How long have you been at ProTec?
I have been with ProTec since 2011 when we opened a new center down in Tulum, I am one of the owners.
What’s your favourite thing about working at ProTec?
My favorite thing is to be surrounded by people with the same passion for diving. Working in a professional team and also supporting divers from all over the world, coming visiting us. I love to work on different projects, building, creating, teaching, sharing passion and optimizing our centers.
What is your most memorable moment in diving?
I have had memorable moments and experiences on all of the emotional spectra. A few dives stand out in a positive way and a few dives in a negative way. Exploring a new cave, first dives in Chan Hol, connecting Abejas to Sac Aktun, other connections, exploring in Belize, Madagascar and all the great times in Norway on trips with best friends. But in general, reading a cave, looking for a connection, working for it, pushing through something to find another line from the system you are trying to connect to, always gives a great sense of reward. On the other end, you have body recoveries and searching for lost divers, which is of course never fun and being involved in the aftermath with mourning families, authorities, community, and reports. One bad decision, from an individual, can have catastrophic consequences for so many people…
What is your favourite dive in Mexico?
“Aluxes Key” in Carwash, “Sions line” in Temple of Doom, “Madonna passage”, “Swizz Siphon” and deep saltwater in Regina. I just love cave diving, so many amazing places. Xulo and Caterpillar…
What is your teaching philosophy?
“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”. We learn how to dive, by diving. There is no replacement for time spent in the water. I would say that I am flexible, pedagogic, kind, empathic but in a strict way. I take teaching diving very seriously and teaching cave diving extremely seriously. This is my life, my passion and it’s a huge responsibility to certify someone to go cave diving. But in the end “it’s a license to learn”, you need to be good enough to safely go learn cave diving on your own, you don’t have to be perfect. Having the attitude to strive for perfection is something I recommend however. We strive for perfection in our students, I strive for perfection from myself, teaching cave diving. But however serious diving gets, it’s still “just diving” and it should be fun, so whatever level you teach or train for, though being very demanding, challenging and possibly painful it has to be rewarding and stimulating. I try to make people figure out on their own if my message doesn’t go through. Many times, they get it proved to themselves, by themselves. Then everything falls in place, “you understand” when you have made the mistake and you realize how important rules and procedures are, those “lessons” and experiences tend to stay with students and adds value. My commitment to the student also goes beyond certification, something I say on day 1 of the course, whatever questions or thoughts post-training, always feel free to contact me.
Any advice for people wanting to come and train with us?
The best advice I can give is to have reasonable expectations on yourself and us, remove unnecessary pressure and expectations by aiming too high and too fast. Enjoy the ride of diving and training, don’t rush it. Master the basics, it’s actually quite easy to learn how to cave dive or technical dive, once you have mastered the critical basic skills like; buoyancy, positioning, trim and propulsion techniques. Combined with a solid knowledge of emergency procedures, skills, and gear used for the level. Have a good and safe attitude and most important enjoy being a student.
It’s important to gauge what level you should be training on, there is a success in training at all levels if you complete the training at the level “your supposed” to or “should be training at”. So honesty in your own skills, having enough time, combining business with pleasure, I think is a recipe for success.
When not diving what do you do for fun?
Well, in all honesty, I dive. But I also love to hang out with the family, nerd out with movies, workout and train Muay Thai and kickboxing. Work on any of my “projects”, on the never-ending list of things to do…
If you weren’t a diver, what would your profession be?
This will sound a bit lame and maybe cooky. But I really don’t want to be anything else than a diver and if I would, I truly believe that I would be whatever I would want to be. I believe we have our faith in our own hands, we are the consequences of our thoughts and actions, we are exactly where we are supposed to be, if you don’t like it, change it. But I am a simple man, I could work with anything, as long as I would feel in balance and providing the means to an end. I think the secret is to find “work”, that does not feel like “work”, that’s a luxury. Follow your dream and passion, whatever that might be. Life is more than work, with a meaningful time off work, I could personally have any line of work and probably be happy. Means to an end…
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
At ProTec, 5 years wiser, strong business, but more balance and stability in life, surrounded by an amazing team of talented people, divers, and instructors.
If you could have a superpower for one day, what would it be and why?
I think it would be amazing to be able to “time travel”, as an invisible force, “peek behind” the curtain… I love conspiracy theories…