DStack
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Any recent dive experience with these ops and your opinion on each would be greatly appreciated. Looking for a dive op for our trip in sept.
Deep Blue vs Diving Adventures vs Dive with Martin
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mmtndiver
Contributor
I've dove with Deep Blue a few times last year. Great service small 6 -8 pack style boats with valet gear service. They pick up at the down town pier so if your staying in town this would be my choice. Ask for Gary in the office and request Luis as a dive master.
Have Fun
Have Fun
nodakdive
Contributor
I've done a bunch of diving with Deep Blue, none with the other two ops. Haven't heard much, if anything, about Diving Adventures, but Dive with Martin has a good following. Just because I haven't heard anything about Diving Adventures doesn't mean that they're not a fine shop. There are *many* of those in Cozumel.
Dove with Deep Blue, Scuba Shack and Blue Magic for 2 weeks last March. As expected, all 3 were great.
I'm a big Deep Blue fan. Don't misunderstand, Blue Magic and Scuba Shack were great, but I've done many dives with Deep Blue, so it's like home to me. I'm a big fan of their DM's, like the aforementioned Luis, and also Volrath, Tim, Alan, and anyone else that's ever been there over the last 5 years. Deborah, and all of her shop staff, like Gary and Coco have been really helpful and accommodating. As with any of your shop choices, let them know up front what your experience level is, and what kind of dive vacation you'd like, and they'll help you get what you want. For instance, if you want your equipment taken care of, tell them that. If you want to do only shallow dives, tell them that. If any of the shops can't accommodate a (reasonable) request, they'll tell you, and if they can help you get what you want, they'll help you do that too.
I should have done a comparative review of the 3 shops back at the time. Each one had things I liked about them. Loved Blue Magic's boat, LOOOOVED Roberta's bundt cake surface interval snack that seemed to be there every time, Loved Deep Blue's profiles, at least the profiles that were done when I was on their boats. Love Deep Blue's new seat cushions.
Anyhow, all 3 of these shops are small fast boats. All of them conducted a very safe operation every time. DM's were all very nice and good at their jobs. The boat captains were all really good too, at least on any dive I made. The offices are all very nice and helpful. This is one of the things I love about Cozumel diving. So many shops, yet my guess is that the vast majority of them all do a really great job, and it can be a tough job to do well.
I dove with 3 different shops last time due to the people that I somewhat traveled with and in the case of Blue Magic, I decided to drop in for a few dives because I know 2 of their DM's and wanted to see how they're doing. They're doing great, and it was fun and good training, really, to do some dives with some other shops. I almost got a chance to dive with Blue XTC a year or so ago due to travel buddies, but it didn't work out. I'd love to do some diving with that shop, and with others you see mentioned here, Aqua Safari, Aldora and Living Underwater, to name a few, but I'll always be home at Deep Blue.
In short, Deep Blue, the only shop I know about on your list, is a very good shop. Small fast boats. Great personnel. Safe Operation.
Will pick up and drop off at your (southern) hotel dock. Fruit and water SI snacks. And as with all of the boutique shops, dives are decided dependent on requests and skill levels. They let you dive your air. (air hog, so that doesn't always affect me, but I've been on many dives where other dove longer due to better air consumption.
Oh. And as others will tell you, if it's your first Cozumel dive experience, and you're a new diver, spring for the $50 or so for a private DM the first trip. There's nothing completely harrowing about Cozumel diving, but it takes a load off your mind and sets the rest of your trip up to be very smooth, etc.
-Blair
Dove with Deep Blue, Scuba Shack and Blue Magic for 2 weeks last March. As expected, all 3 were great.
I'm a big Deep Blue fan. Don't misunderstand, Blue Magic and Scuba Shack were great, but I've done many dives with Deep Blue, so it's like home to me. I'm a big fan of their DM's, like the aforementioned Luis, and also Volrath, Tim, Alan, and anyone else that's ever been there over the last 5 years. Deborah, and all of her shop staff, like Gary and Coco have been really helpful and accommodating. As with any of your shop choices, let them know up front what your experience level is, and what kind of dive vacation you'd like, and they'll help you get what you want. For instance, if you want your equipment taken care of, tell them that. If you want to do only shallow dives, tell them that. If any of the shops can't accommodate a (reasonable) request, they'll tell you, and if they can help you get what you want, they'll help you do that too.
I should have done a comparative review of the 3 shops back at the time. Each one had things I liked about them. Loved Blue Magic's boat, LOOOOVED Roberta's bundt cake surface interval snack that seemed to be there every time, Loved Deep Blue's profiles, at least the profiles that were done when I was on their boats. Love Deep Blue's new seat cushions.
Anyhow, all 3 of these shops are small fast boats. All of them conducted a very safe operation every time. DM's were all very nice and good at their jobs. The boat captains were all really good too, at least on any dive I made. The offices are all very nice and helpful. This is one of the things I love about Cozumel diving. So many shops, yet my guess is that the vast majority of them all do a really great job, and it can be a tough job to do well.
I dove with 3 different shops last time due to the people that I somewhat traveled with and in the case of Blue Magic, I decided to drop in for a few dives because I know 2 of their DM's and wanted to see how they're doing. They're doing great, and it was fun and good training, really, to do some dives with some other shops. I almost got a chance to dive with Blue XTC a year or so ago due to travel buddies, but it didn't work out. I'd love to do some diving with that shop, and with others you see mentioned here, Aqua Safari, Aldora and Living Underwater, to name a few, but I'll always be home at Deep Blue.
In short, Deep Blue, the only shop I know about on your list, is a very good shop. Small fast boats. Great personnel. Safe Operation.
Will pick up and drop off at your (southern) hotel dock. Fruit and water SI snacks. And as with all of the boutique shops, dives are decided dependent on requests and skill levels. They let you dive your air. (air hog, so that doesn't always affect me, but I've been on many dives where other dove longer due to better air consumption.
Oh. And as others will tell you, if it's your first Cozumel dive experience, and you're a new diver, spring for the $50 or so for a private DM the first trip. There's nothing completely harrowing about Cozumel diving, but it takes a load off your mind and sets the rest of your trip up to be very smooth, etc.
-Blair
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