Cave Diving Instructors in Playa Del Carmen or U.S.

[rddvet]

No doubt that for exploration it's all being done in SM these days.

Please don't take this as being contrarian or arguing, but that is not wholly accurate. Alot of exploration is in sm, but there is a ton happening in bm as well. The difference is the people who like to post and discuss their exploration on the internet are mostly sm divers. Not saying they are posting and discussing it more because they're sm divers. It just happens to be that way.
There's alot of work being done in Mx that isn't common knowledge as some of the explorers keep it quiet.

 

[Troglodyti 4.0]

Unfortunately, $250 is the going rate for Yucatan. The Mexican peso will soon be on par with the US dollar sometime in the future. I met a gringo a while back and asked why he didn't do his cave training in Florida? His cave instructor gave the simple reply: our cave systems are more complex.

 

[34109411]

All the way for training go with Robbie Schmitter in Tulum.

 

[dylanfromwinnipeg]

Me and my buddy used Nicholas White.

Unfortunately Nick no longer lives in Mexico.

Even if you live in playa you should consider the many cave instructors in Tulum too. Most of the caves you dive during and after the course will be in Tulum area, so you’ll be driving back and forth every day regardless.

I live in playa (in winters), but I do all my tech training with Lanny from Underworld Tulum. They are amazing! 3rd dimension in Tulum also has a stellar reputation.

 

[rjack321]

Hello everyone,

I am moving to Playa in a couple of years and am looking to get cave certified eventually so I can get the full experience of living down there, and also maybe do some freelancing on the side. I've been in contact with the guy from Ghost Divers in Playa, and as of now that is who I intend to go with because he's been super helpful and responsive over email. My question is, does anybody have any other recommendations? Ghost divers charges about $250 usd per day, and the course is 9-10 days. How does that compare with anyone else's certification? I won't be moving for a couple of years so I am open to hearing recommendations for U.S. based instructors as well!

Thank you!

You better hurry up, between the train and the new airport the development pressure in Quinata Roo is insane. All these new people, residents, tourists, everyone shiits in the water and its all cave water. Many of the longstanding cave dives are absolutely disgusting already and its getting worse by the month.

 

[rddvet]

You better hurry up, between the train and the new airport the development pressure in Quinata Roo is insane. All these new people, residents, tourists, everyone shiits in the water and its all cave water. Many of the longstanding cave dives are absolutely disgusting already and its getting worse by the month.

It’s sad. We used to go 4 times a year for many years. After Covid we’ve barely gone once a year due to work. But when we go back after being gone so long, it’s nuts how much the area changes. And never for the better. It all started when TripAdvisor named Tulum they’re top vacation spot one year. We’ve only been back when they had just started the train. I can only imagine how bad it is now.

 

[oya]

You better hurry up, between the train and the new airport...

... I can only imagine how bad it is now.

Not gonna lie... it's bad.

In places. And at times.

To risk sending the whole conversation down a very ugly rabbit-hole... yeah, there are some areas that are just lost due to the hubris of the local construction.

HOWEVER...

There is still a lot of cave down here. Much of it upstream (that is... deeper into the jungle) of where the rampant, non-stop construction chasing the flawed, and destructive myth that sustainable infinite growth is not an idiotic oxymoron.

The caves have been around since long before humans were here and they'll be here long after we're gone. Remembering that time, a long time ago - when a particularly dim species of ape tried to destroy the whole world with petrochemicals and timeshares and trains and whatnot.

 

[rddvet]

Not gonna lie... it's bad.

In places. And at times.

To risk sending the whole conversation down a very ugly rabbit-hole... yeah, there are some areas that are just lost due to the hubris of the local construction.

HOWEVER...

There is still a lot of cave down here. Much of it upstream (that is... deeper into the jungle) of where the rampant, non-stop construction chasing the flawed, and destructive myth that sustainable infinite growth is not an idiotic oxymoron.

The caves have been around since long before humans were here and they'll be here long after we're gone. Remembering that time, a long time ago - when a particularly dim species of ape tried to destroy the whole world with petrochemicals and timeshares and trains and whatnot.

It just sucks eventhough I know there's more caves that are clear. I saw on facebook lately Nohoch is starting to look bad. Although Nohoch is definitely not my favorite cave, it's by far one of my favorite caves to take someone who hasn't experienced it. As you know the reactions to spots like Heaven's Gate is always fun to see from people who haven't been there.

 

[34109411]

You better hurry up, between the train and the new airport the development pressure in Quinata Roo is insane. All these new people, residents, tourists, everyone shiits in the water and its all cave water. Many of the longstanding cave dives are absolutely disgusting already and its getting worse by the month.

Unfortunately you are right. I use to live there between 05 and 08. Last time i went was in 19. I could not believe all the changes...

The train the airport ! Give few years cenotes are gone. In comparison in cave country florida they did protect very well the underground rivers.

All those lands in The Yucatan peninsula are under the control of the very few and they will put money interests at first and put nature and biodiversity far away after that.

 

[kierentec]

Not to continue to derail this thread anymore, but unfortunately, I am leaving Mexico and heading back to FL. There's a variety of reasons, but one of the big ones is it's just becoming too sad to see the destruction here every day and it's a difficult moral struggle to continue contributing to that destruction both by being here myself and bringing more tourists here for training. Every time I take out the trash, I know it's just being driving a couple of km away to be dumped in the jungle. My house is now surrounded by construction sites with acres of jungle being hacked down every week. Many of those construction sites are left half-built because the contractors disappeared with everyone's deposits. It's becoming an absolute horror show. For most of the past 5 years or so much of that was hidden from our normal treks out into the jungle, but now many of the sites in tulum are surrounded by residential developments. It's getting harder and harder to access training sites with all kinds of nonsensical politics with many local instructors and guides acting as saviors for the rest of us when really it's just an ego show about who can control the access. Most of the training sites are being destroyed by development and the landowners are making it harder and harder for us to access the sites. Many training sites we can't get into until after 9am and they kick us out of the water by 3. What used to be nice relaxed days of training are now very rushed and stressed because we have to pack more diving into less time somehow. And that's not to mention the rapidly increasing cost of living in the area. This will only get much much worse over the next few years with the train and airport operating. As more roads are built, more development will continue further down the coast and back into the jungle. What used to be "upstream" of the development will soon be downstream until it is all destroyed. The rate at which it is all occurring is mind-blowing. Every week I'm left in awe of how much destruction has taken place over just a few days. I just can't be a part of it anymore, it just feels massively hypocritical.

Now, Florida is not much better, especially with the nightmare that Ginnie is becoming. But at least the state and county parks are still well-managed and relatively peaceful.