Dive operators on ambergris caye

[Gaz]

Gaz - your philanthropy gives you credit. So you set up and host these websites and associated arrangements purely for love of your fellow man? Good on you, and most generous! But given that my comments were not addressed to you and didn't mention you, I'm curious that you should feel so affronted, as if I had in fact been accusing you of something.

You said you will be returning to Belize. I was chatting with some friends this evening who said they would like to meet up with you again, and eagerly await your arrival.


Ok I am happy you have made it clear you are not accusing me of anything and was not taking a dig at my integrtiy or honesty in information posted Thank you.

As for my websites as long as I make enough to cover costs I am happy and do it because I enjoy it Peter, i do make a bit here and there, but I enjoy it immensly spreading the word about Belize and its diving, I know you are burnt out and bitter over your failiure there but I actually really love Belize and telling people about it

FYI also have several more Belize websites in development watch this space..

As with other mesage boards you frequent Peter, your style of writing includes lots of inuendos and when you are called on them you always deny you are reffering to the said person or business who has took offense to you indirectly slagging them off.

You then deny its an innuendo, when all the other readers can clearly see it is
Its a pattern with you Peter maybe its just bad communication skills on your part.

In this particular post of yours the innuendo is that there are people on the island that cant wait to meet me when I get back which comes over as some sort of threat.

If we liked each other it might read differently, but since we dislike each other, the comment comes over as a threat and is, exactly as you meant when you wrote it.

thats the inuuendo your lastest message presents to any normal reader now if i have yet again misread the meaning of your message please explain what you mean.

So feel free to let me know who is so anxious to meet me when i get back, you obviously dont know me very well Peter.

Why would I not be coming back ? Ambergris is my home I own several properties there and is where I have lived for 16 straight years so of course I am coming home.

Gaz

 

[peterbj7]

I'm bored with this - it's meant to be a thread about dive operators on Ambergris Caye. Let readers judge the people posting as best they may.

 

[Gaz]

Typical

 

[boulderjohn]

When you speak of Aqua Dives as having a history which is no longer true, when did this change take place? My experience with them was two years ago. Are you speaking of changes that took place before late March 2008 or after that date?

 

[peterbj7]

I think they had largely changed for the better by two years ago. They had replaced all their old boats with very good ones, and staff changes had removed some of the more unsavoury elements. But change has been ongoing.

They are still at the Sunbreeze dock today, and the staff I spoke to believe they will be there until at least the end of June. They don't expect to be there permanently though.

 

[boulderjohn]

Well, I will just say we had some pretty significant problems with them in March 2008. I do hope that they have improved since then.

 

[peterbj7]

What nature of problems?

 

[Gaz]

This is where Peter and I agree to disagree (hopefully) The personality of the owners and there attitude i dont beleive can be changed, which is evident of the situation that is seemingly occuring there now, I would put money on the fact that they have been given 3 months written notice to vacate the Sunbreeze location and as of May 1st they refused to leave and I personally believe it will take a court order to get them out there.

Now I have known the owners of Sunbreeze and the management since they purchased the place 15 years or so ago and they are reasonable people and to think that they would ask them to leave and replace them with another operation implys something does it not. ?

Or Maybe the Sunbreeze is just tired after almost 10 years of Aqua Dives and decided they need a change.

As for how long they will be at the Sunbreeze is anyones guess but for sure they will be moving eventually.

Which place are they supposed to be moving Peter you said up by Banana Beach way ??

Gaz

 

[boulderjohn]

What nature of problems?

It would honestly take more than I could describe with the character limit in a single post, but I will give a quick summary.

I led a trip from our dive shop. Some people in our area had wanted to be on the trip, but the time was bad for them, so they went a week ahead of us. When we arrived, they gave us a huge warning. They had planned and paid for a trip to the Turneffe Elbow, which is a long trip. When they arrived before dawn to set up, there was no crew. There was some confusion as people went out in search of people to take them. Finally the boat was crewed, including a DM who was not the one scheduled to go. (What they heard was that there had been some major partying going on the night before, and they were having trouble locating the people supposed to go.) The DM they had slept on a bench on the way to "the Elbow." The trip took out about half the time they expected. They did three dives and returned, arriving back at the Sunbreeze almost two hours ahead of schedule, despite having left late. During the return trip, our friends got out a map and argued vehemently about the dive site, finally getting the DM to admit that they had gone to "the Little Elbow," whatever that is, instead "the big elbow."

Our week had a number of problems. We had a basic package paid for, with the option of adding extra dives (like the Elbow or the Blue Hole). People could sign up individually. We later learned that we were each paying different prices for the same thing. We were quoted a price for nitrox, but at the end of the week billed for twice that price, with the people denying that they agreed to that price.

After our first day of dives with our assigned DM, sometimes running next to another group from Aqua Dives and seeing their DM at work, we talked and decided that I would tell our DM that we did not want to see any more harassing of the animal life. No more blown up puffers. No more herding of turtles. We just wanted to see the animals as they went about their normal marine lives. I spoke with him privately about it, and he agreed. At the next briefing, he brought it up to the group in such a way as to indicate that he thought I had asked for this on my own--he clearly thought there might be a mutiny which would lead to him being able to return to his more customary role as a DM. We were all angry.

Once while we were waiting to board, another Aqua Dives boat pulled up with a very small group of passengers. Judging from the quality of their gear, especially their high quality camera equipment, and what we overheard, this was an experienced group that had chartered this trip for specific photographic purposes. I have no idea what happened on that trip, but the customers were shouting at the DM about how this was the worst operation they had ever seen in their lives and how they were going to make sure everyone knew about it.

Well, that was two years ago, and perhaps all that has changed since then.

 

[keishagirl]

"Aqua Dives not my most favorite and would not reccomend them to anyone" - Gaz Cooper

This is for all the haters... Gaz why don't you educate the forum on the real reason you are hating on AD so much... weren't you the owner of the DO that was kicked out of Sunbreeze Hotel, just to be replaced by AD. WOW. It looks like you are an expert on percentage of losses from moving from the SB, what your claiming 75%?, but are you certain that your knowledge comes from research that could be applied to everyone, or are you just speaking from experience being that you were unable to continue your own DO after being forced out of the SunBreeze. I just find it quite SAD that you think your faith will apply to everyone. What your trying to say you did not have a good enough DO to leave any hotel and succeed on your own. What in your mind makes the SB hotel better than other hotels on ambergris caye? What you talking about best location do you even know what it is to have another location?

It just seems to me that you are on a rampage to lower AD reputation. There is no reason why you even need to mention them in your comments. What point are you trying to make? Are you just doing this as a way to express your joy? How educated do you feel arguing like this in the international tourism market? This is the impression you want the world to get about people that claim they reside in Belize. SHAME. I don't think any of the customers here are asking you all to continuously talk BAD about other companies. Why can't you merely state who you recommend and not bash the other companies, this is not the STREETS. But I guess that is the only way some of the Ambergris Caye companies know how to get their customers by bashing on the other DO. Why can't they be professional about it and just market on their own? Peace OUT...