May Certification Weekend in Mexico

      Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
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      142 reviews
      May 29 - Jun 2, 2021
      Group size: 10 - 16
      May Certification Weekend in Mexico
      Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

      Blue Planet Scuba
      • Email address verified
      • Facebook verified
      • Twitter verified
      142 reviews

      May 29 - Jun 2, 2021
      Group size: 10 - 16

      About this trip

      Have any plans for Memorial Day? Get out of town and join Blue Planet for a long weekend of diving in Playa del Carmen! Complete your eLearning at home and then jet off to Mexico to finish your pool work and certification dives in the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean. Our instructors will be with you every step of the way! Certified divers are welcome too.


      Playa del Carmen

      On the eastern edge of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, divers can find the beachfront playground of Playa del Carmen in the Caribbean Sea.


      This area has something for everyone -- beautiful reefs, exciting pelagic encounters, ancient Mayan sites and otherworldly underwater sinkholes and caves known as cenotes. From the brilliant beaches and warm, turquoise waters to the upscale shopping, restaurants and nightlife in the 5th Avenue district to exhilarating snorkeling, ziplining and tours of the Tulum and Chichen Itza archeological sites, the most popular activities, attractions and things to do on the Riviera Maya are just moments away.


      The Diving


      Minimum dive certification/experience:  Perfect for beginners. A great spot to complete your Open Water Diver certification, Advanced Open Water Diver and more. 


      There's a fantastic world beneath the Mexican Caribbean's transparent waters. This is known as the Great Maya Reef, the second largest in the world, where different species of corals, multicolored tropical fish and marine flora and fauna of incomparable beauty make their home. 


      Dive sites here feature beautiful caverns and healthy reef systems off sandy shores. You’ll also have access to Cancún’s dive sites including MUSA, an underwater museum and the world-famous Isla Mujeres. Otherwise, do not miss the opportunity to dive in the glassy cenotes or perhaps head out to Cozumel.


      Hotel Plaza Phocea

      Fifty yards from the beachfront and one block from vibrant 5th Avenue shopping and nightlife, you’ll find Hotel Plaza Phocea. It’s a welcoming and chill vibe with the basic hotel amenities. Numerous restaurants and bars are just a short walk away, or explore along the beach to find a place to dine. 


      We have reserved rooms with two double beds and bathroom. air conditioning, a hair dryer and mini fridge. 


      Travel

      Round-trip flights to Cancun are around $300 and go up from there. You should plan to arrive at the Cancun airport on Saturday, May 29th. When leaving, choose any flight that leaves after 1 PM on June 2nd. Please contact the shop before booking your flights. 


      Interested in extending your trip or diving the world-famous cenotes? Let us know! 

      Cancellation Policy

      Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip. 


      Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information. 

      What’s included

      • 4 nights accommodations
        Single or shared rooms available.
      • Open Water certification
        A Blue Planet instructor will work with you to complete your pool training and certification dives on the trip.
      • 6 dives
        3 days x 2-tank ocean dives.
      • Scuba equipment
        Tanks and weights provided on site. Rental BCDs, regulators, computers and wetsuits from Blue Planet included for Open Water Students only.
      • Airport transfers
        Roundtrip transfer from Cancun airport to hotel.

      What’s not included

      • Flights
        International flights to Cancun.
      • Tips
        Tips for the boat's excellent crew and your instructors.
      • Food/Drink
        A basic breakfast will be available on dive days, but all other meals and drinks are not included.
      • Dive Insurance
        Open Water Students will be covered under DAN, but all other divers need to have their own policy.
      • Travel Insurance
        More important these days than ever! We cannot recommend having dive specific travel insurance highly enough!

      Available Packages

      Open Water Diver Student, Double Occ.

      Double occupancy in a Standard room with two double beds, bathroom, air conditioning, television, etc.

       

      Bringing a non-diving companion? Or someone who is already certified? Contact us for pricing!

      $825
      Deposit: $300
      Open Water Diver student, Single Occ.

      Single occupancy in a Standard room with two double beds, bathroom, air conditioning, television, etc. 

      $965
      Deposit: $300
      Certified Diver, Double Occ.

      Double occupancy in a Standard room with two double beds, bathroom, air conditioning, television, etc.  

      $725
      Deposit: $300
      Certified Diver, Single Occ.
      $865
      Deposit: $300


      Itinerary

      Saturday
      Arrival in Cancun

      Arrive in Cancun and check in at Hotel Plaza Phocea in Playa del Carmen. Snorkel off the beach or relax by the pool before the diving begins!

