Cozumel and Cenote/Cavern diving
Cenotes and Caverns are the entrance areas of water filled cave systems, large areas with clear water and lots of sunlight. Cenotes and Caverns are fun, easy and safe to dive and the only thing necessary is an open water certification. During the last dive shows we have attended we have heard comments again and again that many people have been diving in Cozumel, have heard about the Cenotes but never have dived them even if they like to do so, but did not know how. If you like to change that, here it is the how to. Take the ferry to Playa del Carmen, book the Cenote and Cavern diving with us at least three days ahead of time, just send an email to info@protecplaya.com , we will pick you up at the ferry dock and take you onto a Cenote and Cavern diving tour. The Cenotes are located some 25 – 40 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. More information about the Cenotes you can find on our www.protecplaya.com and www.mexicocavediving.info web pages. We will take you onto a two tank Cavern tour in two different Cenotes, provide tanks, weight, lights, a guide, refreshments and a box lunch. When all done we drop you at the ferry dock to get you back to Cozumel, or if you like, you drop your dive gear at our dive shop and go out to discover Playa. When ready to head back we get your gear down to the ferry dock. That is how easy it is to be diving in Cozumel and do a Cavern Cenote tour.
Tacoma Dive Show
In May 2010 Matt went to the Tacoma dive show held for the 3rd time in Tacoma Washington, some 40 miles south of Seattle. Over the years ProTec developed a very good relationship with Capital Divers owners Craig and Deb Brown who come to the Riviera Maya to cave dive for the 13th year in a row by now. The show was great with old friends to be met and new ones to be found. The booth location was quite nice right at the pool area where most of the action was and close to a lot of related providers and manufacturers such as Silent Scuba, Shearwater, ISC Megalodon, X-Scooter just to name few. The weather was to be cold and rainy and I was not disappointed. I had the chance to give two presentations about our ProTec dive store in Playa del Carmen and the Cenote and Cave diving in Mexico at Capital Divers in Olympia and Tacoma Scuba in Tacoma.
Xcuba Ha Photo contest
From December 4th to 11th we will hold our second underwater photography contest here in Playa del Carmen. The event is organized by the Riviera Maya Dive Alliance (RMDA) and ProTec is one of the founding members. The Xcuba Ha photo contest is leaning heavily on the educational side with lots of seminars, workshops and input from our photographer Len Bucko. December 4th we will open the event with a welcome, greet and meet with a wine and cheese hang out. Seminars and workshops range from basic to advanced camera techniques in the pool to macro, wide angle and cavern/low viz shooting techniques. The diving we will feature within the Xcuba Ha event is ranging from local Playa del Carmen diving to Cozumel, Pto. Morelos wreck diving to cenote diving. For more information on the event please visit our Xcuba Ha web page www.divingphotocontest.com . For more information on the Riviera Maya Dive Alliance please visit our RMDA web page www.scubadivinginmexico.com
Underwater Cave Photography – Painting
Matt recently started to get into underwater cave photography. As most people are working and diving in the area it was and is difficult to find talents or meat puppets with time to spare to hang motionless in front of the camera in the cave to give Matt some time to practice. A lot of great underwater cave photographers actually go on a regular cave dive and shoot while diving along. Matt is not there yet, not having the practice to do so – yet. In came the light painting technique where the camera is placed on a tripod with the shutter set open, and the photographer swimming through the cave in total darkness “painting” the cave with strobe light. Practice makes masters and a lot of practice is needed. But fun it is. Have a look at our ProTec Dive Center www.facebook.com page for some of the images. The header image of this email was “painted” by Matt in Grand Cenote. We would like to congratulate Matt as well for winning 1st and 2nd place in the international Dive Rite www.diverite.com underwater photo contest.
Continuing Education for ProTec Staff
As we try to expand our horizons and learn new techniques to further our own diving as well as the ability to convey these new experiences to our students our ProTec Staff is continuously updating their diving curriculum. Patrick completed the GUE Fundamentals Diver training program conducted by Fred Devos at Zero Gravity dive center. Matt became a Essential Diver Instructor Trainer with IANTD as Nando and Patrick are teaching the Essentials program for years. The Essential Diver program is a prep and polishing program focusing on buoyancy, trim, propulsion, configuration and communication. This program is particular successful before any technical or cave diver training programs. Matt worked toward and received his CCR Poseidon MK6 Rebreather Instructor rating.
Scheduled Training Programs
We provide and conduct IANTD Instructor training programs on a regular basis ranging from Adv. Eanx Instructor cross over programs to Cavern Instructor, Intro to cave, Full cave, Technical cave, Sidemount cave, CCR cave, DPV cave, CCR Rebreather MOD I & MOD II, Normoxic Trimix and Hypoxic Trimix Instructor programs to just name a few. If you want to become a IANTD Instructor or feel ready for the next level please send us an email.
Besides the below scheduled diver level training programs we will always have capacity to schedule training programs when you want to take them. We will even travel to your location to train you in your diving environment. For the latest update on scheduled diver level training programs please visit www.protecplaya.com.
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS JULY 20 – 28
– INTRO TO CAVE COURSE IS AUGUST 2 – 6
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS AUGUST 8 – 15
– BASIC DPV COURSE IS AUGUST 9 – 11
– DPV CAVE COURSE IS AUGUST 16 – 17
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS AUGUST 22 – 29
– ADV. REC. TMX COURSE IS SEPTEMBER 2 – 6
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS SEPTEMBER 5 – 12
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS SEPTEMBER 6 – 13
– CCR CAVE COURSE IS SEPTEMBER 19 – 26
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS SEPTEMBER 24 – OCT. 1
– CAVE DIVING GUIDING IS SEPTEMBER 24 – 30
– CCR CAVE COURSE IS OCTOBER 4 – 11
– SIDEMOUNT CAVE COURSE IS OCTOBER 13 – 16
– CCR CAVE COURSE IS NOVEMBER 7 – 14
– ADV. EANX COURSE IS NOVEMBER 15 – 18
– BASIC SIDEMOUNT COURSE IS NOVEMBER 19 – 21
– FULL CAVE COURSE IS NOV. 24 – DEC. 4
– INTRO TO CAVE COURSE IS NOV. 29 – DEC. 1
– XCUBA HA PHOTO CONTEST IS DECEMBER 4 – 11
IANTD Instructor & IT Training
ProTec continues to conduct IANTD Instructor Development Courses IDC’s, Instructor Evaluation Courses IEC’s and Instructor Trainer Courses ITC’s. The IDC’s and IEC’s are conducted by IT’s Nando and Matt while the ITC’s are conducted by ITT Matt.
We would like to congratulate Mauro for his successful Intro to Cave Instructor Evaluation. Our Instructor candidates Luis, Daniel and Etienne we wish all the best in their quest to become Adv. Eanx and Cavern Instructors.
More information and links
We have published new articles on our ProTec blog www.protecblog.com covering a variety of issues and experiences. We started to publish a number of small video clips on our ProTecPlaya www.youtube.com channel and continue to do so as we go along. Have a look and let us know what you think.
For more information regarding the cave diving in Mexico www.mexicocavediving.info
Cave diving information in Spanish www.buceoencuevamexico.com , cave diving information in German www.mexikohoehlentauchen.com please check out our web pages.