Finding a (Best) Dive Op in Cozumel

[firstdive2005]

Add Scuba Mau to the list and you can add a new category to rate: Sank a boat in the channel.

Do you know how many boats have sank on coz? Likely not with a comment like that. Many on this list have lost. This has no bearing on their quality as a dive shop!

 

[DandyDon]

This has no bearing on their quality as a dive shop!

Well, the facts revealed of the incident would keep me from recommending them.

 

[firstdive2005]

Thank you for undertaking this monumental task. It is interesting seeing the names of dive ops that I have never heard of before. I see there are a couple of ops whom are definitely not the cheapest but carry >12 divers. Sure they are divided into 2 different groups, but still too many people for my taste. If you are looking into more work and headaches in managing this page, I would also add a category of dive times. Do you dive your own profile or ascend in a group? I left a dive op which I had used for several years after we dived for 35 minutes on Paradise Reef and had to ascend as a group. One diver was terrible with his air. I felt ripped off having over 2000 psi, yet penalized due to another diver. Certainly not trying to nit pick, but the dive time enforcement is a deal breaker for me.

I agree about having to go up with the group because of a divers' high sac rate. Many Karens will explode because of a dive op letting the low air diver ascend without a dm, but go up alone on the safety sausage. Many dive ops discuss this method of allowing better sacrifice rates to finish their gas/time. I don't like this list, sorry. I started diving before the net. Was so much fun locating a dive op back then. These list miss out on so much. This list is missing so many single operators without their own boats and many with them. It's close I suppose and for those that don't have a place to start looking this is a start, but too confusing. It's seems to be pitting the companies against each other, hard on a small island in my opinion.

 

[firstdive2005]

Well, the facts revealed of the incident would keep me from recommending them.

Facts of over a decade of diving with them will have me praising their work on the island. A great boutique shop, a great location. I won't get personal.

 

[DandyDon]

Facts of over a decade of diving with them will have me praising their work on the island. A great boutique shop, a great location. I won't get personal.

They cut a lot of corners. I've dived with them. Using an unlicensed (pirated), modified glass-bottom boat to cross the channel with customers but without harbor master permission was the last straw. I am surprised he's still in business.

 

[cvchief]

They cut a lot of corners. I've dived with them. Using an unlicensed (pirated), modified glass-bottom boat to cross the channel with customers but without harbor master permission was the last straw. I am surprised he's still in business.

Ouch. Everyone I know who dove with Mau seemed to love him. (I guess except you...)

And define unlicensed. He 'rented' a name and permit number from a boat sitting in a yard. He lost the boat with the permit in the breakup. That's a bit better than just not licensed at all. And certainly not the worst thing I have seen.

Always struck me as a place for hard charging divers, not the nervous nellies, you know?

 

[rsingler]

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[morecowbells]

I agree about having to go up with the group because of a divers' high sac rate. Many Karens will explode because of a dive op letting the low air diver ascend without a dm, but go up alone on the safety sausage.

Sorry, but in my experience, it is not 'the Karens' complaining about ascending ahead of the group. Usually the women have better air consumption than to be the first to ascend-just sayin'

 

[firstdive2005]

Sorry, but in my experience, it is not 'the Karens' complaining about ascending ahead of the group. Usually the women have better air consumption than to be the first to ascend-just sayin'

Sorry I meant to generalize.

 

[ReefHound]

Ouch. Everyone I know who dove with Mau seemed to love him. (I guess except you...)

And define unlicensed. He 'rented' a name and permit number from a boat sitting in a yard. He lost the boat with the permit in the breakup. That's a bit better than just not licensed at all. And certainly not the worst thing I have seen.

Always struck me as a place for hard charging divers, not the nervous nellies, you know?

He's easy to like. I dived with them (when Opal was there) several times and always had good experiences but I do agree they were better suited for experienced divers rather than newbies.

In the early years, they may have cut corners trying to break into an industry with established and intense competition. I don't know where they stand today or if that is still the case.