NE Aquarium Dive Club

[PK]

How many people on average attend the meetings?

About 50-80 people attend the meetings.

 

[Scallywag]

I was a member of the NEADC for a long time. Just be careful if you sign up for any dive trips with Donna Romano. She makes up her own policies and rules as she goes along so be careful or you might end up out of pocket like I did. As a result of this I left the club, I might add the NEADC is a fine club and don't be put off by my experience. Just be careful.

 

[safetystop]

I was a member of the NEADC for a long time. Just be careful if you sign up for any dive trips with Donna Romano. She makes up her own policies and rules as she goes along so be careful or you might end up out of pocket like I did. As a result of this I left the club, I might add the NEADC is a fine club and don't be put off by my experience. Just be careful.

HI this is Donna....the rules are clearly listed...in an email I send out and have all
participants sign before paying for their trip. Namely is says if you sign up and pay and do not go you can not get your money back. It is nonrefundable for the privelage of signing up months in advance on a sold out boat to have a full day chartered to dive with seals. No subsitutions of divers on the boat since we would rather have one less diver on board and in the water since the interaction is up the seals and the less divers in the water the better.
If the captian says the boat is safe to sail and you do not like the way the weather is looking that day and decide not to go on the boat then you loss your money. It's as simple as that. Don't have an advanced c-card well then you can not dive the advanced dive planned on the boat that day. Its as simple as that. This is the sport of scuba diving not tiddlywinks and there are rules to live and die by in this sport for your safety. If you don't like it then dive with stangers outside of the club and then try to get a discount off the trip for which I gave you for your group booking to begin with. Those that came on the boat had a fanastic time as everyone saw seals.

 

[Damselfish]

Not allowing substitutions seems unfair. If there's too many divers on the boat then sell fewer spaces to begin with. If there's not too many divers then "nice to have less divers" is a lame reason to not allow subs, it's just taking advantage of people. (Sure there can be any rule you care to make up, no matter how well advertised it doesn't make it a good rule.)

(Another former member, it was just too far for me also.)

 

[Scallywag]

Thank You Damselfish. You hit the nail on the head.

 

[Scallywag]

Again....Just be careful when booking a dive trip through Donna Romano of the NEADC. Just read her post on how she responded to my post, it says it all. Do some homework for yourself before the headache arrives.

 

[Boston Diver Services]

HI this is Donna....the rules are clearly listed...in an email I send out and have all
participants sign before paying for their trip. Namely is says if you sign up and pay and do not go you can not get your money back. It is nonrefundable for the privelage of signing up months in advance on a sold out boat to have a full day chartered to dive with seals. No subsitutions of divers on the boat since we would rather have one less diver on board and in the water since the interaction is up the seals and the less divers in the water the better.
If the captian says the boat is safe to sail and you do not like the way the weather is looking that day and decide not to go on the boat then you loss your money. It's as simple as that. Don't have an advanced c-card well then you can not dive the advanced dive planned on the boat that day. Its as simple as that. This is the sport of scuba diving not tiddlywinks and there are rules to live and die by in this sport for your safety. If you don't like it then dive with stangers outside of the club and then try to get a discount off the trip for which I gave you for your group booking to begin with. Those that came on the boat had a fanastic time as everyone saw seals.

I was on the charter being discussed and had a conversation with you in Cape Ann's parking lot. If memory serves me right, Donna, and I believe it does, you placed all the blame on Cape Ann Divers. No refund was sought by us. We wanted to substitute one advanced diver for another who missed a flight from New York. There was no problem except for the violation of your rules, is that what you are now saying?

This was my last trip with the NEADC also. It is a great group and I have made many friends there. But my expirence with this charter left a bad taste in my mouth.

Captain Pat Breen
Boston Diver Services​

 

[large_diver]

In defense of Donna, I have been on a few NEADC charters coordinated by her and have had a great time. She does this in her spare time and I for one appreciate her coordination efforts. I've seen her take significant expletive-filled verbal abuse in person from someone who decided he wanted to live by his own set of rules vs. the rules of the charter (didn't show advance cert. to shop in advance of an advanced-only charter to the Poling).....so I can understand her sensitivity to the issues discussed above.

I don't know Donna very well, so my opinion is offered objectively......

Respectfully submitted,

Chris

 

[pgdive]

I don't know Donna that well, but the current boat dive coordinator is Leah Neal. So any of this should be water under the bridge and should not be a reason to stay away from the club.

Paul

 

[dbg40]

I dont know anything about it ,but I do know a s... deal when I hear one. and in my not to humble opinion your policy stinks. Cash paid should have some leeway and "rules to live and die by" seems to me a bit of drama. And any diver with a C card is as good as the one that signed up as far as you know, lighten up.