- Messages
- 268
- Reaction score
- 6
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
If you dont feel like reading this entire post at least skip to the second to last paragraph and read about the videographer!
I stayed in the Oxidental Grand adults only all-inclusive resort located in Riviera Maya Mexico for 10 days
. I will post this hotel review in a non-diving report.
I arranged to dive with Jason from Fantasea divers on 12/7/07. Upon arriving, I met Jason and found out I was the only diver diving. Therefore, I would be responsible for an up-charge to cover the cost of the boat. I was a little pissed, as I hate bait and switch situations. Jason understood my frustration and fortunately, another instructor and three divers joined us bringing down the cost to what I anticipated. We had plenty of bottom time and Jason pointed out all of the great marine life that only a frequent diver in the area could show. Needless to say I had a great time diving with Jason.
The only issue with getting to Playa Del Carmen (PDC) and Jason from Riviera Maya is the cost and time. I either can take the cab for ~ $15 USD one-way or the colectivo for $2.00 USD one-way. I choose the colectivo and realized quickly if I want to dive with any operation in PDC or south I will need a rental car the next time. The hotel is about 25 minutes by car to PDC.
The next few days the weather turned bad and the harbor was closed due to rough surf. Reluctantly, I switched dive operations from Fantasea to Dressel divers who happen to be located on the property. I did this, as I did not want to chance traveling all the way to PDC and risk diving being closed due to winds.
Dressel is all about the almighty dollar. They let guests try scuba twice a day in three pools trying to get them to sign up for DSD. They limit dives to 45 minutes even if you have 20 minutes of no deco time or ample gas available. It gets frustrating when you are paying $45 USD cash or $50 credit card per dive, travel by plane and pay for a hotel when bottom time is limited. I know there are other operations however, there is also a Time price to pay to stay away from the hotel for 3 extra hours to get in another 15 or so minutes of dive time.
Due to the high winds i.e. Tropical Storm over the Dominican Republic the visibility was sketchy when normally it can be far greater than 50. I saw plenty of large green moray eels, smaller spotted moray eels, manta rays, 15 or so large turtles (Wonder where the small ones are), lobster, crab, octopus, barracuda and tons of other fish that I cant name.
On one of my dives during the second dive of a two-tank dive the captain of the boat whispered something into the dive instructors ear. I asked what he said, he replied He asked if I can keep it to 45 minutes or less because it is raining. I am thinking great 40 deep should give me 65 minutes of bottom time. I should have brought a raincoat for the captain.
Dressle ever so slightly tries to change dive locations so divers who are staying long dont dive the same reefs over and over. Needles to say during one of my dives I recognize a large crab in a hole I saw the day before. When I got back to the shop the only thing they ever do is say oh! I am sorry.
Dressel uses instructors on each and every dive tour regardless of diver certification level. Instructors tout how safe Dressel runs their operation with O2 on each boat and plenty of instructors to go around should there be beginners diving. Remember I said Dressel is all about the money. Well they also send a videographer on most dives and offer to sell you the video. The safety level is interesting to me. I became friendly with one of the instructors and he said the captain left the vidoegrapher in the water and left the dive location. The vidoegrpher came back on a non-Dressle boat. I am thinking, so much for that safety level. I dont understand why they dont call names and check them off at the end of every dive. I would think that is the most basic and cheapest level of safety they can implement. Most dives are only a couple of miles from shore and there is ample boat traffic so in a pinch I guess one could hop on another boat or swim to shore if needed. I realize this is not how to plan a dive but it is an option. Oh yeah I had a spool and SMB.
One of the best parts of the dive was meeting Eric a fellow diver from Belgium. He was an amazing diver and budding up with him was a privilege. We had a great time and found out we had rooms next to one another. What are the chances in a 300 room hotel? On the last day of diving I finished with a morning dive as I was flying out the next afternoon. Eric was able was also diving in the afternoon. I caught up with Eric later in the day and he said the dive was canceled. The surf was calm and we both concluded there were only two divers who wanted to go out and Dressel called the dive. Did I say Dressel was all about the $$$.
