Open Water Diver Course

Learn to dive today with one of Blue Life’s pro instructors.

$424.00

    • 40 $

    • 99 $

Duration: 2-3 Days

Experience Level: None

Dive Type: Ocean/Cenotes

What's included? The course includes the Student Manual, equipment, certification (once you complete requirements), snacks, water, park entrance/boat fees, and a gigantic sense of accomplishment.

The PADI Open Water Diver Course is the most recognized SCUBA diving certification course worldwide. As a certified Open Water Diver, you will add a whole new dimension to your travel and adventure experiences!  The course materials as well as your instructor will guide you through a comprehensive curriculum covering diving physics, physiology, equipment, environment, and dive planning, as well as in-water skills and emergency procedures.  You will complete the training with all the tools that will allow you to dive comfortably and safely with a qualified buddy to a maximum depth of 60ft/18m.

As a convenience, we also offer courses using PADI eLearning online so that you can complete the theory portion of the course in the comfort of your home at your own pace. You can do this before you get to Playa del Carmen or Tulum, so that you don’t cut into your vacation time doing homework.  If you would prefer we also offer the course using the PADI Open Water Diver manual and videos, in which you would complete additional classroom review session with your instructor.

The first time you enter the water will be in the comfort and safety of our pool or a shallow, open water cenote. This will enable you to become familiar with the equipment, skills practice and required techniques for going out into the open water.  We are blessed with beautiful year-round diving conditions, perfect for your first open water experience. The dives will usually be conducted on the beautiful Caribbean reefs offshore from Playa del Carmen, or Tulum,  allowing you to see the marine life in the Mexican Caribbean

Our favorite way to teach this course is in the Scuba 101: Beginner Diver Package.  The package will give you the complete Open Water Diver Course, followed by 2 additional fun dives in Playa del Carmen and another 2 cavern dives in Cenote Chikin Ha.  Another option is to continue your diving education and begin the Advanced Open Water Diver Course in which it would be possible to practice Drift diving in Cozumel, or perhaps a Deep or Wreck dive at the Mama Viña shipwreck.

The meet point for this tour is at the Playa del Carmen Dive shop or in Tulum.   Please let us know if you are in Tulum so we can arrange for someone to meet you there. 

Sample Course Schedule

** These schedules are approximate and for reference only.  Your actual schedule may vary depending on your ability, logistics, weather, and other factors.  We will strive to make sure you are safe and happy and ask that you are a bit flexible so your experience is as fun and safe as possible. 

Independent Study before your first day

Complete the theory portion of the course using the eManual or eLearning.  We will send you access to the course once your reservation is complete. 

Day 1
8 am – 12 pm – Confined/Shallow Water Dives
1 pm – 5 pm – 2 Open Water Dives on shallow reefs or *Casa Cenote (*when staying in Tulum)

Day 2
8 am – 12 pm –Confined/Shallow Water Dives
1 pm – 5 pm – 2 Open Water Dives, course closing, and instant certification.

We would love to help you dive into the underwater world and live a Blue Life!

Reviews

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Michele L

    PADI Open Water with fun I have just completed the PADI Open Water with Blue Life scuba diving: course was professionally taught by Scuba-Steve,a great instructor and diver. I had a one to one course which I would suggest to ensure fast learning curve and optimized instructions. The course took slightly longer than expected as I got a cold after the first dive: the Blue life assistant Caro was very kind and helpful and ptoposrd to re-book me later to give few days for me to recover. All went smooth and I got not only instructive but also fun dives with plenty of sealife discovered for first time. Definitely recommended dive center for PADI course or fun dives.

  2. Rated 5 out of 5

    Aleksandra K

    Highly recommend for certification! I did the PADI Open Water certification with Blue Life and it was an amazing experience! From flexible scheduling with Andrea to expertise and patience during training itself by Hugo, Isabela and Hannah it was the best experience possible! Equipment, dock and dive sites were all amazing.

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    BackPacker179315

    1 week of amazing dives My + 3 of my family members wanted to dive in Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel for our vacation. We scoured the web to find a good dive school as 3 of us needed to be certified followed by additional dives. We contacted Blue Life and completed our dives with them, and it was hands down the best decision we made. Communication: Andrea and Frank spent an hour with me on the phone to formalize our plans before arrival, they were very helpful Instructors : Hugo, Issa and Hannah are extremely friendly, professional and pay close attention to each divers skill set. If you are looking to get certified pick Hugo. They might be a tad bit expensive than other dive shops and for good reason. You are paying for good equipment and skilled instructors. Don\'t be penny wise pound foolish. These guys are solid. Tip: If its your birthday during your dive trip, they will take care of you. :)

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kim H

    I really like this dive shop My husband and I spent a week in Playa del Carmen in Sept 2018. We planned to do our Open Water certification with Blue Life at the beginning of our trip, then join some friends for the rest of the week. We had so much fun during our first two days though, that we subsequently cancelled our remaining plans so we could do more diving. Andrea was our point of contact through email, and she was very responsive and helpful. She even tracked us down on Whatsapp so she could communicate with us easier. She was also very accommodating of all of our last minute requests and changes. Our open water course was done with Hugo, who is a fantastic instructor. We had so much fun the entire time. He also managed to squeeze in both pool sessions into the first day, so we did not have to return to the pool on our second morning. Instead, we did the Cozumel upgrade (which I highly recommend) for our 3rd and 4th ocean dives. We also did 2 cenote dives with Isabelle, and 2 with Bob. Both were great and very knowledgeable. I have pretty bad thalassophobia, and a dark, flooded underground cavern is pretty much the stuff my nightmares are made of. However, I did not feel anxious of worried in the least with either Isabelle or Bob. Overall, Blue Life is a fantastic dive shop and we would definitely dive with them again!

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Martin S

    Excellent open water course! I took the open water course during August 2018. I did my first two dives in Casa Cenote and the other two on the reef close to Playa del Carmen. My girlfriend joined me for the last two dives. Steve was our instructor. He was great: very experienced, detailed in his instructions, and meticulously made sure that I had grasped every skill necessary for the certification. I left excited and eager to dive again. The folks in Bluelife were very nice and friendly (thanks Andrea!). They very flexible to accommodate our schedule.

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    Danyang Z.

    Had three days of fun diving with Blue Life and really enjoyed everything! I had a private freediving training session, two local playa dives, two Cozumel dives and two Cenote dives, while my bf got his OW certification here. Everything went smoothly - the instructors are very nice and patient, trying their best to make us comfortable and enjoy the dives. They also organize trips very efficiently and did a fantastic job introducing us various dives! If come back again to Playa, will go with these guys again!

  7. Rated 5 out of 5

    gerardkcohen

    Blue Life has set the bar for dive shops. The quality of service is amazing! Our trip started with Andrea, who seems to be able to answer any question at any time of day, being extremely responsive and helpful. Arriving at the shop, we were greeted by Leo. I considered Leo the MVP of this all-star team. He helped with equipment, answered questions, and even went out of his way to escort others in my group to see a doctor. Some of our gear was temporarily lost by the airline, but he offered to deal with the airline to ensure that everything was delivered directly to the shop. Our first 2 days in the water was with Hugo for TDI Sidemount certification. You can tell this guy loves his job. Hugo is laid back and patient, but also very encouraging at the same time. Even though I was only able to do the Sidemount course, he was preparing me for more in-depth Cavern/ Cave courses that I would eventually take. I was never really interested in tech diving before, but Hugo has inspired me to go further. After completing the Sidemount course, we did the Taste of Riviera Maya with Steve for sites in Playa Del Carmen on the first day and Cozumel on the second day. Steve was great in explaining all the details of the dives up front, and knew just about every fish we would encounter. He executed his dive plan flawlessly. In Cozumel, we drifted for about 1.5 miles for our first dive and 2.5 miles for our second. The last day of TRM was cenotes El Pit and Dos Ojos with Daniel. Daniel was also very careful to explain the history and details of his sites. His excitement for diving the cenotes was infectious. He even spent a little time at the end to help me with my back fin technique, which I still can\'t do, but not from lack of effort on Daniel\'s part. Finally, our last day with Blue Life was to snorkel with Whale Sharks, and even though this excursion was outsourced to another group, they still exhibited the same level of quality, hospitality, and passion that Blue Life did. My time with Blue Life was a life changing experience, being able to do/ see things that I never thought I could. Everything is top notch. The guides did not just ask us to follow them and then point out things to look at, which is perfectly acceptable experience. But went above and beyond in that they are sincere about educating not just about the area and history, but always offering guidance on how to improve as a diver. They will not hesitate to spend a few extra days with you to get stuff right. Our Sidemount course with Hugo was scheduled for 2 days, but he was prepared to go an extra day if needed. The same was offered to my older brother during his Open Water course. Hospitality was 5 star at Blue Life. I hardly had to lift a finger, and all the food options they provided were great. I would not be exaggerating when I said that they all treated us like family. This is a very special shop and I can\'t wait to go back. Thank you again Blue Life!

