Where to train - Mexico or Florida?
- Thread starter Camerone
- Start date
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Florida!
I had the same dilema several years ago when I was trying to decide. Some similar advice was given to me as well and I ultimately decided on Florida. I did the whole course at once.
I just got back from mexico, and the "difficult" dives were no comparison to my training in Florida.
As far as doing it in one shot ??? That is going to be up to you. You won't have to make multiple trips, your a drysuit diver (your going to appreciate that drysuit in Florida!) and sound like you spend plenty of time in the water.
but . . . I would recommend you get some time on a BP/W and doubles. It will help alot.
You are interested in NSS-CDS, did you check out their S&P's on the training page? You can download the 2000 version to see what will be expected of you.
Good luck!
I had the same dilema several years ago when I was trying to decide. Some similar advice was given to me as well and I ultimately decided on Florida. I did the whole course at once.
I just got back from mexico, and the "difficult" dives were no comparison to my training in Florida.
As far as doing it in one shot ??? That is going to be up to you. You won't have to make multiple trips, your a drysuit diver (your going to appreciate that drysuit in Florida!) and sound like you spend plenty of time in the water.
but . . . I would recommend you get some time on a BP/W and doubles. It will help alot.
You are interested in NSS-CDS, did you check out their S&P's on the training page? You can download the 2000 version to see what will be expected of you.
Good luck!
Curt Bowen
Contributor
Train in Florida and you will be ready for Mexico.
Train in Mexico and you will NOT be ready for Florida.
Train in Mexico and you will NOT be ready for Florida.
crawford
Contributor
Curt Bowen:
Good point....
Joepilot
Guest
Camerone:I find myself with the enviable situation of having to take some vacation days from work this winter (or I'll lose the time). I guess that means I've been working too much and diving too littleIt'll also be a milestone birthday for me (30...ouch...) and so I'd like to reward myself as well.
Anyway, the thought's crept into my head that I would like to burn a couple of weeks and do a full cave cert, from start to finish. There seems to be a choice of two places to go - either Florida or Mexico, and I can think of pros and cons for either, but, not being a cave diver, I'd like to defer to those a little more experienced. Florida is holding a slight advantage right now because I can take a few days to skydive at one of the big dropzones and relax before starting the dive training, but polishing up my Spanish south of the border wouldn't hurt, either
I realize that in the end, it mostly comes down to the instructor, but I'm sure that the locations, too, play a role. So, I'd like to throw it out to the board for recommendations either way - location and trainer, and, of course, why to choose one place over the other...
I've but two basic rules for how I'd like to do it:
Otherwise, I'm open to just about anything.
- Got to do the whole thing in one fell swoop - I'm not the type of person who wants to do part and then come back later and finish it. I just don't work that way in life, and, barring me failing training standards, I need a place that would be willing to "go" the whole way.
- Any cert org is fine, other than GUE. It doesn't bother me if the instructor offers GUE training, as long as he/she also offers and will train and certify me through the standards of another recognized organization. I don't want to get in a flame war over it, so let's just leave it at me personally being totally not impressed with our local GUE/DIR shop and therefore not wanting to do anything that might in some way benefit that organization. Others are more than welcome to their own point of view, of course.
As for my background (if it helps) - I'm fairly active as a diver, at around 100+ per year or so, at least at the current rate I'm going. This autumn will be the end of my first year diving. By fall, that's around 100 dives total; hopefully it'll be in the 140-150 range by February or so, when I'd like to get out of the soggy Seattle weather. All my dives are cold water, drysuit dives, from #1 onward, and of my total, just 14 are open circuit dives, with the rest all on a rebreather. Ergo, the availability (and quality) of gear rental will have to factor in the equation, although price shouldn't...but I own no open circuit gear (reg/bc/etc) other than my bailout and argon regulators, and, although I'm more than happy to dive OC in a cave/cavern environment, I don't intend to use OC gear in open water.
For me, this is almost a one-time thing, or a very occasional thing, but I really want to do it start-to-finish.
So...with all that long winded post said, I'm definitely wanting for recommendations as to where, who, and, most importantly why I should take my winter vacation in one of those spots...
Camerone,
I did my full cave course in ten days at Protec Diving in Akumal Mexico. I understand for some to do the entire course can be extremely stressfull, but no matter how you decided to take any of the four courses, this place I highly recommend. These divers are NSS and IANTD. They train all over the world based on their reputation. These guys are some of the nicest guys you will ever meet anywhere. They are also sought after by discovery channel, Hollywood as movie divers, and by renowned scientists who study caves and deep wrecks (>300ft). I could not recommend any finer group of technical instructors for Cave, Rebreathers, Trimix etc..... I too researched instructors in Florida and Mexico. Many well established technical divers highly recommended Protec and they were right on! Yes, you have to go all the way to Mexico, but it is well worth it and I feel comfortable telling you that no other training agency will top these guys! I'm not saying Florida does not have excellent instructors, but for me in my research and recommendations, these guys have my vote. Their reputation preceeds them and that is why scientists, Discover channel, Hollywood, and for that matter the world come to Protec for technical diving. Good luck to you.
Joepilot
Guest
topjake:
Topjake,
What caves did you dive in Mexico?
DanMitsu
Registered
Myself personally. I would say Florida. It will take some time before you relax enough to actually enjoy the sites.
Now the Gue or Nsscds instructers, who ever you feel comfortable with. Cave diving, isnt something that you will get overnight. Takes time and complete thought. The seven day thing, isnt easy. Be ready for it, physically and mentally. If you will be able to do the Intro, then keep diving it would work out for you.(practice) But if you weren't able too, i would say hit at full speed.
before you get in to the water, make sure you remeber what the slow down signal is. Because your legs will be sore.
Other than that enjoy yourself, it's alot of fun
DiveSafe
Dan
Now the Gue or Nsscds instructers, who ever you feel comfortable with. Cave diving, isnt something that you will get overnight. Takes time and complete thought. The seven day thing, isnt easy. Be ready for it, physically and mentally. If you will be able to do the Intro, then keep diving it would work out for you.(practice) But if you weren't able too, i would say hit at full speed.
before you get in to the water, make sure you remeber what the slow down signal is. Because your legs will be sore.
Other than that enjoy yourself, it's alot of fun
DiveSafe
Dan
yucateco caver
New
good point mark . . . two idiots
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