Sayulita Dive and Surf Interview

Sebastian Briones is the owner of Sayulita Dive and Surf, which he began in 2012, deciding to start his own business after years of working for other large dive companies. He spoke to El Sayulero about his business, the importance of his recent PADI scuba diving certification, what diving near Sayulita has to offer, and his plans for the future.

How long have you been diving?

I spent the last 22 years of my life diving. I became a dive master shortly after my first dive and I am now 42, so I have been working as a diver for most of my life.

What are the services your business provides?

We mostly are focused on snorkeling and diving activities, but we also offer surf trips and surf lessons. We have a boat in Punta de Mita to take people surfing in the area. We offer specialized tours to small groups, and we also teach people to surf. About scuba diving, we have a wide range of services, offering all certifications from basic levels, like discover scuba diving, to dive master. I am a PADI instructor, a specialty dive instructor. We offer tours to different dive sites around this area, so it’s not necessary to go to Punta de Mita, people can dive from here.

What makes your services unique?

First, I lead my own tours, and I offer the small groups, and am very focused about the environment. It’s not just about taking people under the water. It’s letting people know about all the things we have in the area, the natural life, and I try to approach them to have the same feelings that I feel about diving. I think that makes my service different.

What are the characteristics/highlights of diving in this area?

The best thing about diving here is the environment. We have different kind of sea life. Also, I think you know, we have whales in the area during the wintertime. The most important thing about diving here is it’s not flat conditions. The conditions change from summer to winter; it’s a completely different condition. The water is warm, the water is cold, so there are different kinds of animals here for different seasons. In the same place, you can have a completely different dive experience depending on the season. The sea life that we have is very interesting. We can see some very funny guys...the puffer fish. Also we have giant manta rays, and in some places, you can dive with the Nurse sharks. Something that I really like about diving in the winter is that you can listen to the whales under the water. It’s very relaxing. You may not see them, but you can dive with the whales singing around you. Also we have a lot of different kinds of eels and sea turtles.

Can anybody dive? How does it work?

In this dive resort, everybody can dive if they are healthy. Even those with disabilities can try the experience. We start in the swimming pool with the basic skills. Even if not a good swimmer, most people can do it, because all the equipment helps in assisting with the dive experience. All the programs are led by me. All those 10 years old and up can try scuba diving at their rhythm. That means they start with a little theory, the next step is practice in the shallow area of the pool. If they feel stressed or uncomfortable, the instructor will help to trespass those fears and go to the next level, going a little bit deeper to practice some techniques. When they learn all the techniques, they are ready to have a real experience in the ocean. We have a dive site with really nice conditions for beginners, with quiet waters, no current, and pretty shallow areas, no more than 6 meters, where they can practice what they learned before in the pool. We also have a program for kids 6 and up always led by a PADI instructor.

How long does it take before someone can do their first dive in the ocean?

It’s one day in the swimming pool, and you can dive the next day, so in 24 hours you will be diving.

What is PADI? 

It’s the most important dive association around the world. To become certified, all our activities must comply with PADI standards...safety, quality, responsibility.

Any plans for the future?

Oh yeah, for sure. We want to offer more dive sites. We are trying to explore around the area to find dive sites closer to Sayulita so it won’t be necessary to go to the Marietta’s Islands. Also, we want to provide a different kind of boat for the divers and snorklers, and in the future, we want to be able to accommodate more people per trip.

Where are you from?

I came from Chile. I came to work as a diver for one season and I never went back.

Why Sayulita? What is it about Sayulita that you like so much?

Well, it’s fun. I also like surfing. I was a diver in Puerto Vallarta, and I was looking for a place to surf. One day I came to Sayulita to surf for a day, next day I picked up all my stuff from Puerto Vallarta and I moved here.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I am not only a PADI specialty instructor, I was also I am a commercial diver. I was trained by the Chilean Navy as a commercial diver. I am also an emergency first response instructor and a surf instructor.

If you would like to learn more about Sayulita Dive and Surf, or book a dive, contact Sebastian.