  8. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sebastian P

    Best experience ever! This guys really know how to make your diving experience the best thing ever. Great location, nice staff, good equipment, best dive shop in town for sure!

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Debbie N

    Blue life scuba Playa del carmen I’ve been diving for several years and recently went diving with my family ..my family was very inexperienced with diving and one grandson who had not completed his certification..I chose Blue Life ..this group more than exceeded my expectations..Leo did an extensive pool session to complete my grandsons certification and then Steve completed Brennan’s skills over two ocean dives ..Steve’s knowledge and ability to instruct was excellent. Misceal led the other divers and provided an excellent experience..Leo Steve and Misciel went above and beyond making sure we had a great safe family memories with our dive in Playa and Cozumel

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    ryan folsey

    The Best Dive Experience Ever!!! We recently traveled to Playa del Carmen with another family to do some diving. A few of us had previous experience but the kids were all first timers. Each of the girls (13,16,16) had to finish their open water certification there and we were a little apprehensive as to how it would all go. Little did we know that we were in great hands with Andrea and the amazing group of Dive Masters at Blue Life. Valentina watched over the girls with such detailed care it was amazing and Steve was the perfect guide for the rest of us that needed some brushing up as it had been a while since we dove. The next three days and 6 dives were awesome and the girls did great. Steve showed us so much detail in the reef and took the time to take some amazing pictures of us. Valentina was so kind and informative and on the third day took us on a tour inside the Dos Ojos Cenote that we will never forget. She is awesome!!! (and so thorough in her Dive preparation.) We will definitely be back!

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Steve L

    Kids first diving adventure couldn’t have been better! We came to Playa to share our love of diving with our teenage daughters. Everything about blue life was great. We did a referral course - took the pool and classroom in LA first. We had two dive masters that were perfect for us. Valentina for the girls, and Steve the expat for the parents. Valentina was calm, clear and thorough, calming iur girls fears. Steve had us up and running in no time as well. An old pro, Steve showed us great lobster, turtles, eel and more at every turn. He even brought out his GoPro when ours broke, and supplied great shots of our trip. We did 3 days- the open water dive off the pier, then off to Cozumel and dos ojos cenotes (which are a must do) Couldn’t have been better! We will be back, and blue life will be our guides, for sure!

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    AndrewHan87

    Recent taste of Riviera Maya My wife and I just came back from our vacation to Riviera Maya just few days ago. And just like last time, we decided to go on a diving with Blue Life this year. Last time, I got my open water certificate and this year, we went full 3 day taste of Riviera Maya. First two reef dives were great way to start diving. Leo was our guide, and us two and other couple went diving in a group. We were lucky to see two turtles and one big and one small moray eels. Not to mention various fishes and reefs. Leo did superb job on guiding and helping us on refreshing our diving skills. Second Cozumel dives were just beautiful as expected. Valentina was our guide, and we saw so many turtles, nursing sharks, giant stingray, giant lobster and crabs and most colorful reefs we ever saw. Now we feel very spoiled and not sure any other future diving would meet our expectation. Valentina pretty much took care of us from shop to Cozumel and back 100%. She also knew where to look for interesting marine life. Lastly, Hugo took us to Chikin-Ha for cenote diving. We did not expect the dive to be a cavern/cave diving where flash lights were essential. It was scary but very exciting experience. We dived from one opening to other through large underwater caves. We felt very safe with Hugo, and was very very interesting experience. We gotta thank all three awesome guides, Leo, Valentina and Hugo. They were very professional and kind. Not to mention, Andrea helped us with arrangement through countless emails. We do not know when, but when we go back to Riviera Maya, we will definitely go diving with Bluelife again.

  13. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nick K

    Great customer service Our teacher, Vale, was super patient and wonderful to be around. Andrea was amazing with any questions we had in advance. All around great experience in getting our PADI cert.

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sir_electric

    5 star dive outfit From the start Andrea was quick in responding to emails and made planning our dive vacation simple. When Jen ran into trouble with her ears Andrea was quick to make changes so that she could dive near the end of our vacation. Valentina was my dive master for getting my Padi open water. She was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure to point out any bad habits before they became an issue. I would highly recommend Valentina for not only instructing safe diving but she really knows where all the animals hide along the reef. For my Cenote Dos ojs cavern dive Hugo was my dive master and you really can tell how much cave diving is one of his passions. I really enjoyed our trip out and the dive whole. Desided to revisit Cozumel and dive with Misael as my dive master. There is never enough air in your cylinder but Misael made the most of the time we had diving the Cozumel wall. Overall Blue life is a first rate group of people and I will be revisiting Mexico and most certainly diving with them again. Don

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Mattilovemexico

    Another great experience with Blue Life! I have been diving with the Blue Life since the fall of 2015. I received my open water certification through Blue Life. I recently referred my friend to finish his open water with them, and he had a great experience with Vale as the dive master. In preparation for a group dive, myself and a friend did a refresher course with Vale. She is knowledgeable and has a great attitude. Hugo also was very accommodating to me and dropped me off at the bus station after the day was wrapped up. Andrea was excellent in her prompt communication and responses to my emails. It takes much planning and she was very professional. I will be back again, and so will my friends.

  16. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kateryna Parkhomenko

    Open Water Course I greatly enjoyed my dive and study sessions with Valentina as she guided me to do my Open Water course.

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    agustinvulliez

    Great Experience. Staff Very professional and didactic I did the open water course without having previous experience in diving. The Instructor Leonardo Morante was a didactic and professional, allowing a very fast and safe learning. It is a safe and fast course recommended for anyone who wants to venture into diving. I could even enjoy diving in corals while doing the course. All the staff of Blue life was very friendly and professional. I recommend it.

  18. Rated 5 out of 5

    carolyn M.

    Can\'t say enough good things about the whole crew at Blue Life! I went on a few dives with them while in Playa. Vale completed my open water certification, she was top notch. Super sweet, organized and a great instructor. I enjoyed my time with her and felt very competent once completed. Hugo took me and my partner Bull Shark Diving. It was amazing, he was a great dive master and found the sharks right away. He did a great job ensuring that everyone was safe at all times. Blue Life does not chum the water which I so appreciate. It allows you to appreciate the sharks in their natural habitat and is a truly tranquil experience. We chose to shark dive with them specifically because of that. This dive shop prioritizes safety above all which helps to put you at ease. The instructors and dive masters are amazing. Can\'t recommend them highly enough

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    larrystein6

    excellent care and skill - open water referral and dives My g-friend was ready for her open water dives to get her padi cert. I had used Blue Life for snorkeling the year before. They were amazing last year, and even better this year. Devon was our dive master. He was attentive, calm, communicative, and took excellent care of my g-friend. Devon sent a taxi for us each morning, and sent us home each afternoon in a taxi. We were briefed on what we would be doing before we did it. I wasn\'t crazy about the boat scheduled the first day. my g-friend got sick in the smaller boat and threw up. Devon got us a much bigger boat the next day. At 60+ years, I am not crazy about carrying gear and switching tanks. I mentioned this to Devon and he stepped right up and took over, carrying our reg\'s, switching our tanks etc. I can\'t say much more than these people do everything and anything they can to make you happy. And they are very safe competent people. My only hope for the future is they would invest in their own boat. One you can walk around in. That would be the ultimate dream come true and would complete this excellent shop.

