Tag Archives: Cave Diving

Diving underwater caves

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT

Dive gear, Side Mount, Technical DivingCave Diving, Cave Exploration, Deco Procedures, Dive Shop Playa del Carmen, Razor Side Mount, side mount, sidemount cave diving, sidemount training, technical diving, Yucatan

RAZOR SYSTEMS

The Razor Side Mount System is a integrated system designed specifically for side mount diving. It can be used for both cold water diving

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT SYSTEM 2.5

Razor Harness 2.5
Redundant BAT Wing 2.5
T Weight System
Universal Spares Kit

Price: $692.00

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT SYSTEM 2.5 COMPLETE

BAasic Razor system 2.5
Spare Side Mount Bungee
2 Double enders for the Expandable Side Mount Pouch
Expandable Side Mount Pouch 2.5

Price: $859.00

STUDENT KIT

Expandable Pouch
2 double-endeers
Spare Bungee Kit

3 X RAZOR WEIGHT POCKET

Designed to be used with the Razor weight pocket base layer to place the weight pockets exactly where you need them

REDUNDANT BAT WING 2.5

Primary wing has a standard Power Inflator and Manual Dump valve
Backup wing has an oral inflator

RAZOR LIGHTS & ACCESSORIES

TOOLS

Is cave diving for me?

December 31, 2017Dive trainingCave Diving, Cave Diving Training, Dive CourseDeep Dark Diving

You can think of cave diving as very demanding and more dangerous than reef diving, but when executed properly, cave dives are safe and extremely rewarding. After completing your cave diver training, you will travel to amazing places such as Bahamas islands and the Cenotes of Yucatan in Mexico, discover places only few people have ever seen and get a sense of exploration.

To become a cave diver you will have to go through rigourous training. The steps and levels can slightly differ from one training agency to the other, but your training will strongly depend on the instructors experience in cave diving and teaching. So make sure you get the right instructor for yourself.

Here are a few thoughts…

Can I become a cave diver?

First of all you need the right motivation: an interest for cave and for cave diving. If you’re a thrill seeker: pass your way!

TDI Cave diving course

Any Open water diver with sufficient experience and habilities can start a cave diving training program. You should be confident diving in low-light and low visibility conditions. You should be qualified or comfortable learning in a two-tanks system, either in sidemount or backmount configuration.

Cave diving demands a serious and confident approach, and discipline to meticulously conduct every dive, every time.

What will I learn during my cave diver training?

Air Sharing in Touch Contact

Anti silting swimming techniques
Use a line and reel
Stress management
Dealing with problems safely and calmly
Become an aware and safe cave diver
Geology, cave formations and conservation
a lot more…

What equipment will I need?

Two tanks configuration: sidemount or backmount
Three torches (Primary light source and two backups)
Line cutters
Reels and spools
Personal markers

Make sure to talk to your instructor before purchasing any item, to ensure that you’re getting the right gear.

Where can I learn to cavern dive?

Cenote Kukulkan, cavern dive in the winter morning light

First step of the full cave diver training, you should do your training in a cave diving area, to get real experience, and inspire you to continue your training to cave diver. The Cenotes of Mexico in the Yucatan Peninsula offer amazing training and diving sites, and remain one of the most popular cave diving destination in the world.

Where can I learn to cave dive?

The cave diver training is a two step course. During the first part, the introductory course you will learn to complete simple cave dives following a single continuous guideline.

The final part of cave training is mainly about adding complexity to navigation inside the cave. For that last part of the training we highly recommend the caves of Mexico. These very complex systems offer a large quantity of dive sites and scenarios possibility for training. The warm water and shallow caves will enable you to stay longer underwater, practice and focus on cave related skills.

Where can I cave dive after my cave diver training?

All around the world 🙂

Among popular places to go cave diving for pleasure is Florida, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, France, and the Yucatan Peninsula.

Do you feel ready to become a cave diver?

We might or might not be the right instructors for you, but if you have any doubts or questions don’t hesitate in contacting us.

Most of all, if you are ready, welcome to the amazing world of cave divers.

