Learning to Scuba Dive with Adventure Divers, Part II: Dive at Manzanillo Reef

Last Thursday we headed to Manzanillo reef with our newbie diver Morgan, pal Alejandra Braun and some friends from More Divers, a PADI dive shop in Morelia, Michoacan.

Manzanillo reef is a nice shallow reef shelf located about twenty minutes south of the Zihuatanejo bay. It's a great spot for beginners and also certified divers and there's a host of marine life that lives off the coral.



For being a first-time diver, Morgan was very relaxed and was excited about exploring the reef below. Pako helped her get suited and Memo from More Divers lent Morgan his devil hood, which quickly turned into the photo-op of the day.



Once everyone was in the water, it was time to buddy up and head down the line towards the reef. The water was nice & calm with just a slight surge and plenty of fish life around. Morgan was paired up with Alejandra and Pako was leading the group along.

Within a short time we came upon a sunken cage, which must have been used at one point to catch large lobsters because just about any sea creature can get in and out of it with ease. It's now been transformed into a natural aquarium with all sorts of puffer fish, moorish idols and pacific rainbow fish hanging out. We took some fun photos here and then headed towards the deeper part of the reef, where it looked like there were silvery schools of grunk fish gracefully gliding around.

Carefully imitating Pako and the other more experienced divers with their bouyancy control and folded arms, Morgan was already diving like a pro!

She floated away only a couple of times, but was quick to realize she only needed to deflate the BCD to return to the group.

Sure enough after a few tries she was definitely more in control of her body positioning and really enjoying the dive!


Peeking in the crevaces of the coral we found some spider crabs and langostinos or tiny lobster looking creatures. We also came upon two thumb-sized seahorses attached to some smaller pieces of coral. They were so well camoflaged we almost missed them!

Learning to Scuba Dive with Adventure Divers, Part I: The Pool Class

Our friend Morgan who is the activities coordinator at Playa Viva resort in Juluchuca about an hour south of Zihuatanejo had never been scuba diving though is an avid surfer and water girl. We recently invited Morgan to participate in our Discover Dive program, which is the first step towards learning how to scuba and becoming a certified scuba diver.

The Pool Class

We set up the equipment for the class, tank, BCD, weight belt, regulator, mask, snorkel & fins. Morgan was pretty excited about taking her class and our PADI instructor Pako started out by covering the basic principles that allow pretty much anyone to get out there & dive!

The pool class takes about 45 minutes to an hour and covers basic dive theory, proper use of equipment and basic exercises that help each diver feel comfortable and confident when they're out there diving in the ocean.

Once all of the equipment was set up, Morgan was ready to hop in the pool. Ideal pools for scuba classes go from shallow to about 10-12 feet deep so you can start in water that's up to your waist and cover all the practice exercises, then head to the deep end to practice what you've learned.

The first part of dive theory that is covered in our Discovery Dive program is understanding how pressure affects your body as you descend from the water's surface. You can imagine what happens to a balloon that is filled with air when you start to submerge it underwater ... it starts to shrink in size. The same principal can be applied to the human body with relation to air spaces such as your sinuses or ear cavities.

When you dive, you may feel a slight pressure on your ear spaces like when you're in an airplane or when driving up a mountain side. To relieve the pressure you simply compensate the air spaces by gently blowing air through pinched nostrils. Some people are able to compensate by simply swallowing or moving their jaw around.

With Pako's help, Morgan went through the intial exercises of checking the equipment, clearing the mask & regulator (which is the hose & mouthpiece that allows you to breathe underwater) and practicing the signals for communicating underwater. These exercises are designed for first timers and beginners and are an excellent way to become a confident scuba dive enthusiast.

Practicing certain skills like clearing the mask or recouperating the regulator make diving a more fun and rewarding experience. They also allow a diver to focus less on their equipment and more on the amazing underwater life that surrounds them!

Within a short time in the pool, Morgan was already feeling comfortable with the dive equipment and had experimented with the initial exercises. She was soon ready to take a lap to the deep end! Here she gives the diver "OK" sign which means that everything is A-OK.

The best part about scuba diving is being able to communicate underwater without even having to speak. Divers have special hand signals that they can use to communicate with their dive guide (Divemaster) ensuring maximum enjoyment of each dive.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Spots in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo

Here in Zihuatanejo we are lucky to have over 35 distinct dive destinations, all of which are within a 10-20 minute boat ride from the main pier muelle in downtown Zihua. We take our divers out in our specially outfitted dive boat that's both convenient and comfortable for the trips. Depending on our trip's ability level, we might go explore some shallow reefs just outside the bay like Caleta de Chon or Zacatoso Reef which have a nice diversity of coral and fish life. For the more experienced divers, a site like Solitary Rock, El Chato or our special trip to Los Morros de Potosi offers deeper waters in open ocean conditions. Some of our dive destinations are also ideal for snorkeling, especially the shallow protected reef areas.

Listed here are just a few of the local dive sites where we offer daily excursions.

Caleta de Chon / Chon's Cove
This is a nice protected cove with coral reef, rock & sand bottom that's located just outside the bay of Zihuatanejo. This site is ideal for both beginner scuba enthusiasts and experienced divers alike. Here you will find all kinds of marine life from eagle rays to sea horses, lobster, octopus, green turtles and a wide variety of tropical fish. As the area is largely protected from ocean surge, we also offer night dives to explore this cove after the sun goes down. This unique experience is offered to certified divers and can also be combined with a PADI night diving specialty course.


Playa Manzanillo Reef
Playa Manzanillo is a beautiful virgin beach located between Zihuatanejo bay and Playa Larga. A twenty minute picturesque boat ride brings you to enjoy this reef area with white sand beach. Perfect for both scuba diving and snorkeling, there is a long shallow reef shelf that hugs the shoreline and can be easily navigated. Puffer fish, skates, moorish idles, starfish and a nice variety of marine life can be found here. This is a nice spot for the whole family to enjoy and there is the option of some on-shore exploration of the local flaura and fauna.


Piedra Solitaria / Solitary Rock
This conical lone rock formation plunges to about 150 feet below the ocean's surface and is home to some larger schools of fish like jacks and roosters. Here we have a chance to experience open ocean conditions and at certain times of the year can find ourselves diving with larger marine species like whale sharks and manta rays. Solitary rock has been a favorite spot for many divers that come back year after year to relive the experience. This site is ideal for experienced divers and has excellent conditions for our PADI deep diving specialty course.


Zacatoso Reef
Located just in front of El Palmar beach in Ixtapa, this coral bed, sand bottom and rock formation site is a great destination for scuba diving & snorkeling. The most expansive coral bed in the area is home to many different tropical fish, rays, sea horses & turtles. Varying depths make the site accesible for both beginners & experienced divers. There are also several species of coral that can be found here.




** For more information on our shop, scuba diving & local dive destinations, please visit our website http://www.adventuredivers.com.mx