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

    AndrewHan87

    Awesome experience Last year, my wife and I visited Riviera Maya. While we were there, we really wanted go for diving. Since Blue Life had superb reviews, I contacted and Fernanda helped me with arrangement. While were there, I decided to get my open water certificate, and while doing so my wife took the refresher course. Hugo took care of my wife and I as he was superb instructor with patience. He was also able to give us a shuttle service to rather far hotel that we were staying. We ended up going two ocean dives and one cenote dive. We were planned for three ocean dives, but due to severe weather, after waiting out a day Blue Life suggested and took us to a Cenote diving next day. Whole experience was superb and will definitely recommend to everyone. I know I am leaving a super late review as I was too busy with life. Me and my wife is planning to visit Riviera Maya next month and remembered that I forgot to post a promised review. If I can I will definitely contact Blue Life again. Only happy memories.

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    MartinMedina

    Open Water Scuba Certification This was my first time diving and it was amazing! Devin (the instructor) was very patience, knowledgeable and made me feel safe at all times. Vero, the shop manager, was great and made everyone feel welcomed, while keeping all activities on schedule. Ended up getting my open water certification, did 4 amazing dives and know I am ready to come back to Playa! Amazing experience, and most of all, amazing people!

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    David R

    Great Experience! Recommended. 3 days of diving completed with this great \'team\' during our family vacation. Pre trip booking and communications were clearly and promptly handled by \'front of shop\' Marcela - who was an absolute pleasure to deal with. Added bonus is the ability to pay via PayPal! Expect to pre pay 50% and settle the rest during your visit. 2 days of the diving were OW referral for the young ladies in my family. They had great and attentive service and instruction from Devin and I was thrilled to be able to \'hang in the back\' of their dives videoing their drills and first experiences in the ocean. The boat service provided - 1 block from the store - was also excellent. Day 3 was a solo mission to Cozumel. I was provided a guide - Dalai - who was great company on the ferry to the island and provided top tier \'mexico city\' cab shortcuts to get us to and from the dive boat in super quick time. Dives were very good as I expected. Heartily recommend this young, friendly and welcoming team for family based diving.

  23. Rated 5 out of 5

    valkrie1235

    Excellent Cenote\\\'s Dives with Blue Life Wonderful diving operation run by really nice people. Reached out to them to help wrap up a certification I had started in Florida. From booking through to the end of the day they were highly responsive and very professional. Rimas, my instructor for the day, was excellent: easy going, and fun to talk to. The dives themselves were spectacular. Can\'t wait to go back and dive with them again.

  24. Rated 5 out of 5

    Evan Elliott

    Excellent experience Outstanding dive shop. Friendly staff and easy to coordinate with. As a newly certified diver, I was nervous about a couple of the cenote dives, but I had an amazing experience because the staff was helpful and attentive. I dove with Hugo and Fernanda - I can\'t recommend them enough!

  25. Rated 5 out of 5

    Zoe S

    Lovely dive centre I booked to do my open water cert with Blue Life, and did the theory ( which they organised very efficiently) through e-learning before my holiday. This was a great way to not spend time cooped up trying to learn on your holiday, for those of us not quite fortunate enough to live on the Mexican coast! The staff there all seem lovely, friendly and very supportive of amateurs like me, and clearly massively keen on their profession. They were very informative about what dives there were to do around QR, but never trying to sell you something- the information was not profit-related! There are beautiful reefs here, clear water, and amazing sea life. Sarah, my instructor, was a great teacher; fun but professional, not patronising in the slightest , and clearly very experienced. Her calm confidence was great, I didn\'t feel anxious at all, and let\'s face it, diving is fundamentally not drowning, so being scared was a factor. If you\'ve never dived before, learn here, if you\'ve done loads, they offer loads of different diving trips and it all looks great! Can\'t recommend them highly enough.

  26. Rated 5 out of 5

    JoKnits

    Excellent scuba cert & additional dives We selected this company due to the great reviews on TripAdvisor, followed by their excellent and responsive email communication, and we are very happy we worked with them. We had 2 people doing PADI open water certification on referral, and 1 person already certified. Each day we had a different guide - Sarah, Fernanda, Andrea, and Matthais (might be spelled wrong). All were highly knowledgeable, provided great instruction, were attentive to safety, and hit the perfect balance between competence and relaxed. All are bilingual English-Spanish, and Matthais speaks Flemish and French as well - I suspect the team can cover many language needs. The guides are all personable, friendly, and were a pleasure to spend time with. We put ourselves in their hands to select dive sites based on the weather and conditions. Since the winds and weather can shift, I recommend this. A few days in advance, we were instructed where to meet and at what time, based on whether we were taking the ferry to Cozumel, getting on a boat near the shop, or driving to a cenote. We did the first day of our PADI open water dives in Casa Cenote, which is a nice mostly-open cenote. Sarah set us up carefully and made sure all the equipment was in good shape, and reminded us how to set it all up properly and do safety checks. She was very attentive to our comfort levels as we worked through the various skills, and also ensured our 3rd diver was doing well. The second day we went to Cozumel with Fernanda. We met her at the ferry, and then took a taxi to the harbor where they had arranged a dive boat. The dive boat captain and crew were great - very competent and attentive, and Fernanda was also an excellent instructor. Cozumel is beautiful - the reef is in great condition. We saw nurse sharks and many fish. The third day we went to Chiken Ha with Andrea. This is a cavern cenote, and it was quite amazing. Andrea is clearly a highly skilled cave diver and her attention to safety and making sure we were doing ok with with compression was great. And, the empanadas they sell at this site are delicious - just what we needed after the dive. The last day we hit a couple of sites off the shore of Playa del Carmen with Matthais (Fernanda was also on the boat, guiding another couple using Nitrox). Again, the captain and crew were excellent, and the dives were beautiful. We rented a GoPro from them for the last 2 days, and they have already uploaded all the files to my DropBox. Without a doubt we will return to BlueLife. Now that we are Open Water certified, we can\'t wait to return and dive with them again.

  27. Rated 5 out of 5

    Amanda C

    Open Water PADI Certification- Incredible experience!! My experience with Blue Life was absolutely incredible. I completed the pool training + open water courses with Hugo to gain my open water PADI certification (I did the e-learning beforehand at home). Hugo made my training very easy, smooth, and unforgettable. By the 3rd dive I was so comfortable I was truly able to enjoy my time under the big blue. The rest of the staff was so friendly and accommodating, I will 100% be returning to dive with them next time I\'m down in Playa. Thank you Blue Life for this incredible experience!!

  28. Rated 5 out of 5

    andre m

    Excellent Open water course All staff very friendly, excellent teachers. Good teaching sessions in pool, wonderfull 4 dives at sea! I have seen beautiful fish, sea turtles, sting rays, moorays and a lot more. 5*, recommend!!

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    SoCalRoadMan

    awesome experience brought my daughter here to get certified. the instructors were awesome, they really went the extra mile to try and make the best of some bad weather we had. i was very impressed.

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    vransanz

    Excelent Hi there. We went on a Dad & Son vacations, from Austin TX, to Mayakoba, and found Blue Live Diving Enterprise. Our Goal was that my 15 years old son, could take the Open Water Course. Fortunately, he perfomed very well, and managed to have his licence. This, came true, with the assistance of a great team of proffessional divers, We would like to mention, and thank, Sarah Pulitzer, Sarah 2, and Hugo de La Llata Rangel, a great team of proffessional divers, that took care of us. All great people, personally I would like to thank Sara Pulitzer for taken care of me while snorkeling, a beautiful person. Please, come and visit Playa and have a great Mexican experience. Victor Ransanz MD

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    daltontrish

    Highly Recommended We were going on our honeymoon and wanted to go scuba diving but instead of doing a basic scuba excursion we decided to get our Open Water PADI certification. It was really important to us that we went with a company that we felt had high standards and good reviews. I researched a lot of Scuba shops in the area and narrowed it down using trip advisors reviews and customer testimonials. I contacted a few shops and was most impressed with the assistance I received from Blue Life. As it turns out they had the highest tripadvisor rating too. Sarah and Fernanda were both great. I don\'t think I could have asked for more from them. Fernanda kept in contact with me throughout the whole process before and after we reserved our places on the course. We booked transport to and from our hotel with Blue Life for convenience. Hugo was our instructor and Thank You Hugo. He was extremely patient and made the whole process relaxed and fun. I became sick on my first day and there was no problem with rescheduling the course when I felt better. I really appreciated the kindness shown. On our final day we shared a boat to make our last dives for certification and we witnessed first hand another instructor with other recreational divers and the different style of instruction was...FULL ON to say the least. Very regimental and didn\'t look or feel enjoyable. It was a glimpse as to who you could end up with if you don\'t research carefully. Thank you to all that we have had the pleasure of meeting and dealing with at Blue Life. Before we left we had already recommended you to another guest at our resort and he was contacting you to arrange some scuba. If/when we are back we will not go past Blue Life. Fantastic Scuba experience all round

