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  UTD DIVER TRAINING

TIRED OF MEDIOCRE TRAINING STANDARDS AND WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH LIKE-MINDED DIVERS?

WE WANT TO SATISFY YOUR ABOVE NEEDS

AND ENABLE YOU TO ENJOY TOP-QUALITY TRAINING,

PROVPROVIDING YOU WITH THE SKILLS YOU ASPIRE TO

.... WHILE HAVING FUN!


The underwater cave systems of the Riviera Maya offer some of the most beautiful yet challenging diving you will ever experience.
If you are interested in cave training we provide instruction from Essentials of Overhead/Tech through Overhead Protocols to Cave 1 diver (any training completion cards issued will be from the UTD-Unified Team Diving training agency).

A panoramic view of cenote Jardin de Eden, sistema Ponderosa. Photo by Adam Korytko

GENERAL PREREQUISITES FOR ALL UTD COURSES

  1. 1 - students must have completed, printed and submitted to headquarters the online application located on the UTD website, including student registration/dive history, medical information, liability release forms.
  2. 2 - if any medical condition exists, students must have a doctor's signoff prior to the start of any water work.
  3. 3 - students must have completed the appropriate online classroom course, completed the examination prior to attending the first day of class and, after review with the instructor, receive a 100% understanding of the examination.
  4. 4 - students must print and bring the registration and other forms as well as the certificate of completion of the online classroom course to the first day of class. These forms will be reviewed and signed by the studnent before the start of class.
  5. 5 - the instructor may request additional information from the student which may include a complete diving resume.
  6. 6 - the student must be physically fit, mentally stable and clearly focused.
  7. 7 - must hold DAN Master level insurance or equivalent.
  8. 8 - smoking is not permitted during training activities.
  9. 9 - must obtain an authorization for the use of prescription drugs by a physician and must have such authorization approved by a UTD representative prior to the onset of diver training. Birth control pills and Scopace are accepted.

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Cave divers at cenote Corral, on Caveheaven diver training page

AVAILABLE UTD COURSES:

UTD REC 3 (HELITROX)  

Purpose:

Rec 3 is a N.D.L./Minimum Deco helitrox course, structured to prepare divers for deeper recreational diving using proper equipment, diving techniques and standard helium breathing mixtures. The class will also seek to incorporate the teaching of more advanced decompression theories and the use of correct ascent procedures. Rec 3 training focuses on expanding on the Essentials of Tech and the Rec 2 or equivalent skills and is designed to cultivate, integrate and expand those skills required for safer deep recreational diving. This will include problem identification and resolution and building the capacity for progressively more challenging diving. In this class, students will be trained in:

a) the use of single or double backgas tanks/cylinders and in the potential failure problems associated with them;

b) the use of nitrox and helitrox for extended bottom times; and

c) the use of helium to minimize narcosis, CO2, gas density and post-dive nitrogen stress;

d) minimum decompression (NDL) profiles to 130'/39m without accelerated decompression procedures.

Prerequisites:

1. Must meet UTD general course prerequisites.

2. Must be a minimum age of 18 years of age.

3. Must have taken UTD Rec 2 or Essentials of Tech and Nitrox, or equivalent.

4. Must have a minimum of 50 dives beyond open water qualification, 25 of which should be non-training dives.

5. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 50'/15m on a breath hold.

6. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in less than 14 minutes without stopping.

Duration:

4 days, involving a minimum of 30 hours of instruction, encompassing classroom review, in-water work and debriefing.

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UTD ESSENTIALS OF OVERHEAD 


Purpose:

The Essentials of Overhead diving course is designed to cultivate the fundamental techniques required by all sound technical and wreck/cave diving practice. It functions as an entry point for all previously certified divers and it is the prerequisite for other UTD technical classes. Essentials of Overhead acts as a bridge between conventional training and UTD's more demanding technical curriculum.

Prerequisites:

1. Must meet UTD general course prerequisites.

2. Must be a minimum age of 18 years of age.

3. Must have taken UTD Rec 2 (Nitrox), or equivalent.

4. Must have a minimum of 50 dives beyond open water qualification, 25 of which should be non-training dives.

5. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 50'/15m on a breath hold or demonstrate an air share swim where the OOA diver swims at least 50'/15m to the donating diver.

6. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in less than 14 minutes without stopping or swim at least 600 yards/550 meters in 18 minutes with a mask and fins.

7. All participants must tow a diver in full equipment, in the environment they will be diving in, for 10 minutes.

8. All participants must demonstrate the rescue of a diver simulating O2 toxicity.

7. All pa

Duration:

3 days, involving a minimum of 24 hours of instruction, encompassing classroom review, in-water work and debriefing.

