Cave Diving Course in Playa Del Carmen
“Your cave diving journey should be thought of as a marathon not a sprint. Exercise mental discipline, build up your experience gradually
and learn to control your mind so that when confronted with a problem fear does not control you.” Steve Bogaerts
We believe that the goal of every cave diving course is to train our students in a way that they are at ease and confident in their new environment after they have finished training with us.
To achieve that, we follow a scenario-based training approach, where we create problems as realistic chain of events that will be dealt with during the whole dive, in a safe and controlled manner (loss of visibility via blindfolds, equipment failures via bubble guns etc) for you and your team to solve collectively and accordingly depending on the situation. During this process, your instructor will be “ghosting” around creating those scenarios but will not be part of the team so as to promote better confidence, learning opportunities and the use of resources as a team. Safe cave diving is much more than laying lines or doing a couple of “drills”.
Our goal is to create reliable divers and team players that can enjoy the underwater realm, that are insulated from risks, and should any incident occur “for real”, that they can just shrug their shoulders and calmly deal with the situation so it merely remains an inconvenience.
Learn how to cave dive in the cenotes of Mexico with our team of technical cave diving instructors. We will provide an exclusive experience with a maximum of three students per course. You will benefit from a relaxed teaching environment adapted to your learning speed and competencies without pressure. We pride ourselves to enforce the safety standards established by our diving organisations, going beyond the minimum performance and knowledge requirements thanks to years of teaching and practicing technical cave diving on a daily basis.
Cave Course in Playa Del Carmen
“Your cave diving journey should be thought of as a marathon not a sprint. Exercise mental discipline, build up your experience gradually
and learn to control your mind so that when confronted with a problem fear does not control you.” Steve Bogaerts
We believe that the goal of every cave diving course is to train our students in a way that they are at ease and confident in their new environment after they have finished training with us.
To achieve that, we follow a scenario-based training approach, where we create problems as realistic chain of events that will be dealt with during the whole dive, in a safe and controlled manner (loss of visibility via blindfolds, equipment failures via bubble guns etc) for you and your team to solve collectively and accordingly depending on the situation. During this process, your instructor will be “ghosting” around creating those scenarios but will not be part of the team so as to promote better confidence, learning opportunities and the use of resources as a team. Safe cave diving is much more than laying lines or doing a couple of “drills”.
Our goal is to create reliable divers and team players that can enjoy the underwater realm, that are insulated from risks, and should any incident occur “for real”, that they can just shrug their shoulders and calmly deal with the situation so it merely remains an inconvenience.
Learn how to cave dive in the cenotes of Playa del Carmen and Tulum with our team of technical cave diving instructors. We will provide an exclusive experience with a maximum of three students per course. You will benefit from a relaxed teaching environment adapted to your learning speed and competencies without pressure. We pride ourselves to enforce the safety standards established by our diving organisations, going beyond the minimum performance and knowledge requirements thanks to years of teaching and practicing technical cave diving in Mexico on a daily basis.
Cave Diving Training
CAVERN DIVER
- Pre-Requisites:
- Intro To Tech or Sidemount Diver
- Duration:
- 4 Days
INTRO TO CAVE DIVER
- Pre-Requisites:
- Cavern Diver
- Duration:
- Intro To Cave Section: 4 Days
- Combo Cavern + Intro To Cave: 6 Days Min.
FULL CAVE DIVER
- Pre-Requisites:
- Intro To Cave Diver
- Duration:
- Full Cave Section: 5 Days
TECHNICAL CAVE DIVER
- Pre-Requisites:
- Full Cave + Advanced Nitrox Diver or Equivalent Min.
- Duration:
- Technical Cave Section: 4 Days
- Combo Full Cave + Technical Cave: 6 Days
STAGE CAVE DIVER
- Pre-Requisites:
- Technical Cave Diver
- Duration:
- Stage Cave Section: 4 Days
- Combo Technical Cave + Stage Cave: 5 Days
Cavern Diver Course
WHY TAKE A CAVERN DIVING COURSE?
The Cavern Diver course is the prelude for all your future cave diving endeavors. It is the most crucial introductory level that will provide you with the fundamentals skills for overhead training. Our students will be able to plan and execute dives within the following limitations:
- Daylight zone
- Gas management of Rule of 1/6 with redundant gas supply
- 61m – 200ft linear penetration
- 30m – 100 ft max depth
- No decompression
- No restrictions
- Continuous guideline – No complex navigation
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our cavern diving training will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cavern conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our cavern diving training will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cavern conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
Land Drills:
- Guideline deployment
- Zero visibility touch contact communication & procedure
Skills Development:
- Task loading & Fundamentals Mastery in an overhead environment
- Predive Checks & Safety Drills
- Guideline deployment
- Follow a guideline with appropriate positioning, awareness and team dynamic
- Problem Solving: Leakages management, mask replacement, light failure, other configuration-related equipment failures
- Zero visibility touch contact exit with and without gas sharing
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 6 Dives Min.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
Transport to dive sites from EDI Base
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 6 Dives Min.
