The pricing doesn't compare bottom times just a price per dive. Having dove many times with Blue XT Sea & Tres Pelicanos I know we dive our air & not the schedule. Not sure about Pro Dive & I know Aldora supplies bigger tanks for longer bottom times which influences a straight per dive comparison.
I just checked my log book and discovered that most of the dives above 60 feet are in the range of 55 minutes to 1:10 hours. Below 60 feet, the dives are usually less than 50 minutes. One of my sons is a real gas hog and we alternate him as a buddy, so those dives are a little less. Taking all of that into consideration, most of us have less than 500 psi in the tanks when we surface.
I would like to be able to take advantage of one of the operations that has the bigger tanks available so that the son with the high SAC can stay with the rest of us. I did hear in another thread that ProDive can get 100 cf tanks if you will ask them after you arrive. If we select ProDive for this summer's trip, I will try that.
Another disadvantage of ProDive is that the sites visited are limited by what is "on the schedule". In other words, you cannot pick your dive sites like you can with some of the more custom/valet type operators.
I just never dive Nitrox in Cozumel. It's essential on deep, square bottom wreck dives like in North Carolina, but not necessary with the multilevel reef dives there. Some would argue that it's safer or that one feels better with Nitrox, but DAN would disagree.
OK, the others are more reasonable if you don't use nitrox. I like to use nitrox, and since it is free, that is what I used as a comparison. Sorry if that seems deceitful.
Ok, Prodive is still cheaper on a level field, for now. Got to wonder what their long game is?
I just don't know. I only go to Cozumel for the diving, the relaxation, and the rest. If their long game does away with any of that, I'll be no longer interested.
