Meet Your Guide Luis Velasco

Meet Luis Velasco, dive instructor and founder of Mandala Divers in Playa del Carmen. Discover his diving experience and the story behind the brand.

Every dive has a story, and behind Mandala Divers is a story that began long before the company was created.

From a first dive in Acapulco in 1992 to more than two decades as a professional dive instructor, Luis has followed a journey through recreational, technical, and cave diving that eventually led him to the cenotes and reefs of the Riviera Maya.

But Mandala Divers is more than the story of one diver. It is the story of how years of experience, exploration, and a passion for sharing the underwater world came together to create a dive company based in Playa del Carmen.

Here, we share both stories: the journey of Luis as a diver and instructor, and the story of Mandala Divers as a brand.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Rated 5 Stars on Google by Divers from Around the World   

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award

Meet Your Guide Luis

I have always been passionate about the ocean and water sports. When I was younger, I had the opportunity to participate in swimming tournaments at some of the different schools I attended. I also practiced freediving whenever I had the chance, simply because I loved being in the water as much as possible. Like probably any water kid, I dreamed about one day being able to breathe underwater.

My first experience with scuba diving was in the waters of Acapulco during the summer of 1992, when I was 12 years old and went diving with my father. I immediately knew that this was something I wanted to pursue for the rest of my life.

Many years later, at the age of 22, I completed my SSI Instructor training in the Sea of Cortez in La Paz, Baja California Sur. That marked the beginning of my professional journey, working with different dive companies throughout the area. I also worked as a private guide and instructor for private yachts and sailboats.

At the age of 29, I completed my crossover to PADI, one of the world's largest scuba diving training organizations, and earned my Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating. Since then, PADI has been the agency through which I have certified most of my students and customers, creating countless happy faces and lifelong diving experiences along the way.

My curiosity about the underwater world continued to grow, eventually leading me into another realm of scuba diving: Technical Diving and Cave Diving. I hold certifications from TDI as a Trimix Diver, Rebreather Diver, and Full Cave Diver.

My passion for technical and cave diving became one of the main reasons I moved from Baja California to the Riviera Maya after falling in love with the incredible cenotes, caverns, and caves found throughout the region. I have been diving in these unique environments since 2013.

Today, I am happy to share these experiences with divers from around the world. Let me guide or instruct you in the beautiful waters of the Yucatan Peninsula, whether you are an avid water kid like me or simply looking to combine an amazing trip to Maya heritage sites and cenotes with great diving, exploration, and time with your family.

The Story of Mandala Divers

Mandala Divers may be a young brand, but it was built on decades of experience, exploration, and passion for the underwater world.

Mandala Divers and Tours began to take shape around 2020, during a time when the world was changing in ways none of us could have imagined. Travel slowed down, plans changed, and life itself reminded us how quickly circumstances can transform.

For us, that moment became an opportunity to create something of our own — a dive company built around a simple idea: sharing the underwater world of Mexico through experience, exploration, and a genuine passion for diving.

Why Mandala?

The name Mandala came from a much deeper idea.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, mandalas represent the impermanence and changing nature of our existence. They are created with great care and intention, and then eventually dissolved, reminding us that nothing remains exactly the same forever.

The same idea can be felt underwater.

Water is constantly moving and changing. As we move through it, the water that surrounds us is never exactly the same. Our own bodies are changing as well, just as they have been since the moment we were born.

When we descend beneath the surface, we enter a world where everything is in motion — light changes with depth, currents move around us, bubbles rise and disappear, and every dive unfolds differently from the one before.

This is what the name Mandala represents to us.

A reminder to appreciate the moment, to explore with curiosity, and to recognize our connection with the water and the natural world around us.

From Experience to Mandala

Although Mandala Divers was born as a brand in 2020, its roots go much deeper.

Luis's journey began in the waters of Acapulco in 1992 and developed through decades of recreational, professional, technical, and cave diving. From the Sea of Cortez and Baja California to the cenotes, caverns, caves, and reefs of the Riviera Maya, every stage of that journey contributed something to what Mandala would eventually become.

Today, that experience is at the heart of Mandala Divers.

Based in Playa del Carmen, we explore the underwater world of the Riviera Maya through scuba diving in Playa del Carmen, Cenote diving, Cozumel diving, seasonal Bull Shark diving, and scuba diving education through PADI, SDI, and TDI.

But the destinations are only part of the story.

For us, diving is about exploration, learning, connection, and the experiences that stay with us long after we return to the surface.

Mandala Divers was born in 2020, but the journey behind it began decades earlier.

"Connect Your Soul With Your Water Nature"

Luis Antonio Velasco Arriaga

CEO - Mandala Divers And Tours. 

Explore Diving with Mandala Divers

Ready to explore the underwater world of the Riviera Maya?

Discover scuba diving in Playa del Carmen, explore the unique cenotes of the Riviera Maya, dive the reefs of Cozumel, encounter seasonal bull shark diving, or take your diving skills further with our PADI, SDI, and TDI scuba diving courses.

Whether you are joining us for your first dive, returning for another underwater adventure, or looking to explore the technical and cave diving environments of the Yucatan Peninsula, we are here to help you make the most of your time in Mexico.

Planning your next dive? Contact Mandala Divers and let's create your next underwater adventure.