frameless
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Any comments on the Dive Belize operation on Ambergris. Size of boats, DM's, safety, staff.
Input would appreciated
Thaks
Input would appreciated
Thaks
Dive Belize
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leadweight
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I don't know them. For my last three trips I used Protech Belize and will dive with them again when I go down there next month.
Not familar with "Dive Belize". We dove with Ramon's and Turiano Vasquez. He coached me into a 6lb weight loss, down to 8 lbs, and got my wife very comfortable at 80' to 90'.
We just booked another trip and will dive with Turanio but unfourtunatly will not be staying at Ramon's. 33' center counsols with twin 150s gets you where you want to go but never crowded. I don't think we ever had more than 5 or 6 divers unless an instructor came along with a student or two and then he dove in a slightly different area and never posed any problem of any type. PM me if you want details.
We just booked another trip and will dive with Turanio but unfourtunatly will not be staying at Ramon's. 33' center counsols with twin 150s gets you where you want to go but never crowded. I don't think we ever had more than 5 or 6 divers unless an instructor came along with a student or two and then he dove in a slightly different area and never posed any problem of any type. PM me if you want details.
- Messages
- 54,068
- Reaction score
- 8,217
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Your Profile doesn't give any info on your qualifications or experience level, so I can't give you specific answers, and as I've been back from San Pedro less than 24 hours I don't have the energy to give a long report. I'll post one in this forum this week.
My group was booked with Aqua Dives - an outfit that I would never go out with again, if I could go with anyone else. Bad boat, bad briefings, poorly trained 3rd crew member - although all 3 guys were likeable, bad buy for the same money as the good ops, etc.
I did have the wonderful opportunity to go out with Pro Tech the last day, though. Everything the opposite here, nothing to complain about. I'd go with them again in a hearbeat. Pro Tech refers divers to Amigos for Blue Hole trips, as their big boat isn't ready {I toured it; boy is it going to be nice!!} so I guess they're good, too. Did not have a chance to go with Gaz or any others.
Anyway, complete your profile, and you'll get better answers...
My group was booked with Aqua Dives - an outfit that I would never go out with again, if I could go with anyone else. Bad boat, bad briefings, poorly trained 3rd crew member - although all 3 guys were likeable, bad buy for the same money as the good ops, etc.
I did have the wonderful opportunity to go out with Pro Tech the last day, though. Everything the opposite here, nothing to complain about. I'd go with them again in a hearbeat. Pro Tech refers divers to Amigos for Blue Hole trips, as their big boat isn't ready {I toured it; boy is it going to be nice!!} so I guess they're good, too. Did not have a chance to go with Gaz or any others.
Anyway, complete your profile, and you'll get better answers...
doll_fin_diver
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Been there, done that! October 2003
Worst vacation experience ever...
Size of boats: Small and in need of serious service, no emergency equipment or radio
DM's: Dive Masters unattentive and just worry about gratuity and will also ask to borrow money
Safety: You are on your own
Staff: What a joke
Lodging: Would rate as ONE STAR
Would use Amigos del Mar, Blue Hole Trip was great and staff excellent.
Worst vacation experience ever...
Size of boats: Small and in need of serious service, no emergency equipment or radio
DM's: Dive Masters unattentive and just worry about gratuity and will also ask to borrow money
Safety: You are on your own
Staff: What a joke
Lodging: Would rate as ONE STAR
Would use Amigos del Mar, Blue Hole Trip was great and staff excellent.
Hello
First may I say that this I believe is one of the very first negative comments I have received on Scubaboard in more than 3 years of posting here and providing services to scubaboard members and I have to say I am rather concerned about the post as I am very open to honest critique of my operation and am open to anyone posting there experiences.
I have been around for more than 14 years in Belize and you do not last that long by not providing a quality experiences and paying very close attention to quality safety etc.
However every now and again we can and do as everyone does get a guest that is not happy and we do everything we can to correct any issue that is causing the problem but sometimes even that is not enough.
There are many Scubaboard Members that have visited my place and had the opposite experience you had so I checked out your profile so I could go back to my october files and look you up however your Scubaboard profile is empty and it seems to joined Scuba Board to specifically place this message.
I would certianly like to know your name so I may go through my past guests and check on your questionaire since every guest that leaves is asked to fill in a questionaire so that we may see how we can improve and to gauge the guests enjoyment of there vacation. I can then see what was the problem and what I did to correct it which I know I would of worked with you to eleviate any problems you were having but i really cannot recall anyone addressing anything with me.
Please also provide what I said concerning your problems
I especially ask guests upon leaving to fill out a quality control questionaire they are asked about the staff the diving service food service your room etc and I can honestly say that we get EXCELLENT reviews 98% of the time and I have THOUSANDS of completed questionaires from past guests that are excellent, I can honestly say that the top marks CONTINOUSLY go to the STAFF whom I consider to be the best on the island and have been with me for many many years they bend over backwards to make sure guests have a great time, and the Rooms well they are actually Suites over 1200 sq ft and I have never ever had any questionare regard them as a One star most people checking in are blown away by the size of the unit and most say its bigger than there house.
