TDI Cave DPV Diver Course
Advanced overhead DPV training for certified cave divers ready to add range,
precision, and disciplined scooter procedures.
From USD 350/day · 2 students · DPV included · E-learning & certification extra
Course details:
Includes:
- Transportation from Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras and Tulum
- Nitrox 32%
- Cenote entrance fees
- Water, lunch, and snacks
- Technical DPV
Dives:
3 overhead DPV cave dives with a minimum accumulated bottom time of 180 minutes.
Duration:
3 training days, including classroom sessions, dive planning, briefings, dives, and debriefings.
Your Instructor
- Diver Propulsion Vehicle Instructor + Technical DPV Instructor
- DPV Cave Instructor
- Sidemount Instructor
- Cave Sidemount Instructor
- Stage Cave Instructor
- Intro to Tech Instructor
- Advanced Nitrox Instructor
- Deco Procedures Instructor
- Ext. Range Instructor
- Trimix Instructor
- Cavern Instructor
- Intro to Cave Inst.
- Full Cave Instructor
TDI Cave DPV Course Specs
Certification: TDI DPV Overhead Diver / TDI Cave DPV Diver
Location: Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Duration: 3 days
Dives: 3 overhead DPV dives
Maximum depth: 39 meters / 130 feet
Why train cave DPV in the Yucatan cenotes
The cenote systems of the Yucatan Peninsula offer unmatched conditions for cave DPV training.
Horizontal visibility typically exceeds 30 meters, allowing DPV teams to read guidelines clearly, monitor team positioning, and manage changes in speed and depth with precision. The Sac Actun and Dos Ojos cave systems, among the most extensively explored underwater cave networks on Earth, offer genuine long-range penetration opportunities that allow students to experience the real demands of DPV planning in active, complex cave environments.
Water temperature remains stable at 24/25°C (77/79°F) year-round, with no seasonal restrictions on training. The TDI DPV Overhead Diver standard is the recognized benchmark for this discipline and is followed by the cave diving community operating in the Riviera Maya.
This course is for experienced, certified cave divers who want formal training in DPV overhead procedures.
LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND AND DIVE INTO THE VEINS OF THE EARTH
What you
will learn
DPV Dive Planning
- DPV options
- Rated burn time
- Overhead DPV rigging
- Buoyancy and trim with a DPV
- Directional and depth changes
- Dive Planning and Gas Management
- Swim speed versus DPV travel speed
Problem Solving
- SAC rate considerations
- Gas reserves for a disabled-DPV exit
- DPV malfunction or failure
- Towing procedures
- Gas sharing while using DPVs
- Entanglement awareness
- Team separation procedures
Controlled range for
cave DPV divers
- Extend cave penetration with disciplined DPV planning
- Build overhead scooter control, trim, and team awareness
- Manage gas reserves, burn time, failures, and emergency exits
- Protect fragile cave passages with low-impact DPV technique
Prerequisites
Required certification
-TDI Full Cave Diver
- TDI Stage Cave Diver
Plus:
- 25 non-training full cave or mine dives.
- At least 18 years old
- Comfortable with full cave diving procedures
- Able to demonstrate stable buoyancy and trim
- Physically and mentally prepared for demanding training days
Price per day
other costs
If you have a dive center and want us as your allies to run your operation in the Riviera Maya, contact us. We have special rates for you.
What divers say about training with us
— Andy Ho, Full Cave Diver graduate
— Aqua Lung, Google Review
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any questions?
Share them with us.
How long is the TDI Cave DPV course?
The course runs over 3 training days, including a minimum of 4 hours of classroom and briefing time, plus 3 overhead DPV cave dives with at least 180 minutes of accumulated bottom time.
What certifications do I need?
You must hold a TDI Full Cave Diver certification and a TDI Stage Cave Diver certification, plus at least 25 logged non-training full cave or mine dives. Minimum age is 18.
Is a DPV provided during the course?
Yes. A technical DPV is included in the course price for all training dives. Students do not need to bring their own scooter.
How much does the course cost?
The course costs USD 375 per day for 1 student, or USD 350 per day per student for 2 students. E-learning materials (USD 155) and digital certification (USD 30) are additional.
Where do the dives take place?
All training dives take place in the freshwater cenotes of the Riviera Maya, near Playa del Carmen and Tulum, Mexico.
What is included in the course price?
The course price includes round-trip transportation from Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, and Tulum; Nitrox 32%; cenote entrance fees; water, lunch, and snacks; and a technical DPV.
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