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| Cave diving expert Tom Mount
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There are many
ways to explore the shimmering underwater world in Belize, but not many
people possess the courage or the stamina to dive into the dark
mysterious waters of underwater caves. Tom Mount is one expert who
possesses the technical experience to dive depths of up to 240 feet, and
to instruct others on how to take part in this fascinating experience.
A renowned international cave diver, Tom
Mount last visited Belize nearly 20 years ago. Mr. Mount recently
returned to San Pedro on May
10th, 2003 from Miami,
Florida, to train Protech Belize personnel in the method of Closed
Circuit Rebreathing (CCR).
Mr. Mount brings with him 40 years of active diving
leadership as the CEO of the International Association of Nitrox and
Technical Divers (IANTD), a certification agency that offers a full array
of Nitrox, mixed-gas and technical diving programs. He has traveled to
many other parts of the world including the Red Sea, South Pacific and
Caribbean waters to observe the wonders of the underwater world. Mr.
Mount has logged over 11,000 dives including cave and wreck dives, and
has acquired thousands of hours performing rebreather dives. He explained
rebreathing as "the method where you take an air supply, run it through a
filter to remove the carbon dioxide, and rebreath it." He is also the
author or co-author of numerous diving textbooks including:
Safe Cave Diving, The New Practical Diving, The Greatest
Adventure Photography, Mixed Gas Diving, and The Technical Enriched Air
Nitrox Student Workbook.
Mr. Mount's background includes being
a former dive shop as well as commercial dive service owner (installing
underwater cables), and a former Dive Officer at Miami's Rosensteil
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS). He was also a Training
Director at the YMCA SCUBA program, a Course Director for the National
Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), a NAUI Hyperbaric Chamber
operator/supervisor, photojournalist, videographer and an offshore
powerboat driver. Mr. Mount also has to his credit, time in the following
fields: twin-engine pilot, diving consultant, licensed US Coast
Guard/Merchant Marine Master (Captain) and being a Master of martial
arts.
Protech was honored to host Tom Mount, who has been
featured in the well known books "Who's Who" as well as "Who's Who in
Diving," where he was recognized for specialty programs in diving. He has
also received the Platinum Pro Award, for having more than 5,000 dives,
and the most prestigious recognized NOGI award, (given by the Underwater
Society of America) for his endeavors in diving education (producing
reading/teaching mat-erials- etc.).
Mr. Mount enjoyed his stay in San Pedro immensely, but
returned to the USA on May
20 th, 2003. He hopes
to visit our warm and friendly town again, and would like to urge all
divers "to be educated properly" so that "exceptionally beautiful walls
and canyons" remain some of the best underwater cave diving in the world.
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