We dive with a GO Pro Hero 3 black. It's a great camera. We use a SeaLife AquaPod pole mount which gives us single handed use and an extendable pole. Use a carabiner to attach it to your BCD so you won't lose it or drop it. It doesn't have a light/strobe attachment but where we mostly dive (Cayman Islands) you don't really need it. We use a red filter that we purchased at Cathy Church in Cayman Islands. Maybe you can find them at AquaSport Scuba or Dive Shop (I seem to recall Dive Shop on Macleod sold the Go Pro accessories). Don't buy the "dome" red filter as it left a slight round reflection on our vids taken in higher light (shallower). Use a flat red filter. I also think that Caribbean Dreams dive shop on 16 avenue was going to get in a line of go pro accessories, check with them, they have awesome customer service.

The videos are mostly done by my 14 year old son. They are great quality vids. My son used to dive with an Olympus Pen in a dive housing with double strobes on a tray. I hated him not having his hands free, so I love the AquaPod. He keeps asking for a tray and strobes for the Go Pro :)

Also, we travel with our macbook. When we load the vids they are too high quality for the iphoto app to play without stalling. We drag them onto our desktop and play with VLC Media player...no troubles at all :)

Happy diving! Here fishy fishy :)

That settles it. I'll simply have to plan another trip to do Cozumel. It's the only logical solution. SOLD! I'm stuck in Playa del Carmen because that's where my sister's family wanted to go. I don't want to stray too far by myself travelling & lugging gear to Cozumel. I'm without a dive buddy (it's ok, I'm an OWSI) this trip and just tagging along with dive groups, whoever shows up for the day.

Sounds neat! My nephews might like that. They're too young to dive.

Awesome tips! Thanks! I'll call the dive shops around for a red filter. I saw some on Amazon.ca also but would prefer to buy local.

I don't currently have a GoPro. Why do you prefer this 'VLC Media Player' over the free GoPro downloadable software?

I've never tried to GoPro software to be honest. We were in Caymans and my son wanted to show his vids and the iPhoto app wouldn't play. I just tried to play with VLC and it worked. Don't know if the GoPro software would be better...Maybe try it out before you leave Canada. Our internet in Caymans is slow so I don't usually try new things out there, plus the night dive was calling me :)

In the past I have also called down to Cathy Church Photo shop on Grand Cayman. They are super helpful for advice on what to buy.

Just tracked down my son's GoPro bin...the red filter we are using now is a Backscatter Flip 3. I like it much better. Our first one was the Snake River Prototyping Dome...didn't like it as much. Plus the Backscatter just flips on and off without having to put it into your BCD pocket, making it easier to take off the red filter for your shallow safety stop :)

We love our GoPro Hero3. Had the 2 and it didn't work that well, kept freezing up. So we returned it on warranty and upgraded to the 3 halfway through our last dive trip in Cayman...My son uses his Hero3 for fishing, we use it for wake surfing (attach it to the back of our boat and put on a floaty back), etc. It's awesome! The GoPro has even made it into our tank (despite the fact that it's just rock right now as we are new to the hobby). I swear if my son could fit, he would put on his dive gear and be in that tank!

I am jelly of your dive trip, we have to wait a little longer :)

[quote=Reef_Geek;849982]That settles it. I'll simply have to plan another trip to do Cozumel. It's the only logical solution. SOLD! I'm stuck in Playa del Carmen because that's where my sister's family wanted to go. I don't want to stray too far by myself travelling & lugging gear to Cozumel. I'm without a dive buddy (it's ok, I'm an OWSI) this trip and just tagging along with dive groups, whoever shows up for the day.

Check out Gardens of the Queen (Jardines de la Reina) for a future dream dive trip...Booked through Avalon. There's a 12 minute video online of when 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper, went there. You may never want to see Cozumel or Cancun again after that...

Good description of my experience with dive operations over there.

I just looked up this filter. This thing is amazing! Thanks!

PS, their video has convinced me to get the GoPro for my trip. I'll just double check that this works with the new smaller Hero3+

http://vimeo.com/61244379

Amazing pictures!!! Wow

I have the Backscatter flip for my GoPro. Awesome filter. Found I didn't really need it for 10' or under but HUGE difference after that.

http://www.backscatter.com/sku/bs-fl...FQE6Qgod8UQAvQ

You can probably pick it up at any dive shop or even down there when you go but I got mine from Backscatter themselves.

