One dive day on Maui

[MAUI DIVER]

nah...not employed by them. just more possitive than you are. I've been on maui for 10 years and have logged over 4500 dives here. And I try to stay possitive through all the experiences I've had. hey, no offense kris, just two different ways of looking at it. that's all. i never talked more than I should, you know. dive some more and then lets talk. aloha & mahalo.

 

[MAUI DIVER]

its amazing what you can tell by just looking at a persons eye, let alone his mask....hahaha.
aloha & stay real kris.

 

[KrisB]

its amazing what you can tell by just looking at a persons eye, let alone his mask....hahaha.
aloha & stay real kris.

Yeah... I've changed masks since that pic was taken.

I read this in your profile: "We established a Dive Video Service for Maui Dive Shop about 7 years ago and its been an amazing ride" and read that to say you work for them. Is that a misread?

 

[MAUI DIVER]

yes. a misread.
I work with them. not for them.
I am a subcontractor.
we take care of a lot of digital services on island.
what kine mask you have now?
aloha

 

[KrisB]

yes. a misread.
I work with them. not for them.
I am a subcontractor.
we take care of a lot of digital services on island.
what kine mask you have now?
aloha

I found that "The Blue" fits me perfectly -- a nice, simple mask -- no purge, one window, clear skirt.

I think the other side of things that hasn't been looked at is that different people seek different things. This maybe a nationality-culture thing -- as a Canadian, I'm more prone to seek the smaller, more personal operators that seek to cater to personal needs. Others, especially from big-city USA may be more inclined to seek the big operator thinking that bigger is better.

Oddly, it seems MDS has succeeded not because of their diving, but because of their activity-desk side... dive shops that succeed and neither provide referral fees, nor refer customers to other activities hold a great deal more admiration in my mind, simply because I find the activity-desk concept repulsive.

 

[MAUI DIVER]

oh...you're canadian....that explains it.
should have known.
aloha

 

[kidspot]

aloha all.
I always see mantas on the 2 tank night dive charter during the twilight dive(1st dive)
i never see anybody posting about Maui Dive Shop operation....why is that?
aloha

MDS probably doesn't get as much "press" around here because most of us regular SB posters have our preferences ... which vary from person to person. However you will find very few negative posts about MDS boat crews (a few about the shops though lol) in my opionion (for what little it's worth) I think their "shop" reputation sometimes spills over into peoples opinion of the boats without ever diving off them.

While MDS boat trips are not my favorites, I was very pleased with the dives I did with them, and I must say that one of the best DM's I've found so far was a MDS employee.

You'll discover that my favorite shops are Pacific Dive in Lahaina and B&B in Kihei, with a close 2n'd being Maui Dreams (mostly based upon the divers I've seen them turn out, and my brief visits to their shop). My favorite Boat op so far is B&B (I've been diving with 4 different ops here so far... not too many yet) Others around the board love Ed Robinson, some Mike Sevryns or Extended Horizons, Those are the 4 most commonly cited boat ops, though a couple of the regulars like Lahaina Divers or Maui Dive shops.

Shore operators also get some referrals around here, mostly Shaka Doug because many of the board members are seeking him out when they travel here and going back with big smiles and fun stories - Most of them started diving with him after he started participating here on the board, and no he doesn't do much self promotion, but ya' gotta love that shaka attitude he brings to the board - good "taste" of Maui.

One of the most common answers when someone asks who the bad ops on Maui are is "there are no consistently bad ops here" It may not be exactly true, but it's not too far off either. Maui is a place where the diving is good, and generally the folks running boats are good crews.

there's my .02 cents (or was that more like .50 cents worth? lol)

Glad to have you on the board Maui Diver, each persons view helps round out the board all the more.

Aloha, Tim

 

[KrisB]

Thanks, Tim.

I should add that when my aunt and uncle were here in April, they chose to do a couple boat dives with MDS. They had originally planned on doing two dive days with them, but after the first day's experience (nothing traumatic -- just a general displeasure), they chose to not dive with them a second day, preferring shore diving to boat diving off MDS' boat.

To me, that says something... knowing how good the boat diving is, and how much more enjoyable I've found them over our shore diving here.

 

[MAUI DIVER]

are your aunt and uncle canadian as well?
I'm sorry to say that we all, non-canadians, know how much of a pain in the butts you guys are. you want everything for nothing.
does it have anything to do with a socialist upbringing.
canadians are known for not tipping....why?
I am sure there's more to your aunt & uncles experience than you know.
trust me.
look....that's it. I need some sleep.
you take care.
aloha

 

[KrisB]

are your aunt and uncle canadian as well?
I'm sorry to say that we all, non-canadians, know how much of a pain in the butts you guys are. you want everything for nothing.
does it have anything to do with a socialist upbringing.
canadians are known for not tipping....why?
I am sure there's more to your aunt & uncles experience than you know.
trust me.
look....that's it. I need some sleep.
you take care.
aloha

Here's the thing: we don't mind tipping, when it's warranted. You don't get tipped just because you did your job -- you get tipped when you go above and beyond.

If I pay $120 to go out diving for a couple hours, and all I get is a trip to Molokini and back, of course I'm not going to tip!

If the DM goes above and beyond and makes a point of showing me a good time, with no expectation of digging further into my wallet, then, yeah, he'll get a decent tip.

If that bothers you, then *shrug* -- that's your problem not mine. A gratuity must be earned -- the moment a person expects it is the moment they become a poor service provider.

Perhaps it would do you well to study Canadian culture a bit more before accusing us of being socialist. We certainly have a strong social conscience than a good portion of the United States -- but it seems that will be the first thing a US citizen will whine about, too, when they're slighted by Big Business, or when they have to pay for their medical care.

What you don't get is that in the service industry, it's not a matter of what really happened -- it's a matter of what the customer's perception is. If my aunt & uncle changed their plans like that because they didn't enjoy themselves due to the operation and boat crew, then that's all that matters... I remember hearing their complaints and agreeing that it should have been done differently -- but I don't recall what they are specifically.

Bottom line: I have not heard any really positive reviews of MDS, period. That doesn't mean there aren't satisfied customers -- it just means that they haven't said anything in an unbiased forum that I'm privy to.