Choosing a Dive Shop for a Flower Gardens trip

[chrpai]

I'm seriously considering a trip on the M/V Fling and I was wondering something:

Are there any advantages/disadvantages of booking through one dive shop or another?

I understand that they are resellers for the Fling and I see slight price differences for any given trip. I was wondering if it really doesn't matter who you book through or if people have had great experiences booking through one LDS or another for whatever reason.

 

[gnominic]

I don't think there's really any difference. The dive shop will usually get to send a "trip leader" for selling so many trip, so if you really want or don't want to be diving with some particular shop guys that may help you decide.

Once you're on the boat it doesn't matter much who you came with. You can pall around for buddies or bring your SOLO card and gear. I'd recommend helping out the shop that treats you right and supports your diving in other ways.

 

[chrpai]

Of the 5 dive shops in Austin, I've frequented 2 of them and neither of them have any trips scheduled. Tom's is the only one I see and I've never been in there.

 

[Wookie]

The shop doesn't matter as much as the trip leader. Some shops use the trip leader spot as a "reward" for something, I'm not sure what, because a good trip leader can make or break your expeience. The boat is what it is, and a shop won't get you better or worse service than another shop. Your trip leader, if he/she is an experienced Flower Gardens trip leader will have a great save a dive kit (the boat carries minimal save-a-dive), will know how fix or cobble up your broke stuff, and dive with those who need it. A poor trip leader will take pictures and ignore the customers that have paid for them to be there. after running 250 or so trips to the Flower Gardens, I definitely have shops.trip leaders that do a great job, and those who are there for their "reward". The trip leader job is (when done correctly) one of the hardest jobs on the boat.

If I were paying for a trip on the Fling, I'd look for a smaller shop, like Island Divers in Galveston that only run a few trips per year. You're likely to get the shop owner or instructor that has a lot of experience in the Flower Gardens and knows how to look after you. They may be teaching an advanced course or specialties which you may or may not choose to jump in on.

What are your personal skills? Do you need looking after, or are you self sufficient? Can you listen to boat briefings, or are you smarter than the folks who run trips there year after year after year? Have you serviced your gear and tested it in the pool after servicing, or is the green stuff in the filter just another reason to remove the filter? A lot of your experience in the Flower Gardens will depend on your own comfort diving, comfort on boats, and comfort in your gear. I'd call the three shops that have the time frame you are looking for. Ask who the trip leader will be and chat with them. It's just like looking for an instructor, your success depends on how much pre-trip effort you are willing to spend.

 

[J Easy]

I'm seriously considering a trip on the M/V Fling and I was wondering something:

Are there any advantages/disadvantages of booking through one dive shop or another?

I understand that they are resellers for the Fling and I see slight price differences for any given trip. I was wondering if it really doesn't matter who you book through or if people have had great experiences booking through one LDS or another for whatever reason.

I booked my trip through one of the LDS's around me, Lone Star Scuba in FW. I'll be more than happy to let you know how the "group trip" experience aboard the Fling was when I get back. I still have until the end of July before I go though.

 

[chrpai]

@wookie- thanks for the perspetive. That's exactly what I was wondering. BTW, I see there is an Island Divers in Denton and another one in Galveston. Are they the same? To which do you refer?

As for me, I've been on live aboards before ( 3 weeks on Blackbeard Cruises ) but I've never been out to the flower gardens. I've also never actually booked a trip through an LDS before.

I get your point. If the leader is a hard working, squared away, likeable person, that's the LDS I'd want to book through. Otherwise it's me and my buddy on our own. ( I have a local buddy that I've been diving with that I'd feel good going on a trip with. )

 

[Illini_Fan]

I've used three different dive shops for trips on the Spree (before the relocated) and the Fling. I basically go with the weekend that best fits my schedule and then look at what dive shops the ones selling that weekend. I typically go with a local DFW shop simply to increase the chance of getting someone to carpool and split the gas costs.

Wookie has great points, but I attempt to be self sufficient in terms of save-a-dive kits and assorted stuff, so I've never utilized the services of the trip leader -- maybe I'm missing out on something.

 

[Guba]

Wookie is spot on. Listen to the voice of experience he offers.

 

[halocline]

I book with lone star if they're running a trip because I really like the guys that run that shop, but other than that you just want to make sure that you get a shop that will keep you informed and issue a prompt refund if the trip gets called. If you're a self sufficient diver you'll almost certainly want to dive with a trusted buddy rather than a dive shop group.

The boat DM gives the briefings, so I'm not sure what Wookie's comment about 'can you listen to the boat briefings' has to do with the trip leader. Everyone should listen to the briefings. In fact, I've rarely noticed a trip leader on the fling, but I've only been on a few trips. I guess there was a group of new divers on the last trip I was one and they must have been diving with their own DM.

 

[electrix]

Just as a word of caution make sure you are confirmed for the trip, I signed up for a trip last year but the LDS had not I found out the week we were supposed to go.