Really confused about Kona, Hawaii vs Cozumel???

[Skittl1321]

Nitrox helps me get energized. And margaritas.

BTW, there is no difference between most Mexican beds and a concrete floor.

We thought the beds at the Sabor were comfortable enough. They weren't pillow tops, but they weren't that hard.

Nitrox cert was too much money for me this year, and my SAC is still low enough that it isn't going to extend the dive. If we go again, we'll probably look into it. (Though I think it has been studied to be a placebo effect, so if someone can start spreading a rumor that tic-tacs predive would be beneficial, that could save me a lot of money.)

 

[mstevens]

there is no difference between most Mexican beds and a concrete floor.

Pretty accurate.

 

[Mike]

See there is the big difference between us.
I go on vacation to get away from my regular life. I live in a fancy house. I love SCC because it is like a Bed&Breakfast type place = NOT fancy, no bathrobe or room service. Cozy and friendly where everyone knows your name is what SCC is all about. I walk down to grab an early cup of coffee or tea, eat a complete breakfast with eggs, yogurt, fruit, pancakes or whatever I want. Just a few steps back to my room to grab my camera gear then out to the boat at the dock in front of my room. Comfy bed? I like the Mexican hard beds, they are better for your back anyhow. And I never have problems sleeping in Cozumel because I am pooped by 9pm from 4 dives each day.

Luxury and pampering are not any part of what I go on vacation for, ever. I want to eat dive dive eat dive eat dive sleep, then repeat. Nothing more.

Interesting. So you live a life of luxury and enjoy the change of roughing it when you vacation. Me, I'm the opposite. I don't have servants pampering me in my luxury mansion. Just a humble home where I eat humble food whiling away my humble days. Therefore, when I go on vacation, I like to live it up. Splurge a little. Enjoy the dream.

Didn't expect this on a thread about Kona Vs Coz.

 

[Mossman]

We thought the beds at the Sabor were comfortable enough. They weren't pillow tops, but they weren't that hard.

Nitrox cert was too much money for me this year, and my SAC is still low enough that it isn't going to extend the dive.

There are dive shops with bigger tanks that can help you with that problem (the SAC problem, not the money problem).

Sabor and Secrets are sister resorts so they probably have sister beds. Unfortunately mine was so comfortable it made it that much harder to get up in the morning to dive. I need to find a hotel where you don't have to get out of bed to answer the door for room service. I want them to just bring the tray in, set it on my bed, pour coffee in a cup, and pour it slowly into my mouth until I'm awake.

---------- Post added February 14th, 2014 at 01:35 PM ----------

Didn't expect this on a thread about Kona Vs Coz.

I stayed at the Sheraton on my one and only dive trip to Kona, got a nice upgrade to a junior suite. Not the lap of luxury, but it sufficed. Others might prefer to sleep in their rental car in the dive shop parking lot - car seats are better for your back anyhow.

 

[Skittl1321]

There are dive shops with bigger tanks that can help you with that problem (the SAC problem, not the money problem).

Eh, the money problem is enough that I can't go with those shops. Needing gear prices a lot of ops out of range for me. I was very happy with who I dove with, and I don't think I was ever under 45 minutes (75 minutes was my longest), which seemed good to me.

 

[Mossman]

Eh, the money problem is enough that I can't go with those shops. Needing gear prices a lot of ops out of range for me. I was very happy with who I dove with, and I don't think I was ever under 45 minutes (75 minutes was my longest), which seemed good to me.

Holy crap. I just took a look at Living Underwater's website to see what he charges for rental gear to compare and I noticed that he bumped up his price to $100! Aldora had better raise its price now or it'll no longer be the most expensive dive op on the island (an honor shared with Scuba Du). For that money, I can almost dive in Kona

Hey MMM, is that Jeremy's response to getting to too popular or did he add any more amenities? For $100, I want a full breakfast, a hot fresh-water shower on board, and I want to be pulled up onto the boat after the dive. That ladder climbing is much too much work for a $100 dive boat.

 

[Skittl1321]

Holy crap. I just took a look at Living Underwater's website to see what he charges for rental gear to compare and I noticed that he bumped up his price to $100! Aldora had better raise its price now or it'll no longer be the most expensive dive op on the island (an honor shared with Scuba Du). For that money, I can almost dive in Kona

His gear prices seem to make it clear he wants divers with their own gear: maybe that attempts to guarantee a better class of divers, but I saw some pretty insane ones who brought their own gear...
I only need BC and Regs- so that's $25 more per day with him; but Alison had people who were getting, BC, Regs, Computer (well the computer is on the Reg for her, so you get it if you need it or not), Wetsuit, and Fins (she might have even given one guy a mask). That would be an extra $60 a day with LU! Which is only slightly less than she charges total with gear. Imagine $160 a day to dive! I'm guessing no one does that.

 

[cvchief]

Most if not all the hard beds in cozumel are a mattress on a concrete pedestal, no box spring is why they are so hard.

I slept in them with box springs and they still sucked. Rumor is Casa Mexicana has some of the softer beds.

 

[MMM]

I think it is more a reflection of the tax increase to 16% Jan 1 which makes Cozumel somewhat less affordable than it was (I forgot to mention that in my first answer). His website says his price includes taxes. I looked at a couple of other valet ops and they were either silent on the tax or said "plus 16% tax". There was a story in last week's Semenario reporting the hotel workers union saying it is cutting into tips members are receiving and suggesting that people are cancelling their reservations. Beware of the law of unintended consequences when making tax changes!

Holy crap. I just took a look at Living Underwater's website to see what he charges for rental gear to compare and I noticed that he bumped up his price to $100! Aldora had better raise its price now or it'll no longer be the most expensive dive op on the island (an honor shared with Scuba Du). For that money, I can almost dive in Kona

 

[Mossman]

Imagine $160 a day to dive! I'm guessing no one does that.

Uh, did you see hankthecowdog's response in post #41? "I manage to spend upwards of $160 day for diving in Cozumel but that's just me and those unlucky enough to get dragged along into my foolishness."

So there!

---------- Post added February 14th, 2014 at 03:28 PM ----------

I think it is more a reflection of the tax increase to 16% Jan 1 which makes Cozumel somewhat less affordable than it was (I forgot to mention that in my first answer). His website says his price includes taxes. I looked at a couple of other valet ops and they were either silent on the tax or said "plus 16% tax". There was a story in last week's Semenario reporting the hotel workers union saying it is cutting into tips members are receiving and suggesting that people are cancelling their reservations. Beware of the law of unintended consequences when making tax changes!

Ahhh. I'm trying to remember if he charged for taxes in the past, or maybe it was Liquid Blue. Those sneaky mobile dive shop owners meet you at your hotel after you've already had lots of margaritas, then they break out their calculators, punch a bunch of numbers in, ask you if it's OK, and of course the answer is "uh, sure, I guess so." Hand over credit card, sign on dotted (well, not really) line and who knows how much that diving actually cost until the credit card bill comes in? My 7 dive days last time somehow came out to $23,408.42. :shocked2:

But, hey, I had a great time, so whatever.

Anyway, thanks for clearing that up. Tax added vs. tax inclusive is something I hadn't really taken into consideration before, but at 16% that can sure make a big difference. More Cozumel divers should be aware of this when pricing out dive ops.