Boats
My boats are the same size as most other operators in town 28ft and we only take 6 divers on our boats so we have no need for larger boats than that.
One of our boats is NEW and the other is in excellent shape and all have the required safety equipment on board ie communication oxygen,life vests etc ITS THE LAW and we have everthing located in the front of the boat under the bow, we are subject to spot checks by the Marine Patrol at any time to check this.
so your post alarms me a little especially as it is complete opposite to the many questionaires I have on file and the fact that you joined to specifically post this message which is fine if indeed you visited us but in order to give your post credability you will need to identify yourself and I would very much like to know in detail your experiences you may e-mail me at playablancabeachclub@yahoo.com as I hold my reputation in the highest regard and the reason you do not see negative posts from my operation is because I and my staff do everthing in my power to ensure that visitors have a great experience when visiting when we have a negative (and it happens on occasion) I do everything i can to make it right.
Best regards
Gaz Cooper
First may I say that this I believe is one of the very first negative comments I have received on Scubaboard in more than 3 years of posting here and providing services to scubaboard members and I have to say I am rather concerned about the post as I am very open to honest critique of my operation and am open to anyone posting there experiences.
I have been around for more than 14 years in Belize and you do not last that long by not providing a quality experiences and paying very close attention to quality safety etc.
However every now and again we can and do as everyone does get a guest that is not happy and we do everything we can to correct any issue that is causing the problem but sometimes even that is not enough.
There are many Scubaboard Members that have visited my place and had the opposite experience you had so I checked out your profile so I could go back to my october files and look you up however your Scubaboard profile is empty and it seems to joined Scuba Board to specifically place this message.
I would certianly like to know your name so I may go through my past guests and check on your questionaire since every guest that leaves is asked to fill in a questionaire so that we may see how we can improve and to gauge the guests enjoyment of there vacation. I can then see what was the problem and what I did to correct it which I know I would of worked with you to eleviate any problems you were having but i really cannot recall anyone addressing anything with me.
Please also provide what I said concerning your problems
I especially ask guests upon leaving to fill out a quality control questionaire they are asked about the staff the diving service food service your room etc and I can honestly say that we get EXCELLENT reviews 98% of the time and I have THOUSANDS of completed questionaires from past guests that are excellent, I can honestly say that the top marks CONTINOUSLY go to the STAFF whom I consider to be the best on the island and have been with me for many many years they bend over backwards to make sure guests have a great time, and the Rooms well they are actually Suites over 1200 sq ft and I have never ever had any questionare regard them as a One star most people checking in are blown away by the size of the unit and most say its bigger than there house.
Boats
My boats are the same size as most other operators in town 28ft and we only take 6 divers on our boats so we have no need for larger boats than that.
One of our boats is NEW and the other is in excellent shape and all have the required safety equipment on board ie communication oxygen,life vests etc ITS THE LAW and we have everthing located in the front of the boat under the bow, we are subject to spot checks by the Marine Patrol at any time to check this.
so your post alarms me a little especially as it is complete opposite to the many questionaires I have on file and the fact that you joined to specifically post this message which is fine if indeed you visited us but in order to give your post credability you will need to identify yourself and I would very much like to know in detail your experiences you may e-mail me at playablancabeachclub@yahoo.com as I hold my reputation in the highest regard and the reason you do not see negative posts from my operation is because I and my staff do everthing in my power to ensure that visitors have a great experience when visiting when we have a negative (and it happens on occasion) I do everything i can to make it right.
Best regards
Gaz Cooper
- Messages
- 54,068
- Reaction score
- 8,217
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
Gaz:
Why not send him a PM?
doll_fin_diver
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Even though this might be the first negative comment you've had on Scubaboard in more than 3 years, there are definitely other boards within the last year that have negative comments. I have copied just two from caribbeanmag.com.
RE: your comment "Scubaboard profile is empty and it seems to join Scuba Board to specifically place this message"; I will rarely and ONLY post on a subject matter that I feel strongly about and "to each his own" - everyone is entitled to their own opinion! I also posted on this board concerning a hotel on the Grand Cayman.
I also noticed that the below person "jgonzalez" posted the same message on your Dive Belize Forum and shortly after, your Scuba Forum is "temporarily unavailable". Therefore I was unable to post my concerns on your forum.
Furthermore, your website is outdated and misleading.
from caribbeanmag.com
by jgonzalez3@nyc.rr.com
We spent a week at Gaz Cooper's resort last year. We had a nice time, the staff was great until I got hit with a $1000 bill at the end for my dives which were suppose to be included in the package. Gaz claimed I didn't have a package, that I had to take it up with his office, there was nothing he could do about it. Also my friend went as a non diver and was charged as a diver and the included meals were never included. Needless to say, we left very disappointed and very turned off by him. Very bad business man. We never got reimbursed the $600 that we should off. We were stupid enough to pay for it. Anyway, you live and learn.
By: Anonymous from denver, co
Date of Visit: September 2003 The resort is located right on the beach which was a real plus. We stayed in a very large 2 bedroom condo. The down side was only the bedrooms were air conditioned. There was a nice ocean breeze but there were only screens on two of the windows. There were ceiling fans in all the rooms but the living area was still too hot to be enjoyable. The kitchen is well supplied. The casitas are air conditioned but do not have a kitchen.
