Protec Advanced Training Facility, can take you to extreme depths!

Okay, I am not a diver, I know I am in the small minority, but due to some personal health issues  I am unable to dive, but I am quite happy to be a snorkler on the surface. In particular I am fascinated by the cenotes and cave system’s around the Rivera Maya, and often explore them on my own.  If I’m in the right place at the right time I track the lights of the divers glowing from the depths below. This allows me a brief peek at the decorated caves that lay mysteriously below me.....

  I have often wondered what it takes to become a cave diver, what are the rules, how long does it take? Are there different levels, and just in general what it entails. So when I asked around about who to talk to about cave diving, it was a reflex response, the guys from Protec. So, I contacted Matt, one of the owners, and he was gracious enough to take time out of his day to give me the low down on this incredible sport.

Andreas Matthes, or German Matt to his friends, is originally from Germany, just outside of Hamburg. He has lived in Mexico for the past 10 years, and has traveled and lived all over the world, including Thailand, Egypt, and Asia. Matt first started diving in Germany while there was snow on the ground, and the waters were only in the high 30’s. He became certified in 1991, and has completed over 4,000 dives to date; 2,500 cave dives, and 1,000 technical dives, he is a self described “dive slave”, and he is one of 50 people worldwide who has his level of training.  

He opened Protec 4 years ago, but had worked out of his house for years before that. He holds Mike Madden of Cedam Dive Center, in very high regard, saying he is “The King of cave diving” and he has been an invaluable resource over the years. Although Protec does do open water certification, and ocean diving, their focus is definitely deep diving in cenotes. Last year they did over 400 dives, and only 10% of them were in the sea. He suggests that you have at least 50 to 100 open water dives prior to even considering getting certified for cave diving. He says that not only the certification process is difficult, but actually diving in the cave systems is a challenging undertaking.

There are 3 levels of certification: First there is Cavern diving, which is defined as within the day light zone, and never further then 200 feet from the point of entry, the second level is the introduction to cave diving, and finally full cave certification. All three levels are taught consecutively in an 8 day course, and costs 1,300.00 USD, with all equipment, gear, and transportation included in the certification fee.

Matt says the course is not for the light of heart, running from 8AM to 4PM with 2 hours of theory, and the remaining hours spent in “hands on” training. He also is very adamant to point out that a large portion of the training is also teaching students the importance of conservation of the cave systems. He explains that the system is similar to a sponge in the fact that it is all connected by water, but that divers are not able to pass through all of the points. He says that it is VERY important to respect the fragility of the environment, because if you pollute or damage one part, it is all interconnected and affects the entire system.

 After a student has completed the cave certification program, they can move onto even more highly specialized levels of diving. There is stage diving, which provides an extra tank for further exploration, side mount diving, which allows divers to fit into very restricted spaces,  DPV, dive propulsion vehicle, to aid in cave surveys and cartography, and rebreathers which are used to go deeper, further, and longer. Rebreathers are often used for photography or cinematography due to the fact that it creates no bubbles. Finally there is the level of diving for rescue and recovery, and this is the highest level of diving you can achieve. Matt is an instructor and trainer at all levels, he has written numerous training manuals, and he has published nearly 30 articles, in Europe, The United States, and Mexico. In addition he was involved in the Hollywood production of,  The Cave, a full length feature film about cave exploration, where he acted as a body double, diving safety officer, and stuntman. So, if you think you know a thing or two about cave diving think again, Matt definitely has you beat!

For more information please visit their website at: www.protecdiving.com or call 984- 803-1168, or stop by the shop located on 4^th Street between 25^th and 30^th Avenue.

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