Question Looking for a dive shop recommendation AOW with cavern (Florida/Cancun)

[Snoegie]

Hi all,

Like the title says I'm looking for a shop recommendation that I can take my advanced cert with (agency doesn't really matter too much) such that I can do a cavern dive with them. Are there any ones I should be particularly considering?

Thanks!

EDIT:
To clarify - I'd like to incorporate a cavern dive as one of the 5 AOW dives. I know I can probably do a guided tour/specialty independently.

 

[boulderjohn]

Any shop can do AOW. What you are really asking for is a recommendation for a shop that will lead you on a cavern dive. That will be common.

I may have misunderstood your post. If you were asking for training as a cavern diver, then you need a shop with (depending upon the egency) a certified cavern or cave instructor. That will be less common.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Florida or Cancun? That region of Mexico--the so-called Riviera Maya--is unique in that dive operators offer non-cave/cavern-trained divers guided cavern (cenote) tours. There are no guided cavern tours like that available in Florida. If your goal is to see a beautiful cavern, you should choose Cancun.

Also, I am not sure your premise is correct that having an Advanced cert is a requirement of all dive operators in Mexico to take a guided cenote tour. Some dive operators may require an Advanced cert, but others may perhaps require that you have done a certain number of dives to show experience, but not require the Advanced certification per se. I do not know. Just suggesting you look into it before you sign up for an Advanced course because you believe it is a prerequisite for doing a cenote tour.

 

[Superlyte27]

Florida or Cancun? That region of Mexico--the so-called Riviera Maya--is unique in that dive operators offer non-cave/cavern-trained divers guided cavern (cenote) tours. There are no guided cavern tours like that available in Florida. If your goal is to see a beautiful cavern, you should choose Cancun.

Also, I am not sure your premise is correct that having an Advanced cert is a requirement of all dive operators in Mexico to take a guided cenote tour. Some dive operators may require an Advanced cert, but others may perhaps require that you have done a certain number of dives to show experience, but not require the Advanced certification per se. I do not know. Just suggesting you look into it before you sign up for an Advanced course because you believe it is a prerequisite for doing a cenote tour.

I'm not sure that's accurate.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm not sure that's accurate.

Care to share your thinking? Ginnie Ballroom?! Not much to see.

 

[Cathansen92]

I had an amazing time doing my AOW and some guided cavern cenote dives with Green Divers Tulum in Mexico.
Small and personal operation, great dives and tuition plus amazing food included.

 

[Snoegie]

Any shop can do AOW. What you are really asking for is a recommendation for a shop that will lead you on a cavern dive. That will be common.

I may have misunderstood your post. If you were asking for training as a cavern diver, then you need a shop with (depending upon the egency) a certified cavern or cave instructor. That will be less common.

Thanks for the replay man. To clarify - I'd like to use the AOW as an opportunity to experience caverns as one of the 5 required dives to see if it's someting I'd like try out more seriously. I'm sure there are other options to get a feel for them outside of AOW certification process, but this seemed like a two birds one stone thing.

 

[Snoegie]

Florida or Cancun? That region of Mexico--the so-called Riviera Maya--is unique in that dive operators offer non-cave/cavern-trained divers guided cavern (cenote) tours. There are no guided cavern tours like that available in Florida. If your goal is to see a beautiful cavern, you should choose Cancun.

Also, I am not sure your premise is correct that having an Advanced cert is a requirement of all dive operators in Mexico to take a guided cenote tour. Some dive operators may require an Advanced cert, but others may perhaps require that you have done a certain number of dives to show experience, but not require the Advanced certification per se. I do not know. Just suggesting you look into it before you sign up for an Advanced course because you believe it is a prerequisite for doing a cenote tour.

Thanks for the reply. I don't think that AOW is a req for cavern tours, but I would like to use the AOW process to experience a variety of dive environments that I wouldn't be able to do without more extensive training. Since I'm very curious about technical diving, I'd like to see if I can include a cavern dive as part of AOW.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'd like to see if I can include a cavern dive as part of AOW.

Ah, I understand now. I don't know the answer. Perhaps an instructor here can answer that.

 

[Marie13]

From what I saw in Mexico when I was there for full cave in August, the cenote recreational dives are a two dive thing. That seems to be the case from reading posts here. A cenote dive guide has to be minimum of an open water divemaster and must be full cave certified. There are no requirements that guides be cavern/cave instructors. A guide is going to have up to three divers total.

You would need to find an AOW instructor who was also a cenote cavern guide, who was willing to do private dives. It would not likely be cheap.

I think your best bet is to take a dive trip to Coz, do your AOW, then do cenote dives as part of the trip, but not AOW.