Dive Review of Dive Balam/Royal Haciendas in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Playa Del Carmen

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Dive Balam/Royal Haciendas, Oct, 2009, by Norris Boone, SC, USA ( 1 report). Report 5211.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	The dive operation is very well run and safety conscious. The maximum number of divers is 10. The boat is adequate with 10, but better with 8. Nitrox is available but expensive at $15/tank. Most dives are drift dives, and some experience is recommended, though they limit 5 divers per guide. The guides we had were excellent. They watched over the novice divers and let experienced divers do their own dive as long as they stayed with their buddy.The dives are similar to those we have done at Cozumel, being mostly fast drifts over pretty walls and coral beds. The fish life is plentiful, though not many large fish are present. I suspect most larger fish have been caught by the local fishermen.The return to the boat is different in that divers stay in the water while their tanks and BC's are taken aboard and changed to fresh tanks. It works for them and they are really good at setting up the tanks for the divers. Getting back on the boat is thus quite easy. The dive operation is located on the property of the Royal Haciendas, It is a very beautiful resort and is well complimented by the dive operation.
Websites	Dive Balam Royal Haciendas
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	More than 2000 dives all over the world.
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	81-84°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	50-75 Ft/ 15-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Stay with group leader toward end of dive, come up with everyone else.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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Dive Review of Dive Balam/Royal Haciendas in Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Playa Del Carmen

Dive Balam/Royal Haciendas, Oct, 2009,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Balam/Royal Haciendas in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Playa Del Carmen