Boats with Marine Park permits

[jimmyj]

You may call it "limiting competition" but others may call it "resource management". The reefs do not expand because more shops are created. Maybe the idea isn't that xx shops are "enough" for competition but that yy divers are all the reefs can handle without degrading?

Badda-Bing

 

[Christi]

Scubaboard is such a relatively small audience compared to the number of annual visitors to the island. Is there any sort of local campaign to ensure tourists are being informed?

Yes it is also in the works

 

[Christi]

But then again there is a large portion of people that think everyone should be welcome legal or not.



You might be able to negotiate better rates with these ops.

What are the consequences to the tourists of using unlicensed ops? Was the boat that sank back in January (the Royal Caribbean excursion) a licensed boat?

Consequences to tourists?? You really want me to list them all? Think about this , real story happened last week because our Association is already having influence.

Last week, five unlicensed boats were stopped and obligated to return to the Marina. One of them had 16 divers on board.

So as a tourist, you’ve planned and booked your trip. You book with Shop XYZ because they are $20 cheaper (because they don’t have insurance, or all of the safety inspections and permits required) - but hey you’re getting a great deal!!!

You arrive in Cozumel, show up to the boat and are headed out for the first dive. The local authorities stop the boat you’re on and turn it back to the Marina. If the owner of that operation has any ethics (which are already questionable now) they will provide you a refund - but you’ve now lost your dive day because it’s too late to get on with someone else.

So I don’t know about you, but I definitely think that’s an unacceptable consequence of booking with an unlicensed shop or one who contracts unlicensed boats.

I don’t think I need to go into the narrative about what would happen if there was an accident involving one of these unlicensed boats.

 

[Christi]

You may call it "limiting competition" but others may call it "resource management". The reefs do not expand because more shops are created. Maybe the idea isn't that xx shops are "enough" for competition but that yy divers are all the reefs can handle without degrading?

Yes!!! Exactly - don’t know how I missed your post before. The Marine Park could care less about competition - their permits are set at a max number in EFFORTS to minimize impact and stress on the reef while still allowing people to enjoy the activity of scuba diving within the park.

 

[BRT]

Yes!!! Exactly - don’t know how I missed your post before. The Marine Park could care less about competition - their permits are set at a max number in EFFORTS to minimize impact and stress on the reef while still allowing people to enjoy the activity of scuba diving within the park.

So if there were more permitted boats there would be more divers?

 

[Olariuas]

As I live in Europe can I ask dive shop/ops to provide me their boat name-immatric to checkout if they are legal?

Currently I cant be sure prior to order a dive - this can be a total surprise can I asked a refund If a dive ops lied on me?

 

[Dogbowl]

As I live in Europe can I ask dive shop/ops to provide me their boat name-immatric to checkout if they are legal?

Currently I cant be sure prior to order a dive - this can be a total surprise can I asked a refund If a dive ops lied on me?

Legitimate dive ops are very proud of their boats and often post their pictures and names on their websites. I often check out this info before I book, and you can check the boat’s name against @Christi ’s list to confirm it is a boat with a permit. Here are some examples:

About Blue XT~Sea Diving - Blue XT~Sea Diving
Nice Dives | Scuba Diving in Cozumel, Mexico!

As to the 2nd part of your question, only that dive op can answer that but I wouldn’t count on it.

 

[ChuckP]

We seen a boat, no name anywhere - asked our operator about it and was told it was unlicensed. There were 8-10 folks from a scuba club boarding it three mornings in a row.

Maybe the dive boat is being repaired and they were using a substitute boat - who knows.

Them enforcing the rule is probably gonna make it harder for me to find a part time job down there

 

[MMM]

Here is why I personally wouldn't want to go out on an unlicensed boat:

• I would not be paying Marine Park fees to support the policing (no matter how weak it actually is).
• The boat is uninspected so who knows whether it has life jackets (that work), O2, etc. etc. Much less whether staff are qualified...

But here's the other side of the coin: what is the point in a licensed operator maintaining all their permits to be legal if there is no enforcement? They may as well join the crowd and save a few bucks. So you open a pit to the bottom and then it's every man or woman for themselves...clients and operators.

 

[Snoweman]

Christi - Thanks for the post. I hate to say it, but I probably won't use the list, as my favorite op is on it. And, if I can't use my favorite, your company will be getting my call. If you're full then there are other folks that are well known here.

BUT!!! I will do my best to pass on the information if I have a friend that tells me he/she has found a great deal on dive trip. It's a very informative and useful post. Now..., to get the naysayers to use it!