CONTACT

Playing with the Halocline

October 11, 2017Cave Diving, Technical DivingCave Diving, sidemount cave divingDeep Dark Diving

A cave dive playing in the halocline, meeting with remipedes

This cave is just amazing, dark with a very well defined halocline. Recommended to dive with Nitrox and with stage side mount or stage back mount configuration as it is fairly deep and you will want to stay as long as posible.

Halocline: from Greek hals, halo- ‘salt’ and klinein ‘to slope’

The halocline is the area within a body of water that marks a drastic change in salinity.

Haloclines are common in underwater caves near the ocean. The fresh water, less dense, forms a layer above the salt water from the ocean. For cave divers, it causes the optical illusion of air space in caverns. Passing through stirs up the layers and blurs the vision.

The halocline itself is responsible for the formation of the cave systems. The mixing of the saltwater and freshwater results in reactive brackish water that dissolves the limestone, eroding the rock and enlarging a cave’s passageways.

Because different water densities meet at the halocline and both organic and inorganic particulates accumulate there, it is chemically speaking an intriguing place.

CONTACT

Diving Training

Cave and Tech Diving course, Dive trainingAdvanced Nitrox, Cave Diving, Cave Diving Training, Deco Procedures, Deep Diving Playa del Carmen, Dive Course, Dive Shop Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Nitrox, Razor Side Mount, side mount, Side Mount Diving, sidemount cave diving, technical diving, Yucatan

Deep Dark Diving dive training Philosophy

We offer high quality training in technical diving and cave diving in Playa del Carmen, all the Riviera Maya and in Yucatan, Mexico.

We strive to provide the best learning experience. The objective is to achieve the highest level and learn from each moment. Then by using what you learn you will improve your performance and the safety of your diving.

There is a minimum days required by standards for technical and cave diving training, but be aware that you will personnaly need to meet the diving standards.

All training is based on skills mastering. We do our best to share our experience and knowledge with you and ensure the efficiency of your training but technical or cave diving certification is not garanteed.

Guided dives

Cave Diving, Guided Dives, Side Mount, Technical DivingBull sharks diving, Cave Diving, Cavern Diving, Cenote Diving, Cenotes Tulum, Cozumel, Deep Diving Playa del Carmen, Dive Shop Playa del Carmen, Mexico, ocean diving, reef diving, scuba diving, sidemount cave diving, technical diving, Yucatan

REEF DIVING

Guided Dives on the second largest reef in the world – Experience the thrill of diving with bull sharks – Day trips to cozumel from Playa del Carmen – Express trips to Cozumel.
We also offer technical ocean diving

CAVERN DIVING

Unique in the world: discover cavern diving in the Cenotes – Dive Cenotes near Tulum and near Playa del Carmen – Cenotes in Puerto Morelos for Advanced divers – Special private and personnalized trips to the Cenotes of Yucatan

CAVE & TEK DIVING

The best way to discover the amazing caves of Yucatan – We offer all level of cave diving from beginners to more advanced –
Stage cave diving – DPV Cave diving – CCR cave diving – Trimix CCR

Treat yourself with a tailor made diving holliday in the Cenotes, ask us and we make it happen!

Bienvenue

Cave and Tech Diving course, Cave Diving, Guided Dives, Technical DivingCave Diving, Cave Diving Training, Cenotes Tulum, Dive Course

Plongée dans le Yucatan, Mexique – Cours de plongée et Plongées guidées

Deep Dark Diving offre un service personnalisé pour vos plongées dans la Riviera Maya et le Yucatan au Mexique

Dévoués à la sécurité et à la conservation, nous sommes spécialisés dans la plongée Cenote et la plongée souterraine. Nous offrons des plongées guidées ainsi que des formations en plongée souterraine et plongée technique pour plongeurs débutants et confirmés.

Nous avons une passion pour la plongée, une passion pour les grottes, une passion pour la plongée souterraine que nous aimons partager avec vous afin de vous faire profiter au mieux de votre expérience de plongée sous-marine dans le Yucatan.

