Need PDC hotel recommendation

[Marie13]

I have a friend who got interrogated interviewed for it when the program just got started. We just confirmed our address, and got our fingerprints & pictures taken. Hopefully, the renewal in 5 years is just online ...

I was told the fewer trips out of the country, the shorter the interview. MX last year, twice to Canada to dive in 2019 (driving), and flew to Canada in 1998.

 

[-JD-]

3 times behind the powder (snow) curtain. Sounds suspicious.

Interesting that they specifically exclude Canada and Mexico when you enter your "foreign" travel. Obviously nothing illegal to be concerned about crossing those borders.

I think my prior Carribean trips were past the 5-year cuttoff, so only had Western Europe and Bahamas to confess in the application.

 

[MidOH]

I stayed at the Kay, I think. Hard to tell by google pics and the diner pics nearby. Armed security, and a nice turn around for taxis. Super close to action, so your knees should be OK, and they had an elevator IIRC.

PDC is a ton of walking though. Nice fun hike to the ferry. Put on head phones if you want the street urchins to clam up.

Across the street to the left of it was La Terraya a beachfront lunch diner that was great.

Great place to eat while watching divers tumble in the surf, trip over the stern rope, while dive masters try thier hardest to chum themselves against a spinning prop out of the water. Dip stick scuba doesn't have their own pier, they just back the boat up to the beach with the outboard motors half way up. Hilarious. People looked like they had a good time, but seemed like an example of how a dive op shouldn't be.

 

[rick00001967]

I will be cave diving and not interested in hanging out on the beach. The dive guide would be the same person as my full cave instructor who lives in PDC. She gives rides to dive sites so I don’t have to worry about getting around. Small is fine as it’s just me.

i tried to private message you but it is blocked. if you send me a message i will send a link to a great place we stayed.
there are plenty more of course but we really enjoyed it.
if you dont care about the beach and 5th ave etc, and are getting picked up anywhere in town, then your options are almost limitless.
i assumed you would want to be fairly close to the essentials so the link i will send fits that bill.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I don’t plan stuff like this last minute. Already have early December set up with dive guide/instructor and just applied for Global Entry.

Never mind "last minute." What I meant was that booking in February for November/December is wise. Because I waited until May to firm up dates, the instructor/guide was already fairly booked up. That's high season, as you know.

 

[Marie13]

Never mind "last minute." What I meant was that booking in February for November/December is wise. Because I waited until May to firm up dates, the instructor/guide was already fairly booked up. That's high season, as you know.

I was checking flights last night and some seats to Cancun out of ORD are already booked. I will not be flying Southworst this time. Looks like AA. I want non-stop. And I might even splurge for business class.

 

[Boarderguy]

I was checking flights last night and some seats to Cancun out of ORD are already booked. I will not be flying Southworst this time. Looks like AA. I want non-stop. And I might even splurge for business class.

You may as well fly in style. It's not like you're ever going to fly down to MX again.

 

[Marie13]

Have my dates reserved with dive guide. First week of December. Saturday to Saturday.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Have my dates reserved with dive guide. First week of December. Saturday to Saturday.

Do you always dive out of PDC?
Ever been to Tulum to dive cave?
What dive shop fills your tanks or do the they come from a tank farm? This might help with accommodation choices.
I see that you have a guide hired. Do you ever find dive buddies with similar training and dive with them?
We ( Donna and I) will be in Puerto Aventuras this winter for a few months. Really like that gated community. Feels very normal and safe. I will be driving out of Tulum. If you're looking for a dive buddy then we can chat more and maybe it will work out. Enjoy the caves!!

 

[Marie13]

Do you always dive out of PDC?
Ever been to Tulum to dive cave?
What dive shop fills your tanks or do the they come from a tank farm? This might help with accommodation choices.
I see that you have a guide hired. Do you ever find dive buddies with similar training and dive with them?
We ( Donna and I) will be in Puerto Aventuras this winter for a few months. Really like that gated community. Feels very normal and safe. I will be driving out of Tulum. If you're looking for a dive buddy then we can chat more and maybe it will work out. Enjoy the caves!!

Dive guide (who was also my full cave instructor) lives and has dive shop in PDC. She will pick me up, take me to dive shop to get gear, then we go to fill station to get tanks, then off to dive. We drop tanks at fill station on the way back to dive shop. She will pick divers up as long as they stay fairly close. I refuse to drive in MX. I’m a fairly aggressive driver (have to be in the Chicago area) and I would road rage there. Just being in the passenger seat when I was there in August stressed me out to no end. It probably helps that Alle is a long time friend of my WI cave/CCR instructor, so I may get extra attention that way.

The only time I’ve been to MX was August for full cave. Class was just me. After planning multiple Great Lakes wreck diving trips and trying to match schedules, I like just going by myself and not having to worry about anyone else.

We will definitely be using a porter (scuba sherpa) as we did in August. Valet cave diving.

I’ll be diving OC. Easier traveling with the gear and less hassle with TSA than with CCR. Caves are so shallow seems like CCR would just not be worth it. I’m well used to diving OC SM, so that’s not an issue (CCR cert in October).