Any Perspectives on ScubaDu at Presidente??

[jasonreid50]

Hey guys -

Going to Coz in July - you guys have convinced me! Planning on staying at Presidente. What are people's experiences with ScubaDu, Presidente's on-site dive op? Small boats or cattle car experience? Quality experience or assembly line diving? Trying to figure out if I should dive with them or dive with one of the other smaller, independent operators that will pick me up from the hotel.

Thanks!

 

[randykiw]

Hi jasonreid50

I just got back from the presidente on jan 3. I dove with scubadu four days and did a shore dive there also. If you book a dive package with them you get free tanks and weights for shore dives. Not the best as far as shore dives but you get to get wet. They have 3 boats of varying sizes. They assign people to the boats based on experience and number of people with that same experience level. So on a day where alot of less experienced people are diving they will get the bigger boat and more experienced people will get the smaller boats. The dive masters and rental equipment where good, no problems there. They went out of there way to make sure you where satisifed, my one newbe buddy was sucking down the air the first day so they suggested he get 100 tanks for the rest of the days. The next day they had them for him with no extra charge. The bigger boat is way slow on getting to the dive sites. The small boats where way faster. Depending on the number of people diving that day the bigger boat could be alittle crowded, but i think in the days i was on it there was a max of maybe 12 divers(and i was there over x-mas, what they claim is there busiest week). Basically all the dive shops dive the same reefs. Scubadu has a schedule online that shows what reefs they dive on what days. Overall i would recommend them and they where very convient being there onsite. I know they will also charter the small boat to take you to different reefs if you have 4 divers in your group.

 

[greylion]

Hey guys -

Going to Coz in July - you guys have convinced me! Planning on staying at Presidente. What are people's experiences with ScubaDu, Presidente's on-site dive op? Small boats or cattle car experience? Quality experience or assembly line diving? Trying to figure out if I should dive with them or dive with one of the other smaller, independent operators that will pick me up from the hotel.

Thanks!

First of all, great hotel. I'ved stayed there once and loved every minute of the week I spent there. Nice pool and beach and very good food too. I went to town every night for dinner but ate breakfast and lunch there.

Scuba Du is a very good dive op. Like the last poster said, they have boats of different sizes. They did seem to limit your dive time though and make everyone come up together, at least when I dived with them a few years ago? You can always use a different dive op there though if you want?

 

[BaileyM]

Hey Jason, Great hotel choice. I stayed there twice and had a blast! I agree with everything greylion says about it. ScubaDu is convenient, nice people, just a little 'vanilla' for my taste. Dive boat I was on (1 day only) was large and crowded, so I found an independent with small boats. All the dive operators not associated with a hotel will pick you up at the Presidente pier which was just as convenient as using ScubaDu from my standpoint, and we got to the reef faster.

 

[jasonreid50]

Thanks a lot, guys....I will probably use an independent.

 

[Scubagolf]

We stayed at the El Prez five years ago, and the dive op Scuba Du was fine. It was certainly convenient and I do remember the young woman handing out the gear in the "dive shack" was especially attractive. Having said that, if I were to stay at the El Prez again, I would try to line up our diving with Christi's Blue XT Sea. Cozumel Diving: Blue XT SEA Diving, Cozumel Mexico

 

[5615mike]

Thanks a lot, guys....I will probably use an independent.

Good choice.

 

[Mike]

Thanks a lot, guys....I will probably use an independent.

If you want a top shelf experience since you're already at the Presidente, look up Aldora.

This is what we did in November.

Two great tastes that go great together, like peanut butter and chocolate -- Staying at the Presidente and diving with Aldora.

 

[overandunderwater]

I stayed at El Presidente and Aldora picked us up every morning from the pier at the hotel so it couldn't be easier. We'd wake up and have coffee, go down to the pier and they would be there with my clean dive gear ready to go. I can't say enough good things about Aldora..they were simply the best dive operator I've come across.

 

[NorthParkOBGYN]

Loved the Presidente. Beach front rooms near the dive shop are awesome. Going back next month. ScubaDu dives same location on morning and afternoon dives so we dove with ScubaDu in the morning and independents in the afternoons. Great experience. Going back in a few weeks.