Advice: Dive Ops for Rookies?

[harpua]

The 411:

My Wife and I will be taking our classroom and pool here in Michigan. PADI or SSI, not sure which yet, we are going to interview both shops prior to signing up. In Cozumel, we will be making our check-out dives, and also want to get in 4 or 5 days worth of diving. We will obviously be ultra-new to the sport. I don't want to be "the guy" that ruins a dive trip for 20 veterans due to my inexperience. I also want to be able to enjoy the sport while learning (I don't think this will be much of a problem!) Cost is a minor concern compared to safety & service.

The Questions:

Does anyone have recommendations on a dive operation that caters to "fresh fish"? Any operations to shy away from because they seem to attract the pros?

Would a small-boat operation be better than a large-boat outfit for learning? My inclination is to stay away from cattle boats.

We are staying at Caribe Blu. Anybody have any reports/opinions on Blue Angel?

SSI or PADI? Once again, we will make our decision based upon our personal interviews with each local shop, but I want to get a feel for public opinion on these two organizations.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Note: I am also posting this on tripadvisor.com for what its worth.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Welcome to SCUBA and soon to Coz as well. When will you be staying at Caribe Blu? My wife and I will be there Sunday for a week. :07:

From your well thought out post above I can tell you won't be that guy that ruins the trip. Just being aware of that possibility means you won't be him. LOL. At any rate, don't worry about it. If you dive with Blue Angel they will group you accordingly as will most other ops. Caribe Blu is a lovely, budget minded hotel (with perks) right on the water with a great shore dive to practice in after every boat dive!!!

Most going to Coz prefer the smaller boats as do I, regardless of experience level. I like the smaller boats because smaller can mean less divers, faster boats, more bottom time, and more flexibilty. As for a dive shop that caters to fresh catch, I would imagine most do as many new divers make Cozumel a first stop. Blue Angel should be considered due to the convenience, not to mention the good reviews most will give them. Cozumel really has very few BAD ops IMHO as the Mexican people seem to take pride in making tourists feel welcome and safe. Many here on the board will soon chime in and give you opinions on favorite ops so stay tuned...

 

[WOODMAN]

I agree with Scubadobadoo about the small, fast boats. Just be sure that you get one with a shade or canopy. The sun down there can be brutal, and sunburn is a real trip-spoiler. And don't forget sunblock (!) and some sort of light coverup for the boat trips. Get the sunblock on BEFORE you leave shore, to give it time to bond with your skin. Water resistant sunblock of high protection rating is best, and reapply it between dives. I will be down at Caribe Blu at the end of November, and I wish you the best of luck. By the way, for those who are interested, Blue Angel has 100 cf tanks ( at slight additional cost ) if you have need of them (LIKE ME!) :yelclap:

 

[harpua]

Thanks for the input!

My wife and I will be at Caribe Blu from 23rd Feb 2006 until 4th March. VIVA CARNIVAL!

Speaking of sun-block, are any brands particularly recommended as safe for marine use? I want to be able to enjoy the reef environment in the future!

 

[Goose75]

If you are worried about the dive boat, take a look at the boat before going out and you should have a good idea if you are comfortable with the operation. If it is an old leaky wooden log of a boat, you probably are getting a deal on price for a reason. you can ask where the safety equiment is and the sign out\in procedures. If they can't point to the emergency gear or don't check divers in and out of the water, go somewhere else. The hotel I stayed with had certain operations they worked with. It'll cost a little more but you know you have the hotel's repeat business behind you to support quality.

Your wife is your buddy so the only problems with the veterans should be if you don't stay together, get into trouble and the DM doesn't handle it. It would also be good to have a rough idea of your air consumption, i.e. are you going to breath out the tank in 30min? You are new and shouldn't have to be pressured into any consumption rate. As you dive you will relax, slow down and it will improve. If you communicate your expected usage to the operation they should be able to put you in the right group. They are used to newbies so it should be fine.

