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opie712
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If you were in my shoes who would you chose and why over then others
Protec Dive Center Patrick Widmann
- Thread starter opie712
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I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them, that's why I listed them. But saying that, I'm planning on taking a Cave Survey and Exploration course with Kim in the Spring.
I loved my Advanced Cave Sidemount course with Patrick. Patrick gives you a GUE style course where everything in done neutral and in trim. Tough course that I really enjoyed and needed. He's has subtle ways to let you come to realizations on your own. As an example, he didn't just tell me that thirds wasn't conservative enough, he did drills that let me figure that out on my own. Same with gear placement and type of gear. He didn't just tell me the limitations, he stuck me in an environment that clearly demonstrated the limitations. I came away from this course not thinking what a fantastic diver I was, but rather knowing where I wanted to improve.
Saying that, my next course is going to with Kim Davidsson. I really like Kim's teaching style and want to absorb some knowledge from him. He's very detailed and an excellent communicator. But he's based in Tulum.
See if they can arrange Mauro for you. I'm pretty sure that he operates out of both Playa and Tulum.
These three make use of video analysis. I think that's a valuable teaching tool. It's nice to see what you're actually doing in the water. And they're all members of the Quiet Diver Team. A group of very active cave explorers that fully make use of the sidemount configuration. I think the majority of the caves that they've opened up lately are "sidemount only" in the truest sense. Here's a list of some of the stuff they've done. Mauro laid 15,000 feet of line in a new system in a week after we were there in November.
I loved my Advanced Cave Sidemount course with Patrick. Patrick gives you a GUE style course where everything in done neutral and in trim. Tough course that I really enjoyed and needed. He's has subtle ways to let you come to realizations on your own. As an example, he didn't just tell me that thirds wasn't conservative enough, he did drills that let me figure that out on my own. Same with gear placement and type of gear. He didn't just tell me the limitations, he stuck me in an environment that clearly demonstrated the limitations. I came away from this course not thinking what a fantastic diver I was, but rather knowing where I wanted to improve.
Saying that, my next course is going to with Kim Davidsson. I really like Kim's teaching style and want to absorb some knowledge from him. He's very detailed and an excellent communicator. But he's based in Tulum.
See if they can arrange Mauro for you. I'm pretty sure that he operates out of both Playa and Tulum.
These three make use of video analysis. I think that's a valuable teaching tool. It's nice to see what you're actually doing in the water. And they're all members of the Quiet Diver Team. A group of very active cave explorers that fully make use of the sidemount configuration. I think the majority of the caves that they've opened up lately are "sidemount only" in the truest sense. Here's a list of some of the stuff they've done. Mauro laid 15,000 feet of line in a new system in a week after we were there in November.
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opie712
Contributor
The home we rented is in puerto adventures sobits halfway between tulum and playa I may look into giving kim a shot you may know better than me but it showed on maps 23mins to playa and 33 to tulum is that right
sethw
Contributor
+1 for Kim D., I have done training with him, he is excellent, thorough, and nice guy.
You'll like Puerto Aventuras. It's a nice gated community. There's a bunch of restaurants around the marina. Make sure you go to Cafe Ole and have some pie. The beach at the Omni is very nice. You can just walk through and get access. A friend of mine bought a weekly membership to their gym for $70 and got full use of their facilities. She enjoyed having a place to change and wash up after a day at the beach. Do not do the dolphin experience. The water is putrid.
The Chedraui is just across the highway for all of your grocery needs. There's a taco place in the traffic round-a-bout outside PA that's pretty good. You just have to be adventurous. And the new Zero Gravity dive shop is right outside of Puerto Aventuras now. We always make a stop to see what they have for t-shirts.
Just let Kim know that you're staying in Puerto Aventuras. I think he'll probably just have you catch a cab or bus to the cenote for the day. There are a number of them just minutes away. You probably won't get the video analysis though because they do that in the classroom at the end of the day. That's just speculation on my part though.