Intro to Cave Diver
WHAT IS AN INTRO TO CAVE COURSE?
Now that you have the fundamentals of the overhead covered thanks to the Cavern Course, it is time to take the next step into the dark side. You will now go beyond the daylight zone to penetrate into a cave environment. An Intro To Cave diver will be able to plan and execute dives within the following limitations:
- Gas management of Rule of 1/6 with redundant gas supply
- 30m – 100 ft max depth
- No decompression
- No restrictions
- No removal of life support equipment
- Continuous guideline – No complex navigation
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Intro to Cave program will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cave conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Intro to Cave program will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cave conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
Land Drills:
- Lost / Missing Diver procedure
- Lost Line procedure
- Missed intersection (T)
Skills Development:
- Predive Checks & Safety Drills
- Guideline deployment & retrieval including use of directional markers
- Follow a guideline with appropriate positioning, awareness and team dynamic
- Problem Solving: Valve shutdown drill, leakages management, mask replacement, light failure, other configuration-related equipment failures
- Zero visibility touch contact exit with and without air sharing
- Lost line drill
- Missing / Lost Diver
- Missed intersection (T)
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 10 Dives Min.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 10 Dives Min.
Full Cave Diver
FINAL MILESTONE TO FULL CAVE DIVER
Our Full Cave course is the final milestone to start enjoying your cave diving experience in its entirety. See it this way, our Cavern course is basically learning how to drive in the parking lot and the Intro To Cave course allows you to start driving on the road but only on the highway. Now, the Full Cave course will allow you to take the exits and start exploring the countryside. A Full Cave Diver will be able to plan and execute dives within the following limitations:
- Gas management of Rule of 1/3 with redundant gas supply
- 30m – 100 ft max depth
- No decompression unless trained
- Restrictions allowed – No equipment removal
- Complex navigation allowed – Intersections (T), Jumps & Gaps
- Complex circuits and Traverses allowed
- Maintain continuous guideline
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Full Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cavern conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Full Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas Management & dive planning
- Equipment Consideration
- Communication
- Geology
- Cavern conservation
- Problem solving & emergency procedures
- Cave diving etiquette
- Physical & psychological aspects of overhead diving
- Dangers of overhead diving
- Team dynamic & positioning
Land Drills:
- Complex navigation procedures (jumps, intersections (T), gaps)
- Zero / Loss of visibility alternative communication techniques
- Entanglement & line cut/repair techniques
Skills Development:
- Predive Checks & Safety Drills
- Guideline deployment & retrieval including use of directional markers
- Follow a guideline with appropriate positioning, awareness and team dynamic
- Problem Solving: Valve shutdown drill, leakages management, mask replacement, light failure, other configuration-related equipment failures
- Zero visibility touch contact / touch and go exit with and without air sharing
- Zero visibility touch and go procedure
- Entanglement & line cut/repair drill
- Managing a restriction
- Complex navigation with jump spools deployment, intersection (T) and gaps
- Plan and execute complex circuits and / or traverses
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 12 Dives Min.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
Transport to Dive Sites from EDI Base
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 12 Dives Min.
Technical Cave Diver
VENTURE INTO DECOMPRESSION
As a full cave diver you might find yourself in regions with deeper caves such as France or Florida. In these regions, you might not be limited by your gas supply (especially when using “bigger“ steel tanks), but by your minimum deco limits. The technical cave diver course will teach you to extend your bottom time in those environments and how to decompress on 100% oxygen.
A Technical Cave Diver will be able to plan and execute dives within the following limitations:
- Gas management of Rule of 1/3 with redundant gas supply
- 30m – 100 ft max depth
- Decompression on 100% O2
- Restrictions allowed – No equipment removal
- Complex navigation allowed – Intersections (T), Jumps & Gaps
- Complex circuits and Traverses allowed
- Maintain continuous guideline
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Technical Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas management & strategies for dives including decompression
- Environmental considerations for decompression
- Decompression strategies
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Technical Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Gas management & strategies for dives including decompression
- Environmental considerations for decompression
- Decompression strategies
Land Drills:
- Setup of decompression tanks
- Gas switching procedures
- Pick-up and drop off of decompression tanks
Skills Development:
- Diving with a decompression tank
- Gas switching procedures
- Pick-up & drop off of decompression cylinders
- Problem Solving: Valve shutdown drill, leakages management, mask replacement, light failure, other configuration-related equipment failures
- Zero visibility touch contact / touch and go exit with and without air sharing
- Planning and executing dives requiring decompression
- Adjusting decompression plans based on current dive profile
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
(O2 fills excl. based on consumption)
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 8 Dives Min.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
(O2 fills excl. based on consumption)
Transport to Dive Sites from EDI Base
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 8 Dives Min.