  32. Rated 5 out of 5

    graham c

    PADI CERTIFICATION Was a little nervous at first but with the help of HUGO our trainer we were very relaxed and had a fantastic experience HIGHLY RECOMMEND BLUE LIFE to anyone who is a novice diver as they are very profesional and make you feel at ease ,can\'t thank them enough as i look forward to my next dive HOPE TO DIVE WITH YOU AGAIN until the next time

  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Runningrock

    Best Customer Service! We used Blue Life Diving to complete our sons\' open water certification dives. From start to finish, everything went smoothly and the customer service was top notch! I found Blue Life after reading other reviews. I had narrowed it down to three dive shops in Playa del Carmen. What made me decide to go with Blue Life was their customer service and prompt response. Fernanda not only replied to my emails very quickly and thoroughly, but arranged a time to call me and spent time on the phone with me (long distance to California) explaining their program, their procedures and answering all my questions. Their dive groups seemed to be smaller than with some of the other dive shops in town. Fernanda emailed me all the necessary paperwork prior to our departure from the U.S. so that I could complete and return them in advance. She also discounted our rental gear since we booked the referral course. The dive shop itself is nothing impressive and a block off of 5th Avenue. It\'s just a couple of blocks from the beach, so getting to their boat was easy and quick. Snacks were provided for surface time. My two sons (ages 16 & 18) were the only ones with the divemaster, so they got extra personalized service. They had a great experience diving with Hugo and Leo. Both instructors made sure they were safe, comfortable and enjoyed the dives. My sons can be very particular and critical, but they gave both instructors high marks! We were going to Akumal after our stay in Playa del Carmen and Fernanda offered to pick us up at our rental home in Akumal for cenote diving. She also printed our sons\' temporary dive cards and hand delivered them to our hotel once they were processed. The boys were given t-shirts upon completion of their course. I would highly recommend Blue Life Diving and would use them again the next time we go back to Playa del Carmen.

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Helen Seung Hyu... Y

    THE BEST EVER!!!!!!! I don\'t know where to begin.....one of the greatest tour companies I\'ve encountered!!!!!!! My first email communication with Fernanda before heading to Playa del Carmen made sure that I was in good hands and I would have such a great time with Blue Life. Before flying to Mexico, I completed eLearning and confined water training with a scuba diving company in New York City to get certified while I am on vacation. Due to my tight schedule with friends and flight, I had only half day to do something. Fernanda was amazing in terms of writing me back promptly (always in less than 12 hours) with detailed information regarding their courses and flexibility. What amazed me the most was her customer service skills. I came to Playa del Carmen with a group of friends but I was the only one who wanted to go diving and I was little hesitant about getting to Blue Life from my hotel (I do not speak Spanish and I was alone on the diving day) and stuff and Fernanda arranged transportation for me. That was a genuinely kind gesture of her!!!!! Also, I told her in the emails that I am bit afraid of some particular underwater skills that I need to perform for the certification course, and she assured me couple times that it is going to be okay. I learn the best when I get the most attention in 1:1 setting, so Fernanada arranged 1:1 PADI scuba diving cert. course for me. (It is not on website, but she will make it happen for you!) Extra charge for 1:1 private lesson, but IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY OF IT! I needed it and I am soooo glad I did it. Otherwise, I would have not been able to get the most attention and guide from my instructor which I needed it so bad. My PADI instructor, Valentina was such a charming person. Before diving, she thoroughly went over brief introduction of what the day is going to be, which skills to be performed, what we will be doing etc. She assured me many times that she will be always there. She made me so calm, relaxed and definitely safe. Completed 2 dives in the beautiful Mocche reef and Jardines reef! I cannot believe the beautiful underwater world, so many aquatic creatures, just speechless! (I am just sad I forgot to disable auto-lock on iPhone before I dived....no pictures) The only thing that bothered me was I never get motion sickness but oh boy, that day, the waves were so rough and the water was so choppy that I was nauseous and felt sick throughout the whole boat ride back and forth. I almost wanted to throw up the entire time but I surprisingly survived without vomiting for one time (although there was one guy who actually projectile vomited in the boat which didn\'t help me at all lol) But Valentina, my instructor assured me that it is totally normal to feel this way and she made sure I feel calm and better. She didn\'t rush me through anything....she gave me extra time to calm myself down until I said I am ready. She is definitely the most patient person I\'ve ever met!!! Under the water, she stayed close with me the whole time and helped me to pull me under the water beacuse I am too buoyant and wouldn\'t sink easily. She showed me so many cool sea creatures throughout the dives. Although my iphone was not working, those underwater scenaries will be staying forever in my memory! and lastly, these people were so friendly!! No wonder Blue Life is the only 5 star diving company on Yelp I told them. I recommend Blue Life to everyone, my friends and family! I would definitely come back here to do more dives. Thank you Blue Life for making my vacation unforgettable!!!!! I will be back to complete more dives with them. :D

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    Remi T

    First time diving with very friendly team! I just did my PADI open water certification with Blue life. I chose them based on the reviews, which very well deserved! From the planning to the actual dives, everything was organized perfectly, very responsive to all questions via email. But really it\'s how friendly the people are: thank you Valentina and Fernanda for making my stay such an amazing vacation! The training was well organized too, first in the swimming pool, then ocean, very good explanations. Although it was my first time so I can\'t really compare, the equipment was really good. They took the time to answer all questions. I also did the Cozumel dive, which was the highlight of the experience, so beautiful! I hope to be back soon!

  36. Rated 5 out of 5

    ShanMarie2014

    Fantastic experience! I would give six stars if possible- the team at Blue Life Diving is wonderful! I decided to get my PADI Open Water Certificate a week before my trip with my boyfriend to Playa Del Carmen. He was already certified and we couldn\'t miss the opportunity to dive in one of the world\'s best dive destinations. After reading the great reviews about Blue Life and given the dive shop was close to where we stayed, I booked with them. Fernanda was wonderful helping me sign-up for the course and scheduling the dives with an instructor. She was very accommodating with my vacation schedule. She was so friendly and kind! My instructor Valentina was beyond amazing. It was just her and me for the two day instruction; the private instruction was great! My boyfriend joined me on the confined water dives in the pool on the first day for a refresher course and Valentina worked with us both. He was also able to join for the open water dives. It was great to have him able to join, especially since diving was new for me and we were on vacation together. One thing I really appreciated about Valentina was she taught skills by the book. You could tell it was important she do everything right and that integrity was important to her. She continued this style of instruction during the open water dives. For example, on a boat with other divers and instructors, it was just me and my boyfriend with Valentina and she always had us do our buddy checks before getting in the water. I never heard other divers doing a buddy check on either two days. She also had me fill out my log book after each day and signed and stamped it. I really liked her commitment to the profession of scuba diving. Above all, Valentina was warm, friendly and patient. She was calm and collected which helped me feel less nervous and anxious. The two day instruction was a steep learning curve but Valentina helped me so much that by my third and fourth dive, I loved every minute! I\'m in love with scuba diving now and I credit Valentina for creating such an amazing experience and helping feel prepared and confident to dive. I can\'t thank Valentina, Fernanda and the Blue Life Diving team enough for such a memorable experience! I\'ve fallen in love with diving thanks to them! My only regret is that I didn\'t schedule more dives with them. My boyfriend and I will definitely be back and do more dives in Cozumel and the Cenotes with Blue Life.

  37. Rated 5 out of 5

    M M

    Fantastic Diving. Wonderful Staff. This shop is situated on the \"mellow\" edge of town, away from the fray of Playa del Carmen\'s main strip, 10th Avenue. The relaxed vibe that pervades the shop takes the frenetic human temperature down to more acceptable levels, a welcome respite from the din and souvenir palaces just a few blocks away. For divers looking for a more personalized approach, the dedicated crew that run this delightful outfit will customize your diving trips and strive to make everything work. If cenote diving is your thing, or if you\'d like to add such an experience to a log book (as I did), the crew here provide expert guidance--they are trained cave divers. Our family, with varying degrees of skills, took the plunge with Hugo and Remus, diving Cozumel and the reef off Playa. Hugo conducted open-water certification dives for our 10-year-old, and Fernanda took care of our questions and bookings (and recommended local eateries as well). Rental prices are reasonable and the equipment is in good shape. Highly recommended!

