Palm Beach Dive Thread

[scubadada]

Hi @NothingClever

What was the water temp? Coming down tomorrow for the rest of the week. Diving Jupiter and Palm Beach

 

[NothingClever]

23*C / 73*F but I was totally comfy in my 1mm today.

 

[DiveFlag = Target]

Yep, until the high rise construction is done.

I find using my yacht cart to be easier than the golf cart and PVD lets me lock it up in the storage trailer to avoid extra walking. You’re welcome to use it, too.

Looks like the second boat is back from annual services in time for the peak season.

Yeah, that could be a while. I appreciate it.

 

[MrChen]

Why did you select roller guns for scuba? I think I would choose simplicity when scuba hunting? Glad you like the gun, just curious why you selected that option? Especially if the roller band is popping off the underside of the barrel after a shot; that would aggravate me. Perhaps shortening the roller band would help, I'm not really sure?

The koah is more like a hybrid. It has one standard band and a roller band. I know some people who have the koah roller on scuba and they liked it. The thing is laser accurate. The roller band doesn't always pop out and only takes seconds to put back in. I get the power of 3 bands without trying to manage that mess.

On my RA, I had put it back to a standard muzzle instead of roller because it was a pain. My koah roller is easier to load than 2 standard bands on the RA.

 

[gamon]

When I was in SE Florida last week me and a buddy had some time to spare so we signed up for an intercoastal cruise with Flying Lady Boat Tours. It's a small pontoon boat, holds maybe 6-8 people, and there were four of us. Nice way to burn a couple of hours. The Captain narrated mot of the way, pointed out homes of the rich and famous, and told us most of the homes on Peanut Island including Drew Barrymore's home that recently sold are worth upwards of $70 million bucks.

Their boat is all the way at the end of the dock on the left, most of the dive boats are at the opposite end on the right. Some sort of major thing was happening with loud rap music blaring through speakers, a long line of people waiting to get in to the "Eventbrite" sponsored event, and police and fire trucks were blocking off any roads that entered Riviera Beach Marina that weren't already blocked off by some sort of barricade. We had to park so far away that it took 10 minutes to walk back. Thankfully the mess was cleared up by the following morning when it was time to dive with Stuart Scuba, although some of the roads still had barricades so you had to try to find your way in and out of the place.

I was met with a rather unpleasant surprise by Stuart Scuba, upon arriving at the boat I was told that (despite several confirmation messages and phone calls right up until the prior day) that only one of my two wreck dives that were requested and put on their calendar 6 weeks prior would run, because at the last minute they booked a group of shallow divers.

Whatever happened to customer service and keeping promises? The only reason I didn't give them 1 star was because they refunded me for the reef dive but the money doesn't make up for the lost wreck dive which would have been on the Corridor, and I didn't have the time to reschedule it when I was down there.

 

[NothingClever]

So, if I understand correctly, you got one wreck dive and one reef dive but only paid half price. Is that correct?

 

[gamon]

So, if I understand correctly, you got one wreck dive and one reef dive but only paid half price. Is that correct?

That's correct, I got one of the two wreck dives I had booked 1.5 months in advance and did a second reef dive that I had no interested in doing, and was subsequently refunded for it.

To further clarify- when I spoke to Stuarts the day before to confirm the trip was going to run, they said they were juggling things around and to accommodate another group doing reefs they were adding a 3rd reef dive and not charging me for it.

They didn't do me any favors. After diving for about 25 minutes on the first lackluster reef dive, I sat out the 3rd reef dive.

If I interpret the tone of your post correctly, you're suggesting that because I ordered a hamburger but was given only half a hamburger and a half a hot dog, being refunded for half a hamburger somehow makes it ok and I've got nothing to complain about.

 

[NothingClever]

…when I spoke to Stuarts the day before to confirm the trip was going to run, they said they were juggling things around and to accommodate another group doing reefs they were adding a 3rd reef dive and not charging me for it.

They didn't do me any favors. After diving for about 25 minutes on the first lackluster reef dive, I sat out the 3rd reef dive.

I understand.

 

[johndiver999]

That's correct, I got one of the two wreck dives I had booked 1.5 months in advance and did a second reef dive that I had no interested in doing, and was subsequently refunded for it.

To further clarify- when I spoke to Stuarts the day before to confirm the trip was going to run, they said they were juggling things around and to accommodate another group doing reefs they were adding a 3rd reef dive and not charging me for it.

They didn't do me any favors. After diving for about 25 minutes on the first lackluster reef dive, I sat out the 3rd reef dive.

If I interpret the tone of your post correctly, you're suggesting that because I ordered a hamburger but was given only half a hamburger and a half a hot dog, being refunded for half a hamburger somehow makes it ok and I've got nothing to complain about.

Perhaps you should ask for a partial refund from the tour boat captain, as well? LOL.

Seriously, the reef dive was so bad you could only do half of it and skipped the third? I would have been disappointed with the change of venue, but I myself probably would have just blown bubble rings or something, plus watching new divers flail around underwater has to provide some level of amusement?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

They didn't do me any favors. After diving for about 25 minutes on the first lackluster reef dive, I sat out the 3rd reef dive.

I cut my teeth the first 10 years as a diver diving A LOT of inland quarries and lakes in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. We would regularly do 2-3 dives a day in a frequently green flooded quarry, reservoir or lake in 2-5' of viz just to be diving. Nothing but wet rocks and an occasional bluegill. The idea of skipping a dive in Palm Beach County because it happens to be a on "lackluster" reef is pretty crazy. But hey, that's me. I'm pretty darn easy going. You clearly are not. To each their own.

Now the fact that they seemed to have promised you two wreck dives according to your accounts, which we have no reason to doubt, I can understand your frustration and the request for a refund.

But to skip a dive to just sit on the boat for an hour??? Just doesn't compute for me. YMMV.