TDI Cavern Diver course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

TDI CAVERN DIVER COURSE IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN

- 3 Days Minimum- $285/day -

*price based on 2 divers. Single divers please add $35

 

The TDI Cavern Diver Course is the first real step toward becoming a full-fledged cave diver. You'll learn the basic skills required to safely dive in cavern areas — the natural light zone, within light penetration — including reel use, proper communication, buoyancy, and finning technique, along with the hazards that come with any overhead environment.

This course won't prepare you to dive in caves. That's not the goal here. The goal is proper planning, procedure, technique, and a real understanding of the hazards specific to cavern diving — the foundation everything after this gets built on.

Who this course is for:

  • Certified divers ready to move into overhead environment diving and expand their capabilities, techniques, and comfort underwater.

 

What you'll learn:

  • Cavern diving policy
  • Gas management procedures, including dissimilar volumes
  • Psychological considerations of cavern diving
  • Equipment considerations, including:
    • Cylinder options
    • Regulator options
    • Harness options
    • Proper weighting
    • Reel options
  • Equipment configuration
  • Communication (light and hand signals)
  • Swimming technique — body posture/trim, buoyancy control, line following, propulsion
  • Physiology — breathing technique, stress management
  • Cavern environment and conservation
  • Problem solving — emergency procedures, equipment failure, silting conditions
  • Accident analysis
  • Cavern diving etiquette
  • Review of dive tables and decompression theory

Skills you'll have to demonstrate:

  • Properly deploy a guideline
  • Follow a guideline with eyes open and eyes closed (simulating lost visibility)
  • Air-share with a buddy, eyes open, while following a guideline
  • Air-share with lights off and eyes closed, using touch contact along the guideline
  • Remove and replace your mask while in contact with the guideline
  • Conservation, awareness, and back-referencing technique
  • Light and hand signals, touch contact
  • Anti-silting technique
  • Simulate a primary light failure and exit on backup light
  • Buoyancy control, proper trim, propulsion technique
  • Equipment check and matching
  • Adequate pre-dive planning

 

COURSE PREREQUISITES

These requirements must be met prior to commencement of training

  • Minimum age 18
  • Proof of Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver certification, or equivalent
  • Proof of 25 logged dives
  • Good buoyancy control

Cave Diving Course Combinations:

Intro to Tech + Cavern Diver
Sidemount + Cavern Diver
Cavern Diver + Intro to Cave
Cavern + Intro to Cave + Full Cave Diver

Exact course duration depends on your pace and experience — I'll confirm timing with you directly once we talk.

 

 

Prices Include:

  • Transportation to and from the cenote(s) departing from downtown Playa del Carmen.
  • Tanks (double tanks or sidemount tanks)
  • Weights if needed

Not Included:

  • Cenote Entry Fees (Mx$300-500/DAY)
  • Manual
  • TDI Certification Fees
  • Lunch
  • Personal Diving Equipment - see list of required equipment.

TDI CAvern Diver Training

What’s in it for you?

Once you've completed this course, you can engage in cavern diving without direct supervision, as long as:

  • The diving activities match your training
  • Planned dives don't exceed your current certification level
  • Penetration stays within the "rule of thirds," or 1/6th if using doubles, to a maximum depth of 40 meters/130 feet
  • Penetration stays within 61 linear meters/200 linear feet from the surface
  • Proper cavern diving equipment is used
  • A continuous guideline is maintained
  • No restrictions or spaces too small for two divers to swim side by side
  • Safety stops as appropriate or necessary

 

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