  38. Rated 5 out of 5

    ycfeng91

    Great experience getting OW and AOW certified with Blue Life! I learned how to dive in 5 days with Valentina at Blue Life - and it was a fantastic experience! Would definitely recommend. My instructor made me feel very safe and did a great job explaining diving concepts. When I struggled with a particular skill, like clearing the mask, she was very patient and gave me great tips to overcome the challenge. Got to dive at some very beautiful sites in Playa and Cozumel!

  39. Rated 5 out of 5

    Augie C

    Three awesome days of diving We scheduled our dive trip with Blue Life a few weeks before arriving in Playa so that my son could finish his open water certification. For our first day of diving we met up at the shop around 8am and met the crew. I had primarily dealt with Fernanda while booking, she was awesome and answered all my questions. Then we met Rimas, he was the instructor that we worked with on all of our dives. He completed my sons open water requirements and guided us around the reefs. I cannot say how awesome and patient he was with my son, though he says that patience was not needed. On the fist day, we dove at Playa, walked with our gear from the shop and met the boat at the beach a block away. On day 2 we upgraded the dive to go to Akumal to see if we could find some sea turtles. We did see a few on our dives. We lucked out and had 2 perfectly calm days in a row! A couple of days later I decided we wanted to try a Cenote and they were able to get us in. Again Rimas was fantastic and did a great job of picking the spots and letting us enjoy our dives. My son and I had a great time as well. I will certainly look them up again next time I am looking to dive in the Playa del Carmen area.

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    Ken T

    Great Company & Experience I recently completed my open water certification and Nitrox certification with Blue Life. I chose them based on the number of fantastic reviews on Tripadvisor and can happily confirm their rating is absolutely accurate. Fernanda was extremely responsive in all aspects of communication both prior to and during the course. All logistics were on point throughout! Sarah took care of my open water dives and was simply amazing. She was extremely safety concious and a great teacher. Additionally she helped with my first dive nerves - I couldn\'t believe that by the 3rd dive my confidence had grown enormously and I was able to perform the skills and enjoy the beautiful reefs without worry. I\'d highly recommend Blue Life for diving in Playa Del Carmen - I\'ll certainly be diving with them again when I next visit.

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sonny W

    Excellent instruction! Blue Life Diving center was a perfect place to receive my open water diving certification. The instruction was professional and well structured. They provided well maintained equipment and a flexible schedule. Walking distance to the ocean. I can\'t wait to get back to Mexico to dive with them again!

  42. Rated 5 out of 5

    StephanieM83

    Fab experience We did our PADI open water diver with Sarah at Blue Life and really enjoyed it. Sarah was super patient, relaxed, fun, professional and the perfect teacher throughout even when we had a little pool crisis moment. Blue Life were really flexible with the time schedule too which allowed us to take things at a pace suitable for us. Would highly recommend, we will for sure be back in Playa for more diving. Thanks again ladies x x

  43. Rated 5 out of 5

    Geoff A

    Awesome experience! I began my adventure with the people at Blue Life Diving by completing my Open water certification off the shores of Playa del Carmen. As a novice diver although excited about my next step I was very nervous. That didn\'t last long as Sarah, my instructor made me feel completely at ease and under her direction my dives went so smoothly. Better than I could have expected. I successfully completed my certification and was anxious to scuba in the Cenotes, which was amazing!. Thanks to Hugo for an awesome experience. I did 6 dives over 3 days and enjoyed it all. There was a lot of diversity in the locations and I especially enjoyed the fish arch in Playa. Thanks to the whole gang Sarah, Roxy, Fernando and Hugo. Geoff Anthony Dorchester Ont

  44. Rated 5 out of 5

    NicandMarkTeesside

    Brilliant We were two complete novice divers and from initial enquires to completing the open water dives the service was second to none. Very welcoming, made us feel at ease, the expertise of Hugo made it a brilliant experience, building confidence all the way, would highly recommend!

  45. Rated 5 out of 5

    Fred P

    Diving was spectacular I did my open-dive sessions for certification with Sarah at Blue Life and the experience was excellent. Sarah is a true professional who puts the client\'s interest/skills first. We did two dives in Playa, two off of Cozumel and two in nearby cenotes, and each was a great experience. Blue Life made it so easy by providing all the equipment, snacks and great sandwiches. I also enjoyed spending time with the others at Blue Life (Fernanda, Rimas, Frank, etc.) who were very familiar with the area and recommended good places to go. It was great fun to be with such nice people.

  46. Rated 5 out of 5

    Apulitzer

    Amazing diving and snorkeling!!! We are 60-somethings who have just returned from a 2 1/2 week exploration of the Yucatan. We are so happy that Blue Life was a part of that adventure! The staff is professional, personable, smart, safety conscious, and fun! Sarah, Rimas, Fernanda, Simon, Hugo, and Frank are incredibly good at what they do. We felt well cared for every step of the way. My husband completed his open dive portion of his SCUBA certification with Sarah, who is a great teacher. He had a chance to dive off the coast of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and also did two cenote dives. I snorkeled with Rimas, first at Dos Ojos (who knew I could be encouraged to enter a bat cave??), then at Casa Cenote and then at Grand Cenote. All three were different and amazing in their own ways. Swimming in an aquarium is delightful, and Grand Cenote has turtles!! We both always felt safe and well instructed. All gear was provided (wet suits are good in cenotes). We had our own prescription masks, but Blue Life provided eveything else ... even towels. All we needed was a change of clothes, some water shoes, and an underwater camera. They even brought along yummy sandwiches and fruit as well as water. After our snorkel at Dos Ojos we had a delicious lunch at Juanita\'s, where we enjoyed some yummy tacos and a sweet potato/ honey amuse bouche. I can\'t say enough about our time with the Blue Lifers ... if you are planning to dive or snorkel in the Yucatan, don\'t look anywhere else!

  47. Rated 5 out of 5

    Susan S

    Hugo and Sarah were top-notch instructors and the whole team was awesome! My boyfriend and I walked over to Blue Life based on the overwhelming number of rave reviews online. We weren\'t disappointed. Fernanda and Sarah were sitting there, chilling after a dive (Sarah\'s hair was still drying), and they were friendly, personable, knowledgeable, and helped us problem-solve to find the best combination of dives for Jeff, who was more experienced, to dive with me, who was still getting my open-water certification. We arranged for 4 dives in two days for my certification, and Jeff did an additional cenote dive with Sarah on the 4th day. Hugo was our guy the first day, and he\'s patient, kind, very knowledgable, and put me at total ease with his wanrth, humor, and experience. I learned a ton from him the first day. We dove off of Playa del Carmen. Day two Sarah was with us. She was amazing- fun to be around, experienced, and very patient with me, who was a little overwhelmed by the sheer amazingness of our Cozumel dive. The first one I made mistakes (lost my weight belt, accidentally inflated vest when trying to deflate, panicked a bit in moments for some reason) and she was with me and corrected me with great patience and skill the first dive, which was eye-poppingly beautiful (Santa Ana Wall), and we were able to have a great time with no blips the second dive. Jeff had an incredible experience with Sarah on day three, and this was his first cenote dive. I would strongly recommend Blue Life to anyone diving in the Playa del Carmen area.

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jet Ski D.

    Excellent! I had a great experience with Blue Life dive shop. I went through my open water certification with Blue Life, and Hugo and Roxy were patient and very knowledgable. I will be back to dive with this group.

  49. Rated 5 out of 5

    Michael T

    Fantastic experience. Amazing people. I stumbled upon Blue Life Diving by sheer luck, while looking to finish my PADI certificate. The entire team was amazing,from Fancesca (the front desk staff) who booked my dive the same day within an hour, to Hugo (the instructor and dive master) that kept me safe and took me to the most amazing dive places Playa del Carmen has to offer, to Sarah and Frank that took matters into their own hands and got my PADI certificate issued, despite the PADI site being down for a couple of days. An A+ experience. I highly recommend visiting Blue Life if you\'re looking for an awesome dive experience in Playa del Carmen or Cozumel!

