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Unabridged
IDC Mexico Testimonials

We can say all that we want about ourselves, but why not just let our students tell their experiences with us! Many of them are now successful instructors/ MSDT professionals working for us or somewhere else in the world.

Gonzalo Arnillas Lopez (Peru) - IDC June

Estimados amigos de PRODIVE,

Quiero compartir mi experiencia inolvidable durante el curso de buceo PADI IDC de PRODIVE

Nuestro instructor, Walter, un apasionado instructor argentino con experiencia global, nos llevó a un viaje emocionante a través de las profundidades de los oceanos por todo el mundo, contándonos historias detalladas que ilustraban el negocio del buceo de manera cautivadora. A medida que pasaban los dias , el vínculo de amistad en nuestro grupo creció, lo que contribuyó enormemente a nuestro desarrollo en el curso.

Walter, con su dedicación incansable, nos instó a cumplir los estándares PADI con una intensidad que nos desafió a superarnos a nosotros mismos. Al comienzo del curso, llegué creyendo que era un buzo experimentado, pero al finalizar, me di cuenta de que había mucho más por aprender de la enseñanza y el enfoque necesario para ser un gran instructor.

Hoy, me despidiendo de este maravilloso curso, me siento agradecido por la experiencia transformadora que he vivido. Quiero expresar mi sincero agradecimiento a PRODIVE por brindarme esta oportunidad única, y especialmente a Walter por su excepcional trabajo como instructor. Sé que soy un buzo con un horizonte lleno de emocionantes aventuras por descubrir, y eso es un regalo invaluable.

Con gratitud y emoción,
Gonzalo Arnillas

Manque Sastre (Argentina) - July 2023

Increíble el IDC con Walter en Prodive!! durante el transcurso fui aprendiendo realmente el enfoque y acción que un profesional PADI debe tener para con el mundo del buceo hasta en los más minuciosos detalles; el Course Director tiene una experiencia invaluable de muchos años de trabajo en los sitios más llamativos e interesantes del mundo para un profesional del buceo, y las comparte abiertamente, dando todos los puntos de vistas de múltiples aspectos del día a día, lo que realmente te da un panorama amplio para pensar de manera correcta en el desarrollo de tu carrera.

Fue un enorme placer haber sido su alumno y haber completado la IE sin ningún problema gracias a su tutela.

Victoria Marino (USA) - July 2023

Prodive es más que una compañía, son familia. Desde el primer contacto, cuando yo los contacte para el motivo de tomar el curso de Divemaster, superaron todos mis expectativas. El director de Cursos, Walter, me llamo personalmente para hablar sobre los detalles antes que llegara a Mexico. Dorianne me ayudó con recomendaciones sobre alojamiento y entre los dos, aún antes de llegar ahí, me sentí cuidada.

Luego cuando llegue y empecé mi curso, me sentí segura abajo y afuera del agua con el equipo de el base. Los instructores, divemasters, marineros, y capitanes de el barco, son excelentes. Estoy muy agradecida por el esfuerzo, energía positiva, y todo que me ensañaron. Me fue tan bien, que extendí mi quedada para poder hacer cursos de especialidades.

El buceo es precioso. Vida de todos tipos, buen visibilidad, arrecifes, y también un naufragio. Hice también buceo en los cenotes por la primera vez con ellos! Tienen buceo para cada nivel de buzo, desde bautismo hasta los con mucho experiencia.

Un placer y no puedo esperar hasta que puedo regresar.