Thanks. I was just thinking the same thing. The only two filters I'd want is the Dive (20-50 feet) and Deep (50+ feet). However, getting the Flip 3.1 plus the top flip and Deep filter... comes about $5 shy of getting the kit with all 3 filters.

I was thinking of ordering from Backscatter as well if local Calgary dive shops don't have it. Just waiting to hear from them that it'll fit the new Hero3+.

what kinda fish is that in 5th pic from the bottom ? it digging the sand it kinda looks like SW koi fish lol

It is a species of goatfish. They use their barbells to probe the sand and dig for food.

just an update on my GoPro research.

1) I contacted BackScatter about whether the flip 3.1 that is made for the Hero3 would fit the new/smaller Hero3+ and they said that they are releasing a low cost adapter within 2 weeks.

2) I won some bucks at work for employee recognition that will more than cover the new Hero3+ and a 64G micro SD card.
...and boom goes the dynamite...
I just need to wait til the local Best Buy has it in stock (on their website now).

Can't wait to try out on my December Playa del Carmen trip. Hopefully the videos will be worthy of sharing.

I was diving with a DM in South Africa who had a GoPro3 black edition. He took some really good video but his major complaint was it would occasionally freeze. I wonder if they have sorted it out with the +.

Did you get the Hero 3+?
Just wondering how you liked it and if you were having any issues with it. I am considering picking one up before our Bonaire trip in December.

Not having any issues, liking the Hero3+

I've found that although it does pretty high resolution shooting (up to 4K resolution), the best setting I've found is still 1080 at 60 frames per second (fps). At the highest resolution, it will only do 12 fps so it's choppy. Then there's a bunch of options in between... 48 fps, 36 fps etc etc... but 1080 is still HD and very good at 60 fps. at 60 fps, you can do some neat slow motion in editing.


The GoPro free software for video editing on their website is pretty slow and cumbersome, but if you can be patient, it works. Haven't tried any other software yet, I'm sure they are out there.

I haven't used it much for still photos. My friend got one, and he's pretty displeased with still photos from it, but let's face it, you don't buy a GoPro for still photos. That's what an SLR is for.

I have not yet gone diving with it. My trip is in early Dec. Looking forward to diving with it then. I ordered the Flip 3.1 combo from BackScatter directly from their website. They now include an adapter to fit the smaller Hero3+ vs Hero3. Have not yet received it, but don't expect any issues. The dive shop in Calgary up on 16 Ave is getting dive filters, but not the BackScatter Flip version... they sell much cheaper versions the snap on the front... for about $40 bucks or so.

I have not had any battery issues. The 'as promised' better battery life on the Hero3+ seems to be good... I haven't found the need to change batteries excessively. I disable the WiFi, the LED, the sound (pressing buttons), the Auto low light fps adjustment... to get good battery life. I got a 32G micro SD card and at 1080 (60fps) that's 1.5 hrs of video footage. I recently also bought a 64G card just for my upcoming trip, and that's 3 hrs of video at 1080 60fps.

Hope this helps.

I wonder what memory card he was using... for write speed. The GoPro Hero3+ recommends 'class 10" micro sd cards. I got a class 10 32G micro SD (SanDisc) from Best Buy for about $40, no issues... did not have to get the uber 'extreme' speed (and uber expensive) kind.

That definitely helps.
Doesn't the old Hero 3 also do 1080p at 60 fps? I went to Bestbuy yesterday and they had zero Heros in stock of any kind but I think Amazon still sells the old model. But the + supposedly resolves the battery issues.
Looking forward to seeing your videos when you get back.

I didn't really bother to research the older Hero3... there's only about 80 bucks difference (new) when you're talking $370 vs $450... the magnitude of spend is about half a grand after taxes and accessories. 80 bucks on that scale is just like buying an extra accessory. Plenty of kijiji ads of people selling their used Hero3's though, I'm guessing they're upgrading to the +

I'll be near Akumal (Grande Bahia resort) during the 1st week in Dec. Hope to find some decent snorkeling nearby. Will be trying out my new Olympus TG-2 camera underwater.