  50. Rated 5 out of 5

    Carol S

    Excellent Experience After booking a holiday to the Riviera Maya in Mexico and deciding to we wanted to take our Open water certifications we looked on trip adviser for a diving school. We decided on Blue Life after looking at the excellent feed back from other people and we were not disappointed. From the communication from Sarah while we were still at home in England to the dives with Hugo everything was perfect. We decided to take the Scuba 101 package and booked the days we wanted with Sarah before we left home, she replied to my emails promptly and made arrangements for us to be picked up from our hotel for the days booked. We took our Open Water Course with Hugo who is a great teacher, he made it enjoyable and a great experience. The 2 extra days of sea and cenotes dives were also great, we saw turtles, stingrays etc, with Hugo pointing out various sea life like a lobster hiding in the reef which we would not have noticed. I always felt safe, even when I had trouble equalizing in the cenote, Hugo was there to help. We would like to say thank you to all at Blue Life for a great time and for making our holiday to Mexico one of the best.

  51. Rated 5 out of 5

    Moni N

    Amazing experience and team! A friend and I upgraded our PADI license from Scuba Divers to Open Water Divers with Blue Life Diving and it was awesome! Everybody in Blue Life Diving was extremley helpful. It was very easy communicating with Frank and Sara while planning our trip to Playa del Carmen. The diving experience was amazing: great spots, equipment in excellent conditions, always felt really safe, and everyone was very friendly. It was lots of fun!

  52. Rated 5 out of 5

    megan w

    Open Water Dive Certifications My boyfriend and I went down to Playa Del Carmen to get Open Water certified, we also did the Scuba 101 package. We had two instructors, Hugo and Sarah. They were both fantastic! They were knowledgable, patient and passionate about diving, not to mention fun to be around. Blue life offers a number of different diving options, for all different experience levels. We both went down with hardly any dive experience (I had dove twice before with Blue Life about a year before - also a fantastic time) but we were able to do reef dives as well as Cenotes. I have nothing but good things to say about Blue Life and their employees. I would recommend them to anybody and everybody!

  53. Rated 5 out of 5

    David F

    Excellent training Exelente escuela y centro de buceo Muy atentos todo el tiempo Hugo de Llata mi instructor es una persona super agradable y muy profesional Me sentia super seguro con sus lecciones Gracias !!!!

  54. Rated 5 out of 5

    amyenvacances

    Excellent I chose blue life based on their reviews on trip advisor to do my open water and advanced open water qualification over five days and I wasn\'t disappointed. The whole service was great from Sarah organising my padi enrolment (and patiently responding to the multiple questions that a newby diver has) through to Hugo instructing me all week on the theory and practical. Firstly safety was paramount which gave me all the confidence I needed when faced with some of the more challenging adventure dives. The variety of diving was excellent from the cenotes to the beautiful reefs. The tuition was first class so I really feel that I have come away a competent diver in my own right. Lastly every one I met that was part of the team from the boat guys to the instructors were just easy to get on with fun people. I\'d absolutely recommend this company and if I\'m back diving in Playa del Carmen this will be my first call. Thanks guys for making it a great experience

  55. Rated 5 out of 5

    lrice422

    Excellent, as usual This was our second dive experience with Blue Life. Last year, we completed the open water course and this year my husband completed the advanced open water certification. Sarah worked to arrange all of our dive preferences and my husband had a lot of fun on his dives. Hugo was the instructor and he was very professional and knowledgeable. I would not hesitate to book this company and we will be returning for some more diving in the future!

  56. Rated 5 out of 5

    terra333

    Awesome Experience! Got my PADI OPEN Water certification with Blue Life, and the whole experience exceeded my expectations. Everything flowed so effortlessly..from the booking, to pick-up at my hotel, to the dives...wow Hugo was very professional and patient, his confidence and demeanor put me completely at ease during the dives and exercises. thank you Frank, Sarah, and Hugo highly recommend Blue Life and will return again on my next trip to Playa del Carmen

  57. Rated 5 out of 5

    baileylarmer

    Scuba Diving - Open Water Certification My 13 year old sister and I completed our open water scuba diving certification with Blue Life. We had done all of our pool training back home, and decided it would be wonderful to complete the open water sessions in Mexico. We e-mailed with Sarah before our trip, and she was very responsive and quick to reply. Once we got to Mexico we had no internet connection so it was difficult to keep in touch. Someone from Blue Life was able to contact our hotel and we were able to confirm a schedule. Our dad came with us and he was not charged to save a place for him on the boat, due to my sisters age. The boat guides were not associated with Blue Life, but a third party company that allows guides and instructors to take divers out, so there were other divers from other groups on our boat. All great people! Both diving days, Hugo from Blue Life picked us up at our resort and took us to the back where we set up our equipment and walked out to the boat. Hugo was great with us and very helpful especially with my sister. She had a bit of trouble equalizing but Hugo stayed with her and assisted her for the entire descent. Hugo definitely made the experience less stressful, seeing as it was our first dive out-of-pool. We were unsure what to expect - but we did 4 reef dives which included our testing. We saw sea turtles, barracuda, lobster, sting rays, an eel, and tons of other fish. Easy to say this was one of the best experiences of my life and I would not hesitate to contact Blue Life to go on another dive, and will DEFINITELY be in touch with them if I am ever back in Mexico. Thanks again guys!

  58. Rated 5 out of 5

    Wendy H

    If at first you don\'t succeed... Call Blue Life Diving!!! Over the last 10 - 15 years, I have tried twice to scuba dive...without success. But on my last trip, to beautiful Playa del Carmen, Mexico, SUCCESS!! Thanks to Blue Life Diving. Frank, who if I understood correctly, usually does the exciting cave dive instructing, personally took on the challenge of teaching me to dive...kind of like a college professor going back to teach Kindergarten. From the minute he picked me up to take me to the dive pool, he did everything he could to put me at ease and to make me feel like we were going to be successful. And I say \"we\" rather than \"I\" because throughout the whole process he made me feel like if I failed to be able to confidently and comfortably dive, he also had failed...we were very much in this together and my success was his success. Frank\'s patience truly shone through when it took me multiple attempts to even be able to stay three feet under water without panicking...he never made me feel rushed and I felt that he truly celebrated every little success with me. When it became obvious to him that I was too cold in the pool, he quickly got through only what we HAD to do before packing everything up and taking me to a beautiful and warm cenote where we continued our first day skills. I cannot describe how ecstatic I was that by the time Frank dropped me off that first day, I had successfully dived!! The next couple of days just got better and better, and I just can\'t thank Frank enough for everything he did to ensure my success. From making sure I was picked up on time (which is not always the case in Mexico), to ensuring that I was warm and comfortable by supplying an extra thick wetsuit, to just paying attention to all the details that made this an exciting and rewarding experience all around. In spite of my nervousness, I always felt safe...and I think that\'s what was missing in my previous attempts. I also had opportunity to make one dive with Willie, and he too was very patient and a great instructor. Blue Life Diving ROCKS!! I give them 5 stars and recommend them to anyone visiting the area and looking for the best diving experience available! Wendy Hunt Cavalier, North Dakota PS Frank, if you\'re reading this, when I dove in Belize following my certification in Mexico, I cleared my mask like a PRO!!

  59. Rated 5 out of 5

    Ajn786

    Accessible diving I am in a weelchair and love water so wanted to get a dive certification its my daughter. We contacted blue life after a friend recommended them. It was perfect. Could not have gone any better. They were super organized. Everything was clear from the beginning and frank and Sarah were very considerate specially since I was in a wheel chair and my 13 year old daughter was diving with me the first time also. They ranged hugo and an assistant to take us to a dock from where we dove. The place where the boat was had an accessible restroom which was a big relief. Hugo was very patient and a great teacher. We did the elearning and then pool and 4 open water dives. The water had some currents but Hugo and the crew helped us navigate it. We got certified and will be back. I would highly recommend them especially if u need special hep

  60. Rated 5 out of 5

    Tom M

    Scuba Diving My wife and I started scuba diving with Blue Life in February 2015 and transitioned from the Discovery to the PADI Certification course which led to further dives in Two Eye Cenote and the Santa Rosa Wall off Cozumel. Being older (70 and 55) we took things slowly and carefully. No one could have been more attentive, patient or flexible than the Blue Life dive masters and scheduler. When the pool turned out to be too cold, they took us to Akumal for the remaining shallow water training. They made sure we were comfortable with the masks and equipment. All the while, it was just us and the dive master. Willian (Willie) introduced us to diving and, as the cenote specialist, took us to Two Eyes and one of the highlights of our month-long stay in Playa. Hugo shepherded us through the training dives and the demanding exercises required for certification, celebrating that achievement with us. Sarah adapted to our scheduling needs and even stopped by our apartment to drop off materials. They even set up our direct Playa-to-Cozumel boat trip to the famous and beautiful Wall where we made our last dive. Their local \"connections\" led to a spur-of-the-moment fishing expedition. Oh, and the price was comparable to companies that did not offer such personal training and diving. We would certainly choose them again for our next diving experience.

