XTC Dive Center was amazing and the under water experience is great too. We were lucky enough to see the manetees 3 times during our 8 dives. Best dive spots are for sure La Poza and La Poceta, not only because they are the most preferred by the manetees.
Special thanks to our instructors Etienne, Luca and Manon who were always friendly and very competent. Just keep in mind that Xcalak itself does not offer much more than diving but if you are OK with that I can fully recommend to stay there for a few days and check out XTC! Cheers, Matthias
Special thanks to our instructors Etienne, Luca and Manon who were always friendly and very competent. Just keep in mind that Xcalak itself does not offer much more than diving but if you are OK with that I can fully recommend to stay there for a few days and check out XTC! Cheers, Matthias
Written January 18, 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.
K G
5 contributions
Jul 2021
I really enjoyed my time in Xcalak. The XTC Dive Team was excellent. As a fairly new diver, I was a bit nervous but our guide Julia Zaiss was fantastic. She was always by my side, patient and informative. My partner was a much more experienced diver and he certainly benefited by the teams expertise and readiness to let him try new things. I would recommend this little part of heaven for anyone that enjoys fairly easy and comfortable diving. In fact, with the XTC Dive Center, you hardly lift a finger :) I would be happy to return
Written August 13, 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.
Thank you very much Karyn! You two were such a pleasure to host and dive with. We're glad you had a good time, hope to see you again :)
Written August 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andy0027
Mexico City, Mexico
Hola
Que tal Alma???
Disculpa me gustaria saber mas sobre XTC DIVE CENTER, ya que en Enero del proximo año acudire con mis papas y mi novio a Mahahual y viendo el mapa me interesó conocer xcalak y bucear, sin embargo no tengo ninguna experiencia en este deporte, es necesario ser super experto para bucear en esa parte del arrecife de coral? y tambien es el buceo en el atolon??? Quisiera saber si me pudieses informar de precios de lo que tu hiciste y el tiempo que se requiere y tambien como puedo encontrar o donde estan ubicados XTC DIVE CENTER???
Se que solicito mucha informacion pero ojala me pudieses ayudar
Gracias
AlmaAV
Mexico City, Mexico38 contributions
Hola, Andy. Yo conozco los dos sitios. Mahahual es un bonito pueblo, con infraestructura de restaurantes, hoteles, etc. pero los arrecifes de Xcalak no tienen igual. Los de Mahahual están dañados y en Xcalak te despiertas, te pones la máscara (el visor) y a 20 metros encuentras jardines de coral... Te respondo puntualmente sobre tu texto.
Disculpa me gustaria saber mas sobre XTC DIVE CENTER, ya que en Enero del proximo año acudire con mis papas y mi novio a Mahahual y viendo el mapa me interesó conocer xcalak y bucear, sin embargo no tengo ninguna experiencia en este deporte, es necesario ser super experto para bucear en esa parte del arrecife de coral?
Xcalak, donde está XTC es un lugar ideal para snorkelear y bucear. Para el primero sólo necesitas aletas y máscara (que puedes comprar aquí en df o rentar allá). Para bucear necesitan certificarse y, como dice Victor Man, que sea en sistema Padi. XTC, el centro de buceo de Xcalak es -sin duda- el mejor (tiene sólo gente certificada de alto nivel). Los precios son iguales en todos lados, en dólares. El Scuba Diver (para principiantes) dura 3 días pero las prácticas son en el mar que es super tranquilo ahí (no existe un mar más calmo que ese...). Desconozco precios actuales pero te paso el correo de XTC (reserve arroba xtcdivecenter punto com) tardan un poco en contestar pero con tiempo está perfecto. Shanon nos atendió la última vez, en mayo, y es encantadora
y tambien es el buceo en el atolon???
Sí, hacen como una hora. Quisiera saber si me pudieses informar de precios de lo que tu hiciste y el tiempo que se requiere y tambien como puedo encontrar o donde estan ubicados XTC dive center???
XTC también tiene alojamiento y hay otros, bien rankeados, que puedes encontrar aquí en Trip Advisor (aquí hemos encontrado muy buenos sitios para hospedarse). El buceo es caro pero snorkelear no tanto y, la verdad, vale muchísimo la pena: nunca te imaginas que haya todo lo que hay ahí, a 5 metros de profundidad, en tu propio país.
El costo por persona con todas las comodidades por 5 días es como de 10,000 con avión incluido (1,000/día de buceo/persona aprox o 400/día/persona de snorkel) (renta de auto, hospedaje, alimentos y avión).
Ojalá vayan a xcalak. Vale muchísimo la pena.
Jorge
Remedios de Escalada, Argentina1 contribution
Hola, estamos planeando las vacaciones en familia con mis hijos de 3 y 6 años para mayo 2015, cuál hotel es mas recomendable entre el Maya Beach y el Maya Caribe? en los dos tengo acceso al kids club? las habitaciones tienen baños completos (con tina de baño)? Gracias.
XTC Dive Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
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