Winston Walker (USA) - May 2023

It’s rare to find an IDC course director as exceptional as Walter Schmit. From the onset, what struck me the most was his unparalleled patience. No matter how trying the situations were during the course, Walter’s calm demeanor never wavered. A fellow candidate and I often found ourselves marveling at Walter’s incredible aptitude for handling challenging situations that arose.
Unforeseen logistical hurdles cropped up throughout our journey, all of which were outside Walter’s control. Yet, he approached each obstacle with grace, always formulating a backup plan, ensuring that the course ran smoothly and productively.
Prior to this course, I had certifications from several other agencies besides PADI. Frankly, I was skeptical about the PADI system, primarily choosing it because of its global recognition and job prospects. However, Walter transformed my perspective. His methodical teaching approach, which is a product of significant effort and thought, has deepened my respect for PADI’s teaching system. Walter’s vast collection of resources, accumulated over the years, and his dedication to continuously improve by observing other course directors is commendable.
Furthermore, Walter’s expertise as a diver, especially in technical diving realms like closed circuit rebreathers and cave diving, elevates his teaching. I particularly enjoyed his effort to organize a Q&A with a local cave explorer. He ensured that we never relied on easy answers but instead engaged in a systematic approach to tap into our resources. This method not only honed our skills but also instilled in us the confidence to excel as instructors.
Complementing Walter’s stellar teaching was the support provided by his wife, Dorianne. Her assistance in securing affordable housing and providing invaluable advice on city services was a godsend. Choosing this IDC was a decision made largely based on scheduling convenience. However, thanks to the combined efforts of Walter and Dorianne, I believe I received the best possible experience.
In conclusion, Walter Schmit as a Course Director is an invaluable asset to Pro Dive International. I wholeheartedly recommend his IDC to aspiring instructors. The knowledge, skills, and experience he imparts are truly unparalleled. Thank you again! – Winston

Sean M (USA) - May 2023

The idc at prodive gopro is a intensive and emmersive learning experience. I got to do really interesting work shops including diving a cenote, visiting and exploring a hyperbaric chamber, learning the basics of of regulators and other equipment servicing. The class was informative and really prepared me for the instructors exam. Everyone in my idc group smashed through it with ease and we all passed. This was possible because the course director walter that taught the class is not only very knowledgeable from a life time of diving. He is truly passionate about diving and his students. He was always willing to take extra time when you needed it and they helped me find accommodations as I traveled from the USA for the course. I would highly recommend this class and this instructor.

Marc Schindler (Germany) - March 2022

Meine Erfahrungen mit Course Director Leo Saldunbides

Von Anfang Januar 2022 bis Mitte April habe ich am GoPro Programm teilgenommen und habe in dieser Zeit zuerst meinen Divemaster gemacht um daran anschließend meinen PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer zu machen (ich muss noch ein paar Schüler ausbilden, um den Status zu bekommen, aber in Deutschland geht das halt ein bisschen langsamer).

Während meiner ersten Tage als Divemaster-Anwärter durfte ich dank Leo bei einem parallel stattfindenden IDC mitlaufen und habe da diejenigen Übungen mitgemacht, die mit dem Divemastertraining identisch sind und habe darüber hinaus auch einiges an Vorbereitung für den kommenden IDC machen können.

Dank Leo war der Divemaster daher kein Problem und selbst das Instructor Exam war, nachdem wir mit Leo unseren IDC gemacht haben, einfach. Während der gesamten Ausbildung war Leo stets darauf bedacht uns zu verantwortungsvollen und vor allem sicheren Tauchlehrern (bzw. Divemastern) auszubilden, die für ihre Schüler eine Bereicherung darstellen.
Neben den vielen Prüfungsvorbereitungen habe ich eine große Menge an weiterem hilfreichen Stoff über das Tauchen gelernt und fühle mich heute sehr sicher als Tauchlehrer!

Das GoPro Programm war ein großer Spaß und wir haben phänomenale Tauchgänge in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel und sogar ein paar in den Cenoten gemacht, während wir die ganze Zeit eine hervorragende Vorbereitung auf das IE bekommen haben.

Erika Almiento (Italy) - May 2022

Vorrei raccontare la mia esperienza riguardo all’IDC riassumendola in una sola parola: M E R A V I G L I O S A 😍😍😍

É stato un vero e proprio “viaggio”, in ottima compagnia del mio mentore, insegnante e ormai AMICO Leo Saldunbides 😊💛 Quando, ancora in Italia, dovevo scegliere in quale scuola iniziare questa avventura, ho letto tantissimi pareri positivi su di lui e così mi sono lasciata ispirare da questi! Dovessi decidere ancora, lo rifarei senza esitazioni!!!😊

Leo é un insegnante preparatissimo, puntuale, preciso e molto professionale!
Mi ha saputa motivare in qualche momento di difficoltá e mi ha sempre spronata a pensare positivo e a credere in me stessa! Non da meno…ha risposto ai miei messaggi ed ai miei dubbi a quasi a tutte le ore 💜😅😅🤣…con grande pazienza e piacere😊 !!!

