Aldora

[scubadada]

Hi Jay,
I just looked at my logbook and picked out a dive to Devil's Throat which we did with Aldora on 10/31 and with Blue Angel on 11/1:

10/31 Aldora, Faber 120 tank, starting pressure 3490, ending pressure 1783, max depth 118 ft, dive time 44 mins.
11/1 Blue Angel, Al 80, starting pressure 2937, ending pressure 864, max depth 122 ft, dive time 46 mins.

Our dive guide was Jorge, and this was typical that I was coming back with 1200-1400 psi, so later I was choosing the 100 tank with Aldora abd still coming back with lots of air. Plus, to make it with Aldora I had gulp down my breakfast as they got to Blue Angel at 7:45 am, while the Blue Angel boats left at 8,9,10 and 11.

That's funny, my son and I did Devil's Throat with Aldora and had a max depth of 127 feet and a dive time of 65 minutes. I do not have my starting and end pressure here with me in Bonaire. As I recall, dive was limited by the slightly more conservative NDL of the other two good divers we were with.

To each their own, I'll stick with Aldora

 

[NDL_Diver]

You or someone jn your group was either low on air or pushing NDL. Devils Thoat is a deep dive and if you were diving air vs Nitrox than you time was limited by NDL. Aldora surface as a group and all divers air and Nitrogen load nedds to be taken into cosideration.

We alway do at least 70 + min, but we dive nitrox. I also surface with 1200+ psi, but not everyone is a light breather

There had to be a reason why and I suspect it was another diver limiting you.

You should have asked why, and if you were with a hog in the group, or had ANY issue, talk to the DM or shop. They would make shure you were moved to a different group if at all possible.

 

[sefuchs]

Aldora is a great dive op but they are not or cannot be all things to all divers. The 120 steel tanks are nice for some folks but I for one do just fine with my 80's and still get 60+ min dives. Nothing against Aldora but I prefer to dive with a different dive op - to each their own.

 

[Hatul]

Actually we had planned to dive 3 days with Aldora but cut that short to 2 as my dive buddy who is more of a complainer than I am, was getting upset, and we continued with Blue Angel where I was staying.

The only time I used the 120 was on the Devil's Throat dive I posted above, the other dives with Aldora I used the 100. I did the first dive on air and the second on EAN36 and as I mentioned I had plenty of gas left and no problems with NDL.
I'm not sure why our dives were limited but we just changed to the more convenient Blue Angel dive op on the third day. NDL you make a good point and I should have asked what the issue was.

 

[Dogbowl]

Yup, I suppose a light breather (you?) coupled with a deep dive (Devil' s Throat) and someone limited by NDL would, for some, make Aldora's large steel tanks not very useful. And when you have to pay much more for it, its understandable you won't be happy about it.

 

[ronscuba]

Yep, many quality operators in Coz that will make you happy.

As everyone has stated, the larger tanks allow longer bottom times. Not everyone needs that, but a big part of the appeal is the ability for the whole group to be together the whole day. Not just the underwater portion, but also the surface interval. Everyone gets the same long bottom time and the same surface interval. No rushing to eat because part of the group surfaced 15 minutes earlier.

 

[NDL_Diver]

I dive steel 120 not for me, but for the other guy that may be in my boat that can suck an 80 down in 40 minutes.

 

[Christi]

I'm down in czm right now. Way down south, diving with a certain highly regarded, european run, op.

If their trip advisor ranking is what gives you the impression that they are a highly regarded operation - take that with a huge grain of salt!

While there are certainly some very good shops in the top 10 on TA for example, there are also several with high rankings that are not even legal businesses - and some who don't even own their own boats - and some who have been in "business" for less than a year or two and somehow have hundreds of reviews from "customers" already - and some with many great reviews, but from resort divers who have nothing to compare them to - just saying - don't let the Trip Advisor ranking itself give you the wrong impression. TA does absolutely NO vetting to even make sure they are legal businesses.

As far as excuses - don't blame the weather on ANY operation - we are all in the same boat (pun intended) and at the mercy of the Harbor Master - weather is out of our control. If I had some boats without Marine Park permits, I would also make arrangements to position them on the other side and use them for north side diving too - that would make it worth the effort.

 

[Christi]

Yep, many quality operators in Coz that will make you happy.

As everyone has stated, the larger tanks allow longer bottom times. Not everyone needs that, but a big part of the appeal is the ability for the whole group to be together the whole day. Not just the underwater portion, but also the surface interval. Everyone gets the same long bottom time and the same surface interval. No rushing to eat because part of the group surfaced 15 minutes earlier.

SI should be timed based on last divers out of the water - not the first divers out.

 

[Dogbowl]

If their trip advisor ranking is what gives you the impression that they are a highly regarded operation - take that with a huge grain of salt!

While there are certainly some very good shops in the top 10 on TA for example, there are also several with high rankings that are not even legal businesses - and some who don't even own their own boats - and some who have been in "business" for less than a year or two and somehow have hundreds of reviews from "customers" already - and some with many great reviews, but from resort divers who have nothing to compare them to - just saying - don't let the Trip Advisor ranking itself give you the wrong impression. TA does absolutely NO vetting to even make sure they are legal businesses.

As far as excuses - don't blame the weather on ANY operation - we are all in the same boat (pun intended) and at the mercy of the Harbor Master - weather is out of our control. If I had some boats without Marine Park permits, I would also make arrangements to position them on the other side and use them for north side diving too - that would make it worth the effort.

Agree about TA. Some reviews are legit. Many are not.

@Christi , what do you mean about "If I had some boats without Marine Park permits..."? I know boats need Marine Park permits on the west side, but couldn't you use the same boats on the east side?