That's funny, I'll be in Playa del Carmen at one of the Paradisus the first week of Dec... there must be a sale to Canadians or something for that week...

Haha, yeah, it's called expedia.ca (via Westjet).... We're going up with friends. They can't go up until the Sat. But we are going on the Fri (Nov 29) and saving $300 over their price, but get to stay an extra day. You really have to try all the combinations online to get the best deal...

Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay are not far away. Akumal Bay has lots of turtles but can get very crowded. If you get there early before 9:00 its not so bad. I would not be surprised if your resort runs a shuttle to Akumal Bay. Many of the larger resorts do and it really agitates the people that stay right on Akumal Bay, hence the reason we always stay in Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay has no crowds because it is mainly condos. There are lots of fish and coral in Half Moon Bay but not as many turtles. If there is not shuttle to Akumal Bay a cab ride would probably only be a few bucks.

Thanks, that's what we heard, too. At our resort, apparently you have to go out about 400 metres to the reef, and depending on surf conditions, might be a bit rough. And I don't want to get run over by some speed boat.

I'm going back January 11-18th... unfortunately I'll probably only be able to dive a couple of times this year. I'm going to do the Bullsharks again... I was also wondering if anyone has heard of a Whale shark trip near Playa?

Whale shark viewing season runs from June to August. The two most popular places to go for short boat trips to see them are Isla Mujeres and Holbox. We went to Isla Mujeres in late August and swam with 20 or 30 of them. It was about an hour boat ride out with a stop at Isla Contoy on the way back for lunch and more snorkelling.
If you decide to do a summer trip sometime plan for 3 or 4 days stay on Isla Mujeres. It's a nice little island, golf cart is the main mode of transportation for tourists and there is some very nice diving. You can also book whale shark trips from PC but it would make for a long day because you have to go all the way back to Cancun and jump on a boat with at least another 1.5 hour boat ride out to find the sharks.

I just got BestBuy's email. Their Dec 1st cyber online sale has the Hero3+ for $399.99. Good deal.

Thanks for the tip but will have to pass. We decided to get a strobe for our dive camera instead. Heading up to Aquasport today to order it and pick up my brand spanking new nitrox cert card. :biggrin:

Nice! I used to dive pressed steel 100 cubic foot tanks. At 80 ft depth on Nitrox, me and my buddy used to stay down for 45 mins or so... while everyone else who dove with air were already back on the boat and getting sea sick waiting for us to surface. Now YOU can be THAT guy too. :)

alrighty... I am broadcasting from the Paradisus in Playa del Carmen (PDC) sipping on apple martinis and snacking on cerviche. I arrived today into Cancun international, got to PDC via ADO bus which dropped me right into the middle of the tourist area... so I thought... hey, why not walk around and see if I can arrange for my dive charters before checking into my resort? I had intended to dive with Dive Mike as some other CanReefers recommended and they had been very good and responsive to some of my email questions. However, I was really intrigued with checking out Cozumel if not for the hassle of the independent travel to Cozumel. A friend of mine found an operation called Tank-HA out of PDC (maybe someone here mentioned too) whose boat takes you right to Cozumel dive sites direct from their shop in PDC. So I thought... hey, let's check out Cozumel with these guys. Well, I walked up to them today, luggage in tow and all, and they set me up with 2x 2tank charters of local PDC dives, 1x 1 tank bull shark charter, 1x 2tank Cozumel charter... all for $315 USD. So, I'll let everyone know how this charter was. Hopefully also have some GoPro videos at the end of this trip.

Great! Looking forward to seeing some diving photos and videos. Especially wondering about the trips to Coz from PDC. Thinking it could be a long bumpy ride! :biggrin:
My wife has packed our dive gear but still 23 days until departure.

Just got back from there. Stayed at the Bahia Principe Tulum resort. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. Was expecting to find some nice snorkeling close by, but no joy with that. In fact, the reefs all around were basically a coral graveyard. You can see that there was once lots of SPS, but only saw a few softies and LPS. The SPS were mostly all dead. I suspect the resort and beach development is what killed them, with probably phosphates and chemicals leaching out into the ocean.

Plus you had to go out quite a ways, and the winds were up all the time, making the trek to the reefs and snorkeling in the waves downright dangerous at times. Good thing I had good flippers, and other than getting quite tired, I managed not to scrape myself on the reefs. A friend, who was with me had smaller flippers, and he had a really hard time. We only did it a couple times and gave up after that.

