Corporate Foreign Diving ousts Dive Palancar

[DandyDon]

It's always interesting to hear the other side.

 

[redacted]

Sorry folks, but most comments on this thread are totally ridiculous. I can understand that if someone is a friend of Dive Palancar and sees when they are losing a concession can be disappointed. But most statements made here are simply wrong. How do you guys know what Prodive said to their DMT's last week on the boat, where you there?

I have been diving with Prodive several times already, know them quite well, and they provide exceptional service. They are among the only ones that provide free Nitrox in Cozumel, besides Dressel divers who is also accused here of being a bad ass company.

Honestyl, you guys would fit fine into a TV talk show and make some fire there with groundless accusations!!

Prodive Mexico is NOT a German company, but a 100% Mexican company that exists already more than 10 years now and about 80-90% of their staff still are Mexicans. Yes they have some foreigners working for them but as far as I know these are all 100% legal and since only 1 foreigner is allowed to work per 10 Mexicans they are keeping this quote provided by the law. (its not 8 per 1, nor 5 per 1, it's 10 per 1...smarty pants!)

Foreigners must be less than 10%. But these few foreigners speak languages such as Dutch, French (that works for French Canadians too), Italian, German and Spanish. This means it drives divers from these countries to the hotels, which raises hotel occupancies which again secures jobs of more Mexican workers!! Makes sense??? So the foreigners taking jobs here from Mexicans is simple BS, that fits into someones frustration that Dive Palancar has been replaced by another company. The same could have happened in a way that a Mexican takes a concession from a Mexican company and then it would have been ok? Yes I agree, as any other act sometimes business must do thinks to stay competetive in a market right? That is true for any typr of business in any type of industry....any entrepreneurs around?

I know Prodive very well, since I dove with them several times and I can assure they provide BEST service and I am sure that is the main reason why the Occidental chain asked them to come in and take over the concession. Everyone who dives with them loves them! So cut the crap...The quality services of Prodive are visible all over the internet and this is just obvious.

Besides the DM's and instructors that work at prodive do work there for several years, at least as far as I know but I know some that I meet there year after year. There is Pascal, Hans, and Nacho, that all have been for years! they do know the reefs like the pockets of their pants, and this company dives ALL the reefs on the island (maybe not the east side ones, wo there you have something to brag about now Mr. Aldora, and try to get some additional clients)

They don’t even employ divemasters only instructors so the person who stated prodive employs foreign DM's with no pay, is blasting BS assumptions into the internet with no basis.

Who told that prodive pays 125 USD per week, I certainly know this is not true, the guides as I am told there are well enough paid.

I truly like to interact and participate in, and discuss constructive criticism in life but this thread here is really sad and ridiculous, and I think the only one who spoke some truth here with knowledge behind the comments is actually Dandy Don , and he accused to be the talking based on assumptions by all these haters.

Wake up people, grow up or get a life!

Well, scubajackson does seem to be quite the Prodive ambassador/cheerleader with 11 of his 14 posts giving them a "rah rah". I have to wonder how someone who has "been diving with Prodive several times already" managed to learn so much about them. Something smells fishy to me.

 

[Darol]

Chichibe :

Corporate Foreign Diving

Would "Foreign" not refer to all American owned dive op's ? Unless they renounce American citizenship, which would mean giving up social security, and have become Mexican citizens? I'm just sayin.......

 

[Wookie]

Chichibe :

Would "Foreign" not refer to all American owned dive op's ? Unless they renounce American citizenship, which would mean giving up social security, and have become Mexican citizens? I'm just sayin.......

.....He said with a giggle... Christi went there when she was a very young lass. I would bet she has no more than 50 bucks or so in her social security account. Do you reckon Dave bought Aldora Suites and started Aldora Divers because he was relying on SS to retire?

I have no idea about their personal finances, but from what I've seen of Social Security, that won't even pay for one trip to Cozumel per year, even from Houston.

 

[scubajackson]

Well, scubajackson does seem to be quite the Prodive ambassador/cheerleader with 11 of his 14 posts giving them a "rah rah". I have to wonder how someone who has "been diving with Prodive several times already" managed to learn so much about them. Something smells fishy to me.

Awad, what smells fishy to you, comes down to the logic fact that I know a lot about them, exactly because I dove with them plenty over the last few years. Probably more than half a dozen times since they took over at the Allegro, and two times I brought down a large dive group. For me it is that once you try the best you never go back, and therefore indeed you might say that I am one of their ambassadors, they simply provide exceptional good service it is as simple as that. When down there, and when prearranging my trips, I have had long talks with their team and their dive center manager on site (who is mexican by the way!), therefore I got to know some of their staff quite well and indeed also know a bit about how they operate. And what comes across through this specific thread, is simply not true and groundless accusations. While I might be a cheerleader for this dive company as you put it, I am stating GOOD things about a dive shop, that are based on facts and real knowledge, instead of some here who started this thread who rather post BAD things about a shop, that on top of it are wrong information and far from the truth, with no background or real knowledge of the posters at all and therefore simple wannabe assumptions.