      Your Organizer


      BP
      Blue Planet Scuba
      142 reviews
      Blue Planet is a different kind of scuba diving organization — aimed at providing the best education and experiences to divers in the Washington, DC area and beyond, while harnessing the excitement and adventure of scuba diving to help protect our fragile oceans.

      Reviews

      Heather & Jonas were excellent trip leaders making sure everyone was well taken care of. The Galapagos Aggressor had a super crew and the diving was challenging and stunning! We saw hammerheads, penguins, seals, sea lions & dolphins! I really appreciated the personal touches like our matching jackets and a cake for my birthday. I would highly recommend this trip.
      By Catherine W for Explore the Galapagos on Mar 02, 2024
      This review is belated, I know... ...But that only means I took **serious*** consideration into reviewing my experience with Blue Planet DC, and ranking them very highly. Its been almost a year since I was OW Certified with Blue Planet in Cozumel - my training during that trip was thorough enough to provide me with a solid foundation to continue scuba diving afterwards many, many times. The trip itinerary, accommodations, and overall pacing of the scuba lessons were incredibly well organized. The instructors were patient and attentive - at various times I was provided specific one-on-one, actionable feedback regarding things like my trim or my breathing rhythm impacting my buoyancy and what I could do to improve my technique. They made sure we knew our stuff before letting us loose into the ocean, and during our checkout dives they stayed closeby and kept a watchful eye on us, so I felt more at ease and safe. (Even with the drift moving us around!) My main priority for this trip was to learn how to scuba, but that said, there were opportunities at Cozumel to (after the day's lessons are done) be a tourist and explore the area. The resort itself is a very beautiful spot with relaxing, open air dining, lounge, and balcony areas as well as a fantastic view of the ocean horizon. I also really appreciated that lodging AND meals were included in this travel package - it saved me the trouble of having to figure that out on my own, which made a big difference by freeing up more time after each full day of lessons to just relax and chill. I know each trip is always different of course in terms of other group trip attendees you may end up with, so of course this can just be sheer dumb luck, but everyone else on this trip was chill. Even the more seasoned divers who were already certified and doing this for years were friendly and happy to drop useful advice or recount from their personal experiences how it was like them becoming certified the first time. The time I did this it was "drift diving" and of course that scared me a ton. But the PADI material that is mandatory to study goes over what drift diving is. When doing my checkout dive the drift didn't like, wash me away from the group dive route. You'll be under instructor supervision so people are keeping an eye on you, and the drift itself is mild - I didn't have to struggle against the current (if you've ever surfed, you'll see that this isn't at all like a riptide or undertow). If anything, managing your buoyancy will end up your primary concern or worry during the checkout dive. Hope this review helps anyone considering who to go with for getting certified on their first ever scuba trip! I'm very glad I went with Blue Planet.
      By M T for March Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Feb 19, 2024
      EM
      This was my first liveaboard! 🛥️ Anthony was a fantastic trip leader and teacher, as always! The Aquacat crew was fun, the food was delicious and the diving and excursions were great! I would definitely recommend this trip with Blue Planet, especially as a first liveaboard experience! I had a good time learning about sharks, too! 🦈
      By Elsbeth M for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 15, 2024
      Thanks for joining on another amazing trip! Hopefully we will be on another fun trip in sharky waters soon.
      By Anthony White on Jan 17, 2024
      AW
      This was my first trip with Blue Planet and my first liveaboard - both were a great experience! The communication and prep from Blue Planet was excellent (pre-trip meeting was really helpful, paperwork was clear and organized). My husband and I are new divers and Anthony (trip lead from Blue Planet) was an invaluable resource - we learned a lot during the dives and felt safe with him looking out for us. The liveaboard itself was amazing. The bed was comfortable, the food was amazing, the staff were wonderful. This was one of the best trips of my life - it's going to be hard to top with the bar now set so high!
      By Rachel L for Ring in 2024 on a Liveaboard in the Bahamas! on Jan 08, 2024
      Thank you so much, Rachel! I am glad you and Ben had such a good time on the trip. You were both great divers, and I can't wait to see you on more of our trips. I look forward to diving with you some more!
      By Anthony White on Jan 13, 2024
      AW
      JR
      Had a great time diving, wonderful people and nice accommodations; hotel was super convenient to dive boats.
      By Jennifer R for December Certification Weekend in Cozumel on Dec 11, 2023
      Thank you so much, Jennifer! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the dive experience with Blue Planet in Cozumel. We look forward to you joining with us on a future trip!
      By Blue Planet Scuba on Dec 12, 2023
      BP
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