Diving courses in Playa del Carmen
Courses de Technical Diving
If you want to enter technical diving and, more specifically, overhead-environment diving, Quintana Roo is without doubt one of the best places in the world.
The Full Cave Diver course is fun, dynamic and demanding.
In the past, most cave divers were self-taught, and for that reason many accidents occurred. The structured training available today has significantly reduced cave-diving accidents over the last decade and has made an activity once considered extreme accessible to many more divers. It is still demanding, but with proper training the risks are greatly reduced.
Who can take this course?
- Minimum age: 18 years
- Minimum diving level: Advanced, B2 or equivalent
- Minimum experience: 50 logged dives
Course structure and duration
This course allows certification up to the highest level achieved if it is not completed in full, whether for financial reasons, because the student needs more training, or for any other reason.
This is possible because the Full Cave course is divided into four independent courses, each with its own standards and duration, completed in this order:
| Course | Duration |
|---|---|
| Sidemount Open Water Diver | 3 days |
| Cavern Diver | 3 days |
| Intro to Cave Diver | 3 days |
| Cave Diver | 3 to 4 days |
Training a tu ritmo
If you need more time to absorb a stage, we do not move on to the next one. Safety and solid technique come before the calendar.
We answer your questions
What requirements do I need to start a cave diving course?
You need a minimum of 50 logged dives and an advanced certification level or equivalent.
Do I need to have my own equipment?
Not necessarily. Although it is recommended to use equipment you are already comfortable with, it is not strictly required.
At Scuba Alux we have everything needed for the cave diving course: standard scuba equipment and specific cave diving gear, such as reels, primary lights, jump spools, helmet, etc.
Do I have to complete the whole cave course on consecutive days?
The Cave Diver training path is actually divided into three courses, with independent certifications at the end of each one. Depending on the number of days you have available, you can complete the course in several stages rather than all at once.
The first stage is Cavern Diver, where you become a cavern diver capable of installing your own line and moving in an overhead environment with a basic level of safety.
Next comes Intro to Cave, which allows you to enter a cave without a limit on penetration distance, but with limitations on directional decisions and jumps to nearby cave lines from the main line.
Once those standards are met, the final stage is Cave Diver, where you learn complex navigation and how to move safely inside a cave while making directional decisions.
As a general rule, we do not recommend completing the full course from zero in one single block. Due to the demands of the environment, most divers are not able to meet the required standards in just a few days. It is not impossible, but it is challenging. To certify you, your instructor must see that you are truly comfortable and confident in the environment, which is not always obvious after only a few days of training.
How long does the course take?
We generally dedicate 3 days to the cavern section, 3 days to the Intro to Cave section and 4 days to the final Cave Diver section.
In Mexico, technical diving courses are charged per day. This allows us to adapt as much as possible to each student’s learning pace. The course may take the number of days mentioned above, or as many days as the student needs. Every student and every course is different.
Is it mandatory to do the course in sidemount?
No, not at all. For cave diving courses, the use of double tanks is mandatory, but they do not necessarily have to be in sidemount configuration; backmount twins are also an option.
Although at Scuba Alux we love sidemount, we understand that the most important thing is for the student to train in the configuration they will actually use when they return home.
Ready for your next dive?
Contact us and we’ll help you plan the perfect diving experience for your level and goals.