dive ops with a BIG BOAT?

[cardzard]

Dive Paradise have large boats and limit the number of divers per boat. Check their website for details , theres a reason they are the biggest and oldest op on the island,

 

[spyder]

As someone else said, Sand Dollar has a couple big boats. We've been diving with them for several years and are very accomodating.

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

Two of the three times I dove with them I had DM's that were rude and annoying both above and under water.. ie. tugging at your fins to get your attention to show you something.

Yes, I agree! I HATE it when someone tugs at my fin to get my attention to see something I otherwise would have missed!

After the dive they took all of us back to the marina where we had to get cabs on our dime. Their excuse was it was too choppy to drop people back at their hotel docks, which was definitely not the case.

I have been diving with DP for some 8+ years with several hundred dives just with this dive op alone on every boat they own. If they brought you back to the marina, it was for your own safety. It is not your place to judge whether or not the conditions are rough and whether or not it is safe for the boat to dock at the pier of various hotels. Conditions vary greatly and for what might appear calm to you in one area, there is someone radioing the captain from (for example) Hotel Cozumel, telling them that it is too risky for the boat to dock there. As a seasoned diver, you should know that you can not always judge the conditions when these people do this for a living every day of their lives. Do you really think they would lie to you about the conditions and risk having a boat load of pissed off clients? These decisions are made for their client's safety.

Just wondering what constitutes rude and annoying? How much in tips do you think the DMs are going to make if they are rude? Tips are their livelihood and the way they pay their bills and feed their family. I've never had any issues with their DMs and the only few times that I had to come and go from the Caleta (the marina) was for a very good reason. I have seen boats getting slammed into the pier when it was rough and even heard of one woman falling in between the boat and the pier as she was getting off the boat. Thank God she was not seriously injured but she was very lucky. Not only is it a big risk to the divers exiting the boat, it could cause extensive damage to their boat. Trying to disembark in those conditions is extremely dangerous. Surely not worth the risk of a $5.00 cab ride. I guarantee you got back to your hotel faster by going into the Caletta and cabbing back, then heading back in rough seas and waiting out the many attempts it would take for the boat to dock and get the divers safely off at each hotel.

I agree, as well, about Scuba Club and their roomy boats and camera tables. Bonnie (underwatercolours) runs some great photo courses there and I attended a couple and there is ample room for camera equipment. The whole dive op caters to photogs. However, SCC is all-inclusive so you are pretty well forced to go that route.

 

[Christi]

Yes, I agree! I HATE it when someone tugs at my fin to get my attention to see something I otherwise would have missed!

Sorry Jen - gotta disagree with you on this point regardless of when or where or with whom it happens! It is NEVER appropriate for a DM (or anyone) to tug on someone's fin unless there is a true emergency - especially NOT to show them a lobster or anything for that matter.

I wasn't there so I didn't witness this obviously - I simply disagree with this in general as a way to get someone's attention.

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

Sorry Jen - gotta disagree with you on this point regardless of when or where or with whom it happens! It is NEVER appropriate for a DM (or anyone) to tug on someone's fin unless there is a true emergency - especially NOT to show them a lobster or anything for that matter.

Yeah, I'd want to smack someone if they were yanking on me just to show me a lobster... On the other hand, I can recall just recently, someone doing that to show me three bee-u-tee-ful purple crowned sea goddesses!! Oh Yeah! You can tug on my fin anytime...but NOT for a lobster...or a crab...or a blenny...or a shrimp...or a starfish...

 

[MMM]

On the other hand, I can recall just recently, someone doing that to show me three bee-u-tee-ful purple crowned sea goddesses!!

You mean like this?

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

Here's the pic...but couldn't get the third one in the macro frame. It probably didn't want to be part of a 'threesome" lol

 

[JenLoves2Dive]

duplicate post. ooops

 

[MMM]

cool!:cool2: