Cost differences Mexico v Florida

[teknitroxdiver]

I've been comparing course options between the Yucatán and Florida, and there seems to be a large difference in price, with Mexico being far more expensive. As an example, Cavern seems consistently from $375-450 in Florida. Of the prices I can find in Mexico, it's $850-$1000. Am I missing something here? Why such a massive difference?

 

[Doby45]

I would say this. If you are wanting to take the course to really learn and be a better diver and a quality cave diver, take it in Florida. Everyone I have spoken with has said you can learn to cave dive in Florida and then Mexico will be a cake walk to dive, but it does not work as well going the other way around. Mexican cenotes are not as deep and the water is much warmer, you are using aluminums and very light harnesses. Florida you are rolling steels normally, deeper dives and cooler water.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Are equipment rental and incidental costs, such as fills, transportation, and entrance fees included in the Mexico prices?

 

[elgoog]

Are equipment rental and incidental costs, such as fills, transportation, and entrance fees included in the Mexico prices?

Not full equipment rental but tank rental, EAN32 gas fills, transport from shop to sites and entrance fees were included in the course cost for the handful of shops in Mexico I contacted last week.

 

[bamafan]

I haven't priced rates between the two but from guide fees it seems to me that they are comparable in price $250-$300/day. I doubt the course vary that much in price. Maybe the Florida prices are for 2 or 3 people while the Mexico prices are for a solo diver. Get trained where you will dive the most. There are good and bad instructors in both places.

 

[bamafan]

Not full equipment rental but tank rental, EAN32 gas fills, transport from shop to sites and entrance fees were included in the course cost for the handful of shops in Mexico I contacted last week.

In Mexico we pay about $2.50 / al80 for air. This is directly from the fill station so I am sure the shops mark it up. Food is cheaper in Mexico. The housing in Mexico is cheaper for comparable accommodations too.

 

[joshk]

If you are wanting to take the course to really learn and be a better diver and a quality cave diver, take it in Florida.

If you want to learn and be a better diver, pick someone not somewhere or with some agency. The instructor is the important variable.

 

[northernone]

If you want to learn and be a better diver, pick someone not somewhere or with some agency. The instructor is the important variable.

I am stopping by to add my voice to this.

 

[northernone]

And I seem the same daily rates in Florida and Mexico for instructors of all experience levels.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Prices in Mexico are similar or slightly elevated compared to Florida. Mexico cavern classes are listed as 4 days @200 - 250 per day. In Florida, just cavern is 2-3 days or a cavern/intro combo is 4 days at around $200 per day. The class duration is driving the discrepancy, but I have no idea why cavern in Mexico needs to be 4 days.

As a few others have stated, I would recommend Florida before Mexico. Deeper, higher flow, tougher caves. If you are not sure about really getting into cave, I would still recommend a 4 day cavern/intro course combo to really get a good feel for it. Plenty of people take cavern and then go back later to complete the rest of their training. That is not a bad option and probably a good recommendation if you have no other tech training, but if you have some previous tech training/config, doing that extra day and going that little extra bit into the overhead will make all the difference in the world.