Aldora: what I've been missing

[scubafanatic]

I graduated college with a bachelors of science degree, but I did sometimes fall asleep in class. Plus, that was over 30 yrs ago. Now, I prefer to keep it simple for my aged brain.

A scuba 120 tank is bigger than an 80.

Yeah, I was saving the hard math for all those peso-to-dollar currency speculation threads here in the Cozumel forum instead. I miss the actual dive threads but have learned much here about high finance and currency trends, I check Morningstar for Cozumel dive info these days.

 

[scubafanatic]

I don't think it's that. I think that they've learned how to breathe and can easily make a tank last 60 minutes or more.

...having won the war, the U-boats defeated, and the convoys making it through unmolested, there should be no more wartime 'air rationing' so throw away your rationing coupons and embrace abundant 'air' !

 

[scubafanatic]

Your arrogance is amazing! I've been doing this and Yamaha motors for 25 years and it is my money. If you are so damn smart maybe you ought to be here running a dive op.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

PS I am a degreed Engineer that understands motors more than most ever will.

He is also happy to teach you all about Zika virus as well.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

He is also happy to teach you all about Zika virus as well.

I actually think his point was to defend those ops whose boats only had 1 motor-- no matter the logic. That is sorta like discrete cheerleading.

 

[Gdog]

Dave, settle down and relax. I know absolutely nothing about running a dive op. I know how to email and book my dive and stay package and then I show up and have everything taken care of from the day I arrive until the day I depart. That is the extent of my dive op knowledge. I just thought I could share some of my thoughts about your engine issues.

I do know more than the average bear about outboards. I may lack an engineering degree but so does most everyone else. We learned by breaking down our old 2-strokes or a friend's engine in a poll barn and rebuilt them over a weekend so they could get running again, pull their pots, and keep making $. Yamaha 4-strokes... Yup, I know them too and can say I've never had to totally break one down because they just don't break down. The furthest I've ever had to venture into mine was to replace the micro filter on the HP fuel pump in the VST tank which, on my model, is buried deep inside that engine (I'd love to find the "engineer" who elected to place that VST tank and that stupid filter so deep inside the engine so I can ram it up his tail!).

If you're Yammy 4-strokes are breaking down and as it's your money, don't get hostile with me but look for the cause and fix it. Isn't that what an engineer does?

Actually, the op posted a postive review about diving with a dive op. You took it from that to trying to promote your own favorite dive op, and bashing the op dive shop owner about his engine maintenance. Who needs to calm down?!

 

[deepsea21]

I actually think his point was to defend those ops whose boats only had 1 motor-- no matter the logic. That is sorta like discrete cheerleading.

Dave, of course I am a fan of the best dive op for us and I crow about Tres Pelicanos and the great experiences they have delivered my wife and I over the past 3 years since we discovered themafter 15 years of diving Cozumel. The fact that there was a recent thread dedicated to 3P's vs: Aldora is all telling.

Perhaps if you expanded your participation in and monitoring of social media beyond Scuaboard/Communities/Mexico/"Microcosm" Cozumel you would find my posts elsewhere to those searching for a dive op in Coz seeking recommendations in which I state Aldora is a fine dive op and resides among the best of the best just as I do the other dive ops that have dive families that hold them in such regard.

As a business owner you should understand the dive world does not just revolve around Scubaboard as it doesn't. You are making a grave mistake if you think it does. By the time many divers find and register on Scubaboard they have generally become serious divers and their vacations revolve around diving. Prior to that, they are are looking for (1) hotel/resort recommendations, (2) best restaurants, and (3) a dive op that can cater to their needs and where they are staying.

As far as your Yammy outboard problems go... I wish there were a way you could ship your junked engines to the states so we could break them down, rebuild them and get another 4000 hours out of them for a few hundred dollars in parts but as you told me, it's your money.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

Dave, of course I am a fan of the best dive op for us and I crow about Tres Pelicanos and the great experiences they have delivered my wife and I over the past 3 years since we discovered themafter 15 years of diving Cozumel. The fact that there was a recent thread dedicated to 3P's vs: Aldora is all telling.

Perhaps if you expanded your participation in and monitoring of social media beyond Scuaboard/Communities/Mexico/"Microcosm" Cozumel you would find my posts elsewhere to those searching for a dive op in Coz seeking recommendations in which I state Aldora is a fine dive op and resides among the best of the best just as I do the other dive ops that have dive families that hold them in such regard.

As a business owner you should understand the dive world does not just revolve around Scubaboard as it doesn't. You are making a grave mistake if you think it does. By the time many divers find and register on Scubaboard they have generally become serious divers and their vacations revolve around diving. Prior to that, they are are looking for (1) hotel/resort recommendations, (2) best restaurants, and (3) a dive op that can cater to their needs and where they are staying.

