The cavern diving course is the first of three consecutive courses to reach the full cave diver certification. Many keen divers at one point in their diving education stumble over the niche of cavern diving, watch a cave diving documentary, or have some previous recreational diving experience in caverns, leading to the desire to enroll in a cavern diving course.
In this blog, we will explain overhead environment diving in caverns, and give you 3 reasons why to complete your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
The Cavern Diving Course – Sneak Peek And Fundamentals Of Cave Diving
The overhead environment in diving is defined as an area underwater that does not allow direct access to the surface, basically the opposite of open water. Therefore a vertical ascent isn’t possible and a different route (mostly horizontal) has to be taken to be able to access the surface leaving the overhead environment. That is the case when wreck diving, mine diving, ice diving, or cavern/cave diving!
Today we’ll talk about cavern diving, especially cavern diving in the Yucatan peninsula, and why The Riviera Maya is an optimal location for your cavern diving course.
Cavern Diving Course Playa del Carmen: Requirements & Course Modules
Overhead environment diving requirements differ depending on the certifying agency and local rules, most cavern diving courses in Playa del Carmen are trained through TDI (Technical Diving International) and require divers to meet the following prerequisites to enroll in the course:
- 18 years old
- Minimum Open Water Diver
- 25 logged dives or more
- (Sidemount or Twinset technical configuration certification)
TDI and PADI for example do not necessarily require a Sidemount or Twinset configuration to enroll in the cavern diving course, but to continue education after the course to enroll in the Intro to Cave diving course it becomes a requirement. Therefore many instructors may teach the cavern diving course in one of these two configurations already, to avoid students having to do a cavern diving review in Sidemount or Twinsets before starting the next course.
The cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen includes several modules, including a theoretical part that’s suggested to be completed before in-water training. The theory can be completed by eLearning before arrival, or with a physical manual. During the cavern diving course and before completion, an exam has to be taken to complete the theory part, your instructor will hand the exam to you during the course.
Practical training consists of both, in-water training, dives, and land drills to perform as a team or individual diver.
Land drills are completed before conducting the respective exercises underwater, to ensure students understand the sequence and execution of each exercise before applying them to diving. The duration of practical training varies depending on the student, group size, prior certification, and skill level, but always takes a minimum of 4 days.
You’ll learn about pre-dive preparation and procedures, gas-planning, line deployment, line marking procedures, communication, awareness, emergency procedures like share air procedures, and much more during your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen.
Cavern Diver: Certification Requirements
Student divers have to meet certain requirements to become certified as cavern divers. These vary slightly between agencies but generally, we can take the following as minimum requirements to complete the cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen:
- Perform land drills and cavern dive requirements efficiently
- Demonstrate mature, sound judgment concerning dive planning and execution
- Maintain an appropriate level of awareness and respect for the environment
- Log all training dives
- Complete the theoric part & exam successfully
Cavern Diving Course: Cost And What’s Included
Depending on your previous certification, preferred certifying agency, course quality, and instructor of the cavern diving course, the cost can vary anywhere between $500-$1500 USD. Certainly, bringing your equipment and taking the cavern diving course in a group rather than in a 1-on-1 setup can reduce the cost while maintaining high-quality training.
Chosen training dive sites also play a role in the overall cost, as many Cenotes charge different entry fees and distances to Playa del Carmen vary depending on the Cenotes chosen.
We highly recommend discussing those details with your instructor before booking a course, as some instructors and operators will give you a detailed overview of the cost breakdown, whereas others charge a standard per-day fee including the training service + logistics. We’re sure you’ll find your best fit by investigating different instructors, agencies, and options for your personal budget.
Most cavern diving course offers include transportation from and to the training dive site, theory + exam fee, practical training in a group of no more than 3 students per instructor, tank fills and weights during the course, lunch and water, soft drinks, and any course specific equipment needed without the basic equipment like BCD or wing, regulator(s), fins, masks, and wetsuits. There are operators including equipment rental in their daily fee, especially when planning to complete your cavern diving course in side-mount or back-mount doubles configuration.
Most instructors will charge a daily fee in case you need an extra day of training after the usual period of training in order to successfully meet the certification requirements for the cavern diving course.
Why Complete Your Cavern Diving Course in Playa del Carmen?
Now that we learned about the cavern diving course layout and requirements, you’ll be excited to know why many people choose to enroll in their training in the Riviera Maya. Read on to learn about our top 3 reasons why to complete this course in Playa del Carmen.
1. Cenotes And Cave Systems In The Riviera Maya – Endless Training Divesites For The Cavern Diving Course
The Riviera Maya is worldwide renown for its vast and extensive cave systems, caverns, and so-called Cenotes. Cenotes are natural sinkholes, serving as entry and exit points to the several cave systems hidden beneath the Mayan jungle and flooded with fresh water.
The longest underwater cave systems on the earth are found in this region, and while exploration continues, many parts of these caves and caverns are accessible for recreational and technical divers of all levels.
This gives nearly endless options of training dive sites for your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen and its surroundings. The variety in training dive sites consolidates learned procedures. It puts you into different cavern diving environments, ensuring you will gain the most possible knowledge and skill level while completing your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen.
2. Lots of Technical and Cavern Diving Instructors From Different Agencies Available to Choose From
One good reason to enroll and complete your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen is the number of professional instructors and technical dive operations located in the Riviera Maya. You can certainly find your preferred training agency represented by several instructors, with different experience levels, pricing, and course layouts to find your optimal fit.
The importance of finding an instructor you trust becomes more evident with continuing education courses like the cavern diving course, especially if you’re planning to build up on this course becoming a certified full cave diver in the future.
Solid fundamentals and training are the base for becoming a successful cave diver with self-confidence, knowledge, and a consolidated skill level in the water.
3. Shallow Cave Systems and Cavern Zones Avoid The Necessity For Previous Technical Diving Training
Compared to many other locations offering cavern diving courses, in Playa del Carmen and its surroundings most cave systems lay relatively shallow which makes the need for previous technical dive training and use of different gas mixes void.
The average depth of the cenotes and cave systems ranges from 6-20 Meters, with some deeper and some shallower sections further into the caves.
Therefore most of your training during the cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen takes place in those shallower areas, making the time limits for your training dives long-lasting, the danger of decompression very small, and the need for gas mixes besides air and Nitrox 32% nonexistent.
DivePoint Mexico Offers Cavern Diving Courses in Playa del Carmen
Are you excited to start your journey to become a certified cavern diver? No worries – we got you!
You can enroll in the cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen by contacting us and setting up preferred dates for your course start, we’ll send you the eLearning and take care of the rest! Our highly trained and professional instructors are stoked to show you the magical underwater world of the Cenotes and ensure you the highest quality of overhead environment training under the training standards of TDI, PADI, or IANTD.
Don’t own equipment yet? We can rent you all the required equipment to start your cavern diving course in Playa del Carmen. Contact us now to start this new adventure and take your diving to the next level.
