Dreaming...Anyone know of any good dive deals in Cozumel?

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I hope you do indeed live. We in the US cannot help it that your currency has lost some of its value relative to other currencies. The other thing is, like I said earlier, the vast majority of the divers on Cozumel are US citizens so it should come as no surprise to anyone that the dive ops there gear their operations to cater to the people who are most of their customers.

But you tell me: if you could change things to suit yourself, what would you do?

I also don't believe that you understand. I'm feeling some responsibility for where this conversation has led as I was the one who reacted to someone calling Canadians whiners about our diving costing more than it should in Mexico, and was attempting to help explain why we, quite rightfully, feel this way. Ggunn - yes our dollar has weakened against the USD. And, if I travelled to the USA to dive, I would fully expect to pay more today than I did in March. No problema. But our dollar has strengthened against the peso. Straight logic should tell you that I should expect to benefit from this. Why would my diving in Mexico cost more? The only way that would be justified is if the majority of the dive ops expenses must be paid in USD and not in the country's only official currency. Do you believe this is true for most of the dive ops on the island?
 
I also don't believe that you understand. I'm feeling some responsibility for where this conversation has led as I was the one who reacted to someone calling Canadians whiners about our diving costing more than it should in Mexico, and was attempting to help explain why we, quite rightfully, feel this way. Ggunn - yes our dollar has weakened against the USD. And, if I travelled to the USA to dive, I would fully expect to pay more today than I did in March. No problema. But our dollar has strengthened against the peso. Straight logic should tell you that I should expect to benefit from this. Why would my diving in Mexico cost more? The only way that would be justified is if the majority of the dive ops expenses must be paid in USD and not in the country's only official currency. Do you believe this is true for most of the dive ops on the island?

I get your point, and frustration, but you're still missing the main point here. As mentioned already, the US dollar became the global reserve currency at the end of WWII.Though hardly a perfect system, and one that clearly benefits the US over most everybody else, it actually simplified and stabilized global commerce. The alternative would mean places like Cozumel, that deal with tourists from all over the world, would be constantly juggling dozens of currencies, with hugely varied valuations and degrees of stability. By posting prices in US dollars, they (more or less) ensure that they consistently get X amount of cash value, despite any fluctuations from the 20-or-so other currencies they'd otherwise have to deal with every day.
You said, "if I travelled to the USA to dive, I would fully expect to pay more today than I did in March. No problema". Well, you should simply look at diving in Mexico, as being in the US, because as far as the currency standard goes, you basically are.
 
I also don't believe that you understand. I'm feeling some responsibility for where this conversation has led as I was the one who reacted to someone calling Canadians whiners about our diving costing more than it should in Mexico, and was attempting to help explain why we, quite rightfully, feel this way. Ggunn - yes our dollar has weakened against the USD. And, if I travelled to the USA to dive, I would fully expect to pay more today than I did in March. No problema. But our dollar has strengthened against the peso. Straight logic should tell you that I should expect to benefit from this. Why would my diving in Mexico cost more? The only way that would be justified is if the majority of the dive ops expenses must be paid in USD and not in the country's only official currency. Do you believe this is true for most of the dive ops on the island?
But I DO understand. Yes, the Canadian dollar has gained against the peso, but so has the US dollar, and the US dollar has gained more than has the Canadian dollar. If dive prices were set and held constant in Canadian dollars instead of US$, Canadians would not see a price increase but US citizens would see a decrease. I also do understand that as measured in pesos, diving has gotten commensurately more expensive for everyone as the peso has fallen against both our currencies. If dive ops were to set their prices in pesos but increase them as the peso falls relative to the US$, absolutely nothing would be different for either of us.

You are not being treated differently than we are just because of where you live; dive ops charge what the market will bear and they are not discriminating against you. Is it a windfall for them when the peso declines in value relative to our currencies? I do not know. I don't know how their expenses track with the changes in relative currency values. In an economy like Cozumel's where there is (normally) so much money in different currencies flowing, it's complicated.

