Every diving organization offers within its course structure a programm that successfully qualifies the candidate to guide certified divers in open water. Examples are the Divemaster Course.
Why should there be a special course for guiding divers in the cavern area respectively in the cave area (if they have the corresponding training)?
Cavern – Cenote Excursion
Divers with minimum Open Water Certification can experience the cenotes of the Riviera Maya with a guide. They learn a completely new dive environmet, diving without a direct ascent to the surface, the overhead environment. The guide needs to be able to explain all necessary emergency procedures and why it changes in the overhead environment, but this is such a specialized aspect and a dive master, if (s)he has been trained as a cave diver, has not necessarily learnt this during his/her cave course.
It is of course a great advantage if the recreational diver knows the differences for cavern diving versus open water versus cave.
Cave Diving
Although every technical diver should be capable to plan and dive his/her cave dive, there is an advantage to have a local guide to buddy up with (suitable choice of dive site, knowledge where to go, emergency equipment etc.). The guide on the other side has always to consider that technical divers with varying training levels and certification levels arrive and would like to or are able to dive caves with different levels of difficulty. The guide must be in a position to evaluate the diver in the beginning and to create an adequate plan for the day that pays respect to the wishes of the client as well as safety and cave conservation.
At the moment only a well trained cave instructor fulfills these requirement for BOTH of guided dives in the caverns and caves. Experience and not only course dives are prerequisite as a minimum.
Request with your booking a log of the experience of your guide and help us to make diving in the cavern and caves of the Riviera Maya safer. Only if the customer knows what to ask for, can we create the grounds for change.
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