PLONGÉES GUIDÉES

COURS DE PLONGÉE SOUTERRAINE

INTRO TO CAVE DIVER

Voilà! C’est parti dans l’obscurité totale et vous pourrez réaliser des plongées simples au-dela de la zone de lumière naturelle

PLONGEUR SOUTERRAIN

Les réseaux souterrains peuvent être très complexes, surtout au Mexique. Vous pourrez maintenant combiner tout ce que vous avez appris avec des navigations complexes et plus encore

INTRO TO TEC & SIDE MOUNT

INTRO TO TECH

Bases de la plongée technique – Plannification – nouvelle configuration et meilleur hydrodynamisme – Améliorer flottabilité et techniques de palmage. Etablir une base solide.

SIDE MOUNT

Premiers pas en configuration Sidemount. Pour plongeurs tec souhaitant transposer leurs aptitudes à la configuration Sidemount. Ou pour débutants ayant choisi la configuration Sidemount.

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT

Un cours de Side Mount plus approfondi. Il couvre les bases necessaires à la plongée technique et la plongée souterraine et constitue une base solide. De plus votre harnais Razor vous suivra à tous les niveaux de plongée technique.

COURS DE PLONGÉE TECHNIQUE

NITROX

Premier pas vers l’utilisation de mélanges. Pour plongeur Nitrox certifié c’est l’occasion de revoir les bases théoriques, la physique et les lois fondamentales en profondeur avant d’aller plus loin.

ADVANCED NITROX

Physique et physiologie de la plongée aux mélanges contenant plus de 40 % d’oxygène. Rallonger votre temps de plongée sans entrer en décompression

DECO PROCEDURES

Plannifier et réaliser des plongées a décompression . Choix des gas et exécution de plan d’urgence.

ENCORE PLUS PROFOND

EXTENDED RANGE

Des plongées superbes à 55m/180ft mais pas d’helium disponible? Vous apprendrez comment plonger en sécurité en utilisant de l’air et des gaz de décompression.

TRIMIX

Rajoutez l’hélium à vos plongées. Allez plus profond, respirez mieux et réduisez la narcose. Ca rend vos plongées beaucoup sûres et offre de nombreuses possibilités jusqu’à 60m/200ft.

TRIMIX AVANCÉ

Félicitations! Vous avez atteint le plus haut niveau de plongée en circuit ouvert. Utilisez des mélanges avec moins de 17% O2 et à des profondeurs de 100m/330ft. Et faites partie de l’élite de la plongée.

Welcome

Cave and Tech Diving course, Cave Diving, Guided Dives, Side MountCave Diving, Cavern Diving, Cenote Diving, Dive Shop Playa del Carmen, Mexico, ocean diving, reef diving

Dive Training and Guiding

Deep Dark Diving provides personalized service for your diving in Yucatan, Mexico. Private guiding for individuals and special packages for groups.

Highly committed to safety and conservation we specialize in Cenote cavern, cave and Tech diving. We offer guiding and training for recreationnal divers and for advanced technical and cave divers.

We have a passion for diving, a passion for caves, a passion for cave diving and we’d love to share it with you and make sure you get the most out of your scuba diving experience.

GUIDED DIVES

REEF DIVING

Dive the second largest reef in the world – Experience the thrill of diving with bull sharks

CAVERN DIVING

Unique in the world: discover cavern diving in the Cenotes

CAVE & TECH DIVING

The best way to discover the amazing caves of Yucatan –
Stage – DPV – CCR

CAVE DIVING TRAINING

CAVERN DIVER

First step in the Overhead environment. You will learn all safety protocols within the daylight zone.

INTRO TO CAVE DIVER

That’s it! this is the first step in the dark caves. You will learn how to do simple cave dives beyond daylight zone

CAVE DIVER

Caves can be complex, especially in Mexico, you will now combine previously learned skills with complex navigation, and more.

INTRO TO TEC & SIDE MOUNT

INTRO TO TECH

Basics for tech diving in Backmount configuration: dive planning, water skills, gear configuration, streamlining, buoyancy and propulsion techniques

SIDE MOUNT

Get familiar with the side mount for Tec divers wanting to learn the configuration or recreational divers taking their first steps into the Tec or cave diving world

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT

The Razor Side Mount course covers the basics for tech and cave diving further than basic courses. Then you can focus on the core of subsequent training in your Razor.

