How do YOU choose a dive op?

[djanni]

Aldora...

All their dive guides (dm) are certified in First Aid and in the Emergency First Response program. Oxygen on all boats. Plus they're better looking than the others!

As far as other things to consider you first have to know what you want out of a dive shop.

Do you want variety?
Full length boat parkas?
Average dive times; i.e., 80 cf tanks or long dive times; i.e. 100 or 120 cy.
A Shop that rinces and keeps your gear and it's set and ready on the boat the next morning.
Access to all west side dive sites without an upcharge.
Tank fills to tank specs. Has own fill station for air and nitrox.
Twin engine boats. Pulled back to the marina by a rope is embarrasing.
Equipment service and repair services at dive shop. Regs and etc.
Office Open 7am to 8pm.
Caters to all skill levels facilitated by multiple boats for easy pairings.
Offers east side diving. Higher cost.
Has their own villa?
Has quality rental gear. Names you've heard of.

First decide what you want from the dive shop. After that it's pretty easy to choose.

 

[scubadada]

@drrich2 brings up an important point, the availability of AEDs. I'm not sure I've ever been on a boat with an AED. CPR can supply blood to vital organs but it does nothing to return to a normal heart rhythm. Successful recovery from cardiac arrest largely depends on effective defibrillation. DAN has commented on the safety and importance of AEDs in the boat environment. In the near future, availability of an AED on the boat may be an additional saftey feature that we take into consideration.

 

[kss1dvr]

Aldora...

All their dive guides (dm) are certified in First Aid and in the Emergency First Response program. Oxygen on all boats. Plus they're better looking than the others!

As far as other things to consider you first have to know what you want out of a dive shop.

Do you want variety?
Full length boat parkas?
Average dive times; i.e., 80 cf tanks or long dive times; i.e. 100 or 120 cy.
A Shop that rinces and keeps your gear and it's set and ready on the boat the next morning.
Access to all west side dive sites without an upcharge.
Tank fills to tank specs. Has own fill station for air and nitrox.
Twin engine boats. Pulled back to the marina by a rope is embarrasing.
Equipment service and repair services at dive shop. Regs and etc.
Office Open 7am to 8pm.
Caters to all skill levels facilitated by multiple boats for easy pairings.
Offers east side diving. Higher cost.
Has their own villa?
Has quality rental gear. Names you've heard of.

First decide what you want from the dive shop. After that it's pretty easy to choose.

Didn't hear a word he said, did you?

 

[Snoweman]

I'm curious as to why the dive shop in this story hasn't been named with a location. Wouldn't that be a good way to help us all out on choosing a dive op?

 

[DogDiver]

Rule number 1...

Always look at the dive boats. Don’t look at price. A good dive op and captain will always keep their vessels in top shape!

 

[pjhansman]

You're missing the point. I'm not trying to sell you on a dive op. I'm trying to get you to think about what is REALLY important when choosing a dive op no matter where you're diving.

 

[bsppc]

I can tell you from my own personal experience that Alison is safety first. I was with her when a guest had a problem and Alison was on point and in control. Her experience prevented the issue from becoming a rescue. I will only dive with Alison, safety is real, not hot air.

 

[MMM]

To the moderator: Marg…..this is posted here and in Basic Scuba Discussions. Feel free to remove one if you want.

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Hi. We only allow one thread on the same topic. This is a really, really good "general" question/comment so I'm going to merge this discussion with the one in Basic. Marg, SB Senior Moderator

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[Snoweman]

You're missing the point. I'm not trying to sell you on a dive op. I'm trying to get you to think about what is REALLY important when choosing a dive op no matter where you're diving.

I get it. A dive op that saves your life or someone very close to you, or just another diver on the boat is a great way to chose a dive op.

However, if I haven't been through that, it's kind of hard to know who is going to save my life (and so on).

I might be able to read about the folks that had a death, but the mystery still remains about this particular dive op.

For me, I look to reviews. Next, I look to communication. Do they reply to my emails in a prompt manner? Next, do they mind my many questions?

No where in my communication is the question of: Did you save a life on your last dive? That fact comes from these forums, unless the forum poster wants to be cagey about their experience. Then, you just have to wonder why they don't want to expound about the dive op.

 

[pjhansman]

Or here's a thought....maybe the intent wasn't to start a cheerleading exercise for a dive op in a specific place. Perhaps it was to generate a discussion on HOW to choose a dive op.

Fortunately northernone seems to have been better at getting that point across in a separate thread.

Identifying a skilled rescue diver?