SSI or PADI really doesn't make much of a difference. The difference is mostly the instructor so your idea of interviewing both shops is the right approach. Ask if it is possible to fail. A good instructor won't be afraid to fail you if you aren't ready but will usually do everything they can to prevent the need. If you ask what makes a good diver you should hear things like good buoyancy control, gas management (knowing your air supply and usage), good dive planning (planning your dive and diving your plan). If they don't seem to care about these things, go somewhere else.

I hope that helps.

 

[Goose75]

...Speaking of sun-block, are any brands particularly recommended as safe for marine use? I want to be able to enjoy the reef environment in the future!

I've heard of "marine safe" sunblock before and asked the same question. All I could get was that it is mostly a marketing gimmic.

 

[harpua]

Thanks Dearman. All things I WILL take into consideration.

Where did you stay? What operation did you use? From my posting I had hoped to get other folks' information on Dive Ops more than the procedure for selecting a good Op. Which operation did you use in Cozumel? What were thier strengths? Weeknesses? Would you be comfortable refering new divers to them?

Thanks.

 

[scubadobadoo]

If they can't point to the emergency gear or don't check divers in and out of the water, go somewhere else.

Your wife is your buddy so the only problems with the veterans should be if you don't stay together, get into trouble and the DM doesn't handle it.

It would also be good to have a rough idea of your air consumption, i.e. are you going to breath out the tank in 30min? You are new and shouldn't have to be pressured into any consumption rate.

I hope that helps.

Good suggestions above and all good reasons to go with a smaller, faster boat with fewer divers. Fewer divers usually means more flexibility to go up with your buddy when you need to without ending everyone's dive. Fewer divers means the op can group dif levels on dif. smaller boats instead of 18 people going out in three dif. groups to scare all the marine life away. Fewer divers (say 6 on a boat) means more attention from a DM and less chance that the DM will not be available to help you if you need it. Fewer divers generally means more flexibility when choosing a dive site for your skill level. Faster boat means more bottom time and less travel time. JMHO's.

As for finding a dive op that checks divers in and out of the water, most will do a count and an eye check. Another reason to go small. Fewer divers means fewer bodies to count and more personal service. Ofcourse, on your checkout dives you will have an instructor with you so none of this will really matter much until you are out on your own.

All that said, since nobody seems to be chiming in with ops I will. Blue XTSea, Blue Angel, Papa Hogs. I have used all three and been very pleased and found that my above comments applied. Have fun!

 

[Goose75]

Thanks Dearman. All things I WILL take into consideration.

Where did you stay? What operation did you use? From my posting I had hoped to get other folks' information on Dive Ops more than the procedure for selecting a good Op. Which operation did you use in Cozumel? What were thier strengths? Weeknesses? Would you be comfortable refering new divers to them?

Thanks.

I've been boat diving in Bonaire and multiple US states. In Coz I only snorkled but it was a dive\snorkel boat. I stayed at Iberostar and was very happy with them. The boat picked us up on the dock at the hotel. Dive groups were about 6-8 people and a DM. Snorkel groups were a couple more people. All went out together. The boat followed us until a dive group signalled a pick up. In Coz I wasn't checked in and out on a sheet but I didn't know enough then to hope for it. It may not be common practice in Coz but it is in some places. With small operations a simple head count is still common. I've been on small boats (6 divers) that did paper or head count. Head counts work fine in small groups in my opinion. I don't know that I would expect to find a paper count in Coz but it could be a factor between two operations you choose from. At Iberostar they also supplied gear to the divers and I believe you could shore dive. Not much to see but it can give you some practice in the currents before going on the boat. You can do a forum search on Iberostar if you want. I believe there were some complaints about them last year. I don't think it had to do with the service but rather their position on something. I have no complaints from my stay.

 

[Goose75]

Another thing you may want to consider is getting a safety sausage. It is a big inflatable tube that is easy for boats to see from a distance. A loud whistle is also recommended but I believe your class may require that. You aren't likely to get separated and lost but it is good to be ready to be visible. Regardless of the popularity of black fins with some groups, air rescuers claim they see the bright ones. A sausage serves the same purpose. I've never used one and never expect to, but it pays for itself the first time