The Chedraui is just across the highway for all of your grocery needs. There's a taco place in the traffic round-a-bout outside PA that's pretty good. You just have to be adventurous. And the new Zero Gravity dive shop is right outside of Puerto Aventuras now. We always make a stop to see what they have for t-shirts.
Just let Kim know that you're staying in Puerto Aventuras. I think he'll probably just have you catch a cab or bus to the cenote for the day. There are a number of them just minutes away. You probably won't get the video analysis though because they do that in the classroom at the end of the day. That's just speculation on my part though.
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opie712
Contributor
Ok thanks for all that so as far as getting around would you rent a car or just taxi and bus everything
That's a tough question. We always rent because we go all over the area diving. But renting a car in that area can be stressful. Always take the extra insurance as well as booking with a credit card that has car insurance. If you get into an accident with a local, I'm sure the federales will take the word of the local over you. There's rumours of people getting jailed until their credit card company pays off the damages. That's why we pay extra for the local insurance. Adds an extra $20-$30/day to costs though.
We've never used the collectivos (local buses along the highway), but have heard that they're convenient. There's stops right outside Puerto Aventuras, but it might be a bit of a walk from wherever your condo is. But you can travel up and down the highway for cheap. Not sure what a taxi costs to Playa from PA.
It's nice to have a car to go get groceries or to run into Playa or Tulum. A few warnings though:
1) Always slow down for the speed bumps!. If you see a sign that says "tope" slow down. They definitely go a little overboard with the size of their topes.
2) Don't get distracted at the gas pump. Watch them zero the pump and watch it as they fill your tank. Ignore the guy asking to check your oil or fill your tires until after they've filled your tank.
3) Don't give taxi drivers the finger. They have a very strong taxi union that even the police respect. They'll literally box a car in and make them pull over.
4) Remember you're in a foreign country. Don't leave anything valuable in the car...ever!
We've never been harassed by the police unless we did something stupid like speed. But we were travelling with an ex cop from Canada that would flash his badge and trade a few patches. So we've never had issues.
In the long run, you'll have to balance the costs of renting a car against taking a taxi from the airport, to get groceries, perhaps to get to your class, to go out to eat, to go exploring versus the convenience of having someone drive you around and never getting lost, not worrying about having a car broken into, getting in an accident and finding parking.
We've never used the collectivos (local buses along the highway), but have heard that they're convenient. There's stops right outside Puerto Aventuras, but it might be a bit of a walk from wherever your condo is. But you can travel up and down the highway for cheap. Not sure what a taxi costs to Playa from PA.
It's nice to have a car to go get groceries or to run into Playa or Tulum. A few warnings though:
1) Always slow down for the speed bumps!. If you see a sign that says "tope" slow down. They definitely go a little overboard with the size of their topes.
2) Don't get distracted at the gas pump. Watch them zero the pump and watch it as they fill your tank. Ignore the guy asking to check your oil or fill your tires until after they've filled your tank.
3) Don't give taxi drivers the finger. They have a very strong taxi union that even the police respect. They'll literally box a car in and make them pull over.
4) Remember you're in a foreign country. Don't leave anything valuable in the car...ever!
We've never been harassed by the police unless we did something stupid like speed. But we were travelling with an ex cop from Canada that would flash his badge and trade a few patches. So we've never had issues.
In the long run, you'll have to balance the costs of renting a car against taking a taxi from the airport, to get groceries, perhaps to get to your class, to go out to eat, to go exploring versus the convenience of having someone drive you around and never getting lost, not worrying about having a car broken into, getting in an accident and finding parking.
SandyRobinson
Contributor
Plus 2 for Kim D at ProTec Tulum. He has guided us twice, and we will use him again this year. He was professional, took us to a variety of sites, and thoroughly explained all dives. Without him, we would not have found some main lines.
Also, I will most likely buy a Stealth this year and get some training from Kim. I use a Nomad in Florida with steel 85s and 95s but I really like the look of the stealth with Al 80s. Also, Kim dove dry with his stealth. Have fun.
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opie712
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Thanks guys for the comments
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