  61. Rated 5 out of 5

    joewyz

    Very accommodating The entire staff was outstanding. Sarah was very responsive with my requests and Hugo was a very patient and enjoyable dive instructor. I will use them again when I return.

  62. Rated 5 out of 5

    UVYBoogie

    LOVED my experience with MONICA I did my open water certification dive with Blue Life and I would highly recommend them. Frank was personable and helpful on the phone prior to my trip, as I was trying to sort out between way too many scuba centers options. He was giving me all sorts of helpful advice and it was clear I was not going to be just another client, but that I was going to get top of the line service and personal treatment. A great bonus for Blue Life is that they pick you up at your hotel to take you to the dives!!! So you don\'t have to find your way to the dive center and waste time and money on that. Monica, my instructor was absolutely phenomenal. I did my certification with her and by the end of day one, I already felt like I met a dear friend. She was knowledgable, personable, real and so fun to be with, she knows diving like the back of her hand, knows Playa like the back of her hand. I enjoyed every moment with her, from the skills work, the diving, the lunches we had. I even enjoyed doing the quizzes and going over the tests with her. We did a couple of extra dives in Cenotes together and I am still amazed by the experience. It was beautiful and magical. Definitely a stunning experience I will do again. I would HIGHLY recommend Blue Life and MONICA. I do not usually write reviews, but I was so confused prior to my trip with so many options, and I was so over-satisfied that I felt like I had to. When I am back in Playa I am diving with Monica at Blue Life again. I have no desire to dive with anyone else!

  63. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jonathan W

    Fantastic Diving! This shop is amazing! We completed our classroom and swimming pool PADI certification components in Canada, and signed up for the Open Water Certification through Blue Life (we strongly recommend this strategy for anyone starting out!). Leo was our instructor, and he did an amazing job! We got lots of personalized attention and really enjoyed the experience. So much so that once we were certified we signed up for another dive later in the week. William helped make the arrangements, and was also a pleasure to work with. Friendly, relaxed, and timely service the whole time. I would undoubtedly call these guys up again if I\'m ever back down there. Thanks Blue Life!

  64. Rated 5 out of 5

    Alberto_vmc

    Good and quick response to adverse weather Our instructor was Peter: excellent. And Frank, the manager, kept a very efficient communication before, during and after the course.

  65. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kevin C

    Don\'t let this pass you by Frank and his team are amazing. This was hands down the coolest adventure I have ever been on. I also received my PADI certification w Blue Life. I have never been diving before my first trip with blue life. I had such a great experience I went on 5 separate dives after the certification course, I felt completely safe with the dive masters at Blue Life. Ask about the night diving!

  66. Rated 5 out of 5

    Claudia P

    Dive with the best!..... My son and I used Blue Life on our recent trip to the Riviera Maya. My son communicated with Frank prior to our trip and arranged four days of diving. Frank was knowledgeable and a true diving professional. My son dove the reefs of Akumal with Pete who was patient and knowledgeable and who went out of he way to help when my son lost his camera. Thank you to Poncho for a great dives in Cozumel. A SPECIAL THANK YOU to Monica for three days of cenote dives, but most of all for my Intro to Dive. To say I am a less than adequate swimmer is an understatement.....this ladies knowledge, patience, and passion for diving is contagious.....she made my experience one of the best ever and she too went above and beyond to make our experience fabulous.... I am actually considering certification :-). My son was especially impressed with how dive times were maximized ,with the attention to safety and the fact that diving with the Blue Life staff makes you want to become a better diver and the tips they shared have absolutely increased his knowledge as a diver. Frank checked in with my son on a daily basis to make sure all dives went well and to reconfirm plans for the following day. We are planning a return trip so he can take Frank\'s Cave Diving and Side mount Course. Communication was better than great and he put together a custom package that exceeded our expectations. Thank you Frank and your staff..you\'re the best! Claudia P. and Morgan T.

  67. Rated 5 out of 5

    ClaCoLa

    Teen certification & first cavern dive My husband and I took our 15-year-old to the Riviera Maya to finish his dive certification with his open water dives. Owner Frank was in FL, but we got everything arranged via phone and email and he was very responsive. Pete was our dive instructor and we went to Akumal for the first dives in the afternoon. But storm swells had come up and it was pretty hairy. I wasn\'t sure my son was going to be able to do it and we were on the verge of seasickness, as well. Somehow, Pete matter-of-factly got us all into the water and down 30 ft. where it was calm and lovely. He was patient with our son and very thorough about running him through all the tests, with no \"free passes\" and he finished his open water dives. A day later we went to the cenotes. My husband and I had sworn we\'d never do closed environment diving, and fortunately, we didn\'t realize that\'s what this was until Pete started the briefing! We had thought we were just going DOWN into a cenote. Our son, the brand new diver, was gung ho, so we couldn\'t very well chicken out. And are we glad we went - it was gorgeous!! We went to 2 different cenotes, Garden of Eden and Taj Ma-ha. Beautiful light and caverns. Pete is an exceedingly experienced technical cave diver and took fantastic care of all of us. We could tell this was his favorite thing. We will definitely be back for more with Pete and Blue Life!

  68. Rated 5 out of 5

    Vassa1984

    The training was very thorough and enjoyable. I had a very enjoyable experience with blue life diving. The instructors where very confident and filled me with the confidence to complete all the neccassary tasks in the course.

  69. Rated 5 out of 5

    chicagogrey

    Amazing experience! My husband and I went to Blue Life to do our four dives for open water certification. Guillermo, who when not scuba instructing, does marine and cave-diving research for the government, was our teacher. I\'d always wanted to dive but was definitely apprehensive, so was happy to be in professional hands of somebody who had done hundreds of dives (and is somewhat local). Guillermo put us at ease, gave us a free skills review in shallow water before we went out, and the dives were just amazing. He was patient, and worked closely to ensure our gear fit us properly, and that we knew our skills for future dives. He was easy to follow and paid close attention, and I never felt like we were not being watched to ensure we were safe (which was my main worry with a larger dive shop with larger classes). Also, Karla was very easy to work with in scheduling, and Frank checked in us and our experiences midway through. I highly recommend Blue Life -- get your dive classes out of the way at home, and then do your certification dives with them. One of the most unforgettable experiences of my life! Can\'t wait to come back, and will definitely be calling them again!

  70. Rated 5 out of 5

    Jonathan R

    Mind Expanding Cenotes - Outstanding Operation in every possible way I\'ll start with communication and service. Outstanding all the way. Karla is absolutely first rate with this always on the ball with a quick and helpful reply. When you\'re trying to sort things out on a holiday at short notice this is massively important. I might also add that nothing was too much trouble. In our case this included finding us accommodation at a hefty discount, lending us laptops & iPads to complete PADI training, re-scheduling training at short notice and so on. On the diving side Frank & Pete are both superb. Both vastly qualified and experienced for the PADI Open Water and the small amount of Cavern Diving I did. On their off time these guys go exploring and charting caves that have literally never been dived before so truly live and breathe it and it really showed when you were around them. The caves/caverns/cenotes/xenotes themselves were a huge highlight for me. Literally mind expanding. Really didn\'t know what to expect but found them to be totally jaw dropping (The Pit, Dream Gate to name two). I might add that the last dive I did before diving here was Darwin\'s Arches out in Galapagos. Finally Karla and Frank are a really lovely friendly couple and make a great team. There are some great dive operations around there but it is very clear to me why these guys are number 1.

