In Cozumel now..need your help w/dive op

[rossandmaureen]

We just returned from Cozumel and were fortunate enough to have only lost one day out of six due to the Norte. While I wasn't diving with Christi, I did visit her shop to introduce myself as a fellow ScubaBoarder and was very impressed that she was in the process of making arrangements for one of her customers to do the east side with Aldora. To me the mark of a good business operation (scuba or otherwise) is being confident enough to allow your customers access to competitors. If your reputation is deserved you will generally not lose business.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

We just returned from Cozumel and were fortunate enough to have only lost one day out of six due to the Norte. While I wasn't diving with Christi, I did visit her shop to introduce myself as a fellow ScubaBoarder and was very impressed that she was in the process of making arrangements for one of her customers to do the east side with Aldora. To me the mark of a good business operation (scuba or otherwise) is being confident enough to allow your customers access to competitors. If your reputation is deserved you will generally not lose business.

So True.....she has always gone beyond what she can do for her customers....she wants everyone diving as badly as they want to dive....she will do whatever it takes to get you in the water....

can't do anything about the weather you pay your money you take your chances....

 

[diver 85]

Arrived in Cozumel Friday and port has been closed ever since. Wind is better today and getting better. Next harbormaster report is at 2pm. Had booked with DWM and am at Wyndham. Both ops say that today's dives have been cancelled again. Anyone know of a dive op that would do a private scuba if the report is good at 2pm? Have called around and many say that their dives are called off. Blue Magic said maybe if report at 2 better. Looking for other options. Fly home day after next and am bummed that we have yet to scuba dive as this was our main purpose.

check wth Aldora---they have a 40 ft'er & dive the East side.....good luck...I ALWAYS tell people people CZM & most Central American dive destinatins are a crap shoot in January & part of Feb when it comes to diving, you really have to know who to go with ie Aldora on CZM & ROATAN basically has 360 degree diving ie 12 month out of the year diving......

 

[diver 85]

So True.....she has always gone beyond what she can do for her customers....she wants everyone diving as badly as they want to dive....she will do whatever it takes to get you in the water....

can't do anything about the weather you pay your money you take your chances....

My question, why not go with Aldora 1st???.....Dave Dillehay(owner of Aldora) is a SB member also.......


Have dived the last 10 times on CZM with them, never been disappointed-----also have a GREAT waterside place to stay....

 

[rossandmaureen]

My (personal) answer is that, when I first visited Cozumel, I went with Jeremy from Living Underwater and since I was far from disappointed have stayed with him ever since out of both loyalty and customer satisfaction. I have no doubt that, for what I seek in a dive op, I would be just as well served by Aldora, Blue XT Sea and several other "boutique" dive operations but have no compelling reason to change. At the same time I recognize that each diver has unique needs and desires in what they seek and it is fortunate that Cozumel has so much healthy competition and variety. I don't think there is any "one size fits all" dive op because each of us has different criteria....whether it is price, tank size/type, surface interval location, dive sites, freshly baked cookies or some combination of the above.

What I value about ScubaBoard is the whole range of freely expressed opinions and reviews (hopefully without flaming) and the contributions of people like Dave and Christi who offer up advice, island information and a wealth of other knowledge without overtly using this forum as a place to troll for business. Yes, that they are posting here likely is beneficial to their business but any dive operator is equally free to post and it would be nice if more of them did.

A somewhat perverse dilemma in posting recommendations is that we do it for several reasons. We want to share our experiences and we also want to send business to our favorite dive op because we want them to succeed but not so much that they won't have room on the boat for us!