We also made a trip to Akumal, but it was no better there. Winds were high as well, and a guy on a kayak (assume a lifeguard) wouldn't let us go past the outer buoys. So we didn't see much there either. Lots of turtles though, and also saw a big ray.

I guess you need to go on a diving excursion to see the really good stuff there. We normally go to Hawaii (Maui) and I guess I got spoiled there with great snorkeling all over the place, including right beside our hotel.

I went out to the reef at Akumel. About 2 yrs ago and there wasn't a lifeguard then luckily. A bit of a swim and we had to wait while the boats passed, but definately lots to see. Saw a few eels sticking out of the sand and a basking shark. A lot of coral and fish.

What kind of corals? Any nice looking SPS?

Because I do not have any sps, they were all nice looking lol

Well, at Bahia they obviously used to have a lot of SPS, as you could still see the dead skeletons. We had hoped to get out to the reefs at Akumal, but the winds and rough seas just didn't allow. And the water was also very turbid, which I guess was understandable with the rough water.

I guess our timing was just off. What times of the year do the winds die down? It was blowing the whole time we were there.

In Maui, the trade winds would pick up in the afternoons, but nothing like this. And there are more protected coves where you don't have to battle the surf. I paddle boarded there, too, even in the afternoons sometimes. But didn't see anyone on a paddle board the whole time we were in Mexico. Just a few kite boarders (they like the wind).

I think there are areas in the Mayan Riviera that have pretty good diving, but overall I completely agree Maui is a lot better. There are so many amazing dives and snorkel spots there.

Apparently you have never dove Cozumel. :biggrin:

I am writing from my room at the Paradisus resort in Playa del Carmen (PDC) procrastinating until I have to head home to Calgary in about 30 mins.

Had a decent week of diving. I went on 7 dives with Tank-HA out of PDC. Good operation and I'd recommend them for anyone staying around PDC, very professional, and... very important... fast boats (big twin outboards). This meant they could get to the further remote spots and get you off the water sooner if you're prone to seasickness. They also have slightly larger boats.

First dives were supposed to be local PDC reefs, but I arrived just after a few days of rough seas... PDC vis was poor, and in fact, my first scheduled dives were cancelled due to the authorities closing the port to small crafts. So... my first 2 dives were in cenotes. They are worth while if you haven't dove cenotes before... pretty neat... but you can get bored of them after trying them... just rocks and caverns. Next, I did the bull shark dive (single tank). That was neat, they came very close to me (within 1 meter). I also like that Tank-HA does not feed the sharks. One of the shop guys was bitten before (good guy). You can ask him about it. But the shark dive is pretty safe if you don't feed them. They come up to you, see/smell if you have food, and keep moving on. My next 2 dives were in Cozumel. Tank-HA is the only PDC dive shop what takes you directly from the PDC beach to the dive sites in Cozumel and back. These two were my favourite dives of the whole trip. If I come back, I think I'll look for a resort in Cozumel instead of PDC. My last two dives were PDC local reefs, they were my two least favourite dives of the trip. There were some cool formations, but due to the week of rough seas, PDC visibility was really bad (15-20 feet). Cozumel was very clear despite the week of rough seas... and the surface was rough on the ride over from PDC, but was flat once you get to Cozumel... weird how the currents work. I spent yesterday off gassing to fly.... so I took an excursion to Tulum and a sea turtle sea grass bed snorkeling tour in Akumal. Yup, I'm one of those non-local vacationer that crashed Akumal bay. It was really neat though, I've done a lot of diving/snorkeling and it's not too many places where you can snorkel within 100 yards of the beach for 30 mins and see half a dozen sea turtles just grazing and ignoring the snorkelers. Also saw 3 or 4 stingrays, one spotted eagle ray, and a group of cuttlefish. My nephews really enjoyed it, and I think my sister & brother in law also liked it... it was their first snorkel trip in 10 years since their first time on honeymoon.

Anyway... I should finish packing. Back to the great white north... to go through my GoPro videos and hours of editing by the fireplace. I'll post videos whenever I get around to them...

Take my advice and miss your flight. Not to pleasant around these parts lately. :biggrin:

you were right. I should have missed my flight.