Florida Dive Operators with user unfriendly policies

[sportxlh]

Drrich2.... Conch Republic rents 100 cf nitrox tanks. I've never seen an operator with 120's though.

 

[Jcp2]

I have double dip on Duane with Conch Republic in my log with 32% in HP100. As I remember it, we first went to the Spiegel Grove, but the current was too strong, detoured to the Duane instead. It was calm and really nice, and when we finished the first dive and came up, all the other boats were gone. They let me choose Duane or reef for the second dive (I was the least experienced) and I chose Duane, since it was so fun the first time around. That was a nice way of handling that.

 

[CosbySweater]

Conch is a good operation.

Dive center's choose their policies based on risk (among other things). All it takes is a single accident with a large settlement to shut a dive center down. I had the pleasure of speaking with an attorney who represents one of the big SCUBA training agencies recently, and he has horror stories of how dive centers, some in south FL, have had to close their doors because of just a single dive accident. It doesn't take much to prove negligence in the dive industry. Could encouraging multiple 100+ foot dives in a single day be perceived by a jury as negligence? Maybe.

My point is that a dive center will choose it's policies partially based on it's tolerance for risk. The ability for a dive center to attract customers based on its risk tolerance is a trade off. Smart operators understand that and build it in to their business models from the beginning, which is why you see some operators who will let divers dive 4 deep wrecks a day and some that don't.

This is just one, of potentially many, answers to your question.

 

[Leighen]

Drrich2.... Conch Republic rents 100 cf nitrox tanks.

I'm pretty sure I called Conch to ask them about renting Nitrox tanks for a dive with another operator; to my recollection they don't let the tanks offsite.

Key Dives in Islamorada has got some steel you can pick up and take wherever you want.

 

[sportxlh]

I'm pretty sure I called Conch to ask them about renting Nitrox tanks for a dive with another operator; to my recollection they don't let the tanks offsite.
.

I think you're right about that. You can rent their 100's when you are diving with them

 

[Dusty123]

Southpoint wouldn’t let me on the boat with a rebreather so I dived oc and was pretty restrictive on bottom time on a trip to the Vandenberg. Called Captains Corner and they dont have issue with rebreathers/doing a single longer runtime. I agree Horizon is a great operation they have people with a range of dive plans on every trip I have ever been on out to the speigel or duane.

 

[Wookie]

Southpoint wouldn’t let me on the boat with a rebreather so I dived oc and was pretty restrictive on bottom time on a trip to the Vandenberg. Called Captains Corner and they dont have issue with rebreathers/doing a single longer runtime. I agree Horizon is a great operation they have people with a range of dive plans on every trip I have ever been on out to the speigel or duane.

Dive Key West won’t allow rebreathers either. Or Quiescience. Just so you know.

 

[Nemrod]

Rainbow Reef has allowed me solo and taken me to the deeper drop offs. I like them. Ocean Divers is my favorite cattle boat Key Largo experience and though not fond of solo, since their store teaches it, they allowed me and they have put me in the water first a couple of times. Southpoint Divers in Key West does double wreak dives and has allowed me solo. These three shops have never called me at 7PM the evening before a scheduled morning dive and cancelled me because they had a better group. Which is a common practice of dive stores especially up in and around Key Largo. Up in Jupiter, Jupiter Divers is a solid store with good boats and friendly staff, I hear there are new owners? Not sure.

N

 

[scubadada]

Rainbow Reef has allowed me solo and taken me to the deeper drop offs. I like them. Ocean Divers is my favorite cattle boat Key Largo experience and though not fond of solo, since their store teaches it, they allowed me and they have put me in the water first a couple of times. Southpoint Divers in Key West does double wreak dives and has allowed me solo. These three shops have never called me at 7PM the evening before a scheduled morning dive and cancelled me because they had a better group. Which is a common practice of dive stores especially up in and around Key Largo. Up in Jupiter, Jupiter Divers is a solid store with good boats and friendly staff, I hear there are new owners? Not sure.

N

Rainbow Reef bought Ocean Divers a little less than 2 years ago. Jupiter Dive Center? has not changed hands for many years.

 

[Superlyte27]

Last two Fridays I've done double dips on the Spiegel with Rainbow Reef. 2+ hour run times both times on CCR and DPV's

They are a fantastic operation.