On-site dive op for Wyndham/Reef Club

[Moodiejeff]

They are OK as a safe and efficient operation but because of schedules etc. they are very structured and bottom times are among the shortest I have ever had in Cozumel.

I would have to say that I do not agree with this statement, having done numerous dives with them this week. They were pretty relaxed so long as you had a dive buddy. Our average dive was around 40-45 minutes.

Ummmm, 40-45 minutes per dive is barely acceptable. In fact, for anybody but a novice diver it would be considered totally unacceptable.

If you get 40-45 minutes average out of your TANK, then you are getting what you paid for, If they are arbitrarily picking 45 minutes as the max time for your dive, then you are being cheated. I was an air hog when I started, but once I got my breathing under control a dive op like SD would not cut it for me.

There are so many dive ops on the island, why would anyone pick one that limits their dive times?

 

[JDub1974]

Sorry Jeff, I must not have made myself clear. We averaged 40-45 minutes down per dive. They didn't set that limit for us. Sorry I am not as "talented" a diver as you, but that is what we averaged, with a couple of our first dives going beyond 80 feet and spending substantial time there.

If you read what I wrote, instead of reading between the lines, you will have read that I said that they did not set a time limit! We were told that they would like us to ascend at around 500-700 PSI in order to make sure our rest point was satisfied.

Oh, and it shocks me that a guy who has enough balls to flex his fat torso on his picture will use 4 M's when spelling "um". But then, again, you are clearly leagues above the rest of us.

 

[Moodiejeff]

Did YOU actually read what I wrote? Obviously not. If I misinterpreted your post I apologize.

Look, I was not trying to be a dick... I was just saying that 40-45 minutes is not nearly enough time for a dive IF the dive op sets the limit.

As far as personal attacks... get a life

 

[1KWIK_69]

I also heard the the onsite operator Sand Dollar even charges customers who stay the resort a pier pick-up fee if you use another shop. Can anyone verify?

John

I can verify that no one at Sand Dollar seems to know how that works. We just
returned from there and dove with another operator that I always go with. We asked
Sand Dollar about the peer fee and they said the shop we went with would take care of the fee. Our shop said they would pick us up at the "Wooden Peer" to the south.
Sand Dollar doesn't own that so there was no fee and no problems. 5 days of 2 tank
diving in the past week with no fees and no problems seems pretty reliable.

Christy, thought you might want to know this.......

 

[1KWIK_69]

Did YOU actually read what I wrote? Obviously not. If I misinterpreted your post I apologize.

Look, I was not trying to be a dick... I was just saying that 40-45 minutes is not nearly enough time for a dive IF the dive op sets the limit.

As far as personal attacks... get a life

I read it and it sounded like you were bragging that with your substantial experience you needed less air than us newbies. Sorry but that's how I read it too.

I've been diving since the 80s and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm still an air hog.
I'm happy to get 45 minutes on a 100 plus max depth dive with an 80 cubic foot tank.
I have big lungs so I suck it down. It helps me big time with free diving and I don't
know a lot of people that can hold their breath as long as I can, but I use a 100
cubic foot on deep dives because I'd rather not have to worry about cutting my dives short.

It's better to let my computer tell me when it's time to come up......

 

[jkaterenchuk]

Thank you. What Op did you use and how did they do?

John

I can verify that no one at Sand Dollar seems to know how that works. We just
returned from there and dove with another operator that I always go with. We asked
Sand Dollar about the peer fee and they said the shop we went with would take care of the fee. Our shop said they would pick us up at the "Wooden Peer" to the south.
Sand Dollar doesn't own that so there was no fee and no problems. 5 days of 2 tank
diving in the past week with no fees and no problems seems pretty reliable.

Christy, thought you might want to know this.......

 

[Eskasi]

I will be diving with them while on a Cruise with Carnival Cruises in May. I have my own gear and camera. Will I be able to wash before I leave back for the boat?

40 mins is really quite short for a dive. I suppose if they have many vacation divers who have not many dives up their belts, they might run through air a lot quicker.

I am taking the cruise option to dive Roatan, Belize and Cozumel ...then going on a week long liveaboard to the Bahamas.

 

[1KWIK_69]

Thank you. What Op did you use and how did they do?

John

I went with Deep Blue, but I wouldn't want to turn you away from Sand Dollar or any
of the other operators there. That's just who I've been going with for a lot of trips
and always had great dives.

 

[1KWIK_69]

I will be diving with them while on a Cruise with Carnival Cruises in May. I have my own gear and camera. Will I be able to wash before I leave back for the boat?

40 mins is really quite short for a dive. I suppose if they have many vacation divers who have not many dives up their belts, they might run through air a lot quicker.

I am taking the cruise option to dive Roatan, Belize and Cozumel ...then going on a week long liveaboard to the Bahamas.

Most resorts have places to wash gear and shower off near the peer when you
get back. 40 minutes would be a little short but not by much on a dive with a
max depth over 100 feet.

 

[spyder]

I've dove with Sand Dollar for several years and haven't experienced the short dives. Using my Nitek3 the dives usually come up pretty close to the max on air. My son's b'Air shows close as well. Using nitrox now I'm short but since my son is diving air and I'm 49 the extra cushion is ok. Not that it will keep me from getting bent but hopefully it helps....