SDI Instructor Ricardo Castillo -

Ricardo Castillo

Stories from Diving with an SDI Instructor

Name: Ricardo Castillo Miguez

Country of origin: Mexico

Place of residence: Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Dive club / dive center: Dive Right Mexico

Highest diving certifications: CCR Advanced Mix Gas, Full Cave Ccr, Cave Sidemount, Advanced Trimix.

Highest instructor certifications: Advanced Mix Gas, Cave Sidemount, Stage Cave, Cave Dpv, It Full Cave Ccr, It Air Diluent Deco, It Advanced Nitrox, It Deco Procedures It Sidemount.

What inspired you to become a dive instructor?

In 2005, as I began my Divemaster course, I had the chance to help with a few Open Water courses. Following the initial dives, I witnessed the happiness and reactions of the students after their first dive, and it was game changing. That was the moment I understood I wanted to do this for a life. Instructing diving enables me to share my passion for the ocean and caves, connect with new people and explore the world.

What motivates you to keep teaching diving every day?

The joy of sharing my passion for diving with others. Seeing the excitement on a student’s face when they can achieve the drills for the course, the first time they see a shark or discover an incredible cave passage. I love helping people overcome their fears, gain confidence, improve their diving skills and achieve a new certification. Every dive is a new adventure, and each student brings a unique experience.

How do you handle fear or insecurity in students, especially beginners?

Handling fear or insecurity in students, especially beginners, requires patience and building trust. I always try to create a calm and supportive learning environment, making sure students feel comfortable asking questions and expressing their concerns. I take things slow, ensuring they understand the skills on land before entering the water. Encouragement and positive reinforcement are key. If a student is nervous, I remind them to breathe slowly and focus on buoyancy and control before trying any skill.

What do you think sets apart a good instructor from an exceptional one?

A good instructor teaches the necessary skills, but an exceptional instructor creates an experience that is inspiring. An exceptional instructor is patient, adaptable and able to tailor their teaching to each student’s needs, ensuring they feel comfortable and confident during the training.

Why did you choose SDI as the diving agency you work with?

I chose SDI because it is always improving the diving industry. I still remember when I heard an SDI instructor mention about the dive computers for the SDI Open Water courses around 20 years ago. Today every diver at all levels uses at least one. I also like how SDI emphasizes real-world diving skills, allowing students to learn diving in the most efficient way.

I appreciate SDI’s commitment to high training standards, while keeping courses accessible and enjoyable. SDI has a strong focus on safety and the continuing education aligns perfectly with my passion for creating skilled, responsible divers.

Which courses are most requested by your students, and why do you think they are so popular?

Full Cave OC and CCR all levels.

Full cave is very popular because it is one of the most demanding and skilled courses available in the diving industry. The most important part of the full-cave course is the development of the diver’s mind set. Starting to think like a cave diver will improve your skills and awareness in all your diving levels.

CCR all levels

Today there are a lot of options of CCR’s and configurations in the market. The improvement in the CCR industry in the last 15 years is making the CCR’s more accessible to divers. The CCR community is growing, and I believe in the near future we’ll have more CCR divers than OC. At least I can tell here in Playa del Carmen, (the most visited place on earth for cave diving) in 2025, and for the first time in almost 20 years diving here, I arrive to a very popular cave with more CCR divers than OC divers.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your career as an instructor so far?

When my students join me for a demanding or extreme expedition like Antarctica, the North Pole, Caves in Norway or Ocean diving in far away islands and the conditions of the diving demand all skills and attention. Once the diver achieves their goals it makes me very happy, and I enjoy seeing them doing what they love the most at the highest level possible.

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