Two years ago, we completed our PADI open water scuba diving certification. It was our first time diving and we’ve been in love ever since! It’s been so much fun getting to explore the world underwater. We’ve tried underwater cave dies, night dives, water scooter dives, and of course our favorite part has been seeing countless varieties of sea life! However, because of our beginner level certification, there are some dives that we would love to experience but can’t. So a couple weeks ago, we decided to go for our PADI advanced open water underwater scuba certification in Cozumel, our favorite diving location.
The reason we love diving in Cozumel is because of its incredible visibility, diverse wildlife, and the fact that it’s only a 45 minute ferry ride from our home in Playa del Carmen! Every time we dive in Cozumel, it seems like we experience something new. It’s an amazing feeling to be at the surface of the water and see the sea life more than 60 feet below! Also, Cozumel is well known for its drift dives. Drift dives feel like riding on an underwater conveyor belt floating through the coral and schools of fish. So when we decided to get our advanced open water certification, we didn’t even think twice about where we were headed.
One of the things that had previously kept us from getting our advanced scuba certification was how daunting it sounded. Em and I love diving, but are far from “advanced” divers. However, the company Dive Paradise in Cozumel made everything seem so safe and straightforward that we knew this was the perfect place and time. Our dive instructor Omar taught us so much within our five dive classes. He was so patient and made sure that we felt comfortable with every step before moving onto the next. With our new certification, we can now dive down to 100 feet. It was an incredible experience exploring an ocean sea wall 10 stories underwater. (It was also a funny feeling looking down the wall and realizing that we weren’t even 1/10th of the way to the ocean floor!)
When going diving, deciding which company to choose is one of the most important decisions. From the gear to the instructors, you want to make sure that you have the best available before descending 100 feet underwater. In addition to safety, the dive company can also make your dive an exciting or miserable experience. The company Dive Paradise made our entire experience so much fun! They have the largest diving fleet on the island and an outstanding safety record.
Dive Paradise is able to offer everything from beginner discovery dives to extremely advanced dives, and the best part is that it’s super easy to add an afternoon scuba dive or a 2-3 day certification course into an already scheduled vacation. It really doesn’t take that much time and makes for a fun addition to any vacation – especially with the perfectly central location of Dive Paradise’s main shop (and they have multiple on the island)!
Omar, our dive instructor, gave us the choice of several skills we wanted to learn in order to receive our advanced open water certification. The 5 skills (2 are required, 3 are optional) that we chose were navigation, deep diving, search and recovery, drift diving, and buoyancy control. We learned so much within these 5 dives. Omar made sure that we felt comfortable with each new skill while still having fun and enjoying each dive.
The company Dive Paradise was founded by a world class scuba diver who went by the nickname “Apple.” She is in the women divers hall of fame! Today, the company is still family owned and continues her legacy and love for diving through their world class services. Dive Paradise is recognized as the #1 dive operator on the island. We spoke with the owner Michael and were amazed hearing his passion for diving, the island, and the company. Before we ever got in the water, we knew we were in the best hands.
We tell everyone that they should experience scuba diving! It’s been one of our all-time favorite experiences (which is why we listed it in our “16 Best Things to Do in the Yucatán Peninsula” blog post) and it is so easy to do! Before we started scuba diving, we thought that being scuba certified was too daunting of a task that only experienced thrill seekers did. But after diving, we realized that it is extremely safe, relaxing, and fun for all ages! If we knew how quick, easy, and fun scuba diving was we would have gotten our certification years ago. After just a few days and classes, we feel like so many new places have opened up for us to explore! We may be a little biased, but we tell people all the time that Cozumel is the perfect place to receive your PADI scuba certification. It is the perfect addition to any Cozumel vacation and is a great activity for all ages 10+. Whether you are diving in 30 feet or 100 feet of water, there is something incredible to see.
If you’re interested in scuba diving but aren’t sure where to start, we highly recommend contacting Dive Paradise! They have countless options for people, whether you are interested in doing a discovery dive or becoming fully certified. They make every step as simple as possible. Dive Paradise is an especially great fit for families with kids 10+ and for couples who are looking for a new adventure. They have five star PADI facilities and scuba schools, an incredible safety record and top of the line gear, and a fantastic team that will help you fall in love with scuba diving!
We loved our instructor, dives, and experience and can’t wait to get out and explore more of the world under water!
