You might ask why we waited so long to write this report. Simple answer is we wanted a response from TDI first. Problem is, to get an answer from them is almost like getting milk from a Step-mother with a wooden breast. We wrote to them for details on how a cave diving course should be run and lodge our complaint but got no response.
We met Larry from Yucatec Divers, Yucatan, at DEMA 2012 and decided to do our Cavern and Intro to Cave diving course with them. We sent several emails back and forth deciding on dates and the duration of the course. We did some research on the resort, dive centre and instructor, Alain Pocobelli. Since the owner and the instructor were Swiss, we thought it should be good. Nowhere did we read anything bad about the dive centre or Alain.
First the dive centre is NOT equipped for cave diving. They recommend you bring your own 7mm wetsuit as they only have 3mm. Take your own dive booties and open heel fins, as they only have closed heel fins.
We booked 8 days in Playa del Carmen in March 2013.
First impression: we arrived at the dive centre and not the hotel. The owner, Yves first words. "What are you doing here?" "You should not be here, this is not your hotel" Not hello, sorry this is the dive centre, your hotel is around the corner! Nice.
First day of the course. We sat through a day of theory. Fine, we expected it. Alain is a volcano of information and we don't doubt his knowledge. Just the delivery of the information. We got really confused and asked questions to clear up some points. My wife were told on several occasions not to interrupt, that he has just explained it and with a sigh and shaking of the head explained the material exactly the same way as before. We stopped asking questions after a while.
Second day. We had to go buy dive booties as Yucatec Divers does not have booties. They also did not have open heel finns. I had to dive with 2x 6mm wetsuits as they don't have 7mm wetsuits, as they recommend you have for diving the Cenotes. All dive gear supplied was the property of our instructor. So how can Yucatec be a 5star cave dive centre if they don't have the right equipment?
Back to the training. We went to the Cenotes where we received a morning of talking from Alain. We spend 1h on line laying and line following training. At one point, my wife and Alain got into an argument as she wanted to ask a question and he brushed her off. He apologized but we decided not to ask too many questions. We went into the water and did some buoyancy control exercises and then some line drills. NOT all the drills we did in the water were practiced on dry land. Some were explained in the water and we did not get all of them right.
We left the dive site a bit negative but over dinner and later that night after reading our dive manual, we decided to go into it positively.
Day 3. Alain reported sick so we spent the day on the beach.
Day 4. We went straight into the water. We did no viz following the line and out of air drills. Again we did drills in the water we'd never practiced on dry land. My blindfold was ripped off my face so hard by Alain that my mask went with it. I asked him not to rip off my mask so hard as it's a bit expensive. No reaction!
On one drill I was swimming blind folded in front and felt something unusual on the line. I removed my hand from protecting my head and forgot to protect my head again. Something very hard hit my head, I thought it was a rock as it made me see stars. Later Alain admitted it was his fist that he hit me with to simulate swimming into a rock.
My wife commented on her experience while doing an Advance Nitrox course in South Africa. Alain told her that the instructor in SA was an idiot and had no idea what he talked about. Unfortunately the instructor in SA is a personal friend and after consulting the material concerned we discovered that Alain was the wrong one.
That night we talked and decided to stop the course. This decision was not taken lightly as this was one of our most expensive holiday/dive courses.
We are extremely disappointed as we looked forward to this course for almost a year.
We did research of Yucatec Divers and Alain Pocobelli but could find no negative comments. We are impressed with his knowledge and dive experience, just the manner of teaching leaves a lot to be desired!
My question: how many people did not finish this course with Alain?
Randel van Heerden, PADI Speciality Instructor
Stephanie Périllard, PADI Dive Master, CMAS Advanced Nitrox
We met Larry from Yucatec Divers, Yucatan, at DEMA 2012 and decided to do our Cavern and Intro to Cave diving course with them. We sent several emails back and forth deciding on dates and the duration of the course. We did some research on the resort, dive centre and instructor, Alain Pocobelli. Since the owner and the instructor were Swiss, we thought it should be good. Nowhere did we read anything bad about the dive centre or Alain.
First the dive centre is NOT equipped for cave diving. They recommend you bring your own 7mm wetsuit as they only have 3mm. Take your own dive booties and open heel fins, as they only have closed heel fins.
We booked 8 days in Playa del Carmen in March 2013.
First impression: we arrived at the dive centre and not the hotel. The owner, Yves first words. "What are you doing here?" "You should not be here, this is not your hotel" Not hello, sorry this is the dive centre, your hotel is around the corner! Nice.
First day of the course. We sat through a day of theory. Fine, we expected it. Alain is a volcano of information and we don't doubt his knowledge. Just the delivery of the information. We got really confused and asked questions to clear up some points. My wife were told on several occasions not to interrupt, that he has just explained it and with a sigh and shaking of the head explained the material exactly the same way as before. We stopped asking questions after a while.
Second day. We had to go buy dive booties as Yucatec Divers does not have booties. They also did not have open heel finns. I had to dive with 2x 6mm wetsuits as they don't have 7mm wetsuits, as they recommend you have for diving the Cenotes. All dive gear supplied was the property of our instructor. So how can Yucatec be a 5star cave dive centre if they don't have the right equipment?
Back to the training. We went to the Cenotes where we received a morning of talking from Alain. We spend 1h on line laying and line following training. At one point, my wife and Alain got into an argument as she wanted to ask a question and he brushed her off. He apologized but we decided not to ask too many questions. We went into the water and did some buoyancy control exercises and then some line drills. NOT all the drills we did in the water were practiced on dry land. Some were explained in the water and we did not get all of them right.
We left the dive site a bit negative but over dinner and later that night after reading our dive manual, we decided to go into it positively.
Day 3. Alain reported sick so we spent the day on the beach.
Day 4. We went straight into the water. We did no viz following the line and out of air drills. Again we did drills in the water we'd never practiced on dry land. My blindfold was ripped off my face so hard by Alain that my mask went with it. I asked him not to rip off my mask so hard as it's a bit expensive. No reaction!
On one drill I was swimming blind folded in front and felt something unusual on the line. I removed my hand from protecting my head and forgot to protect my head again. Something very hard hit my head, I thought it was a rock as it made me see stars. Later Alain admitted it was his fist that he hit me with to simulate swimming into a rock.
My wife commented on her experience while doing an Advance Nitrox course in South Africa. Alain told her that the instructor in SA was an idiot and had no idea what he talked about. Unfortunately the instructor in SA is a personal friend and after consulting the material concerned we discovered that Alain was the wrong one.
That night we talked and decided to stop the course. This decision was not taken lightly as this was one of our most expensive holiday/dive courses.
We are extremely disappointed as we looked forward to this course for almost a year.
We did research of Yucatec Divers and Alain Pocobelli but could find no negative comments. We are impressed with his knowledge and dive experience, just the manner of teaching leaves a lot to be desired!
My question: how many people did not finish this course with Alain?
Randel van Heerden, PADI Speciality Instructor
Stephanie Périllard, PADI Dive Master, CMAS Advanced Nitrox
