motorref
Contributor
I just got back from a week in PdC and had a blast; water temps were in the high 70's and air temps close to 90 each day; I was comfortable in a 3mm shorty, but everyone else was in full suits (good idea if you're doing any training).
I dove with Jason from Fantasea diving - they use a small boat, so it was good practice for back roll entries, and getting back into the boat was simple and easy. Jason is a great guy with a great team, and, if you're headed there soon, Thin Mints are his favorites!
We saw bull sharks, huge barracudas, a loggerhead bigger than me (no small feat) and some smaller green turtles, plus lots and lots of fish; I was working with a lot of new equipment so didn't get as many pictures as I wanted to, but I was there more to learn/refresh following my surgery.
I will say that I was unprepared for the amount of current there - guess I missed it or didn't realize exactly how fast it is.
We did cenotes one day (not to be missed!) that I would encourage everyone to try at least once - I have a new SeaLife Mini that I was trying out, and while not the best camera with limited flash, I still got some amazing pictures. I did learn that I need a separate flash unit now,,, ummm,, Honey - my birthday is coming up!
I should add that despite what you might hear on tv/radio, the US State Dept has absolutely NO travel warnings for Quintana Roo, and especially none for the resort areas there (Mexico).
I also had the pleasure of meeting Christa, a friend of a friend and the new owner of Geofish Diving - a very sweet girl (young enough to be my daughter!), and while I didn't get to dive with her, I certainly do wish her all the luck in her new business!
In all, it was a great trip; I don't think you can go wrong diving with any of the established operators there, and I'm looking forward to going back.
KevinL
I dove with Jason from Fantasea diving - they use a small boat, so it was good practice for back roll entries, and getting back into the boat was simple and easy. Jason is a great guy with a great team, and, if you're headed there soon, Thin Mints are his favorites!
We saw bull sharks, huge barracudas, a loggerhead bigger than me (no small feat) and some smaller green turtles, plus lots and lots of fish; I was working with a lot of new equipment so didn't get as many pictures as I wanted to, but I was there more to learn/refresh following my surgery.
I will say that I was unprepared for the amount of current there - guess I missed it or didn't realize exactly how fast it is.
We did cenotes one day (not to be missed!) that I would encourage everyone to try at least once - I have a new SeaLife Mini that I was trying out, and while not the best camera with limited flash, I still got some amazing pictures. I did learn that I need a separate flash unit now,,, ummm,, Honey - my birthday is coming up!
I should add that despite what you might hear on tv/radio, the US State Dept has absolutely NO travel warnings for Quintana Roo, and especially none for the resort areas there (Mexico).
I also had the pleasure of meeting Christa, a friend of a friend and the new owner of Geofish Diving - a very sweet girl (young enough to be my daughter!), and while I didn't get to dive with her, I certainly do wish her all the luck in her new business!
In all, it was a great trip; I don't think you can go wrong diving with any of the established operators there, and I'm looking forward to going back.
KevinL