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UTD OVERHEAD PROTOCOLS (OHP)


Purpose:

The UTD Overhead Protocols course is a mandatory prerequisite to UTD's Wreck 1 and Cave 1 classes, and acts as Part 1 of any overhead environment course. As there are so many skills and techniques common to both wreck and cave diving, the overhead protocols class presents the students with the foundational skills that are necessary to be a safe, thinking diver in any overhead environment.

This 3-day class takes place in a no overhead environment (open or confined water, but not pool), generally at depths of 30'/10m or less, and introduces the students to line-laying, line retrieval, no-vizibility line following, touch contact communications and skills, critical skills while no-viz line following, lost line, lost buddy and lost light. Once these skills are learned, the class introduces a series of simulated failures while on the line: OOA situation, valve failures, etc. These are tested to a Level 2 (similar to that of Tech 2 skills) but complicated by the necessity of staying on the line and simulating the need to navigate back to open water.

Completion of this class qualifies a diver to move on to UTD Wreck 1 or UTD Cave 1, each of which is another 3-day class that takes place in the actual overhead environment. If a student wishes to complete Wreck 1 and Cave 1, he/she will not need to repeat the overhead protocols class, eliminating the repetition of the line skills. Both Wreck 1 and Cave 1 contain a complete review of line procedures in case there is a time gap between the Overhead Protocols class and Wreck 1 or Cave 1.

Overhead protocols can be combined with Wreck 1 or Cave 1 into a single 5-day class.

Prerequisites:

1. Must meet UTD general course prerequisites.

2. Must be a minimum age of 18 years of age.

3. Must have a minimum of 75 dives beyond open water qualification.

4. UTD Rescue and Emergency procedures or equivalent.

5. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 60'/18m on a breath hold.

6. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in less than 12 minutes without stopping.

7. DAN insurance membership or equivalent.

Duration:

3 days, involving a minimum of 24 hours of instruction, encompassing classroom review, in-water work and debriefing.


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UTD CAVE 1

Purpose:

The UTD Cave 1 diver course is designed to protect the cave diving environment through an intense diver eductation program that acquaints individuals with an understanding of the established cave consevation procedures and an appreciation of the subtle dangers often associated with overhead diving. This course covers the basic principles of cave diving and is designed to introduce the skills and knowledge required for limited penetration into the underwater cave environment. Training includes emphasis on awareness, cave dive planning, cave environments, stress management, navigation, conservation, standards and procedures, emergency procedures, techniques, problem solving and hazards of cave diving.

To qualify for this type of instruction, participants do not need prior overhead training, but must be proficient divers with advanced buoyancy control skills. UTD does not assume that cave training is for everyone. In fact, only very capable divers, who are quite comfortable in the water, should consider this form of diving.The UTD

Prerequisites:

1. Must meet UTD general course prerequisites.

2. Must be a minimum age of 18 years of age.

3. Must have taken UTD Overhead Protocols.

4. UTD Rescue and Emergency procedures or equivalent.

5. Must have a minimum of 75 dives beyond open water qualification.

6. Must be able to swim a distance of at least 60'/18m on a breath hold.

7. Must be able to swim at least 300 yards/275 meters in less than 12 minutes without stopping.

8. DAN insurance membership or equivalent.


Duration:

Normally 3 days, following the UTD Overhead Protocols class, or 5 days if combined with the OHP class. Cave 1 involves a minimum of 24 hours of instruction, encompassing both classroom review and in-water work.

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This c

UTD COURSE

DURATION

(min. days)

PRICE PER PERSON* (USD)
 
CAVE 1
3
975
 
OVERHEAD PROTOCOLS (OHP)
3
975
INTEGRATED OHP + CAVE 1
5
1,625
ESSENTIALS OF OVERHEAD
3
975
 
REC 3 (HELITROX)
3
975

 

CHECK OUR UTD TEAM BUILDER PROGRAM, TRAINING DISCOUNT FOR A TEAM OF 3

We accept       PLEASE READ OUR RESERVATIONS POLICIES


 ABOVE COURSE PRICE INCLUDES:

1. UTD instructor training fee.

2. Tank rentals, v-weights and EAN 32 fills.

3. UTD student class package (online class material and 1-year UTD membership).

4. 11% Mexican sales tax (IVA).

Underwater cave decorations in sistema Sac Aktun. Photo by John Gavroy

 

 

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Equipment can be rented here. See prices.


See ACCOMMODATION if you are looking for a  confortable place to stay.
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Copyright 2010 caveheaven.com - Photos courtesy of John Gavroy, Ela Bertoni & Adam Korytko

 

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