Ho notato, anche osservandolo relazionarsi con glI altri compagni, che é stato sempre disponibile e dal cuore grande! E poi in lui é evidente che ama quello che fa, per questo motivo riesce a trasmettere I suoi insegnamenti con amore e passione, senza noia e con gran divertimento 😊 É

Una persona molto umile…quando é stato necessario correggermi anche alcune nozioni di base, lo ha fatto senza mettermi a disagio! Inoltre apprezzo dii lui la sinceritá e la calma con cui ti dice le cose, anche quelle meno piacevoli, se ce ne sono. Consiglierei a chiunque di frequentare I suoi corsi… perché gli sono profondamente Grata💜

Daniel Gregory - OWSI - May 2022

The IE itself was not as hard or scary as expected…….

I recently completed my IDC and IE this May (2022) through Pro Dive and wanted to share my experience with others.

The IDC course is very intense and requires a lot of commitment of your time and energy. You need to be self motivated and disciplined with good time management to make it through the program successfully.

For us, a usual day was between 10-12 hours at school and then a few hours self theory study at home or preparing presentations for the next day.
Days off were usually also used to get up to the neccesary theory level. There isn’t much time for anything else that isn’t diving related so make sure you’re personally in a good head space where you can apply yourself fully. The rewards later are more than worth it.The IE itself was not as hard or scary as expected, although you will not be eligible to take the IE without showing readiness in all areas of IDC study. The IE seeming not so hard or scary was mostly due to having a thorough and diligent Course Director teaching and preparing us to a level greater than what is required as just a passing grade at IE.

Leo Saldunbides was a great fit for me personally as Course Director. He’s vastly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and entertaining and this was really a great benefit during long hours studying in the classroom. He also offered certain additions to the course that other CD’s may not such as a trip to a hyperbaric chamber, sidemount demo and a Bonassi resort equipment technician workshop after IE.

All useful skills to know to an aspiring PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor. Leo was a great mentor and I would highly recommend working with him. I learned a lot from him and consider him a friend as much as a boss/educator.

I also completed MSDT training on Cozumel after IE with Leo and other students from our course, which was a great experience and provided me with several important specialties to make me more employable within the dive industry as well as important first experiences leading dives in open water.

David Chris McMartin from USA - DM - Jan 2022

Starting my DM training in the USA? I inquired with several dive companies in Cozumel about the possibility of starting my PADI Divemaster training in the USA and getting a referral to complete it while in Cozumel.

Pro Dive International was the first to respond and worked with me to come up with an individualized training plan and ensure I had all the required documentation arranged.

My training plan was intense (by design) and I was impressed by the professionalism and safety consciousness of the PDI personnel.

Leo, the Course Director and quality assurance officer, came over from PDI in Playa del Carmen to personally instruct me.

I successfully completed my training with time to spare before returning home.
During my training I was able to experience a wide range of clients and assisted with various courses they took.

I think everyone was happy with Pro Dive International…I have dived with them before and will do so again!

Mike B (Germany) - DM - Jan 2022

Ich hab im Januar 2022 meinen Divemaster mit Leo Saldiunbides gemacht. Ein sehr genauer guter Instructor, dies zahl sich aus. Ein gute Ausbildung ist einfach wichtig. Hier habe ich, so denke ich, die Beste erhalten. Absolut professionell

In der Tauchbasis wurde ich von allen Angestellten wärmstens empfangen und aufgenommen und als Bestandteil des Team betrachtet. Tauchlehrer, Divemaster und alle anderen Angestellten waren absolut professionell, Hilfsbereit und allzeit gut gelaunt. Mehrere Sprachen werden gesprochen, so das viele Kunden gut betreut werden können. Ob Tauchschein oder nur Fundive.

Für Spanisch, Italienisch, Deutsch, Englisch und Portugiesisch sind Muttersprachler angestellt.
Dies sehe ich als ganz großes Plus. Und da, wie schon erwähnt, alle ziemlich aufgeschlossen und nett sind kann sich jeder bei Pro Dive gut aufgehoben fühlen.

Sehr empfehlenswert.

All i can say: Gracias por todo Pro Dive International in Hotel Royal Hideaway

Matvey Mochalov (Russia) - Sidemount - June 2021

Hallo “Hi Leo! Thank you so much for the course!

You are the best teacher I’ve ever had!

Pro Dive International deserves more than a 5 star review, and of course I will leave the best review as soon as I come back to Moscow to my PC.

Hope to see you soon! I’ll definitely come back to Mexico to dive and continue my TEC diving career!”