Help! Scuba/Snorkel Palancar vs Chankanaab

[daldog]

The typical Coz cruise dilemma - a group of people wanting to spend some time together, but wanting different things and we have one day. We are going to basically wing it I think. I am looking at Playa Planacar and Chankanaab as possible places that might be able to be all things .... a beach, drinks, snorkeling maybe for some and hopefully a dive for some.

 

So my limited understanding:

- Chankanaab has an entry fee, Playa Palancar does not?

-services are probably more or nicer at Chankanaab for just hanging out?

-snorkel better at Palancar provided the willingness to get on a boat otherwise better from shore at Chankanaab?

- plain old swimming less rocky once you're in the water at Chankanaab?

 

And lastly but very important! I realize we could rent a tank and do a shore dive at Chankanaab but it seems hard to get recent info - lots of fish no reef? Worth it for $10 or whatever it costs to get a tank (and you have to get a guide too?) And on Palancar, a much better dive but it sounds like they may take snorkelers and divers together but each trip is only about an hour - so I am assuming that means you get one tank per trip and if you wanted to go again, you'd come back and do your surface interval and go out with another trip? Or you can do just one tank if you want?

 

So do I have it right? Any help or recent experience would be appreciated!

[bruce-r]

So my limited understanding:

- Chankanaab has an entry fee, Playa Palancar does not?

Playa Palancar doesn't have an entry fee, but you'll be expected to buy some food/drinks at Playa Palancar (which you'd probably do anyway). Entry fee at Chankanaab is $16 per adult, cash.

 

-services are probably more or nicer at Chankanaab for just hanging out?

Probably. Chankanaab definitely has more services available.

 

-snorkel better at Palancar provided the willingness to get on a boat otherwise better from shore at Chankanaab?

Yep. Poor shore snorkeling Playa Palancar due to the sandy beach. Chankanaab has all rocky shore line and better shore snorkeling.

 

- plain old swimming less rocky once you're in the water at Chankanaab?

Actually, it wouldn't matter because the water at Chankanaab is over your head deep. I doesn't matter what is on the bottom if you can't walk on it.

 

And lastly but very important! I realize we could rent a tank and do a shore dive at Chankanaab but it seems hard to get recent info - lots of fish no reef? Worth it for $10 or whatever it costs to get a tank (and you have to get a guide too?)

I don't know that you can still do a shore dive at Chankanaab. I know you could before wilma, but I don't know if you can do it now. If they do offer shore diving, you would be required to hire a guide, that was the case before wilma.

 

And on Palancar, a much better dive but it sounds like they may take snorkelers and divers together but each trip is only about an hour - so I am assuming that means you get one tank per trip and if you wanted to go again, you'd come back and do your surface interval and go out with another trip? Or you can do just one tank if you want?

I'm not sure how they conduct the dive trips from Playa Palancar, but seeing as it is so close to Palancar Reef, you should having the option of doing either a 1 tank or 2 tank trip. In any case, it will be a much better dive than you could do at Chankanaab.

[daldog]

Thanks Bruce ( was hoping you'd show up.) I guess I do have the picture - Palancar for us and Chankanaab for everyone else. :rolleyes: Oh well.

 

Seriously, I thought I read somewhere that someone had done the shore dive at Chankanaab recently ...... but since I only find just that one account, I wonder. So swimming ok at Playa Palancar? I like over-my-head swimming, but I don't know about eveybody else. And they may not all have water shoes.

 

All this research - watch TD4 end up re-routing us anyway. We leave Sunday. :cool:

[clackey]

Thanks Bruce ( was hoping you'd show up.) I guess I do have the picture - Palancar for us and Chankanaab for everyone else. :rolleyes: Oh well.

 

Seriously, I thought I read somewhere that someone had done the shore dive at Chankanaab recently ...... but since I only find just that one account, I wonder. So swimming ok at Playa Palancar? I like over-my-head swimming, but I don't know about eveybody else. And they may not all have water shoes.

 

All this research - watch TD4 end up re-routing us anyway. We leave Sunday. :cool:

Palancar has a gently sloping beach that is pretty sandy but there are alot of seashells so water shoes help. You have to go a long ways to get over your head. Unless you take the boat trip to the reef you would be better off snorkeling at CP. Diving is a different matter. If I wanted to scuba, I would book Eagle Ray and do a 2 tanker.

 

How's that Bruce-r? Do I sound knowledgable?

[daldog]

Diving is a different matter. If I wanted to scuba, I would book Eagle Ray and do a 2 tanker.

 

Yeah, I know ... but we have a group and Grand Cayman was gonna be our day to snub everyone and go off on our own. So we were looking for a compromise day in Coz where we could spend some time with fam. That's why I was looking for some specifics on those two sites as far as dives. Otherwise we probably would've tried to make a res with Alison.

 

BTW, I will eat lots of shrimp for you. :)

[daldog]

Diving is a different matter. If I wanted to scuba, I would book Eagle Ray and do a 2 tanker.

 

Yeah, I know ... but we have a group and Grand Cayman was gonna be our day to snub everyone and go off on our own. So we were looking for a compromise day in Coz where we could spend some time with fam. That's why I was looking for some specifics on those two sites as far as dives. Otherwise we probably would've tried to make a res with Alison.

 

BTW, I will eat lots of shrimp for you. :)

[bruce-r]

Palancar has a gently sloping beach that is pretty sandy but there are alot of seashells so water shoes help. You have to go a long ways to get over your head. Unless you take the boat trip to the reef you would be better off snorkeling at CP. Diving is a different matter. If I wanted to scuba, I would book Eagle Ray and do a 2 tanker.

 

How's that Bruce-r? Do I sound knowledgable?

 

sounds good, except I'd go with http://www.bluextseadiving.com because I'm friends with the owner and I prefer the small fast boat kind of operator. Lots of other cruisers do like Eagle Ray. It is all about personal preference.

[daldog]

Hey I double posted ... and 7 minutes apart! How did that happen - I clicked twice? I take it since I've seen other people say "oops" that I can only edit it for a time and after that it sticks?