PADI courses · on-site pool · 6 instructors
PADI dive courses and certifications in Cabo Pulmo
Learn to dive, or dive better, inside a National Marine Park: pool sessions at the dive center, certification dives on reefs with 800+ species, instructors who teach here every week of the year.
Cabo Pulmo Dive Center teaches six PADI programs: Discover Scuba Diving ($4,000 MXN, half day, no experience needed), Open Water Diver ($12,200 MXN, 3–4 days), Advanced Open Water ($9,400 MXN, 2 days), Adventure Diver ($6,400 MXN), Emergency First Response ($3,600 MXN) and Open Water referral dives ($3,400 MXN per 2 tanks + $500 MXN certification fee). Courses run daily on request with 6 full-time instructors and an on-site training pool. The park fee of $120 MXN per person per day applies on ocean days.
Which course is for you?
From your first breath underwater to 100 feet
| Course | Best for | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PADI Discover Scuba Diving | No experience needed | Half day | $4,000 MXN |
| PADI Open Water Diver | Full certification | 3–4 days | $12,200 MXN |
| PADI Advanced Open Water Diver | Go deeper, 100 ft | 2 days | $9,400 MXN |
| PADI Adventure Diver | 3 adventure dives | 1–2 days | $6,400 MXN |
| Emergency First Response (EFR) | CPR & first aid | 1 day | $3,600 MXN |
| PADI Open Water Referral Dives | Finish your course here | 1–2 days | $3,400 MXN |
Prices in Mexican pesos. Course bookings are confirmed by email; use the certification request form or WhatsApp with your dates.
No experience needed · Half day
PADI Discover Scuba Diving
$4,000 MXNper student
Your first breath underwater, the same day you arrive. After a short briefing and an introduction to the equipment you practise the basic skills in our on-site training pool with an instructor at your side, and then go to the ocean for a real dive on the shallow reef off Mermaid Beach, where turtles and rays live in 10 to 30 feet of water. The experience can be logged and credited toward the Open Water course. Minimum age 10. Park fee of $120 MXN per person applies.
- Pool session + 1 ocean dive to about 40 ft / 12 m
- All equipment included
- 1 instructor per 2 to 4 students
- Credits toward Open Water Diver
Full certification · 3–4 days
PADI Open Water Diver
$12,200 MXNper student
The lifelong certification that lets you dive anywhere in the world with a buddy to 60 feet (18 m). The course combines knowledge development (we recommend finishing the theory online with PADI eLearning before your trip), five confined-water sessions in our pool and four open-water dives on the reefs of the National Marine Park. Learning in Cabo Pulmo means your first certification dives include turtles, morays, schools of grunts and, often, a bull shark cruising at a distance. Minimum age 10 (Junior Open Water).
- 4 open-water dives inside the marine park
- Pool at the dive center, no long drives
- Equipment and materials included
- Certification processed by our instructors
Go deeper, 100 ft · 2 days
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
$9,400 MXNper student
Five adventure dives that build real confidence: the Deep Dive (to 100 ft / 30 m) opens La Esperanza and Outer Pulmo for you, Underwater Navigation keeps you oriented on the reef, and you choose three more such as Peak Performance Buoyancy, Fish Identification (ideal with 800+ species around you), Search & Recovery or Drift. No exam, just diving with a purpose. Prerequisite: Open Water Diver or equivalent.
- Deep + Navigation + 3 elective adventure dives
- Unlocks the deep reefs of the park
- Typically 18–30 m / 60–100 ft
- Counts toward Rescue Diver
3 adventure dives · 1–2 days
PADI Adventure Diver
$6,400 MXNper student
The short version of the Advanced course: three adventure dives of your choice, including the Deep Dive so you are comfortable beyond 18 m / 60 ft. Any adventure dive you complete here counts toward the Advanced Open Water certification if you decide to continue later, and the Deep Dive is also the first dive of the Deep Diver specialty.
