Looking for instructor - Cavern/Intro to Cave - Mexico Nov 2010

[Andres Cuevas]

Hi,

Me and my wife are planning a trip to the Riviera Maya, Mexico in November and we want to take Cavern/Intro to Cave course.
We are looking for an instructor and I made a list of things about what we want:

1.- Complete course using doubles, we are already diving with doubles and no way we are going to put a single tank on our back.
2.- Dry suit, we dive with dry suit here in Chile and we want to do the training with our dry suits.
3.- The instructor must not have problems training a woman, my wife is my buddy underwater and I want her with the same knowledge as me (or more ).
4.- I like to be corrected, corrected and over corrected about all big and little details. I'm a maniac with details and I would like an instructor with that characteristic too.
5.- Not of the military type, we like instructors that are relaxed out of the water but strict underwater.
6.- We need an instructor that speaks spanish, at least 50% and 50% english. My wife doesn't speak english very well.

We both have the TDI certifications “Advanced Nitrox Diver” and “Decompression Procedures Diver” and we usually dive with doubles, 7” primary hose, dry suit and thick gloves.

Just as a bonus I want to see if it's possible to take "Advanced Wreck Diver" course, but that will depend on money, time and finding a good instructor.

All the tips that you can give me are welcome, I'm always ready to learn.

Regards,
Andres

 

[TSandM]

Well, shoot -- if you could possibly get a GUE Fundamentals class under your belt before you go, Danny Riordan meets your criteria to a T. He is a Mexican native whose English is excellent, an EXTREMELY good teacher, and I have never met anyone more compulsive about details. He is also a very nice man with a sense of humor (which is sometimes rather odd) and an enormous passion for the caves. He was my Cave 1 instructor, and I still hear his voice often when I am in the caves. There was so much good advice in our class. Oh, and Danny has no problem training women, even old women

But Danny only teaches GUE classes nowadays, and that requires Fundamentals.

 

[orm]

Mexico Cave Diving with Pro Tec dive center Playa del Carmen with Andreas W. Matthes a.k.a. Matt

Matt is the owner and a bit of a cave celebrity here although I'm not sure if he teaches anymore. Nando and Patrick actively teach, both are exemplary in regards to standards.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Contact Dennis Weeks. He's Pez de Diablo here on SB.

 

[MichaelBaranows]

x2 for Dennis Weeks, I took cavern and intro with him last Nov. and am planning full this oct/nov.

 

[Peter Guy]

Do any of you know if Dennis is fluent enough in Spanish to meet the OP's criteria? If sufficient, I would highly recommend him.

 

[MichaelBaranows]

Yes, he is pretty fluent being that he has lived in Mexico for several years now.

 

[rongoodman]

I had a very positive experience with Protec this spring, and as far as I know, everyone there speaks Spanish. Mom's Hotel is in the same building, and while plain, is cheap, with plenty of places to eat within a few blocks. No car rental needed.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Hi,

Me and my wife are planning a trip to the Riviera Maya, Mexico in November and we want to take Cavern/Intro to Cave course.
We are looking for an instructor and I made a list of things about what we want:

1.- Complete course using doubles, we are already diving with doubles and no way we are going to put a single tank on our back.
2.- Dry suit, we dive with dry suit here in Chile and we want to do the training with our dry suits.
3.- The instructor must not have problems training a woman, my wife is my buddy underwater and I want her with the same knowledge as me (or more ).
4.- I like to be corrected, corrected and over corrected about all big and little details. I'm a maniac with details and I would like an instructor with that characteristic too.
5.- Not of the military type, we like instructors that are relaxed out of the water but strict underwater.
6.- We need an instructor that speaks spanish, at least 50% and 50% english. My wife doesn't speak english very well.

We both have the TDI certifications “Advanced Nitrox Diver” and “Decompression Procedures Diver” and we usually dive with doubles, 7” primary hose, dry suit and thick gloves.

Just as a bonus I want to see if it's possible to take "Advanced Wreck Diver" course, but that will depend on money, time and finding a good instructor.

All the tips that you can give me are welcome, I'm always ready to learn.

Regards,
Andres

Alvaro from AlwaysDiving.com is a cave instructor. Although I have not taken this course (yet) I can not speak highly enough of him as an instructor.

1 - Can't see any reason doubles would be a problem.
2 - Dry suits are not needed in Playa, but go for it.
3 - Training women? Letting them out of the kitchen???? He trained my wife, and his 13 year old daughter is an accomplished diver in her own right.
4 - Definately a stickler for details, but relaxed and will work with people as long as it takes to get the details worked out.
5 - Definately not a drill instructor.
6 - Alvaro is a Mexican national, so Spanish is his native language, but his English is excellent.

 

[Andres Cuevas]

Thanks for the information guys!! I really appreciate it.

Now I have a lot of names and emails.

Thanks,
Andres