Dive ops handling wetsuits

[Peter69_56]

Thing is, many/most divers never set foot in a brick and mortar "shop" in Cozumel, or if they do, it's only to drop off their gear on the first day and retrieve gear and pay for the diving on the last. Except for the few dedicated dive resorts such as Blue Angel or ScubaClub, and the few hotels with onsite dive ops (assuming one wants to use the onsite op), the only interaction with the dive op is by boat or hotel lobby. For instance, on my last trip, I stayed at an AI resort with an onsite dive op. Yet I chose to dive with one of the many small-boat operations on the island instead. On my first dive day, I brought all my dive gear to the boat. Had I decided to dive with an outside dive op that did not store gear, I would have had to bring all my dive gear back to my room with me each day. Instead, I chose a dive op that stores gear (and wetsuit), so after I brought my gear the first day, I didn't have to worry about it until the last day. Instead of having to bring dripping gear back to my room each day, I only had one day that I had to deal with figuring out how best to rinse it in the shower than drag it through the room and onto the balcony to dry instead of having to deal with the hassle on a daily basis.

Honestly, I don't give a whit whether they clean it or not. I've done plenty of liveaboard boats where the gear sits unwashed from the end of the dive day to the beginning of the next. But I don't want to be dragging wet stuff around my hotel, and especially when I'm already carrying a heavy camera setup.

Oh well looks like Cozumel is off my list. I have plenty of places to dive as the Pacific islands are so very close to us with many many great dive spots and much history regarding wrecks etc. We have been doing 3-4 dive trips a year and do research each site before we book to make sure we get the best value we can. . We have already avoided a number of LDS at some places based on either bad reports or their bad initial handling of us. Where we get bad service at a site we always report how we see it either here or in Trip Advisor but always endeavour to be honest about things. Have found it very effective in sorting out some poor operators. I have been rang once from an overseas site asking for me to change my review as it was affecting their business. My response was that the review was honest, and if its affecting you, then maybe you should change some things rather than just ask me to remove my review. Another business local to where I live had great product but badly installed it and very bad customer service. I did a review on a solar site about it, I got discrete feedback they they were not happy, however I was very honest in that the product was great, and just called it the way it really was. I have since found that they are now struggling as they are continuing to treat locals badly with a not unexpected effect of not getting business. Everyone I have spoken to about them have made the same comments. In contrast I have other businesses I am prepared to pay a little more for any service as they always do a great job and try to give good service. I believe in loyalty if a business is well run. Price is not the only thing that makes me commit to a sale. Reliability, ethics and a great product also are a part of that equation.

Sadly, although I know little about Cozumel and what it offers its already now down the bottom of my to do list unless I see something about it to prick my interest. Too many other choices.

 

[Mike]

Interesting. I didn't think a lot of experienced divers give much of any reliability nor weight to Tripadvisor.com reviews of dive operations.

If I had the advantage of being so close to south pacific and indo pacific diving like you do I would be in the same boat and would not waste my time going to Cozumel for the diving. I might travel to Cozumel to experience Mexico and do some diving to get a taste of it, but the main reason to go there would be to go to Mexico and not the diving, I can't imagine going there either when you have the diving you do in your backyard. There are at least four things near Cozumel that you can't find where you are that would be worth experiencing - The ruins on the mainland, the cenotes on the main land, the whalesharks at Isla Mujeres and the snorkeling with sail fish experience at Isla Mujeres.

 

[mathauck0814]

There are at least four things near Cozumel that you can't find where you are that would be worth experiencing - The ruins on the mainland, the cenotes on the main land, the whalesharks at Isla Mujeres and the snorkeling with sail fish experience at Isla Mujeres.

Splitting hairs, but you can find whalesharks and sail fish in many places.

 

[Ray and Pam]

Ha, Ha glad I got to read that one before it disappeared.
I can't smell a stinky wetsuit while on a boat on the ocean.
We take a liquid laundry detergent with us and wash our suits every 3 or 4 days in the tub when they start smelling like algae.
When ever I take my booties off on the boat water comes out and I say to myself, self why don't you drill a coulpe holes in the bottom of your hard soled booties and avoid that. Does anyone know of a reason why not to?
After soaking our regs we turn on the faucet or shower head and rerinse the mouth pieces again.
So if you're diving and need to pee but want to hold it until you get back to the boat with the head or wait until back on shore, isn't that a distracting diving stress factor?

 

[Mike]

Splitting hairs, but you can find whalesharks and sail fish in many places.

The whale shark aggregation experience off of Isla Mujeres can typically consist of over one hundred whale sharks. One scientific study using an airplane counted over four hundred from the air in a 3km x 4km area. I don't believe there are any aggregations this large anywhere near Australia or for that matter anywhere else in the world.

This is a very interesting scientific article on the whale sharks of the Yucatan. PLOS ONE: An Unprecedented Aggregation of Whale Sharks, Rhincodon typus, in Mexican Coastal Waters of the Caribbean Sea

The only other place I've heard of anyone offering commercial services for getting in the water with sailfish and bait balls other than Isla Mujeres is one place in Africa. All the Nat Geo stuff and magazine articles I've seen have all been photographed off Isla Mujeres. If you know of some others please post the info.

 

[cvchief]

Mike! Did you just say Mexico (near Cozumel) has the BEST whalesharks?

 

[uncfnp]

Ha, Ha glad I got to read that one before it disappeared.
I can't smell a stinky wetsuit while on a boat on the ocean.
We take a liquid laundry detergent with us and wash our suits every 3 or 4 days in the tub when they start smelling like algae.
When ever I take my booties off on the boat water comes out and I say to myself, self why don't you drill a coulpe holes in the bottom of your hard soled booties and avoid that. Does anyone know of a reason why not to?
After soaking our regs we turn on the faucet or shower head and rerinse the mouth pieces again.
So if you're diving and need to pee but want to hold it until you get back to the boat with the head or wait until back on shore, isn't that a distracting diving stress factor?

So are you suggesting it can be a risk factor for DCS? :shocked2:

 

[Ray and Pam]

Hey relax if you're being serious, just be careful out there, go with the flow and let it go. Hey, it's probably gonna end up out there anyway.
What about the holes in the booties, got anything on that?

 

[uncfnp]

Hey relax if you're being serious, just be careful out there, go with the flow and let it go. Hey, it's probably gonna end up out there anyway.
What about the holes in the booties, got anything on that?

No not serious at all! Not sure about the hole in the booties if you are serious about that. Would certainly compromise insulation/warmth.

 

[charlesml3]

The number of Leaps of Logic, Straw-Man arguments, and confusion between Correlation and Causality in this 20 page thread is truly staggering.

Oh Scubaboard... no other forum illicits more forehead smacks.