As far as your Yammy outboard problems go... I wish there were a way you could ship your junked engines to the states so we could break them down, rebuild them and get another 4000 hours out of them for a few hundred dollars in parts but as you told me, it's your money.

I'm having trouble figuring out what your point is in any of these posts relative to the thread's topic. Perhaps you could start another thread on the merits of single vs twin engine boats, the dive community, and whatever else you'd like to discuss.

 

[deepsea21]

I'm having trouble figuring out what your point is in any of these posts relative to the thread's topic. Perhaps you could start another thread on the merits of single vs twin engine boats, the dive community, and whatever else you'd like to discuss.

You are right Tek...

This thread should have been wrapped up long ago but when Dave responded to me after I made some suggestions about outboard maintenance and he posted to me, "Your arrogance is amazing! I've been doing this and Yamaha motors for 25 years and it is my money. If you are so damn smart maybe you ought to be here running a dive op... I am a degreed Engineer that understands motors more than most ever will".

Well, I never use profanity to explain myself and I never claim to know more than someone else just because I may hold hold a degree in this or that. Maybe Dave just had a bad day but I certainly will respond to his personal lambashing of me.

I will not post or respond on this thread again as we all have new and better things to share and discuss about our Cozumel diving adventures.

 

[Prop Joe]

That's the beauty of Yamaha 4-strokes... These days I run a single Yamaha 4-stroke on my boat (as does virtually every commercial crabber on the Chesapeake Bay where I live) and I've been boating for over 30 years. I've absolutely no problem taking my boat 15 miles offshore with my single Yamaha as, properly maintained, they are virtually bulletproof. Heck, it's not uncommon for commercial crabbers and local Coast Guard in my parts to rack up 7,000 to 10,000 hours without a single issue. These aren't the outboards from the past - these modern outboards are as dependable as the engine in your car (your car only has one engine). These days, twin engines just means about 60% more weight on the transom, 60% more money spent and about 35%-40% more fuel burn for the same performance a single high HP 4-stroke provides.

For me, if my Yamaha ever did break down on the water that's what my radio and towboat US insurance is for. In Cozumel... Let's see... There's only about 100 other dive boats at any given time floating within 2 miles of shore that will offer a tow. I assume if a dive boat with a single engine experiences an engine failure an Aldora Captain and any Captain from any dive op would offer a tow back after he picked up his dive group but maybe I'm wrong and if I am, those dive ops need to find new Captains.

Late to the party as I was diving with Aldora when this was posted.
What was hanging on the transom of orange boat before the almighty Yamy 300?
Do crabbers haul 6-8 people, all of their dive shyt, with 12-16 steel tanks (plus a spare) at full throttle 7 days a week, 365 a year?
Radio? Tow boat? Aldora has what 8-9 boats? Who you gonna call? Another dive op to save you? F that! How many ops are going to make the paying divers wait while they haul a broken boat back to the Calleta, let alone from another op (we've done it on the east side for commercial fishermen with one engine) ? Some people whine about having to touch their own piss saturated wet suit, now you want to make them wait while they haul a broken boat back to the harbor (from another op no less) and potentially miss out on a nap? Blasphemy!!!
Hmmm... Diving in the park..... Go North my friend, way, way north or around the end of Punta Sur to the east side on a sporty day to go hunting, We went to Rasta's twice in a week and ended up with a bucket of Pez Leon. You will see NO boats and the radio will get you the Navy IF your lucky. I wonder what that will cost, IF they come?
I've seen the orange boat you speak of. Looks nice, engine new...
I trust Dave and Memo. They have a reason for the twins. They were the first to have the four stroke Honda's (twins) when everyone else was coating the reef with the old panga's powered by smokey 50:1, Enduro two stroke engines. They were not even oil injected. Those Enduro's were/are considered indestructible as well. I think it is great that everyone is now using the four strokes (regardless of mfg ) that put out way less oil in the water than the old Enduro's. Interesting to even have such a conversation. The old engines burned much more fuel (biggest cost to an op), coated the sea and reef with un-burned two stroke oil. At some point It would be great to have turbine engine aircraft reliability in a single Outboard but I'm not sure we are there yet. Dive with who you like! Its all good....

 

[Pelagicsal]

From downtown to the southern tip is about 15 miles. That would be the maximum distance to a dive site. Villa Aldora is 5 minutes farther north than the downtown pier, at the most. Of course the further south you stay the shorter the ride will be. Stay far enough south and you could have a 5-minute boat ride.

Unless the divers on the boat have the skills to venture farther afield. Read PropJoe's message above, starting with Hmmmm... at around line 12. Maximum isn't 15 miles.
We had a great time on those 'round the corner dives!
Far north again next trip, huh Joe?