Well if you are then you can expect calm seas, cloudless days and blistering heat! WooHoo! But to escape the heat some choose to do it on or IN the water! We here at Fantasea have fun year around, but regardleess what time of year, there’s always an adventure just under the surface of the turquoise Caribbean waters! Here’s just a few of our hobbies…uh I mean “services”…Ya’ll come see now ya hear!!!
I get to teach an array of PADI diving courses, but probably one of the funnest to teach is the PADI Advanced Open Water course. This course takes a diver with just entry level training and exposes them to 5 different areas of diving. In this course, Cam and Ricky do the two dives that are mandatory, Deep and Navigation, and the other three were Wreck, Drift and Peak Performance Buoyancy. I actually videoed them making the Deep, Nav, and Wreck dives of the course. Here in Playa del Carmen, we have alot more to teach like cavern, wall, Nitrox, Search and Recovery, U/W video and U/W photography, which are all alot of fun too! See what it looks like while doing the AOW course with us here at Fantasea Dive. Enjoy!
I was diving one day over in Cozumel when outta the blue swam up a huge Spotted Eagle ray! He had just swooped down and taken a full size conch shell in it’s mouth. I could see hime chompin down on it crushing it up as I switcheed on my video camera. I got down low to the ground and scaffed across the bottom trying not to make many bubbles. He swam right towards me with half of the snail hangin out of his mouth. I also saw that he was seriously hunting breakfast and I was of no bother to this large pelagic fish. Here is what I saw:
Living in Playa del Carmen, us men of the Sea are privy to a few special encounters while on the water. And having a 20ft whale shark swim by is one of those occurences! Me and Rob Brennan from Massachussettes, who is also part of the National Marine Life Center there, ran across one heading to Tortugas Reef. Rob organizes a trip here each March for him and some diving friends. This year was extra special with the whale shark passing by. I saw the animal and told the captain to stop the boat. We donned our snorkel and fins and took off after the majestic creature. I guess I had the speed that morning cause me and the shark lost them after seconds. Here’s what I saw…
Each year snow falls on 99% of all my guests from up North. Some of these guests escape the cold every year for a couple weeks or longer and come here to dive with me while the snow falls up north. Jesse Perron from Winnipeg, Canada, is just one of those people. This year when Jesse was visiting we had some adverse conditions that sent us diving over in Cozumel. We both agree, diving in Playa is good but its hard to beat Cozumel for some stuff. Join us as we search high and low for all the “critters” we can find. Enjoy! And Jesse…see ya next year!
This is the time of the year where I look forward to taking a couple divers at a time down to see the Bull Sharks. And this year I had two guests from Serbia come over just to see them. I had a neighbor once who was an U/W videographer from Serbia and his brother and he went out diving with me and loved it. When they got home to Serbia, they talked a couple friends into coming over and checking out the diving. Boy were they in for a treat. Lots of Bull Sharks on this dive! Also I would like to say that we did NOT bait, lure, or harass the sharks. Enjoy!
Season’s greetings and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Fantasea Dive! And the Bull Sharks! So far this winter we have had great sightings of Bull Sharks. I honestly believe there are more than last year. These lil guys grow up to 10 ft long and weigh 500-800 lbs. I have included a video of what a few girls saw just yesterday. Must have been at least 8 or more! Hopefully all of you can come down one Christmas and check ‘em out with me!
We wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and New Year’s and ALOT of prosperity in 2009!!!
Just like every year, we get a lull in people coming here. And this November has been very slow for everyone here. Although this year, I have taken this slow period to secure a new location for Fantasea Dive. This will be a place for divers to hang out and watch diving videos, view fotos, use internet, watch football games, etc. I like to think of it more like a clubhouse than a dive “shop”. We will still be using the same location at Calle 2 as well…but it is more for storing equipment and the boat. Stay tuned for future developments. Wish us luck!
Join me as I guide Maartje, from Holland, through her PADI Advanced open water course. Her boyfriend, Duco, is already and advanced diver but joins her on every dive. The weather has been less than favorable so we had to go to Cozumel to make the course.
Each year my folks come down with my brother for a little R&R from their jobs and for a visit with you know who! This year my Dad and Brother wanted to go through what we do in the Advanced course just for fun so off we went. Shipwreck, Cozumel, and crackin’ eggs at 100ft! It was a ton s fun diving with my family. My mom however, doesn’t dive anymore because of 2 back surgeries…so she’s surface support. 
I did manage to get some video of my Dad and Brother in Cozumel. I have included it below. Have a look at the man and little brother that has spent more time in, around, and under the water with me than anyone else. I love you guys!