And yes, of course I understand that if the price of anything is held constant in US$, it gets more expensive for Canadians if the Canadian dollar falls against the US$. That part is not at all complicated.

I'll say again, if you still think I don't understand, tell me how you would structure things differently that would treat US citizens and Canadian citizens the same. Show me some numbers.
 
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I'll say again, if you still think I don't understand, tell me how you would structure things differently that would treat US citizens and Canadian citizens the same. Show me some numbers.

and I believe this is the third time you've asked him. I've been waiting since the first one to hear his response.
 
I'll say again, if you still think I don't understand, tell me how you would structure things differently that would treat US citizens and Canadian citizens the same. Show me some numbers.

It's really not complicated. Use the country's only official currency which is the peso. That treats everyone the same no matter where in the world you hail from. If Mexico were to add the USD as an official currency, or abandon the peso for it, I have don't have an argument. Until then...
 
I have only been diving/going to Cozumel for the last 5 years. During this time the Peso had gone from 13/1 to around 20/1 of the US $. In this time I have seen the price of a beer on Melgar increase about 10 Peso's a bottle. Food prices on menu's in the tourist areas have probably increased as well but it is harder for me to keep up with. Dive shop prices have pretty much remained the same. There are just too many dive shops on the island that if they could reduce their prices to get more business they would. If dive shops based their prices on Peso's they would just have to keep changing prices with the fluctuation. Try to keep it quite that Cozumel is the best value you get on this side of the globe.
 
It's really not complicated. Use the country's only official currency which is the peso. That treats everyone the same no matter where in the world you hail from. If Mexico were to add the USD as an official currency, or abandon the peso for it, I have don't have an argument. Until then...
But it doesn't make any difference. Let's say that you get your way, and the price of a dive is 500 pesos, and both a US$ and a Canadian dollar buys 10 pesos. Our diving costs the same - 50 bucks US and 50 bucks Canadian. The next year we go back; diving is still 500 pesos but the Canadian dollar has fallen by 10% against the dollar while a US$ still buys 10 pesos. Your Canadian dollar now only buys 9 pesos, so your diving costs you $55.56 Canadian while I still pay US$50.

Setting the price at 500 pesos instead of US$50 changes nothing; it already treats everyone the same. If the peso to US$ exchange rate doesn't change but the US$ to Canadian dollar does, the peso to Canadian dollar exchange rate also changes by the same percentage as the peso to US$ rate. It has to.
 
I have only been diving/going to Cozumel for the last 5 years. During this time the Peso had gone from 13/1 to around 20/1 of the US $. In this time I have seen the price of a beer on Melgar increase about 10 Peso's a bottle. Food prices on menu's in the tourist areas have probably increased as well but it is harder for me to keep up with. Dive shop prices have pretty much remained the same. There are just too many dive shops on the island that if they could reduce their prices to get more business they would. If dive shops based their prices on Peso's they would just have to keep changing prices with the fluctuation. Try to keep it quite that Cozumel is the best value you get on this side of the globe.

That's a straw man argument. Cost is based on the local rate of inflation. They don't have to change their prices based on any rate of exchange between any currency. You do - if you don't have the local currency.
 
But it doesn't make any difference. Let's say that you get your way, and the price of a dive is 500 pesos, and both a US$ and a Canadian dollar buys 10 pesos. Our diving costs the same - 50 bucks US and 50 bucks Canadian. The next year we go back; diving is still 500 pesos but the Canadian dollar has fallen by 10% against the dollar while a US$ still buys 10 pesos. Your Canadian dollar now only buys 9 pesos, so your diving costs you $55.56 Canadian while I still pay US$50.

Setting the price at 500 pesos instead of US$50 changes nothing; it already treats everyone the same. If the peso to US$ exchange rate doesn't change but the US$ to Canadian dollar does, the peso to Canadian dollar exchange rate also changes by the same percentage as the peso to US$ rate. It has to.

Sorry, but that's not at all how currency exchange works and continues to prove that you do not understand. The relative value to the CAD to the USD is completely irrelevant in my solution (of shops charging in pesos). I do not have to buy a single (US) dollar.
 

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