Another world awaits you below the cobalt blue waves of the Caribbean; one of weightless beauty filled with warm clear water, beautiful reefs, colorful tropical fish and sea turtles. Wanting to experience the underwater world firsthand and FLY through it is the best reason to take the plunge and learn to dive. There is no better way to appreciate the splendor and diversity of mother ocean than to explore it on a SCUBA dive.

If you are comfortable in the water and a decent snorkeler you could enroll in a SCUBA course and learn all the skills necessary to dive safely. Certification courses are offered at most of the dive facilities along the coastline. A certification in ocean diving, referred to as "Open Water Certification", takes about four and a half days. The minimum age is 12 for junior certification and 15 for a regular certification. Instructors are licensed by a variety of SCUBA certification agencies.

The course consists of lecture, a series of skill sessions in shallow water or a swimming pool, and four or more certification ocean dives, weather permitting. The certification dives usually take place in 25 feet of water, but no deeper than 40. You will also have reading, quizzes and a final exam that will need to be completed.

If you want to get certified but don't want to spend your vacation reading and listening to lectures, you can take the initial part of the course with a dive facility near your home. They can teach you the entire course except for the certification dives. Your instructor will then provide you with a "Referral Letter" to bring to the Caribbean. Your certification dives can be completed here in Mexico so you can spend the rest of your vacation diving, diving, diving.

If you just want to see if you would enjoy SCUBA you can take a Resort Course. This introduction takes about three hours. You will be taught the basics by an instructor and then taken on an experience dive to about 25 feet of depth. In a Resort Course you can decide if SCUBA diving is for you.

If you have a medical condition that you think may effect your ability to SCUBA dive, please speak to your physician first before enrolling in a course. Only your doctor can determine if your health will permit you to safely learn to SCUBA. Your local dive facility can provide you with a simple form to be filled out by your doctor.