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I'm heading to Mexico in less than a week for my first trip there for cave diving(going with Connie)....anything out of the ordinary I may need to take?
So far I have wetsuit/booties, fins, bp/harness, lights, couple of spools, regs, computer, clothes, couple pairs of shoes, and bug spray.
Mike
2 bottles of pepto would be a good idea.
Mike, sounds like you and I will be there with Connie the same week. No need for Pepto if you will be only eating at DeRosa's, which is just about 100% forgone conclusion. There is nothing else close by other than a few other resorts within walking distance.
There will be periodic stops at a mini super for munchies, but a few pkgs of microwave popcorn in your bag if you like is a good idea for the after dinner evening munchies.
Connie cooks breakfast for us each morning and the DeRosa cooks do our lunch and dinner. Pop is part of the pkg, beer is extra. (if that hasn't changed) Bottled water is in abundance too.
You may want to bring a snorkel with you if you would like to snorkel off the beach after returning for the day. We've done that a few times and have enjoyed it.
You might also consider a small piece of tarp or heavy plastic for a drop cloth. Most times there isn't anywhere to pull off the wetsuit that isn't sandy or crudy. You'll be assigned a double-wide milk crate to store your gear for the week. This will be loaded on the flatbed or van each day. I've been known to stand in it to change....but have since added a small drop cloth to my kit.
This will be the 5th year for my buddy and me. We really enjoy going with Connie.
If I think of anything else, I'll post again.
Lori
Chocolate chips…
Watch out for the tequila (should be damn good.)
If you go to certain restaurants do not eat the hot sauce. (Seriously.)
Pick up prescription drugs for the friends at home- they sell great full strength ear drops, anti-biotics and great vanilla.
You taking baby (your new rebreather?)
Have fun and if possible pictures of diving and a report would be rockin.
Cool. I'll be down there Dec 11-18. Thanks for the info...I'll throw a tarp in the bag. I don't own a snorkel....so I'll probably have to forgo the snorkeling. I may do some beach diving after returning for the day if there's anything to see...or do some kayaking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Me
Look forward to meeting you there. Just look for the guy that looks like a bum wearing a NACD hat when you get to Cancun airport. :-D I get in pretty early(1125 or so), so I may be sitting at the bar having a few cold ones while waiting for the 1500 pickup.
Nope, I'll be diving OC. The RB is still new to me...so I'd rather just stick with OC and enjoy the sights. Everybody else will be on OC, and the dives are shallow enough that there's no deco...so CCR wouldn't give me any real benefit.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyduck
Mike
There are a lot of really short jumps, so some of those little spools would be useful. Some of those line cookies are good to have too, as there are also a lot of T's.
Things like bug spray are expensive in the touristy places but cheap in the big department store in Playa Del Carmen (name starts with CH, it is right at the intersection of 307 and the main drag in PDC). The ATM there doesn't charge any fees. I get the best exchange rate at the ATM (your bank may vary).
We always take chloroquine when we go down, and carry Cipro.
We'll be down the 16th through 26th, just driving around diving on our own. If we run into folks from Derosa, we'll be sure to stop anfd say hi.
See you there Mike.
Consider:
1. Booze for your ears. The bacteria count can be high in some of the systems. I received a serious ear infection at Pond DeRosa last year.
2. Take a small mat to stand on while gearing up. Keeps the sand off your gear.
I'll second that - and whatchout for the spicy "mexican eggs" breakfast.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazyduck
Most places/hotels/vendors don't take credit. Bring lots of Traveler's checks and patronize a changer that gives fair exchange rates. I was told many resorts will give you only 7-10 pesos on the dollar when I was there while the exchange rate was more like 11 to the dollar.
Most places don't accept traveler's checks. American bills are fine but you probably get a better exchange dealing in pesos most of the time. Exchange frequently at the changers to keep some cash money handy.
Don't take popcorn, chocolate chips or any oher food, as it is illegal to bring these into the country. It could cause you to spend your holiday at the border :cry:
ciao, mart
Popcorn and chocolate are not an issue. They are not agricultural as in fresh produce or meats. Processed, packaged foods in sealed packaging are not an issue. That's why you are allowed to bring back sealed coffee, bottled sauces, candy, etc.
