Nekton Rorqual 7/25/09 - 8/1/09

[Karloss]

We are doing the Rorqual at end of Sept. and first of Oct. Hopefully things will be worked out by then.

 

[cappyjon431]

jee what happend to the good old days when the only rules that were broken where jumping off the pilot house, diving below 130 and sleeping with the guest in their rooms?

I remember those days well, although when I started, we were required to dive off the pilot house roof as part of our initiation/hazing. Liability, USCG, and common sense takes away all the fun...

 

[diverdoug1]

Cappyjon, You mentioned that Nekton may have changed since you worked with them, unfortunately it has. I have done over 20 trips with them over the past 11 years. Quite a few of these trips were with you (I was the guy who always enjoyed putting the cylume stick in the foramen of your turtle skull during the evening lectures). In fact I still have a large grease stail on my garage floor, from when you lent your clunker of a truck to Nick and Teesa for their cave diving class. Have you heard form Nick? Anyway, I digress. It seems to me that Nekton has had a gradual decline in level of service since the Roqual joined the fleet / and 9/11. I continue to book with Nekton because my wife is very sensitive to motion sickness, but I really wish we could find another operator with a boat design which is as stable as the SWATH. Back when you were with the company, Nekton was really great (even though things were starting to slip from a maintenance standpoint when you were in the office). The quality of the guest experience has been deteriorating more rapidly since around the time Ephey left . I know Mr. Dixon is trying to contain cost, but now that the Pilot will be staying in St. Crap (Croix) all year, and the Rorqual will be there half the year, the product he is offering has fallen to a sad state. I think it would be better if John Dixon rose the price in order to regain the previous level of quality (of the ships, food, staff, itinerary). It feels like things have been done on the cheap for to long.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

jee what happend to the good old days when the only rules that were broken where jumping off the pilot house, diving below 130 and sleeping with the guest in their rooms?

uh...that was probably back when sex was safe and diving was dangerous

Cappyjon, You mentioned that Nekton may have changed since you worked with them, unfortunately it has. I have done over 20 trips with them over the past 11 years. Quite a few of these trips were with you (I was the guy who always enjoyed putting the cylume stick in the foramen of your turtle skull during the evening lectures). In fact I still have a large grease stail on my garage floor, from when you lent your clunker of a truck to Nick and Teesa for their cave diving class. Have you heard form Nick? Anyway, I digress. It seems to me that Nekton has had a gradual decline in level of service since the Roqual joined the fleet / and 9/11. I continue to book with Nekton because my wife is very sensitive to motion sickness, but I really wish we could find another operator with a boat design which is as stable as the SWATH. Back when you were with the company, Nekton was really great (even though things were starting to slip from a maintenance standpoint when you were in the office). The quality of the guest experience has been deteriorating more rapidly since around the time Ephey left . I know Mr. Dixon is trying to contain cost, but now that the Pilot will be staying in St. Crap (Croix) all year, and the Rorqual will be there half the year, the product he is offering has fallen to a sad state. I think it would be better if John Dixon rose the price in order to regain the previous level of quality (of the ships, food, staff, itinerary). It feels like things have been done on the cheap for to long.

WOW!!! the first post in this whole thread that has probably hit the nail on the head..Thank You diverdoug1

 

[cappyjon431]

Cappyjon, You mentioned that Nekton may have changed since you worked with them, unfortunately it has. I have done over 20 trips with them over the past 11 years. Quite a few of these trips were with you (I was the guy who always enjoyed putting the cylume stick in the foramen of your turtle skull during the evening lectures). In fact I still have a large grease stail on my garage floor, from when you lent your clunker of a truck to Nick and Teesa for their cave diving class. Have you heard form Nick? Anyway, I digress. It seems to me that Nekton has had a gradual decline in level of service since the Roqual joined the fleet / and 9/11. I continue to book with Nekton because my wife is very sensitive to motion sickness, but I really wish we could find another operator with a boat design which is as stable as the SWATH. Back when you were with the company, Nekton was really great (even though things were starting to slip from a maintenance standpoint when you were in the office). The quality of the guest experience has been deteriorating more rapidly since around the time Ephey left . I know Mr. Dixon is trying to contain cost, but now that the Pilot will be staying in St. Crap (Croix) all year, and the Rorqual will be there half the year, the product he is offering has fallen to a sad state. I think it would be better if John Dixon rose the price in order to regain the previous level of quality (of the ships, food, staff, itinerary). It feels like things have been done on the cheap for to long.

Welcome to Scubaboard, and all of your points are very legitimate. Wow, over 20 trips, that is probably a Nekton record. I remember a few with 10, 12, but 20 is the most i have ever heard. Hopefully things will improve so that you can continue to travel/dive with them. PM sent about Nick, Tisa, et al.

 

[Shasta_man]

So TravelnSJ, etc, you'll have to bring your own bong, none of those glass things cause you can't clean'em and they'll bust in your luggage and we'll be back to tinfoil. Also we had to dump our stash, so you guys are going to have to hook us up, but we know where the chef keeps his booze so we've got that end covered. Don't mention this to Cappy though cause he ain't cool. I swear that guy has ears everywhere. And questions, he has a million. And answers too!

 

[H2O Gal]

So TravelnSJ, etc, you'll have to bring your own bong, none of those glass things cause you can't clean'em and they'll bust in your luggage and we'll be back to tinfoil. Also we had to dump our stash, so you guys are going to have to hook us up, but we know where the chef keeps his booze so we've got that end covered.

Since I'm going to be on the Pilot not the Rorqual can I assume there will be a bong available there in working order?

 

[chinacat46]

So TravelnSJ, etc, you'll have to bring your own bong, none of those glass things cause you can't clean'em and they'll bust in your luggage and we'll be back to tinfoil. Also we had to dump our stash, so you guys are going to have to hook us up, but we know where the chef keeps his booze so we've got that end covered. Don't mention this to Cappy though cause he ain't cool. I swear that guy has ears everywhere. And questions, he has a million. And answers too!

It was given that Travelnsj wasn't gonna enjoy the diving now without a bong he probably won't enjoy the food either. Scott you better bring lots of wine or cancel the trip.

 

[HouseofCards]

I really do appreciate what you have been writing, but the above quotes make a pretty good ID, and the following statement more than a little illogical......





There's now a second ID now made easily available to revenge by the "tardy paymaster".

The stated reason for anonymity just makes my head twitch. :demented:

I have no misgivings about my upcoming Nekton Rorqual trip.

shhh don't tell on me

 

[MonkeyDiver]

I have a very large Rebreather trip planned with Nekton in September.. it will be a full boat. we have 28 Rebreather divers going with a few OC wives...

befor planning this trip, (I am the organizer) we did a trial trip last year on the Nekton Pilot with captain Nelson, and Captain Brice.

I had 13 rebreathers on board that trip.

Now I have no dog in this fight becuase I have never been on the other boat. but given the fact that the boat crew had Zero experiance with rebreathers I can still tell you the trip went without a hitch, The crew were very attentive, Food fantastic, and both captains I were consumate professionals. and the crew were there every step of the way to help us even though rebreathers were basicly the other side of the moon for them.

The Crew and the Pilot boat did such a good job handleing us last year that I Sold this years entire rebreather trip out in 9 working days due to the reputation last years trip recived online.

Captain Brice is still with the Pilot.. so my exspectations of this trip are very high.

out of the 13 rebreather divers that were on last years trip. 11 are going on this years. so you can see Nekton did fantastic job for us.

I personally would look at the issues posted here as an isolatated incident and not indicative of how the entire company is run.

My 2 cents.