 

[redacted]

Awad, what smells fishy to you, comes down to the logic fact that I know a lot about them, exactly because I dove with them plenty over the last few years. Probably more than half a dozen times since they took over at the Allegro, and two times I brought down a large dive group. For me it is that once you try the best you never go back, and therefore indeed you might say that I am one of their ambassadors, they simply provide exceptional good service it is as simple as that. When down there, and when prearranging my trips, I have had long talks with their team and their dive center manager on site (who is mexican by the way!), therefore I got to know some of their staff quite well and indeed also know a bit about how they operate. And what comes across through this specific thread, is simply not true and groundless accusations. While I might be a cheerleader for this dive company as you put it, I am stating GOOD things about a dive shop, that are based on facts and real knowledge, instead of some here who started this thread who rather post BAD things about a shop, that on top of it are wrong information and far from the truth, with no background or real knowledge of the posters at all and therefore simple wannabe assumptions.

We have progressed from "been diving with Prodive several times already" to "I dove with them plenty over the last few years"!!! I have only dove with Prodive once. So, 5 more trips and I can look forward to access to the company ownership information, personnel demographics and pay scales??? Wow

Speaking of questionable claims, with what other Cozumel dive ops do you have any comparable experience. After all, to be a credible judge of "the BEST" don't you need to sample the other candidates in a similar manner? Frankly, I am getting the impression that you do have a fair bit of experience with Prodive and are probably getting very favorable deals for yourself when you bring them groups of divers. Am I close? Or, maybe you actually work there.

In any case, I had enjoyed my experience with them; but I am not hard to please. I was surprised at the lack of diver input to site selection but there just are not many bad dive sites in Cozumel. But we really got to liking having the convenient and affordable option for an afternoon single tank dive with Dive Palancar. I will probably miss the Occidental Grand.

 

[Mossman]

I have no idea about their personal finances, but from what I've seen of Social Security, that won't even pay for one trip to Cozumel per year, even from Houston.

Social Security payments are currently (2013) $2,533/month to someone who maxed out on their retirement age. If that someone has other finances available for cost of living, they could take 1-2 Cozumel trips per month.

 

[jfcl01]

"Awad"....from the guy (kid?) who just a few posts ago told people to grow up.

 

[mstevens]

Would "Foreign" not refer to all American owned dive op's ? Unless they renounce American citizenship, which would mean giving up social security, and have become Mexican citizens? I'm just sayin.......

No, it would not mean that. It is not necessary to renounce US citizenship in order to become a Mexican citizen. Dual citizenship is quite common.

"Foreign" as I interpret from the sense used higher in the thread refers to the location of the primary owners of the business. In the case of Aldora and Blue XT Sea, the owners are permanent residents of Cozumel.

 

[scubajackson]

We have progressed from "been diving with Prodive several times already" to "I dove with them plenty over the last few years"!!! I have only dove with Prodive once. So, 5 more trips and I can look forward to access to the company ownership information, personnel demographics and pay scales??? Wow

Speaking of questionable claims, with what other Cozumel dive ops do you have any comparable experience. After all, to be a credible judge of "the BEST" don't you need to sample the other candidates in a similar manner? Frankly, I am getting the impression that you do have a fair bit of experience with Prodive and are probably getting very favorable deals for yourself when you bring them groups of divers. Am I close? Or, maybe you actually work there.

In any case, I had enjoyed my experience with them; but I am not hard to please. I was surprised at the lack of diver input to site selection but there just are not many bad dive sites in Cozumel. But we really got to liking having the convenient and affordable option for an afternoon single tank dive with Dive Palancar. I will probably miss the Occidental Grand.

Work for them, I wish!!! lol....

But seriously, of course you get some info about things if you talk to the people, and I believe am quite good at that. As for the good deals on diving, well I sure hope I get them!?... otherwise I would be a bad negotiator, especially when doing group travel. But isn't it totally legit and a positive thing to obtain good pricing?

Anyway, I am not even doing that a anymore (group travel), too much stress with the organising and logistics. Nowadays, i rather just enjoy and most of the time I am coming to Cozumel (or anywhere else to dive) just with my wifey and then I obtain, at least with Prodive, a regular online discount with an "I don't know how regular" repeater bonus haha ...but I guess that is normal?

Since you are burning to know, before using Prodive, in the old days I dove a lot with Scuba Staff Divers but think they now don't exist anymore? Also with Scuba Club Cozumel, Aqua Safari, and I also tried Blue Angel once, which I especially liked, also Dive Paradise and Dive with Martin, so as you see I tried a lot...but I really prefer to be close to the southern reefs now, which is the case when staying at the Allegro or the Cozumel Grand, and then dive just with Pro Dive on site as its so convenient and the guys are, and here it comes again - just great. And again, the free Nitrox is a real bonus, at least for me. They also do single tanks both in morning AND in afternoon by the way..

I also used to dive once or twice with Dive Palancar, it was at the Allegro before Prodive went in, and the staff was quite nice, although I wasn't that impressed with the state of their rental gear, but well it's quite a while ago and again I don't like to talk negative about any dive shop, so I will stop this here..

I also stayed at the Iberostar which I kinda liked but was a bit too pricey for me. So now there you got it .

Now I will be the smarty pants in this thread and say, simply enjoy wherever you dive, and with whomever you dive, because life is just too short to worry so much !!!