PATRICK WIDMANN / AUSTRIA / MEXICO

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Patrick Widmann, born in Austria, is a full time dive professional since the age of 19. His technical diving career started in Egypt in 2003 and his journey into cave diving started in 2005 in Mexico where he also lives since 2007 and spends his life exploring caves and teaching cave, technical and rebreather diving. He is one of the owners and the training director at ProTec Dive Centers. Patrick is an explorer, educator, public speaker and a key member of the product design and development department of XDEEP, SEAL DRY SUITS and KISS Rebreathers.
He is on the board of advisors of PSAI and an Instructor Trainer Examiner who also helped to develop their CCR Cave Class.

Patrick has explored and dived caves in 17 different countries around the globe over the past 2 decades.

Since 2014 he has lead annual expeditions to Madagascar where his team has discovered and explored several remote and vast underwater cave systems. The team has been credited with the discovery and analysis of important paleontological remains which were covered by 78 news outlets around the world including CNN, NBC, Washington Post, Nat Geo among others. The team is also credited with discovering and exploring “Anjanamba”, currently the longest submerged cave system of Africa with 12+km of surveyed cave passage and a single entrance.
He also part takes in an annual expedition to the Bahia state of Brazil whereas the greatest accomplishment so far has been the connection of the iconic caves Brejões 1 and Brejões 2.

Patrick is also a member of the DRSS (Dominican Republic Speleological Society) and has conducted countless expeditions to the DR and also holds the record for the deepest explored caves of Hispaniola in both the Dominican Republic and Haitian side. Both caves are 100m+ deep with horizontal passages which lead to over an hour of bottom time in both caves (they both keep going). The project was covered by Red Bull Magazine which was the second big public recognition after the New York Times article about a project in Belize in 2011.
In 2024 he participated in the Bottom Line Project exploring the Mines of northern Thailand where he broke the record for the deepest mine dive in Asia together with team mate Mikko Paasi.