TECHNICAL DIVING TRAINING

NITROX

A first approach to technical diving and the use of mixtures. And for those already Nitrox certified diver it is the opportunity to thoroughly review the basic principles and fundamental laws of physics used in diving.

ADVANCED NITROX

You will learn the physics and physiology for diving with gas mixtures containing more than 40 % oxygen. This is the opportunity to further extend of your dive time without going into decompression limits.

DECO PROCEDURES

In this course you will learn to plan and execute dives with decompression, choose your gas and the development of emergency plans.

DEEPER DIVING TRAINING

EXTENDED RANGE

Exciting dives down to 55m/180ft but helium is nowhere available? you will learn how to safely do these dives using air and deco gases.

TRIMIX

Add helium to your diving. Go deeper, easier breathing, and reduce narcosis. It makes your diving a lot safer and opens a lot of possibilities down to 60m/200ft.

ADVANCED TRIMIX

Congratulations! you reached the top level of Open circuit training. Use mix with less than 17% O2 and as deep as 100m/330ft. And be among the most elite divers.

Razor Side Mount Course

Dive training, Side MountCave Diving, Cenote Diving, Dive Shop Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Razor Side Mount, scuba diving, side mount, sidemount training

The Razor Side Mount Course allows you to experience the freedom and flexibility of diving Side Mount at its best.

The Razor Side Mount System was designed by expert divers and explorers Steve Bogaerts and HP Hartmann.

Many years of experience and many hours of side mount cave diving and exploration have led to the development of the Razor Side Mount System. And along with it appeared the necessity of developping a course program to be taught by experienced instructors comitted to high quality standards.

During the course you will learn proper adjustment of the harness, cylinder configuration, regulator configuration, proper weighting and weight distribution for the best trim, regulator switches with one hand, different propulsion techniques, equipment failures handling (bungee, bolt snap, tank clamps, bat wing, regulators, etc.) as well as other general sidemount skills adapted to the use of the Razor system.

Train with the best using years of experience shared with you through the Razor Side Mount course

But be aware… Once you go Side Mount, you never go back!!

Prerequisite:

Certified Advanced Open Water Diver
25 logged dives beyond training dives
Course has to be in your own Razor Side Mount System complete as some the skills are specific to the equipment

Course Duration:

4 days
6 dives

Why Razor? and why a Razor Side Mount course?

THE RAZOR SIDE MOUNT COURSE — RAZOR SIDE MOUNT SYSTEM 2.5

When Steve Bogaerts and HP Hartmann come together to design from scratch a full set of gears and make it evolve to what it is today you can expect something really efficient and of high quality! And it really is!

Many years of experience and many hours of Side Mount Cave diving have led to the Razor Side Mount System and further on to the Razor Side Mount Course program.

And today we are really proud to be part of the team of Razor Instructors (Géraldine Solignac, Razor Side Mount Instructor) and to be able to share that knowledge with you and share as well all the fun that goes with it.

What you will learn?

Proper adjustment of the harness
Cylinder configuration
Regulator configuration
Proper weighting, weight distribution for the best trim
Regulator switches with two hands and one hand
Different propulsion techniques
Equipement failures (bungee, bolt snap, tank clamps, wing, regulator…)
Out of Air procedures

Why is the Razor Side Mount Course a bit longer than other Side Mount courses?

Because this is how long it takes to get a new side mount diver to master the skills the way they will be used your entire diver career and your Razor harness and wing will take all those steps with you.

CONTACT

Pozo Azul Exploration Project

May 8, 2016Technical DivingCave Diving, Cave ExplorationDeep Dark Diving

Pozo Azul exploration: A fascinating cave exploration project!

Pozo Azul is currently the longest cave dive penetration in the world,
And more than 9.4km of diving accumulated over 5 sumps are required to reach the furthest point from the single entrance.