I stayed in the Oxidental Grand adults only all-inclusive resort located in Riviera Maya Mexico for 10 days
. I will post this hotel review in a non-diving report.I arranged to dive with Jason from Fantasea divers on 12/7/07. Upon arriving, I met Jason and found out I was the only diver diving. Therefore, I would be responsible for an up-charge to cover the cost of the boat. I was a little pissed
, as I hate bait and switch situations. Jason understood my frustration and fortunately, another instructor and three divers joined us bringing down the cost to what I anticipated. We had plenty of bottom time and Jason pointed out all of the great marine life that only a frequent diver in the area could show. Needless to say I had a great time diving with Jason.The only issue with getting to Playa Del Carmen (PDC) and Jason from Riviera Maya is the cost and time. I either can take the cab for ~ $15 USD one-way or the colectivo for $2.00 USD one-way. I choose the colectivo and realized quickly if I want to dive with any operation in PDC or south I will need a rental car the next time. The hotel is about 25 minutes by car to PDC.
The next few days the weather turned bad and the harbor was closed due to rough surf. Reluctantly, I switched dive operations from Fantasea to Dressel divers who happen to be located on the property. I did this, as I did not want to chance traveling all the way to PDC and risk diving being closed due to winds.
Dressel is all about the almighty dollar. They let guests try scuba twice a day in three pools trying to get them to sign up for DSD. They limit dives to 45 minutes even if you have 20 minutes of no deco time or ample gas available. It gets frustrating when you are paying $45 USD cash or $50 credit card per dive, travel by plane and pay for a hotel when bottom time is limited. I know there are other operations however, there is also a Time price to pay to stay away from the hotel for 3 extra hours to get in another 15 or so minutes of dive time.
Due to the high winds i.e. Tropical Storm over the Dominican Republic the visibility was sketchy when normally it can be far greater than 50. I saw plenty of large green moray eels, smaller spotted moray eels, manta rays, 15 or so large turtles (Wonder where the small ones are), lobster, crab, octopus, barracuda and tons of other fish that I cant name.
On one of my dives during the second dive of a two-tank dive the captain of the boat whispered something into the dive instructors ear. I asked what he said, he replied He asked if I can keep it to 45 minutes or less because it is raining. I am thinking great 40 deep should give me 65 minutes of bottom time. I should have brought a raincoat for the captain.
Dressle ever so slightly tries to change dive locations so divers who are staying long dont dive the same reefs over and over. Needles to say during one of my dives I recognize a large crab in a hole I saw the day before. When I got back to the shop the only thing they ever do is say oh! I am sorry.
Dressel uses instructors on each and every dive tour regardless of diver certification level. Instructors tout how safe Dressel runs their operation with O2 on each boat and plenty of instructors to go around should there be beginners diving. Remember I said Dressel is all about the money. Well they also send a videographer on most dives and offer to sell you the video. The safety level is interesting to me. I became friendly with one of the instructors and he said the captain left the vidoegrapher in the water and left the dive location. The vidoegrpher came back on a non-Dressle boat. I am thinking, so much for that safety level. I dont understand why they dont call names and check them off at the end of every dive. I would think that is the most basic and cheapest level of safety they can implement. Most dives are only a couple of miles from shore and there is ample boat traffic so in a pinch I guess one could hop on another boat or swim to shore if needed. I realize this is not how to plan a dive but it is an option. Oh yeah I had a spool and SMB.
One of the best parts of the dive was meeting Eric a fellow diver from Belgium. He was an amazing diver and budding up with him was a privilege. We had a great time and found out we had rooms next to one another. What are the chances in a 300 room hotel? On the last day of diving I finished with a morning dive as I was flying out the next afternoon. Eric was able was also diving in the afternoon. I caught up with Eric later in the day and he said the dive was canceled. The surf was calm and we both concluded there were only two divers who wanted to go out and Dressel called the dive. Did I say Dressel was all about the $$$.