Really, we take masses of chocolate over for friends all the time, nearly 3kg's worth :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mart
Holy thread resurrection. How do you even find a 12 year old thread that includes comments on chocolate?
Yeah
Bring an extra $50 to bribe the cops if you get stopped. They love to nail rental cars. You're not likely to get sick - but like Al, I carry Cipro and Keflex (a cephalosporin for respiratory disaster). 'Have not ever needed either but it's part of my travel kit. Connie knows where the good food and dives are. You'll have a great time.
Barbara
I sent you a PM with my list. I?ve been diving on Connie?s trips 19 times
Also bring some extra cash for the store. We stop there several times. Junk food, beer and wine. [emoji3]
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Respectfully, when was the last time you went to Mexico and had to bribe a cop. This used to be true of the cops but that is largely rare now. A lot of the local Mexican cave guides get sick of hearing that among other untruths that tends to get spread by American divers. Drive around tulum and Akamai and you'll see tons of locals being bugged by the cops, but barely a tourist. They've cracked down a lot on the corruption and are focusing more on drug trafficking. That's why you'll see so many locals pulled over.Quote:
Originally Posted by cavedivingwoman
I remember years ago I had all of these things to be concerned about that I'd heard from us divers. When we got there, our Mexican counterparts thought it was humorous. Much has changed in the past 5-10 years.
You are answering a 12 year old post :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by cavedivingwoman
Does Connie even still lead trips?
I can't believe 12 year olds go cave diving in Mexico...much less have enough pesos for wine and beer...and chocolate....
Thanks for making my day![emoji3][emoji3][emoji3]Quote:
Originally Posted by cavekrazi
Seconded. We were stopped only one time in southern Mexico last month and they were just curious what we were doing. No bribe, 30 second conversation.Quote:
Originally Posted by rddvet
Yes CONNIE has trips. 2 a year. February and October. She coordinates them now. She doesn?t dive anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by FW
How did a 12 year old post get started??
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Too bad Connie doesn't still dive, she was a great guide.Quote:
Originally Posted by Diverlee
Check post #12 to see how a 12 yo thread got resurrected.
Just to join in on the ancient thread (RH = Richard Hicks) I second the cipro and bribe money (keep it in a different spot). Honestly, you can get a cycle of cipro for about 4 bucks there without a prescription (in non tourist areas).Quote:
Originally Posted by cavedivingwoman
i also stock up on antibiotic ear drops when im there
I do too :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by LiteHedded
Thank you all for using mexico's ease of antibiotic procurement to advance antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria.
When your gonorrhea wont go away you'll know why.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LiteHedded
Gonorrhea of the ear, that is a new one to me :rollguyQuote:
Originally Posted by rddvet
Inappropriate use of antibiotics doesn't necessarily cause resistance in the bacteria you're hoping to treat. It can lead to resistance as a whole.Quote:
Originally Posted by FW
But mainly I was being sarcastic more towards the use of a course of oral Cipro. Fluoroquinolones are not often the best first line antibiotic and are one of the big reasons for resistance. Machine gun to a paintball fight kinda thing.
But mostly I was being sarcastic.
And I wasn't being sarcastic? :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by rddvet
I assumed but wanted to make sure all know it was jest.Quote:
Originally Posted by FW
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Respectfully, when was the last time you went to Mexico and had to bribe a cop. This used to be true of the cops but that is largely rare now. A lot of the local Mexican cave guides get sick of hearing that among other untruths that tends to get spread by American divers.
It was in Dec 2016 and the December before that. And a few other times that I don't recall. I've been visiting Mexico for a lot of years. In any case, I am not "spreading untruths."
The issues with having to bribe cops has been fairly quickly becoming nonexistent over the past 7-10 years. At this point (and since I've been going to Mexico) it is pretty atypical. The guides in Mexico here these things from US tourists constantly and have to dispel the old truths from the new truths.Quote:
Originally Posted by cavedivingwoman
The douches at gas stations: that's a different story. Though it's much less of a problem.