The main course for dinner was good and plentiful. The side dishes were not always hot. The continental breadfast was fruit, bread and cold cereal. The actual dining area was very hot and buggy so we took breakfast to our condo. We usually ate dinner on the veranda at our request which was very pleasant. Eating in the dining area was not pleasant. We fixed our lunch so did not use the restaurant for lunch.
The dive operation was adequate although the boat is small. However, the larger boat should be ready soon. The dive master was willing to go where we wanted to go to dive. The resort is very small so there never more than 8 of us on the boat.
Town is 5 miles away so if you want to go to town every day this is probably not the best place for you. However, we loved being right on the beach. An ocean kayak is available for use.
The on-site owner/managers are new and are working very hard to make necessary and needed changes to the facility. They also did everything possible to make our stay pleasant and enjoyable. We would stay there again if the whole condo was air conditioned.
Property Review
10 is best 1 is worst
Would you stay at this property again?: ... No
Would you recommend this property to your friends?: ... NoIn your opinion, how would you classify the "style" this property: ... Family Oriented
Possible Anwswers: Family Oriented, Couples Oriented, Mixed/Diverse in a Good Way, Mixed/Diverse in a Bad Way
Property Service Rankings: (Average Ranking = 7.40)
Cleanliness of Property: ... 8
Quality of Property: ... 6
Privacy and Quietness: ... 10
Quality of Service: ... 10
Courtesy and Hospitality of Staff: ... 10
Accuracy of Website VS. Actual Experience: ... 5
Food and Dining Experience: ... 7
Price/Value of Property: ... 8
Safety Factor (Did you feel safe at property): ... 0 Quality of Beach (ranked closest beach if property is located off the beach): ... 10 [/SIZE][/SIZE]
RE: your comment "Scubaboard profile is empty and it seems to join Scuba Board to specifically place this message"; I will rarely and ONLY post on a subject matter that I feel strongly about and "to each his own" - everyone is entitled to their own opinion! I also posted on this board concerning a hotel on the Grand Cayman.
I also noticed that the below person "jgonzalez" posted the same message on your Dive Belize Forum and shortly after, your Scuba Forum is "temporarily unavailable". Therefore I was unable to post my concerns on your forum.
Furthermore, your website is outdated and misleading.
from caribbeanmag.com
by jgonzalez3@nyc.rr.com
We spent a week at Gaz Cooper's resort last year. We had a nice time, the staff was great until I got hit with a $1000 bill at the end for my dives which were suppose to be included in the package. Gaz claimed I didn't have a package, that I had to take it up with his office, there was nothing he could do about it. Also my friend went as a non diver and was charged as a diver and the included meals were never included. Needless to say, we left very disappointed and very turned off by him. Very bad business man. We never got reimbursed the $600 that we should off. We were stupid enough to pay for it. Anyway, you live and learn.
By: Anonymous from denver, co
Date of Visit: September 2003 The resort is located right on the beach which was a real plus. We stayed in a very large 2 bedroom condo. The down side was only the bedrooms were air conditioned. There was a nice ocean breeze but there were only screens on two of the windows. There were ceiling fans in all the rooms but the living area was still too hot to be enjoyable. The kitchen is well supplied. The casitas are air conditioned but do not have a kitchen.
The main course for dinner was good and plentiful. The side dishes were not always hot. The continental breadfast was fruit, bread and cold cereal. The actual dining area was very hot and buggy so we took breakfast to our condo. We usually ate dinner on the veranda at our request which was very pleasant. Eating in the dining area was not pleasant. We fixed our lunch so did not use the restaurant for lunch.
The dive operation was adequate although the boat is small. However, the larger boat should be ready soon. The dive master was willing to go where we wanted to go to dive. The resort is very small so there never more than 8 of us on the boat.
Town is 5 miles away so if you want to go to town every day this is probably not the best place for you. However, we loved being right on the beach. An ocean kayak is available for use.
The on-site owner/managers are new and are working very hard to make necessary and needed changes to the facility. They also did everything possible to make our stay pleasant and enjoyable. We would stay there again if the whole condo was air conditioned.
Property Review
10 is best 1 is worst
Would you stay at this property again?: ... No
Would you recommend this property to your friends?: ... NoIn your opinion, how would you classify the "style" this property: ... Family Oriented
Possible Anwswers: Family Oriented, Couples Oriented, Mixed/Diverse in a Good Way, Mixed/Diverse in a Bad Way
Property Service Rankings: (Average Ranking = 7.40)
Cleanliness of Property: ... 8
Quality of Property: ... 6
Privacy and Quietness: ... 10
Quality of Service: ... 10
Courtesy and Hospitality of Staff: ... 10
Accuracy of Website VS. Actual Experience: ... 5
Food and Dining Experience: ... 7
Price/Value of Property: ... 8
Safety Factor (Did you feel safe at property): ... 0 Quality of Beach (ranked closest beach if property is located off the beach): ... 10 [/SIZE][/SIZE]
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