- From age 10: AWARE Fish ID, Boat, Digital Underwater Photography, Peak Performance Buoyancy, Underwater Naturalist, Navigator
- From age 12: Deep, Drift, Multilevel, Search & Recovery
- Credits toward Advanced Open Water
CPR & first aid · 1 day
Emergency First Response (EFR)
$3,600 MXNper student
Emergency First Response is the PADI-affiliated CPR and first-aid program, and it is for everyone, not just divers. In one day you learn primary care (CPR, AED, choking, serious bleeding) and secondary care (injury and illness assessment) in realistic scenarios. It is a prerequisite for the Rescue Diver course and a smart certification to hold if you travel to remote places like the East Cape.
- Primary and secondary care
- Scenario practice
- Prerequisite for PADI Rescue Diver
- Valid for 24 months
Finish your course here · 1–2 days
PADI Open Water Referral Dives
$3,400 MXNper person per 2 tanks + PADI fee
Did the theory and pool sessions at home and want warm, clear water for the real dives? Bring your PADI referral paperwork signed by your original instructor and we complete your open-water dives on the reef. The price is $3,400 MXN per person per 2 tanks (most referrals need two trips) plus a $500 MXN PADI certification fee. Duration and cost depend on what you have left; send us your records and we will confirm.
- Open-water dives 1–4 on the park reefs
- Certification processed here
- Refresher available if your pool work was a while ago
Why learn here
Why Cabo Pulmo is a good place to get certified
Calm, shallow, warm
The bay is protected, the training reef off Mermaid Beach sits in 10 to 30 feet and the water is 68 to 86 °F depending on the season. Visibility is usually 40 to 100 feet.
A pool at the dive shop
Confined-water sessions happen in our own training pool, steps from the classroom and the gear room. No long drives between sessions.
Real animals on your checkout dives
Turtles, morays, rays and schooling fish on every reef. Most students see their first shark before they finish Open Water.
Instructors who live here
Six full-time PADI instructors, bilingual, small classes (2 to 4 students per instructor). Courses run on request all year.
Good to know
Course questions
Can I get PADI certified in Cabo Pulmo?
Yes. The dive center has 6 full-time PADI instructors and an on-site training pool. We teach Discover Scuba Diving ($4,000 MXN), Open Water Diver ($12,200 MXN), Advanced Open Water ($9,400 MXN), Adventure Diver ($6,400 MXN), Emergency First Response ($3,600 MXN) and Open Water referral dives ($3,400 MXN per person for 2 tanks plus a $500 MXN PADI certification fee).
How long does the Open Water course take?
Plan on 3 to 4 days in Cabo Pulmo: knowledge development (which you can complete online with PADI eLearning before you arrive), confined-water sessions in our pool and four open-water dives on the reef. Completing the theory at home shortens your time in the classroom and gives you more time in the water.
What is the minimum age to dive?
Discover Scuba Diving and the Open Water course are available from age 10 (Junior Open Water). Some Adventure Dives are available from 10, and the deep, drift, multilevel and search-and-recovery dives from 12. Children under 10 are welcome on the snorkel tour.
I started my course elsewhere. Can I finish it here?
Yes, that is exactly what the referral dive is for. Bring your PADI referral paperwork signed by your original instructor, showing the knowledge development and confined-water modules you completed. We will take you through the remaining open-water dives and process your certification.
I have not dived in more than 8 months. Do I need a refresher?
Yes. If your last dive was more than eight months ago, we ask you to take the $600 MXN refresher session in confined water before your boat dives. It takes a couple of hours, covers the core skills and does not include an open-water dive. It is also the right option for Scuba Diver upgrades and Open Water referral students who want practice first.
Where can I stay in Cabo Pulmo?
Cabo Pulmo Beach Resort, which operates the dive center, rents 5 villas for up to 10 guests and offers Dive + Stay packages with all meals included for 2 to 6 nights. Staying inside the resort means you walk from your door to the dive shop.
Start your PADI course in Cabo Pulmo
Tell us your dates and experience level and an instructor will reply with a plan, eLearning instructions and what to bring.