Can You Scuba Dive Naked In Mexico?
Mexico is a great holiday, honeymoon, and scuba diving destination. You can’t run out of places to visit or things to do and see, from the beautiful resorts and beaches with clear waters. The country continues to gain popularity among travelers and scuba divers due to the good weather in most months. If you are planning on scuba diving while in Mexico you may wonder can you scuba dive naked in Mexico?
No, you can’t scuba dive naked in Mexico or in any other diving destination. Scuba divers wear wetsuits to help keep them warm and protected while diving. In addition, you will need to wear a Buoyancy control device (BCD) in order to achieve neutral buoyancy underwater. In reality, even if you decided to forgo the wetsuit you still won’t be completely naked.
When interacting with divers you will probably hear someone say they’ll do a naked dive once they hit a diving milestone (100th dive).
Personally, I’ve not seen anyone diving naked but I’ve attended some sort of celebration party once a diver hits a huge milestone in their diving career. Most divers don’t go all out planning a celebration party once they’ve hit a milestone.
You are probably wondering why anyone would want to dive naked. We’ll the reasons will differ ranging from mere curiosity, bucket list accomplishments, or other personal reasons.
One thing I’m certain about is that you probably won’t be seeing any naked scuba divers anytime soon.
In this article, we’ll look into whether you can scuba dive naked in Mexico, why you shouldn’t do it, the risks involved and so much more.
Just keep reading to learn more!
Such a gorgeous day for diving! Come join us in beautiful Xpu-ha!💙 #scuba #scubadiving #xpuhabeach #PADI #bestdayever #Mexico pic.twitter.com/JCluS2iVpZ
— BahiaDivers (@bahia_divers) October 3, 2019
READ MORE: Best Scuba Diving Spots in Mexico for Beginners
Do You Need A Wetsuit To Dive In Mexico?
Yes, you will need a wetsuit when scuba diving in Mexico.
Popular diving destinations in Cozumel, Cancun, and Cabo among many others have good weather throughout the year. The tropical water makes it a perfect destination for scuba divers.
However, it’s important to remember that water be it cold or warm, draws away heat from the body 25 times faster than air.
When relaxing on the beach you can sunbathe for hours without feeling any cold. On the other hand, while scuba diving in the same weather, you are likely to get freezing cold if not wearing the correct gear.
Wetsuits do much more than just help keep you warm while diving. A wetsuit helps protect divers from jellyfish stings, and bruising, they also contribute to neutral buoyancy.
The neoprene material used in manufacturing wetsuits has tiny bubbles of air trapped within it helping the diver stay afloat underwater.
In addition, wetsuits help in protecting the diver’s skin from rashes caused by BCD, tanks, or other gear parts rubbing against your skin.
Not forgetting that wetsuits protect divers from harmful UV rays when in and out of water. During the summer you need any form of protection from the sun.
On the bright side, the good weather in Mexico means you can wear thin wetsuits with about 3 mm or shorties. You don’t have to wear a full wetsuit each time you go diving.
A wetsuit also helps in maintaining decency among tourists. While you may be comfortable walking on the beach naked not everyone will appreciate it. There may be kids on the dive boat or beach with you making it quite uncomfortable.
Scuba diving is one of many reason to go #Back2Cozumel #Cozumel #Scuba #QuintanaRoo #Mexico pic.twitter.com/XCeiClLO9w
— Publiport Caribe (@PubliportC) May 21, 2020
READ MORE: Can You Scuba Dive without a Wetsuit?
What Is The Best Time To Go Scuba Diving In Mexico?
As mentioned earlier, Mexico has good weather most months of the year meaning you can go scuba diving any time of the year.
The diving season is booming from November to May since the sea water is warmer reaching about 820F (28°C).
During this time you are most likely to meet many other divers from different parts of the world and experience a wide variety of marine life.
If you want to enjoy scuba diving in a less crowded time, all the other months are good times to visit Mexico.
Just a heads up, in August and October the water temperatures drop to 660F to 710F (19 – 220C). During this season, divers will need thicker wetsuits from 5mm and above to help keep them warm in the cold waters. It’s also a great time to see the great white sharks.
When picking a time to go scuba diving in Mexico, you’ll want to consider the tourism season, the marine life you want to see, the weather, and the water temperatures. It’s important to note Mexico does experience a rainy season around June to October but this will vary in the amount of rainfall each month.
If you don’t mind any of that and simply want to enjoy diving with friends in Mexico then you can do that at any time of the year. The waters are clear with good visibility making your experience unforgettable.
This beauty just hanging out, posing for pictures. #scuba #shark #dive #diving #cozumel #mexico pic.twitter.com/AuWfUeLyZr
— Kevin Drew Davis (@kevindrewdavis) July 11, 2021
READ MORE: Does a Diving Suit Keep You Warm
Why You Shouldn’t Scuba Dive Naked
As I mentioned earlier, wetsuits have many benefits for scuba divers and surfers, from insulation to UV protection.
Below are reasons why you shouldn’t go scuba diving naked in Mexico or in any other dive spots.
- You risk going into hypothermia. Water is known to draw heat at a very fast rate and you could end up freezing cold after 10 minutes of scuba diving.
- Higher chances of jellyfish and stingrays stinging and getting bit by other marine life.
- Increased chances of getting sunburns
- Increased bruising and injury on the naked skin
- You are likely to develop a rash on areas where your BCD and other diving accessories rub against the body
- Reduced buoyancy. The wetsuit contributes to achieving neutral buoyancy, while diving naked the diver may struggle in attaining this.
- Allergic actions especially on divers with very sensitive skin
- It may be illegal to walk around naked in some locations. So it’s best to stay on the right side of the law.
- Other divers and beach users may be offended by naked divers
- Lastly, you can easily rent scuba diving gear at dive shops available in all locations where scuba diving is popular including Mexico.
Parting Words
In this article, we’ve looked at whether you can go scuba diving naked in Mexico. Many dives prefer wearing their wetsuits each time they go diving for various reasons. These include safety, protection from marine life and UV rays, and improved buoyancy. There are many other reasons why you shouldn’t go naked scuba diving as we’ve seen above.
While in many diving spots no one will question or arrest you for scuba diving naked, as a diver you should weigh the risks involved and gauge whether it’s really worth it. The main risk involved in scuba diving naked is going into hypothermia. It would be very unfortunate for any diver if this happened at a remote location and they need immediate medical attention.
In conclusion, the decision on whether to go scuba diving naked or not lies within you. For some divers, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime thing but I would highly discourage anyone from going scuba diving naked.
I hope this article answered your question on can you scuba dive naked in Mexico.
Stay safe and Happy diving!