Bribing cops in Playa, Tulum, etc. is pretty much non-existent these days. However, I was in Merida for work 2 years ago and EVERYBODY in our group that rented a car and went exploring on our days off was fleeced for cash by the local cops. Something like 35 people had to buy their way out of fake drug charges and bullshit tickets during our 3 week stay. It's very much a real thing in many parts of Mexico, but it's always the local cops in places with little government oversight. Fortunately, I chose to live the life of luxury and got the shop I was diving with to take care of all the logistics, including picking me up at the hotel, so I never had to deal with any of it.
It's super easy for a dude to pull an empty plastic baggy out of his pocket and say, "oh what's this I found?" It happens, we're just very fortunate that it doesn't happen in the places we like to travel to dive.
It's a shame, there's some cool cave up on the northern side of the Yucatan, but it's not very popular so it doesn't have the same level of "keep tourists happy and everyone gets a slice of the pie" as Q.Roo.
Maybe I've just had bad luck. But I've been nailed once shortly south of the airport and again just south of Playa in the last several years. Having seen what happens when people don't bribe (a wasted day of vacation haggling with the cops to retrieve the rental license plate), I'd rather fork over the cash then and there. I drove over to Merida last year; no problem other than a long drive with not much on the way.
The problem absolutely still exists. I've had to pay cops 3 times in the past 2 years. Twice in the city of PDC, and once heading north to the airport in Cancun at one of their checkpoints. They really like to stop people heading to the airport early in the morning because they know you don't have much time to spare until your flight.
How much can one expect to spend relatively for tank rental and fills for about 6-8 dives in Mexico ?
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if you stay at the zero gravity apartment during the summer all your gas is freeQuote:
Originally Posted by kylejones982
I'm in the coast guard and recently discovered class a rooms all over the world which many are in tulum so I can get a room for stupid cheap which is why I'm planning on going. What I don't know is what my diving expenses are
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kylejones982
I believe a set of doubles runs about $15-20/ day with nitrox from shops. You can go cheaper going to one of the big fill stations (fill industrial and scuba tanks) but it's more of a pain in the ass. You also have to factor in cost for weights that you rent, cost of a rental car to get to sites, or cost of a guide if you need a buddy and a ride. Alot depends on what you want to do, how solo you want to go, or how guided you want to go. I'd love to give you exact prices, but honestly I don't ever even pay attention. I find the care you receive at the good shops in tulum beats the hell out of that in the US. It's worth the cost.
I had to pay up about a year ago. The Federales pulled us over as soon as I left the dive shop, for illegally transporting scuba tanks in a car. He threatened a two-thousand dollar fine, plus confiscation of the rental car and our dive equipment. Or... all our cash, which was about $100.Quote:
Originally Posted by mgif99
I spent a week driving around tulum and cancun, not diving but in a rental.
Had my spare driver license and some cash ready and never even got stopped.
And no charges for scratches on the rental....I had gone around the car 5 times before leaving and noted every single scratch. Return guy didn't seem to care that much.
No wifi in cancun, not even for a fee, and airline refused to let me board without proof of my later flights which were no longer cached in my email and my continuing flights were with an airline in another terminal. Had to walk back to the car rental to use their wifi to download my ticket details.
I would have traded that annoying airport experience for paying a cop $50 in a heartbeat!
I really miss how polite everyone was driving in Mexico, left lane only to pass and then immediately back to the right. Driving in DR is a nightmare by comparison.
CUN recently started offering free wifiQuote:
Originally Posted by JahJahwarrior
https://www.cancun-airport.net/wireless.php
I think it used to be Gogo and you had to pay. I wonder if you hit it during a transition period?
last time i was there they had wifiQuote:
Originally Posted by jj1987
but i always turn on roaming when i go down for these reasons
For something like $20 you can get a SIM card at any Telcel shop that you can use any time you go to Mexico.
For another $20 you can get a couple gigs of data for a month.
Who needs wifi?
At&t is no roaming fees and your data use just comes off your dometic total if you have a 10gb plan or higher. We walk off the plane and use our phones like we were in the US with no additional fees
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people pay all these dollars for their training and their gear and their scooters and then they balk at something like a checked bag fee or turning on international roaming/sim card.Quote:
Originally Posted by oya
i dont get it. although mexico IS a super wifi friendly place