Helpful Pointers For Your Dives

No. 1: BRING SOME CASH FOR TIPS

The daily minimum wage in Mexico is $248.93 pesos or about $15 USD per day.

Tipping isn't mandatory, but it is appreciated more than you can imagine. It's completely up to you if you want to tip your Divemaster and crew. That being said, the crew, DM's and instructors receive a very small salary and rely on tips to supplement their incomes and support their families. We think that you'll find the service our boat crew, dive pros and transportation driver provide will be exceptional and you'll want to tip them. If, for any reason you have a problem with our service, please report it to the front desk and ask for Luis, our Operations Manager.

 

The industry "standard" is to tip $10 USD ($200 pesos) per tank, or $20 USD ($400 pesos) total. Should you decide you want to tip, here's how to do it:

  • Leave the your tip money for the captain and sailors in the conch shell
  • Give your tip money directly to your DM/instructor directly
  • $10 for the boat crew and $10 for the divemaster is the standard amount and they will appreciate it immensely.

 

Remember to bring smaller bills with you. A $50 or $100 bill is almost impossible for us to break , so please come prepared. Note, we cannot put any tips on a credit or debit card.

No. 2: NO SUNSCREEN ALLOWED


The Mexico Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protecidas (National Commission of Protected Natural Areas) does not allow the use of sunscreen in the marine parks where we dive. UV Protection clothing and large brimmed hats can replace sunscreen while you're on the boat.

In case you didn't know, chemical sunscreen has been shown to threaten the health of coral reefs and even some marine animals. It's estimated that  14,000 tons of sunscreen finds its way into the oceans each year. There is a worldwide effort in place to ban chemical sunscreen.

We know sunscreen is important to avoid skin cancer. When you're not diving, we ask that you consider using mineral sunscreen. This sunscreen is made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Don't rely on labels that say "Reef Safe" or "Reef Friendly" as there are no government regulations or mandatory testing for sunscreen products. Instead, read the label.

Ingredients to avoid include:

  • Oxybenzone
  • Octinoxate
  • Benzophenone-1
  • Benzophenone-8
  • OD-PABA
  • 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor
  • 3-Benzylidene camphor
  • Octocrylene


No. 3: AVOID SEASICKNESS


Even if you have never been seasick, please bring some Dramamine or other over-the-counter medication for seasickness. Take one pill the morning of the dive. We have had countless number of people tell us they have never been seasick, but some unfortunately, end the dive, return to the boat and give the fish a surprise snack.

If you do suffer from motion sickness, take your OTC medication the night before at bedtime and then again in the morning before the dive. Or, go to your doctor and ask for a Scopolamine patch. The patch is good for three days and won't come off while you're underwater.

No. 4: HELP US MAKE YOUR DIVE AWESOME


Let your Divemaster know if you are recently certified, have trouble equalizing, suffer from some anxiety or anything else you feel is important before the dive. The DM will be better prepared to help you if he knows ahead of time any concerns you may have.

The reef is your DM's playground, so follow him and he'll show you all the cool marine life. It's also important to stay close to the DM for safety reasons. The current can be pretty strong on some of the dives and if you wander away from the DM, the current may make it extremely difficult or impossible for you to make your way back to the group. We go down as a group and come up as a group. We don't want any of our clients to be forced to surface on their own because they wandered away from the group.

No. 5: DOWNLOAD WHATSAPP TO YOUR PHONE BEFORE ARRIVING


Easily communicate by text or a phone call to Scuba Cancun using WhatsApp and you won't use any data from your cell phone plan: +52 998 279 2199.