Freediving in Mexico

Meter by meter you descend into the dark crystal clear water while you try to stay as calm as possible, knowing that you have more than enough air left to make it back up safely. At 16 meters depth you look around and see how the water breaks the light from the sun into beautiful rays, illuminating a magical underwater world full of stalagmites and stalactites. A sight you will not see anywhere else in the world. You go back up where your instructor and your buddies wait for you and you can finally let the air out, and breathe… preparing to go back down again. That is freediving in the Mayan Riviera and one of the most amazing things you will ever do!

Become one with the underwater world

We offer freedive courses according to the AIDA certification requirements with a professional freedive instructor. Besides the course we will take you diving in amazing underwater caves, beautiful lagoons, sea wrecks and you can choose a special dive, depending on the season: whale sharks, bull sharks (only 3 star), lion fish hunt, scuba dive, Maya ruins or sail fish run. We focus on giving you the best preparation to feel comfortable going freediving, plus we will give you lots of extra information about the area, where once the great Mayan civilization bloomed. You will end up on the bottom of the sea posing on the prow of a ship wreck for our photographer, with nothing but the air in your lungs! We have put together an amazing package unique in this world for you!!

It is our goal to not just give you the proper theoretical and practical know-how, but also to truly make you feel  the amazing experience of freediving. It is an exciting sport and a way to really challenge and look at yourself, and to learn that you can do so much more than you think! It is perfect for boys as well as girls and the best way to really get in touch with the underwater world!

Playa del Carmen and its surroundings is a place like no other in the world. The list of things to do is endless and you will love the whole vibe and fall in love with the Mexican hospitality and laid back life style.

Freediving Mexico Highlights Include:

Photos

Xtreme TV

Full Details

The AIDA ** freediver course is the foundation freediving course covering the necessary skills and knowledge for recreational freediver to safely freedive with or without a guideline.
You will be introduced to four freediving disciplines : static apnea, dynamic apnea, free immersion and constant weight. The course will follow your abilities and it is not a competitive course.
Enjoying is the most important point for us. We will first start in confined water and then explore the beautiful Mexican cenotes while freediving.

To successfully complete the AIDA 2 star freediver course you will have to perform a 2 minute breath hold, swim 40 m underwater with fins and dive to 16m in the open water.

Day 1: We pick you up from the residence and bring you to our home base for a theoretical introduction and some breathing exercises. You will spend some time in a swimming pool where you focus on static apnea and dynamic apnea.

Day 2: This day you will spend in one of the cenotes and we will work on how to freedive in a safe and responsible way. Also you will learn how to be a good ‘buddy’.

Day 3: This day we will also spend in a cenote or a laguna, in which we can practice our skills and finish the requirements if not already done. We will finish the day with a small exam and a late lunch and a beer!

After your 2 star training you will go freediving and exploring various of the magical cenotes with our instructor for 5 days and a beautiful laguna. We also include a unique dive to a ship wreck in front of the coast of the island Cozumel with its famous crystal clear waters.

As a bonus we have , depending on the season, one of 6 amazing dives:

• Swimming with the gentle whale sharks (June to September)
• Diving with sailfish, the fastest fish of the ocean (February)
• Free diving bull sharks, an unforgettable experience unique in the world (November to April  – it will be up to the instructor to decide whether a student/ client is ready to do the bull shark dive)
• Help to keep the balance of the marine ecosystem by hunting for lion fish
• For certified scuba divers a change to go diving in one of the amazing cenotes
• Go visit the magnificent ruins of Coba and go diving in one of the magical cenotes around there

The AIDA *** freediver course is a course which builds on the skills acquired in the AIDA**course. The aim of the course is to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to independently plan and participate in free diving activities with similarly experienced free dive buddies.
This course is really designed for you to improve your techniques and most of all to understand your sensation. You will learn proper equalization techniques and free falling to depth.
During this course we will practice the four free diving disciplines in a non competitive way : static apnea, dynamic apnea, free immersion and constant weight.

To successfully complete the AIDA 3 star free diver course you will have to perform a 2 minute 45 second breath hold, swim 55 m underwater with fins and dive to 24 meters in the open water.

