Is Dive Paradise truly as bad as the reviews?

[NewbieScubyDoo]

Thanks Fish-R-Man for your reply and advice!

Wow...Bering Sea?! That would be fun to dive (dry suit and all!)

Appreciate the time to write,
J.

 

[newgentry]

My daughter and I go to Cozumel all the time, we're probably around 9 trips or so thus far. We always stay at Hotel Cozumel, and always dive with Dive Paradise, and that's right at 150 dives total so far. We've also taken the odd side excursion here and there with other operators, Aldora being one of them. Dive Paradise is right at the top of the scale as far as I'm concerned. Apple is a great lady and their staff is top-notch. They have a good selection of boats and dive trips, and in all of those dives I have never, and I do mean NEVER, seen any of their dive masters or boat crews do something that I considered unsafe. And as you can imagine, given the fact that I'm diving with my daughter, who is my most precious possession, if I'd ever seen a whiff of a problem I would have been out of there quickly. If you have questions or issues, speak up, and I'm sure they will be responsive. Have fun.

 

[robint]

I wouldn't be concerned. This issue here is that they are a BIG operation. When you go with that BIG, you lose alot of the personal experience. Many people choose them because they are the cheapest package, then they complain about it being less than perfect. Well.... as the saying goes!

We have dived with them once, many years ago, as we were meeting up with a friend there and that was his dive op of choice. We used one of the small fast boats for the day. I found the DM to be competent but not stellar, the surface interval was spent on the boat. That's no big deal on a big boat like SCC has, but on a small boat it was a rocky hour. I didn't appreciate it, though I didn't get seasick at all it just was boring. Would I use them again? Yes, if a similar situation presented itself. I really didn't dislike them.

My recommendation... have a great trip! Switch to the small boats (more $$) if you want. ALL dive ops dive the exact same reefs. Then when you book to return to Cozumel... and you will... decide which dive op best suits you.

robin

 

[diverokc]

I am going on my tenth trip in three years for labor day and have dove with DP everytime but once when hotel coz was booked for the air show. I am probably biased towards them because i have gotten to know alot of them personally. I have met apple a couple times and she is great to work with. That all being said i am a very observant person and being on the cattle boats i have seen all types of divers go with them and really enjoy it. The only bad time i remember was when it was a lady's first cosumel dives and i stood there at the dive shop when they recommended a private DM for her first dives. SHe laughed and said oh no ive been diving in the US alot. Well you can imagine what happened she couldn't get down and had all kinds of other troubles. Our DM spent the whole time as basically her private DM instead of being able to find us cool stuff to look at. I wil be back in sept. and can't wait to see the guys at DP. They ask if your prefer any DM so if you meet one you really like request to try to be on his boat for the week. enjoy

 

[Damselfish]

As far as Tripadvisor, it is big and there is much information to be found there. But like any similar site, you need to read between the lines to figure out which reviews are reliable, and which ones are meaningful to you. Personally I would only refer to a general purpose site like that for information on things like hotels and restaurants, not dive operators. Maybe there is some useful info, but my sense is people who review diving on any general travel site are more casual than serious divers, so they have a very different perspective on what matters, and things that happen, than I would.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Quality dive op.

 

[NewbieScubyDoo]

Newgentry,

Thank you for replying! After diving with them numerous times, I genuinely appreciate what you have to say.

Will definitely share this with my scuba buddy!

J.

 

[ReefHound]

U made a good point (Invasion) but one has to wonder why they are getting slammed with horrible reviews (Trip Advisor being the most trustworthy out of all review sites).

My experience with TA is quite the opposite. I've never seen a review site with so many shill reviews. It's too easy to create a new account and fire off a review. There's no accountability. I checked TA for DP and noticed something. Sort by rating and it appears most 1 star reviews were by folks with a history of 3 reviews or less while most 5 star reviews were by folks with 10 or more reviews.

I lend far greater credence to forums where the members have a history and communication is bidirectional not unidirectional - the reviewer can be questioned further (or challenged if necessary). The people on SB are "real" to me. I've had previous dialogue with many of them. I personally know many of them.

However, there is a big difference IMO between their cattle boats and their smaller fast boats. I would suggest upgrading to get on the smaller boats.

 

[NewbieScubyDoo]

Robint,

I agree with you 100%. My favorite maxim is, "you get what you pay for". And that includes, if you go for a bigger Op, then you lose a little customer service.

Thats exactly why I am also using Scorpio Divers (ALL reviews were beyond stellar!) when we shoot to Cancun for a couple days of diving as well. But that is a boutique shop, and hence the customer service ratio is naturally far better.

And we want to return, and we havent even been there yet! LOL

We want to to about 100 dives a year, and always searching for a "home away from home" dive Op/destination to call our own.

Thanks for the time to reply! We appreciate it!
J.

---------- Post added July 17th, 2013 at 10:45 AM ----------

diverokc,

Great insight! Thank you!

Like you, I am insanely observant. I notice and take note of the smallest of actions/reactions.

With any dive boat, I find the DM that fits my "over the top" personality, and tip them generously as well as hopping on their specific boat as often as I can.

Thanks again and have fun in September! Let the countdown begin!

Smiling...
J.

 

[mselenaous]

I have dove with Dive Paradise during the previous two ScubaBoard Invasions and was pleased with their operation. They didn't skip a beat, were attentive without smothering after day 1 and knew my experience level (saw me in the water, not just yadadada...yes many have experience/training well beyond what their actual in-water skill level is).

Dive ops are in the business of SAFE FUN. Every op goes about it differently. No op can be all things to all people all of the time. As Mike said, the bigger the op, the more people and thus more "goof balls" to deal with. I work in this industry in another popular dive destination and can say that no matter what an op does, it only takes one of those wild-card goof balls to put a dirt smudge on your happy outing. So as for negative reviews, I have learned that most negative reviews are based on mis-matched expectations of the customer to what the op routinely delivers...aka, they didn't do their homework, chose solely on price, or whatever. If you don't like crowds, avoid big boats and go on 6-packs instead. If you don't like newbies silting up your photo ops, choose an op that caters more to experienced divers & dive sites (aka one that doesn't run tons of discounted open water courses). If you are a newbie and need more help, be vocal about it to the dive op and PAY for the extra attention in the form of hiring private guides, tipping well, etc.

Only you know what you want from of your dive vacation. Only you can do the upfront investigation of various ops to know what you will be getting. And after your trip, do share what they did that was right for you, and what they did that might not be for you but is right for someone else.

As for your safety, be a responsible diver with your own safety gear: SMB, Nautilus Lifeline, CO & Nitrox analyzers, etc. Ultimately, you are the one responsible for your dive safety and fun.

Have a Blast and Dive Safe!