So two months have passed already since my arrival back in Mexico. Time goes by way too fast when your having fun, that’s for sure!
Little Background Story: I came to Mexico 3 years ago working in big cooperate dive shops as a Instructor with the main intention to get cave dive training here. I did a lot a Wreck Diving before, which I love, so going into the cave was next step for me.
After looking around a while trying to find a suitable, well experienced cave Instructor that meets my standards of teaching, which is not easy to find in this area, because there are a lot of them with opposite of knowledge and experience, I got hooked up through a friend with Tristan Termat.
Long Story Short, I found everything I was looking for. The Vibe, the way he teaches…serious when its time to be serious, combined with action packed fun! Best course I did in the diving Industry!
I knew right away, I will do all my technical courses with him! Don’t change a perfect running system!
3 years pass by, many cave dives later, few courses with him on top, I let Tristan know I want to move away from recreation Diving! I have done it long enough to get my experience , now is the time to learn how to guide/teach more advanced courses! Let’s go freaken Tech man!!!
He offer me to tag along with him in this season 2016/2017 as a intern, to assist all his courses and come on all guided dives and of course to upgrade myself more in my skills! Perfect!
So 2 Months have passed since I started the intern aaaaand its been pretty freaken epic!
The amount of Information and Skills I have received in this (short) period of time, is equal to what a new born child learns all the way up to 12 years of age!! 😉 A lot!
We started out getting my drysuit and twinset backmount skills up and running! From the start of all my courses I did everything in Sidemount, it was time to learn the other way! Its very important to know how both systems work! Did a few decompression deep dives in Backmount in some sinkholes around Playa and Tulum and then back into the cave using twinset.
Few more cave basics we reviewed to be a half descent role model as a cave course assistant and off I go assisting back to back Cavern to Intro to full Cave Courses with Tristan! Amazing!
What I realized the most is how much more aware I have become diving with other people in caves since assisting. Realizing quicker small mistakes by others and adapting to there style of moving through the caves. Most times before, I went with friends who have better or at least same level of cave training than me or we all learned from Tristan, so everything was pretty clear! The plan , the communication, positions in the cave. Now in the courses or in the guided dives, people come from different places of the world with different training backgrounds. Even though Tristan is doing everything humanly possible to make them the best cave divers, yet still there is not one way only in caving….its finding the best way between the divers to enjoy the most. Meaning no failure of communication in the cave etc….! To put it short what I learned: Taking the best Techniques and adapting them on each individual diver!
In between all those courses we had some time to do my technical cave course in backmount ! All I can say….Super fun action packed course!! You think blind touch contact in cave course is action fun, wait till you do your technical cave course! A lot more!!!
Only thing I needed to wrap my brain around is the damn theory. I don’t know if its because I’m out of school since long time, I used to be quite good in math, but with this actually easy math I felt like a 3rd grader again! But practise, practise makes it happen!
The last week, the DRSS team from Dominican Republic has arrived to do some exploration with us! Tristan has been investing a lot of effort in the jungle, walking for ages and squizing through holes, trying to find some diveable caves in the last months.
He found and we dove! For me it was the first time doing real exploration like this! Something new, something, …well I could write another 5 pages just about that experience. It takes cave diving to a whole new level! Diving in places where absolutely not one of the 7,5 Billion people on earth has been before is just…..well again another 5 pages of adjectives I could throw out there! haha…..!
We layed plenty, plenty of cave line, found super crazy , highly decorated tunnels and the best is, it keeps on going! Hopefully soon we can find some time in between all the courses and guided dives to explore more! Would love that!
So with this I finish this blog!
Tomorrow double stage dive! Rockn Roll! Its super fun!!! Thank you!!
Lutz aka ‘Kasper Diver’