OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS

We want your visit to "The New Frontier" to be safe, fun and a rewarding experience. There are several ways to approach training and certification for cavern and cave diving. The following outlines the best course for you.

CAVERN DIVING

This is a two day course involving an open water dive and at least four cavern dives. It is diving the "overhead environment" staying within the sight of natural daylight. This course is very popular and provides the diver an orientation to the specialized needs of the cenotes. Emphasis is placed on dive planning, air management, buoyancy control, using a guidereel and line, emergency procedures, swimming techiques and buddymanship. This is NOT a cave diving course in any sense but allows the recreational diver to experience the cave entrance, improve general diving skills and can establish an interest to go beyond into cave diving. The course involves six hours of theory including land drills, accident anaylsis, the environment, "stress" management, and equipment configuration. The divesites are: Cenote Carwash, Cenote PonDeRosa, Cenote Temple of Doom, Cenote Taj Mahal and The Gran Cenote.

Specialized equipment required: Two battery-powered lights and guidereel and line. We provide both for the course.

Certifications offered: NACD, IANTD, PADI, and NAUI.

INTRODUCTION TO CAVE DIVING

This is a two day course involving 5 - 6 cave dives. It allows limited penetrations into the cave system building on the confidence of the diver. Emphasis is placed on swimming/buoyancy control techniques in the cave environment along with a safe diving philosophy, emergency procedures, the environment, conservation, accident analysis and good land owner relations.

Pre-Requisite: Cavern diving certification.

Specialized equipment: Single tank or double tanks with dual outlet valves. Two regulators with one having a seven foot share air hose, three battery powered lights and guidereel along with standard scuba equipment.

Limitations: No decompression, no restrictions, one continuous guideline, no complex dives and no more than one third air rule management on single tanks.

Certifications offered: NACD, IANTD and NAUI.

COMBINED CAVERN - INTRO TO CAVE COURSE

Very popular course as it allows the students to experience and enjoy the cave environment without being committed to double tanks while enjoying comfortable views of the cave passageways and deciding if to go futher into cave diving. This four day course includes a minimum of nine dives in the cavern and cave environment. Same limitations and equipment requirements as the Intro To Cave course.

CAVE DIVING COURSE

"We specialize in week long cave diving courses". Because most divers must travel long distances to an area that offers underwater caves, logistics and time weigh as important factor on which approach to seek for training. A complete six day cave diving course has been designed to allow divers the opportunity to safely enjoy and become certified as a FULL CAVE DIVER. This course prepares the diver for safe enjoyment of the underwater cave environment through a broad base of comprehensive training. It includes a minimum 14 cave dives and 600 minutes of bottom time with at least 12 hours of lecture and information exchange. The student will be able to demonstrate satisfactory competence and knowledge of the skills and subjects presented by the Cave Diving Instructor. All dives will be conducted with exposure to a wide variety of underwater cave conditions such as silt, halocline, silty or low visibility, circuits/traverses, gaps, jumps and T's, siphons, restrictions, referencing, conservation, accident analysis, stress management, psychological aspects, dive planning, air management, guidelines and reels, guideline techniques, protocol, safe philosophy, equipment configuration, emergency procedures, decompression theory and procedures, landowner relations, team management, use of oxygen and controversial topics.

Prequisite: Advanced open water certication with a minimum 50 logged scuba dives.

Specialized equipment: Cave diving can be performed safely and enjoyably through proper training and experience. It is UNSAFE to enter a cave without the learned ability to cope with the "cave environment". There are certain pieces of equipment neccessary for safe participation in the sport of cave diving. However, proper equipment can aid the diver only if it is adequately maintained, accessible and if the diver is intimately familiar with its uses and limitations. Cave diving gear must be dependable. To delete even one piece of required gear can jeopardize the team's safety. With every course, WE go through a thorough equipment configuration discussion involving a safe philosophy of streamlining, no danglies, keep it clean, keep it simple, personal preference and common sense. It is proven that the better the configuration, the better the performance. The minimum equipment per diver necessary for safe cave diving is: Mask, fins, full exposure suit and no snorkel, two regulators one with 7 foot share air hose, buoyancy device with power inflator, dual outlet valve manifold, submersible pressure gauge, primary guidereel and line, safety reel, jump/gap reel, primary light, two safety lights, depth gauge, underwater watch and/or computer, dive tables, slate and pencil along with small, sharp knife.

WE provide each student with reels, extra regulator with seven foot hose, backplate and "wings" buoyancy device and saety lights. Primary light can be rented at a weekly rate! Double tanks with air and dual outlet manifold also available.

We can easily coordinate different students into ONE course to get the best price!
Certifications offered: NACD., IANTD and NAUI.

AQUATECH/VILLAS DEROSA proudly offers YOU a complete seven night/eight day certification course package opportunity. It includes:

ACCOMODATIONS for 7 nights overlooking the beautiful Caribbean at Aventuras Akumal (double occupancy).
FOOD PROGRAM including breakfast, lunch and dinner.
TRANSPORTATION to Villas DeRosa and the local cave diving sites.
CAVE COURSE INSTRUCTION.
DOUBLE TANKS and AIR.
CERTIFICATION FEE*.
SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT. Includes extra regulator with 7 foot hose, back plate, back mount "wings" BCD and backup lights. Primary light extra.
COOLER and SOFT DRINKS.
*Choice of one certification. NACD, IANTD, & NAUI. IANTD Nitrox course/certification requires additional fee.

FOR APPLICATION & REGISTRATION CALL/FAX
AQUATECH/VILLAS DEROSA at (011-52) 987 - 59020

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