  71. Rated 5 out of 5

    lrice422

    Book them now! My husband and I did the open water certification through Blue Life Diving a few days ago. From the start, I knew this company was something special. I communicated with Karla via email to set things up and her responses were always prompt and professional. I did not experience this level of professionalism with other diving companies I had contacted. Our diving instructor was Guillermo and he was great! He was very experienced and worked well with us. We did some ocean diving and some cenotes diving. I personally had trouble with the ocean dives (who knew I would get seasick?) and Frank arranged for an extra day of cenotes diving for me so I could complete the certification. Guillermo was also quite patient and understanding of my troubles and went out of his way to be helpful. Also, after hearing of my troubles, Frank called each day to see how things were going. My husband definitely wants to continue his diver training and ultimately wants to do some cave diving. Hands down, we will be contacting Blue Life again. Thank you Karla, Frank, and Guillermo for a great start to our underwater adventures!

  72. Rated 5 out of 5

    maria f

    Blue life has been my greatest experience When I decided to be a certified I never expected that it would give me so much excitement, confidence and joy.

  73. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kidkodak10

    Professional, kindness and super friendly I came in Playa del Carmen for my first time especially to do my Open Water course. So like a lot of people, I was looking for a dive shop on TripAdvisor. Found that place, Blue Life Diving. Look at there website, beautiful and simple. Send an email to have information about the course and within 24h, got an answer. Really good communication before I get there. When I got there, they help me to find the best wetsuit for me and they were really kind to help me with that. My instructor was Peter Tovey, awesome teacher. Lots of experience, always smiling and super friendly. 2 days of course and 2 days of dive and they bring me to the best place in town. I will recommend Blue Life to anybody who goes in Playa del Carmen to do some diving. Can\'t wait to come back to do more diving and take some advance diving course with them. I will remember my experience for the rest of my life. Thanks Frank, Karla and Pete!!!!

  74. Rated 5 out of 5

    Allora D

    Memory I\'ll Never Forget I contacted Blue Life Diving months ago before coming to Cancun Mexico for my vacation. Myself and my boyfriend were first time travelers to Mexico and wanted to try scuba diving. I was in contact with a employee who answered my questions in a professional and timely matter and even took the time to get to know what I was looking for while explaining the different types of diving atmospheres. I chose the Discover Diving experience because it was our first time ever diving. Pete was our guide and he was on time in picking us up for our discover diving experience. We had a lot of fun on the way there asked lots of questions and felt extremely comfortable with the responses given. When we arrived Pete was very informative and professional about the safety of scuba diving and ensured that all details were covered and any questions were answered and explained. Pete was always calm and relaxing as an instructor making the diving experience 100% stress free. Pete was always positive in making sure our first time diving was safe and an experience we will never forget. We conducted mandatory safety skills that were necessary for every diver to know. These skills were also explained and demonstrated before diving took place. Upon completing our under water safety skills we were able to start exploring the waters with Pete close to our side. We felt so comfortable and relaxed after the moment of nervousness set (being first time divers) it was amazing experiencing the water from underneath. We both recommend this company and will continue to use Blue Life Diving for our next trip to get our Open Water Certification. This company really prides themselves on the safety of the diver(s) as well as the experience for the diver(s).

  75. Rated 5 out of 5

    Wallace L

    Blue Life is the best! We recently returned from a trip to Akumal and chose to dive with Blue Life after extensive research into reputable dive operations. I did my Open Water Diver certification and my wife did a refresher course. We also did a couple of days of guided diving afterwards. Frank and Karla are very professional and their communication is top notch. Our instructor and guide was Pete and he was extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We will definitely book with Blue Life again if we are ever back in the area.

  76. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sulltron

    Like meeting friends Excellent diving operation and instructor and very nice people. We came to Playa del Carmen for myself to do a try dive and continue onto my OW and for my husband to do some xenote diving. We choose Blue Life Diving as they are so highly qualified (cave dive instructors) and Karla replied to us right away, upon query, and followed up very quickly with each of our many emails! Karla and Frank also had an apartment available for us to rent, which was very convenient for trying to work out where to stay. It happened to be in their same building so we met with them when we arrived and were able to discuss plans. They are extremely nice and friendly people, we met with them several times to discuss plans and though probably not normal practice, they even gave me a loan of their computer for me to work on my OW manual and reviews etc. (Being in the same building obviously made this easy too)! My instructor was Pete who is also a fully qualified cave diver. He is very friendly and methodical, giving me all the information I needed for my first dives. We went to Casa xenote for my try dive, which was really cool for a first dive. I felt comfortable with him as an instructor and can\'t imagine anyone could have been better! My husband did some xenote diving at Pit and Pet, also with Pete and absolutely loved it. We are very pleased at having chosen Blue Life Diving and as we are still here in Playa will probably see if we can do some more dives with them before we leave!

  77. Rated 5 out of 5

    Melissa S

    Great Diving Experience Pete did a great job training my husband and I in the open water diving course. He was very patient with us as we were learning the basics of diving. It was an unforgettable experience (especially diving in Dos Ojos) and we will probably be back in October to do the Advanced Open Water Diving course.

  78. Rated 5 out of 5

    Charlie B

    Snorkelling in Dos Ojos Cenote - Stunning! Having just passed my PADI Open Water, cavern diving in Dos Ojos was out of my league. Frank, who was recommended to me by another Dive Instructor, was more than willing arrange a guided snorkel session in the cenote as a teaser for what I would see when I have a few more dives under my belt. He didn\'t try to pressure me into the dull dive. Both Frank and Karla quickly respond to emails, they are happy to be adaptable, arranged a pickup from the hotel I was staying at and do their very best to ensure that everybody has a fantastic experience with them and at their dive sites, even following up with emails afterwards. I\'ll definitely be going back to do the full dive with Blue Live!

  79. Rated 5 out of 5

    Didier D

    Refresher After a couple of years of not diving, I decided to get back into it. Frank was in town (Miami), so I decided to do it last weekend. He is great instructor, giving me all the confidence I had lost over the years. I would recommend him and Blue Life to anyone interested in diving, from open water to technical diving.

  80. Rated 5 out of 5

    NatiEscobar

    Incredible experience! I just got my open water license and couldn\'t be happier of doing it with an instructor as Frank, he was extremely helpful and patient and really walked me through everything I should know about diving. I recommend anyone interested in diving to contact Blue Life as they make the process as easy as possible for the students. I will definitely be doing more courses with them. Hope to see you guys soon, hopefully in Playa ;)

  81. Rated 5 out of 5

    Pedritok

    Open water certification Just got my open water certification! We did it in miami, fl and frank is a great instructor, very knowledgable and helpful.. Got through my first dive smoothly and felling great. Will recommend them to anybody looking to get into diving or even experienced divers.

  82. Rated 5 out of 5

    Shane P

    Best time ever!!! I just got my PADI Open Water Certification through Frank from Blue Life, and I can\'t say enough good things about my experience ... I even got a Deep Water Adventure dive all thanks to Blue Life. Every aspect of my dive trip was taken care of perfectly--transportation to and from dive sites, equipment, and the best dive sites the area has to offer. Frank and Karla provide impeccable service and top professional divers as guides and instructors. Whether you\'re looking to get OW certified, Advanced OW, full cave, tech diving. Aside from certifications; if you\'re just looking for some great diving (the Cenotes, great wreck and reef dives) I, personally, can see no reason why anyone would choose any other shop than Blue Life. I can\'t thank them enough for facilitating my entry into diving ... it was an absolute pleasure to work and dive with them. I\'m already planning my next dive trip and I will certainly go with Blue Life. So, thank you to Frank, Karla and Pete ... I look forward to diving with you again!

  83. Rated 5 out of 5

    Fturrent

    Jaw-dropping experience I\'m quite skeptical when it comes to courses, specially when it involves something as delicate as diving, but let me tell you that Frank exceeded my expectations both as an instructor and a friend. You can tell right away that he is a person that loves teaching a as well as scuba diving, which makes him one hell of an instructor. I had such a great time with Frank and Karla that I\'m definitely going back to get my cavern certification later on this year.

  84. Rated 5 out of 5

    Julian

    Totally awesome to do the course with Blue life!!!! Got so much out of this experience, and more that i thought too. Thanks Frank!!!!

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