Cozumel Incident 9/4/11

[Ron Lee]

To me, a "PADI 5-star" branding is a potential negative. It means that it's a large operation that is an integral part of the PADI marketing hoopla. If it's a dive resort and I'm staying there, fine. But in a place like Cozumel where there are many excellent small owner-operated dive operations, PADI 5-star might indicate cattle boat.

"might" is a good caveat. Aldora is a 5 Star Instructor Development Dive Resort per the PADI website. They are hardly a cattle boat op. That is only one example.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

When I choose a shop or operation I couldn't care less what agency they are affiliated with. I like to see that they offer smaller boats, have clean and efficient facilites, get their air tested regularly, hopefully offer some type of tech training or have a tech instructor on staff, and respond to requests for info with satisfactory answers. I'd also check here, on the deco stop, and other boards I'm a member of and get reviews from actual divers.

I also could not care less about an op being a 5 star when there are no 4, 3, or even 2 star places. It is no indication of the actual quality of the operation from my perspective. If it were I would expect random audits of the facility, testing of the students by an unaffiliated examiner, and regular con ed requirements and testing for the staff. It's no different than hotel ratings. What is a 4 star to me might be a 2 or 3 to some rich guy. What it does indicate is that it's likely to cost me more to do business with them and yet may not get what I would consider real value.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

We ourselves would not dive with a shop which was not PADI certified.

If folks took that attitude around here, they'd miss out on some of the best available shops ... since those shops tend to be NAUI, SSI or SDI/TDI affilliates. For sure there are some good PADI shops ... but there are also some really bad ones.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[DiverG]

There's (at least) one, in every bunch...

There has been more then one in this thread.

 

[gypsyjim]

To me, a "PADI 5-star" branding is a potential negative. It means that it's a large operation that is an integral part of the PADI marketing hoopla. If it's a dive resort and I'm staying there, fine. But in a place like Cozumel where there are many excellent small owner-operated dive operations, PADI 5-star might indicate cattle boat.

Funny. My trip to Coz this last Feb was to a resort with such big dive op, with big name affiliation, and cattle boats. Their operation didn't seem lacking, just big and a bit impersonal. My local dive club used them shortly before my trip, and everyone in our club was quite satisfied with their safety and service.

I chose instead to use one of the independent small ops that you describe, who was willing to pick me up at my resort dock, and give me a more personal, customized service. Coincidentally they do happen to be the op who's owner's and DM's actions this thread is discussing.

 

[Sat Diver]

Your personal attack accusing me of a vendetta, of crucifying the divers, and of doing both on other boards has been reported.

To Mommy ?

 

[The Chairman]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

OK gang. Wishing ill on someone is simply against the TOS.
Calling injured people names is also against the TOS.
Respectfully pointing out that someone is actively prosecuting an agenda is NOT against the TOS.
Crying foul when others do this is hypocritical at the very least.
Some inappropriate threads and those referring to them have been deleted.
Next step is to ban people from this forum or the entire site.
I'm not kidding.

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[DiverG]

Thank you NetDoc.

 

[MMM]

Sure some if not all might have cattle boats but if I were a new diver and insisted on a 5 star PADI with 6 pack fast boats I am sure some of the 12 have fast boats. In other words it would be much easier to justify a 5 star shop then defend a shop with no affiliation at all to a new diver or anyone really.

Sorry but I'm struggling with this. First, not sure why I'd insist on a 5 star PADI with 6 pack...especially if I were from outside NA and aware of other cert agencies. Second, why any PADI affiliation is necessary. Put-Another-Dollar-In affiliation doesn't seem worth defending. I've dived enough in Cozumel to know that PADI affiliation (which doesn't mean they don't instruct PADI courses) means dick-squat in terms of the quality of the operation.

Am I missing something here?

 

[theduckguru]

To me, a "PADI 5-star" branding is a potential negative. It means that it's a large operation that is an integral part of the PADI marketing hoopla. If it's a dive resort and I'm staying there, fine. But in a place like Cozumel where there are many excellent small owner-operated dive operations, PADI 5-star might indicate cattle boat.

A PADI 5 star desigation means nothing to me as a dive consumer on a dive vacation. The last one I dove with did have a cattle boat - although there were less than 8 divers on it and it was quite roomy.