Cave Diving is a specialized diving certification that few technical divers have accomplished.  It is listed as an extreme activity and is taught as such.  All cave organizations teach the safe art of cave diving, and only certify cave divers when they have reached a level of skill, knowledge and understanding through cetified training that earns them that level. 

Cave diving is different from any kind of diving you’ve probably ever done. Entry into these extraordinary spaces and places comes only with training and knowledge. To safely cave dive one must be cool and level-headed, exercise mature judgment, be properly equipped and every dive must be well planned and executed.  The transistion from recreational diving to technical cave diving is tough but rewarding.

Cave diving is not for everyone, and nor is it as main stream as open water diving.  The Cave certifying organizations taught cave diving to those trained in recovery and rescue missions. NACD, NSS-CDS are two popular organizations in Mexico.  Once areas like the Riviera Maya with their delicately decorated caves, which are unlike anyothers in the world, were discovered in the early 1980's, certifying agencies maintained their rigorous training for the purposes of cave exploration, and cave diving. 

The main differences between an open water diver and cave diver, besides certifications,  are equipment used, air rules (in cave diving, divers use the rule of thirds), and where you can dive, open versed closed environments. 

Cave training in Mexico is done with some of the worlds best instructors and cave explorers who have migrated to the Riviera Maya just to be close to the caves that exist in the area.  Many came to explore the systems in the late 1980's and through the 1990's when hundreds of kilometers of cave and cavern systems were being mapped and documented.  They have remained as business owners and instructors who train divers who wish to witness the gateway into the underworld.

For more information on cave diving and cave training visit cavediving,  cave training , and cave diving vacations.