Trashing dive ops - my thoughts

[billindenver]

Perhaps a separate thread on CPP (Cozumel Potty Problems) is indicated. That would allow for a full and detailed discussion of the topic.

Good diving, Craig

When you descant on the faults of others, consider whether you be not guilty of the same. To gain knowledge of ourselves, the best way is to convert the imperfections of others into a mirror for discovering our own.
- Henry Home, Lord Kames​

 

[ggunn]

Not necessary. I'm good. I have all the info I need now.

The rest of us, on the other hand, have a little too much information now.

 

[KidK9]

Internet is the place for public "forum". Get over it. You can read about ANY law office, apartment complex, small business, large business, photographers, veterinarians, resorts, restaurants, etc.....Asking people not to express their opinions is, in my OPINION, stupid. It's how great businesses succeed and poor ones fail further. I agree that people should post details as to their bad or good experiences and let the consumer shuffle through what they want to get out of it.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I don't think there's anything wrong with including negative comments or constructive criticism about a dive shop, hotel, restaurant or what ever else you want to review or talk about in your trip report. There is a difference between putting that all in the context of a well-rounded trip report and finding everywhere and anywhere you can to post rants, whines and complaints about a business or individual staff.

I can appreciate that everyone has different criteria and expectations, but just try and step back and put it in perspective before you start posting....

The problem is that many people are skipping this step. They are coming onto ScubaBoard and are trying rally the troops against the evil that did not do something according to their version of reality. There are always those that agree with the OP and thank them for bringing it to their attention and those that disagree. Then there are those that bash the OP for coming onto SB just to bash a business when often times there really was little to nothing done wrong. Along with all of this, the OPs often dramatize the posts with BEWARE OF...NEVER DIVE WITH....DANGEROUS INCIDENT WITH.... I believe that the reception would be much better here if they were less combative right out of the gate. Sadly, this is not likely to change anytime soon.

.....sounds like perhaps this is PART of the problem that FEEDS another of the problems which some people believe exists today on SB http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/surface-interval/302023-sb-getting-too-hostile.html . I am defending nothing and simply stating an observation which I do not believe is an original.

 

[DandyDon]

Just got out of bed again. Not feeling so bad, but not so good. :sad:

I just don't see a real problem existing, at least here on the Coz forum. Over the years I have some issues here and there around North America, the Caribbean, and Central America but very few. When I do have one to post tho, I try to organize my facts well as the friends of the Op will be the next problem. I suspect that many PMs and emails lead to rebuttal posting.

I posted about a bad experience with a Roatan boat once and that resort's fans are the best organized in the industry, but I hade my safety abuse facts straight. I got a little argument, but it was easy to deal with.

Posted about one with a Florida Keys boat once and wow did I take a beating! I was right, but severely outnumbered. You win some, lose some, even when right.

My experiences with Coz ops have never been bad particularly. There are some I won't dive with again sure, but that's mostly because I found one I like a lot, more than the problems.

If anyone has a real problem with a Coz Op, I want to see it - well presented, even if it's with my favorite. I've only seen that attempt once with my preferred and it was a load of caca de toro, but if any real problems happen - I want to see it. Indeed there have been one or two lately I'd like to know more about.

 

[rajohn]

I won't give the name of the dive operation because I think this was a one time incident and just happened to us. We wanted to do the night dive with the mantas in Hawaii so we went there for a week. Generally I wasn't too impressed with the overall diving because I'm spoiled by Cozumel but there was one day in particular that I wonder what I should have done about. Our dive masters ( a great young couple from Australia working in Hawaii that year) told us they had a guest dive master on board and he would take my buddy and I with him as we were taking photos and this gentlemen was going to get us some interesting subjects. The long and short of it is that he didn't. He took off very quickly and we had to swim pretty rapidly just to keep up with him, he never looked back to see if we were even with him. He kept going deeper and deeper and eventually we were down to 110 feet. That's not something we normally do and we were a little concerned. He just kept heading down. We sort of conferenced and decided to try and keep him in sight only from above him and not so deep. We spent the whole dive trying to stay up with him, used up air quickly and didn't see much. He never even looked for us and had we not kept up with him we would have been alone and not known where to go for the boat. I thought of complaining but the owner was on the mainland and his mother was running the shop for him as a favor. I just let it drop as it was only the one day, but I still wonder if I shouldn't have pursued it further.

 

[ggunn]

So now we're going to argue over whether we should argue in here? Fight about whether or not we should be fighting? Is it just me who sees the irony in this?

Maybe it is just me.

 

[MMM]

So now we're going to argue over whether we should argue in here? Fight about whether or not we should be fighting? Is it just me who sees the irony in this?

Maybe it is just me.

Good one.

 

[jayjoans]

Talking about intestinal issues doesn't seem so bad now, huh?

 

[jd950]

Well, I hate to stay on topic, but sometimes, any business, big or small deserves getting outed for something and if it is truthful and hurts them, then that is just how things are in the free market. By the same token, some businesses thrive based upon truthful glowing review.

It is interesting sometimes to see someone with no or few posts pop up to say some dive op is the best op ever or that some dive op is terrible. Often, I don't think those count for much either way.

This thread does cause me to remember a local restaurant critic though, who had apparently begun reviewing restaurants without eating at them. He was found out after a review of someplace that had closed for some reason a couple of months before he claimed to have eaten there.

Anyway, if some destination forum becomes nothing more than a series of positive comments, with all the negative comments withheld or suppressed, then the reviews become worthless and diminish the value of the forum.