Aruba - beware of Pelican/Unique Sports of Aruba

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To all ,

Spend a Summer in Morehead City NC or the Outer Banks and try some REAL WRECK diving. Look up the great folks at Outer Banks Dive Center, Nags Head, North Carolina or Outer Banks Diving, or Olympus Dive Center, or Discovery Diving Co., Inc. - North Carolina Wreck Diving in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. There are many others to dive with as well, but NC wreck diving IS AS @(Q#$ REAL AS IT GETS.

If you want to try some REAL WRECK DIVING, continue north until you hit the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Everything from 180 year old wooden ships in as good as shape as the day they went down, to modern day freighters. World class wreck diving.
 
We dove with this dive shop during Thanksgiving last. Made 11 dives, but would not recommend them to anyone. 1 dive was great 9 was not all that good and the last one was so unorganized that me and my wife was caught up in a current and swept out about 300 yards. The boat was moored and could not start the engine, which had happened 4 times during the week. We had to be rescued by another dive shop (Red Sails). Without them we were in real trouble.

Think twice before using this dive shop in Aruba, their are many more that are far better.

John
 
Wow, that sucks! but riddle me this batman. If you were 300 yards away who was not paying attention to the group and where they were going. I mean you didn't say that anyone else was 300 yds away. As for a disorganized dive, most folks who dive once or twice a year in the tropics are more than a hand full and thus the dive leader has to play sheep herder all of the time. In short... as taught to all divers... you are responsible for your own safety.

As for being moored 4 times in 1 week hmmmm didn't know that USA was diving the Antilla 4x a week as this is the only wreck the tie into. All of their diving is drift diving or so ithas be for everyone I know.....

Question.. how long since you dove prior to that trip and did you do a refresher course if it was warranted?

Oh yeh...Pelican and USA are 2 different entities.:no:
 
Ah, always the expert no matter in what sport you go into. Your not worthing wasting my time with. For your information, unless you were born in the 40's i was diving before you were even a thought in someones mind.
 
Ah, always the expert no matter in what sport you go into. Your not worthing wasting my time with. For your information, unless you were born in the 40's i was diving before you were even a thought in someones mind.


Not picking a fight here (for once) but the fact that you have been diving a long time does NOT mean you are a good diver. That is not a valid argument. I have dove with people that had had decades to expand and refine their bad habits. Not saying this is the case with you but "I was diving before you were born" could simply mean you have been lucky so far. You would have been better off explaining the situation better and rebutting with facts about how it was in fact not you that made a mistake. Your quoted post does nothing to help your credibility or to make you appear as a knowledgeable and skilled diver.
 
I've posted on the "old" divers forum as one of the oldest at 70, diving 20 years, and have 165 dives, last in January for a week on a live-aboard on the Great Barrier Reef. Other sites include most of the Caribbean, Hawaii, New Zealand, and the Society Islands (Tahiti).
Re, Unique/Pelican, we own time shares at Playa Linda on Palm Beach where Unique/Pelican uses Pelican Pier as a pick-up point for divers. I used Pelican for many years before they were bought or merged with Unique which keeps its boats at the Radisson pier a few doors down the beach to the south. I've also used Red Sails, located next door at the Hyatt, once which was enough. Although the pontoon boat they used was great for diving they run a "cattle boat" operation. I was also in the water near the surface at the Antilla when the same pontoon boat with a load of snorklers cranked up the outboards and sped off overhead. So scratch Red Sails.
I judge Pelican was an average shop before the buy-out by Unique. Many dives off the north and the long boat ride to the better diving off the south coast were all OK. The last time with Pelican was not nice. Returning from the south, the boat driver was high and I don't mean tall. He was the only person aboard the boat during the dives. The divemasters and the office crew at Pelican Pier were also rude and short. Turns out this was during the merger and they were likely upset over the pending change.
 
Thanks for confirming what I was saying about Unique Sports. I don't post anything here but something that will help someone else. That was my experience, so anyone can dive with anyone they wish. As I said in my original post, the worst dive shop is Unique and the best is Dive house in Cozumel.
As for Jimmie C, I don't need your advice and for you to critique my diving. If you or anyone else want to dive with them, have at it. I'll use Lil Mermaid the next time I go.

John
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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