Stage Cave Diver Course
EXTEND YOUR PENETRATION RANGE
After diving as a full cave diver for a while, you probably noticed that you start to reach the limits of what you can do with two tanks alone, be it in terms of not having enough gas to continue farther into the cave, not being able to carry enough gas to reach longer bottom times in deeper caves or reaching your minimum deco limits before reaching the limits of your gas supply. For all these cases our stage cave course gives you the answer by teaching you how to carry more gas using stage cylinders and learning how to decompress using 100% oxygen.
A Stage Cave Diver will be able to plan and execute dives within the following limitations:
- Gas management of Rule of 1/3 with redundant gas supply
- In-water recalculation of gas reserve
- 30m – 100 ft max depth
- Decompression on 100% O2
- Restrictions allowed – No equipment removal
- Complex navigation allowed – Intersections (T), Jumps & Gaps
- Complex circuits and Traverses allowed
- Maintain continuous guideline
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Stage Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Reasons for stage diving
- Gas management & strategies using stage cylinders
- Environmental considerations for stage diving
- Recalculation of gas reserves during stage dives
- Decompression strategies
WHAT WILL I LEARN ?
Our Stage Cave Diver Course will cover the following subjects:
Theory:
- Reasons for stage diving
- Gas management & strategies using stage cylinders
- Environmental considerations for stage diving
- Recalculation of gas reserves during stage dives
- Decompression strategies
Land Drills:
- Setup of stage and decompression tanks
- Gas switching procedures
- Pick-up and drop off of stage and decompression tanks
Skills Development:
- Diving with stage and decompression tanks
- Gas switching procedures
- Pick-up & drop off stage and decompression cylinders
- Problem Solving: Valve shutdown drill, leakages management, mask replacement, light failure, other configuration-related equipment failures
- Zero visibility touch contact / touch and go exit with and without air sharing
- In-water gas recalculation with stage
- Planning and executing stage dives requiring decompression
- Adjusting decompression plans based on current dive profile
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
(O2 fills excl. based on consumption)
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 8 Dives Min.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Tanks Rental
Nitrox 32% Fills
(O2 fills excl. based on consumption)
Transport to Dive Sites from EDI Base
In-water Training: Confined Water Session & 8 Dives Min.
– Transport to Dive Sites from EDI Base
– Tanks Rentals & Nitrox 32% Fills
– Weights
– All prices above are on a 2 divers / day base.
If booking alone, we will do our best to find you a teammate. Solo booking will require pricing adjustment (+50 USD/ Day).
– Technical Equipment Rental:
- Twinset Wing / Backplate or Complete Sidemount System (Additional day for SM rental set up required) + SM / BM Regulator Set + Primary Technical Light with Goodman Handle + Tech short for Wetsuit Diver – $50/Day Package
OR
$25 / Day for SM System
$20 / Day for SM/BM Regulators
$15 / Day for Primary Tec Light
$15 / Day for Technical Dive Computer
$5 / Day for other items
– Deco Gas Not Included (when applicable)
– Cenote Entrances
– Lunch
– Certification Fee: TDI US$ 30 IANTD US$ 50
– Manual and/or e-Learning: TDI US$80 (Student discount, RRP US$ 140)
Students are being provided with training videos and materials to practice and prepare for their class. It is expected from them to come ready for the class they have booked and demonstrate the prerequisite performance requirements communicated to them. Should a student be unable to do so on their first day, they will not be accepted to start the intended program. Their fees and days reserved will be credited towards an alternate training programs and/or guided dives.
Unreadiness to start the intended program is not ground for refund, partial or complete.
Students are paying for a course, but certifications must be earned. We will do our outmost to get your skills and knowledge up to scratch, and if this means extra dives or academic sessions, so be it (extra rate will apply if necessary). We recommend our students to plan at least 2 extra days for make ups / weather conditions / sickness / mid-course breaks or other unforeseen events.
Equipment rentals: Our equipment is well maintained and cared for our divers comfort. When renting our equipment, the diver is accepting responsibility for its care. If an equipment is damaged or lost due to negligence or misuse, the diver is accepting to bear the cost of repair, or replacement if necessary.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
All the schedules below are our best recommendation for an optimal experience. They can be adapted and personalized to your convenience to fit best your itineraries and preferences.
Courses: 9am – 6pm