Diving at Sabalos & Barracuda Reefs in Playa del Carmen
Today, we talk about two of the most beautiful dive spots along the coast of the Riviera Maya. Sabalos & Barracuda reefs in Playa del Carmen are just a short boat ride away.
“Sabalos” translates to tarpon in English; during the late summer, you can find these beautiful big fish around this reef. Both reefs are actually one big reef, flowing into each other with just a few sandy patches in between.
Both dives remain at more or less the same depths, and share the same type of conformation, marine life, and conditions.
Quick Facts
First, let’s learn some quick facts about Sabalos & Barracuda Reefs in Playa del Carmen.
Location
These two reefs are located very close to each other; they nearly merge into one. You’ll only need a 15-minute boat ride to reach the Sabalos and Barracuda dive spots in Playa del Carmen. They’re found a bit south of the city center, parallel to the coastline.
Dive Depth
Both reefs are pretty shallow, ranging from 8-14 meters depth maximum. The shallower area closer to the coast usually has less current than the deeper areas. That makes them suitable for all certified divers eager to visit an active and rich dive site.
Dive Time
The dive time at these sites is highly dependent on your air consumption and comfort level in the water. As these are shallow sites, our dives here are not limited by depth. An average dive here lasts around 45-60 minutes.
Dive Site Conformation
Sabalos & Barracuda Reefs in Playa del Carmen have a unique shape and conformation. The reef is more of a platform that slowly merges into a more sandy area. Usually, we dive along the sandy reef ridge starting in the south as the current takes us northward along the reef.
Drifting along the reef structure, a small wall-like formation starts to emerge. It features several horse-shoe-like “bays” you can dive along and explore, protected from the current. Once you leave these rather calm areas and follow the reef structure, the current picks you up and gently takes you to the next bay.
Contrary to most of the shallow reefs in Playa del Carmen, Sabalos and Barracudas feature more structure, and some bigger crevices and overhangs to peek into. You’ll find lots of fish and critters hiding in there. Regularly, you’ll see moray eels, lobsters, crabs, and lots of macro life in these small hideaways.
When watching towards the other side, there’s some sea grass growing over the sandy area; you’ll regularly find Barracudas in the current, rays looking for prey in the sand, and sometimes even a nurse shark around!
Requirements
To dive at Barracudas and Sabalos Reefs in Playa del Carmen, you should be a certified diver. Having the open water diver certification before your dives here will help you handle the current and give you the chance to enjoy the dives here.
This is not a typical training dive site for the open water diver course. But it is a great site for parts of the advanced open water diver course. This is considered a drift dive. Therefore, you can just have the current take you along the reef, relax, and focus on exploring!
Barracudas and Sabalos Reefs are not suitable dive sites for non-certified divers.
Diving at Playa del Carmen’s Sabalos & Barracuda Reefs
Before the dive, you meet up with your instructor at the dive shop to sort equipment and paperwork. Once you’re all set, you’ll head to Coco Beach, from where we board the dive boat.
Once onboard the boat, we’ll set up our tanks and gear. The captain will take us on a 15-minute boat ride towards the south to the dive site. Your instructor will give you a detailed briefing about the upcoming dive, answer questions, and clear any doubts. Before jumping into the dive at Sabalos and Barracudas Reef, we’ll do a quick buddy check and confirm all gear is in top condition to start the dive.
In the water, we slowly descend to an initial dive depth of approximately 10 meters. We may have to swim some meters to the reef and then follow the reef and current during our dive.
Every participant must stay with the group, as the current at these sites can become quite moderate at times.
Along the beautiful coral platform, we drift to explore Sabalos and Barracudas Reef in Playa del Carmen. You’ll dive along schools of fish and may find one of the huge, green moray eels hiding in the reef. There are many different, colorful corals and sponges decorating the reef, and often, there is macro life hiding in between! Have a good look so you do not miss anything during your dive.
The little bays this reef features are great spots to hang out for some minutes before continuing. Usually, they offer lots of different marine life to admire.
We’ll dive along some overhangs, make sure to watch under and inside, as it’s a great protective space for many fish, crabs, or lobsters.
SCUBA Dive in Playa del Carmen with BlueLife
Playa del Carmen has a bunch of very beautiful dive sites to offer for visiting SCUBA divers.
Whether you’re a certified diver or not, there are several spots suitable for you to enjoy. Also, most dive sites here pose a great scenery for continuing education courses, like the advanced open water course. Or maybe you want to combine a dive day in Sabalos and Barracudas Reef in Playa del Carmen with another day in Cozumel or Cenotes?
BlueLife Diving is located in Playa del Carmen and operates daily SCUBA diving trips to the best dive spots along the Riviera Maya. You can choose a single dive day, or create a bespoke multi-day diving package for your stay.
Our highly professional guides and instructors are looking forward to showing you the unique beauty of our underwater world. Take a new adventure while fun-diving or enrolling in your next exciting diving course.
Our groups are limited to four divers per guide to ensure every participant’s safety and guarantee you enjoy to the fullest while underwater. We’ll take care of all the logistics, you take the fun part!
Get in touch for more information about any of our daily tours, recreational courses, or technical diving. We’re looking forward to diving with you and introducing you to the most stunning dive sites in Playa del Carmen and Cozumel! Check out our Cenote diving trips also, as the unique opportunity to dive in the Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula only exists in the Riviera Maya!