Located in the village of Covanera, Burgos, Spain, El Pozo Azul is probably one of the most challenging cave exploration project. Already 5 sumps (maximum depth 71m) had been explored. And in 2015 J. Mallinson pushed the exploration solo and discovered a 6th sump and spent a total of 60 hours inside the cave.

In 2001, Jason Mallinson first visited the site with Rupert Skorupka. At that time the known part of the cave was a 1st 700 m sump, then a dry tunnel of 300 metres, followed by a second sump penetrated for 780 m. On that same trip the sump was pushed to 1250 m.

Jason then returned year after year, sometimes with other top divers, and sometimes on his own.

In 2009 the sump was passed after 5160 m – the longest sump to be passed in the world, to reach Sump 3. This was passed in 2011 and proved to be over 3 km long. From this point, the sumps became shorter and the amount of dry passage longer.

Sumps 2 and 3 are actively linked and are in fact one long sump of more than 8km in length.

in 2015 Jason returned solo. He traversed more than 10 km of sump to explore dry passage and find a sixth sump.

Pozo Azul - Survey map http://www.pozoazul-cavediving.org/ — Pozo Azul – Survey map
http://www.pozoazul-cavediving.org/

Cenote Entrance Fees for Cavern & Cave Diving

Cave Diving, Dive training, Guided DivesCave Diving, Cave Diving Training, Cavern Diving, Cenote Diving, Dive Course, Mexico, scuba diving, sidemount cave diving, Yucatan

Here is the list of the entrance fees to the Cenote for Cavern Diving and Cave Diving in the most comon dive sites and training sites in the Riviera Maya – Mexico All prices are given in $ Mexican Pesos We do our best to keep the list up to date, but there might change on the last minute due to landowner decision.

Cenote Entrance fees

Chac Mool/Kukulkan (2 dives): 250$

Chikin Ha (2 dives): 250$

El Eden-(PondeRosa): 300$

Taj Ma Ha: 250$

Dos Ojos Barbie Line & Bat Cave: 380$

El Pit: 570$

Dos Ojos/Pit combined: 760$

Dreams’ Gate: 300$

Calavera (Temple of Doom): 300$

Gran Cenote

Carwash (Actun Ha): 250$

Angelita: 300$

Zapote: 300$

Kin Ha: 200$

Pet Cemetery (Sac Actun): Closed for divers 🙁 but snorkeling is still worth a go!!

might be accessible to cavern divers on special request, entrance fee: 600$

More about Cavern Diving and Cave Diving in the beautiful Cenotes of Mexico. Or get Cave diver Certified or Technical diver Certified

CONTACT

RAZOR SYSTEMS

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT SYSTEM 2.5

Price: $692.00

RAZOR SIDE MOUNT SYSTEM 2.5 COMPLETE

STUDENT KIT

3 X RAZOR WEIGHT POCKET

REDUNDANT BAT WING 2.5

RAZOR LIGHTS & ACCESSORIES

TOOLS

Can I become a cave diver?

What will I learn during my cave diver training?

What equipment will I need?

Where can I learn to cavern dive?

Where can I learn to cave dive?

Where can I cave dive after my cave diver training?

Do you feel ready to become a cave diver?

A cave dive playing in the halocline, meeting with remipedes

Deep Dark Diving dive training Philosophy

Treat yourself with a tailor made diving holliday in the Cenotes, ask us and we make it happen!

Plongée dans le Yucatan, Mexique – Cours de plongée et Plongées guidées

PLONGÉES GUIDÉES

COURS DE PLONGÉE SOUTERRAINE

INTRO TO TEC & SIDE MOUNT

COURS DE PLONGÉE TECHNIQUE

ENCORE PLUS PROFOND

Scuba Diving in Yucatan

Dive Training and Guiding

GUIDED DIVES

CAVE DIVING TRAINING

INTRO TO TEC & SIDE MOUNT

TECHNICAL DIVING TRAINING

DEEPER DIVING TRAINING

Prerequisite:

Course Duration:

Why Razor? and why a Razor Side Mount course?

What you will learn?

Why is the Razor Side Mount Course a bit longer than other Side Mount courses?

Pozo Azul exploration: A fascinating cave exploration project!

Cenote Entrance fees