Day 1: 7h to 16h- Confined water
- Stretching
- Training into an Olympic size pool: dynamic up to 55m
- Training table (exercise to train CO2 tolerance with dynamic dives)
- Theory (mammalian dive reflex, blood shift, training plan…..)
- Static dive (2 min 45) + co2 training in static

Day 2 : 8h30 to 17h. Open Water
- Stretching
- Cenote ‘El Pit’
- Discovering the Free fall/ turn
- Rescue techniques on deep dives
- Constant weight at 24 m minimum
- Safety diver

Day 3: 8h30 to 17h – Stretching
- Laguna Tulum
- Deep dives
- Auto rescue at depth
- Use of a lanyard
- Constant weight at 30 m
-safety diver

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful city that sits on the Caribbean Sea coast of Mexico. It used to be a humble fishing village and the stopover for travelers visiting Cozumel Island. It is blessed with the same stretch of white sandy beaches and azure waters as Cancun, but with less crowd.

Tourists then began to see Playa del Carmen as a good holiday getaway, and so began its rise as a major destination. It is now home to various hotels, restaurants, resorts, and bars and clubs, not to mention many other attractions such as adventure sports facilities and great diving opportunities.

Quinta Avenida is the city’s major street. You can walk it from the beach. It is filled with boutiques, restaurants, and many other interesting establishments. Walking along this street will make you feel the festive atmosphere of the place. You will find streets intersecting with the Quinta and leading to the beach. Here you will find internet cafes, money changers, dive-shops and other specialty stores. Quinta Avenida transforms into a vibrant party venue at night. It is the perfect place to mingle with the locals and fellow tourists.

The picturesque beaches in Playa del Carmen are open to the public. The crystal-like waters have the right temperature for a nice swim. If you prefer a crowded beach, then head for the ones close to the ferry docks. But if you want a serene, private place, then go to either north or south for less crowded and quitter beaches.

Playa del Carmen offers lots of sporting activities at the beach. You can fish, scuba-dive, or snorkel. Do not worry if you forgot to bring your gears since there are many dive shops that rent out equipment. If you do not prefer some action, you can always relax by lounging under your umbrella, while sipping a glass of margarita.

As for culinary adventures, the city also has many interesting things to offer. It has a diverse mix of traditional, international, as well as fusion cuisines and all ready to appease your craving palate with something hot, something new, or something scrumptious. Options include authentic Mayan dishes French, Italian, Chinese, Argentinean, and many other international dishes.

Visit the bustling yet charming Playa del Carmen. This heavenly, stylish, and surprisingly seductive place will astound you with all its unique offers. You’ll never want to leave!

Smell the beach at our hostel! Yes, our hostel. Xtreme Gap is partly owner of the property, and for a good reason. Located one block from popular Mamita’s beach and 50 steps from famous Quinta Avenida you will find a unique concept hostel. Right in the middle of everything yet super laidback and quiet, surrounded by a lush tropical garden.

The hostel is newly renovated and everything is clean and comfortable. The property is spacious, colorful and light and there always seems to be a fresh breeze. Linen and towels are included, as well as breakfast and someone around who can point you in the right direction for your next Mexican adventure. We can provide private accommodation as well.

We roast our own organic coffee from Veracruz and bake our own pies and have a beautiful garden where we serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our Mexican friend’s mom loves to cook so much that we decided to give her a restaurant. We don’t regret it, and you will find out why soon enough.

Imagine sitting under a sacred ‘Ceiba’ tree, enjoying the freshest coffee you have ever had, chatting to some newly made friends: you will not be able to stop smiling for having found such a little gem.

Trip Frequently Asked Questions

 Price in GBP

• Two weeks incl. accommodation, ** course, 5 extra dives plus 1 super special dive: £1249
• Three weeks incl. accommodation, ** and *** course, 5 exra dives and 1 super special dive: £1699

Dates

Courses begin each Monday or Thursday year-round.

Holidays will be on December 25^th, January 1^st and the month of October since this month normally has pretty bad weather! Unless you really, really want to do it in October. In that case let us know please!