Looking for input on shop to use for PADI TEC 40

[divezonescuba]

Hello:

We will be down in December. I thought I would do a PADI TEC 40 and possibly a TEC 45 course while I was down.

Any recommendations, experiences, or other input would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[ft.lauderdale diver]

you should consider TDI for tech training as well. advanced nitrox/deco procedures are the logical courses taught in tandem.

 

[Beyond_Diving]

Well, if you don't mind coming over to Playa, we'll get you trained properly.. either through TDI or IANTD.

 

[cvchief]

That German Yanez-something guy. Isn't he the guru of all tech in Cozumel?

Wait, I think this is him: Germán Yañez

 

[divezonescuba]

Thanks for the input. I am sure that TDI and NAUI are fine alternatives. But, I need to only consider shops / instructors that can issue the PADI TEC 40 cert. I need to do this on Cozumel as that is where we are staying.

 

[robint]

I cannot understand why you would want to do Tec training while in Cozumel. That totally misses the mark of Cozumel diving.
My husband is a certified tech diver and when we go to Cozumel he never even considers it... Cozumel is all about rec limits for mind blowing reefs, and some crazy wild rides in current with great fishlife.

 

[boulderjohn]

There aren't many tech diving alternatives in Cozumel. One that advertises that it will do the PADI courses is Dressel Divers, a chain with locations in several areas. This is not an endorsement--I don't know anything about them specifically.

I do know something about tech programs, though. I have been through technical training with 5 different agencies, and I teach for two of them. You should really think long term. You don't want to be jumping around from agency to agency, because each of them does things a bit differently. I said "a bit," but in some cases the differences can be HUGE, and if you don't look at the full program all the way through to your ultimate goal, you might make decisions early on that you will regret later.

Once you have decided that the agency's instructional sequence makes sense to you, it really comes down to the instructor after that. Don't fall for the hype some people spit out about some agency's instructors all being better than the instructors in another agency. You can find excellent instructors in any agency; you can find poor instructors in any agency. Most are in between. As I said, I teach for two tech agencies--I don't morph into a different person when teaching for one rather then the other.

 

[cvchief]

If German doesn't do what you want, why don't you ask him who does who is good at it?

 

[boulderjohn]

When I decided to do some tech diving (just diving--no instruction) in Cozumel a couple of years ago, I did a thorough Google search and sent email inquiries to each one I located. Only a couple even responded to my emails, and German was not one of them. I found that some were only on the island seasonally, so when you go makes a big difference. If it is off season, you may not have many options at all.

 

[macado]

I cannot understand why you would want to do Tec training while in Cozumel. That totally misses the mark of Cozumel diving.
My husband is a certified tech diver and when we go to Cozumel he never even considers it... Cozumel is all about rec limits for mind blowing reefs, and some crazy wild rides in current with great fishlife.

Are you serious? Cozumel being what it is has some amazing walls and topography where the depth available can open lots of options for those trained. For those of us that are used to doing deco in cold and dark waters with limited visibility, doing deco in Cozumel or any tropical destination is an absolute treat.

It is a great place to conduct deep diving and do tech training. Just a few reasons off the top of my head:
-Relatively benign and predictable conditions for training (obviously it's drift diving so there is current, so drifting deco)
-Warm water (no drysuit, heavy undergarments, no argon bottle)
-Excellent visibility (great for training, watching students and exploration)
-Depth available for any level of training from deco procedures to advaned trimix and beyond
-Marine life encounters below recreational depths (often reef sharks, sometimes hammerheads at Maracaibo, Colombia, Punta Sur Sur)
-Some really beautiful structures below 150' (black coral, overhangs, interesting topography)
-Extended dive times and runtimes

With that being said, Cozumel is really not a tech diver destination although there are many that do it there, myself included. While there are certainly lots of opportunities for it; There really aren't many shops or instructors there that cater to it. You're right that the majority of diving and things you want to see are in recreational depths but I don't believe it misses the mark of Cozumel diving. It adds considerable value. It still amazes me while places like Thailand and Red Sea have capitalized on this and large tech diving communities, Cozumel really doesn't have a huge tech community. Perhaps lack of wrecks...

Thanks for the input. I am sure that TDI and NAUI are fine alternatives. But, I need to only consider shops / instructors that can issue the PADI TEC 40 cert. I need to do this on Cozumel as that is where we are staying.

Off top of my head I don't know any specific instructors on the island that teach the PADI TEC curriculum but I will ask around. The majority I see are TDI instructors. I'm assuming you need PADI because you run a PADI dive shop and are looking to perhaps do PADI Tec for some requirements or to eventually offer it at your shop?

Just throwing that out there for those asking why you aren't considering TDI and other agencies. If not, you may be able to cross over in future.

You may want to contact Don at Deep Exposure Dive Center. While I believe he runs TDI technical courses, he may be able to run PADI Tec courses as well or at least know of someone who does. His shop in my opinion is one of the better equipped for technical diving on island. He has his own compressor, a booster and pumps trimix and oxygen. Most shops on the island have to go through Meridiano 87 for this. I've never taken any training from them but his shop is one of the better equipped to handle gas for technical divers on the island.

German Yanez is also a great instructor. Although he caters to mostly cave diving. He also teaches TDI equivalent of PADI Tec 40/45.