Problems with AquaWorld

[Codyjp]

i rented some gear from an unfamiliar shop just after cert. and all apeared to be in working order. After we were in the water my girlfriends BC poped in the surf zone, reg freeflowed and my depth gauge didn't work. long story short. it was all messed up. we got the same response from the shop. "uhh, thats to bad..." i quickly went out and bought my own stuff after that.

buying my own gear was one of the best things i could have done diving. rental stuff is JUNK!!!

 

[scubadobadoo]

...and the pressure gauges showed very little PSI and moved while breathing....

This also happens when you don't turn your air on all the way. You sure it was completely on? If it was on, this should have been noticed BEFORE the dive by breathing in the regulator and watching and looking at the gauge as most are taught to do. As others said, you are in charge of your own safety alone. Be careful and take charge of your own dive especially when diving with strangers in a third world country. Many of us trusted others way too much when we first started diving. Welcome to the club, just don't remain a member of this one.

 

[IchiroBoston]

This also happens when you don't turn your air on all the way. You sure it was completely on? If it was on, this should have been noticed BEFORE the dive by breathing in the regulator and watching and looking at the gauge as most are taught to do. As others said, you are in charge of your own safety alone. Be careful and take charge of your own dive especially when diving with strangers in a third world country. Many of us trusted others way too much when we first started diving. Welcome to the club, just don't remain a member of this one.

Yup, I actually watched him take a test breath and watched the psi guage. and it was very gradual, after about 10-15min.

I hope to never have to start a post in this section again!

 

[scubadobadoo]

Good for you for wanting to discuss and learn. Also, welcome to the board! I have learned alot here and hope you have the same positive experience!

BTW, I see you live in Boston. Make sure you take advantage of that great shore diving you have in Cape Ann this summer! I love it there!!

 

[chairmanTARAC]

Divebutt got it right, Aquaworld is concerned with revenue not diver safety or experience. There are many fantastic dive operators in cozumel and Aquaworld is not one of them. The operation seems to be well funded and marketed but has no regard for repeat business.

 

[Wijbrandus]

I dove with AquaWorld out of Cancun in Nov of 2004. I found the operation there to be top-notch, and well worth my time and money. I enjoyed every minute of it.

That said, I have no experience with their Cozumel operation. It's entirely possible that they have either slipped tremendously in a year and a half, or this other operation is not run anything like what I experienced across the channel.

Based on my previous experience with AquaWorld, I would have gladly booked with them again. Thanks to your post, I will consider a bit more carefully, and I will remember that different operations from the same company may have entirely different reputations.

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

I also have dove with Aquaworld in Cancun in the past. A while not a perfect 10, it was no where as bad as you describe. Robert may have it right - perhaps the Cozumel operation isn't as good as the Cancun one.

My trip report can be found here - http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=62288

Marc

 

[jennasnyder1980]

Ugh. This happened to me in Thailand. I checked the reg by pushing it and hearing air, but didn't check that I was open with the quarter turned back. About 15 minutes into the dive, the gauge was going up and down DRASTICALLY with my breath. My boyfriend and I surfaced. The DM pointed out the problem and I was definetely more careful the rest of the liveabroad.
I blame myself for not being better about checking my equipment. I guess because I had already dived in it for a couple other dives, I thought it was in working order.
Also, in divers defense.... I was new and nervous and the DM was rushing people off the boat. Seriously, people were gearing up in a small area and really moving fast. When you are new, this is a nerve wrecking experience. What are people's thoughts on how much time it takes to gear up, etc.?

 

[bennedc]

I've had problems with AquaWorld too...back when they were in PuertA Aventuras. This was in Spring of 2001. We were staying at the Copacabana and had to take a pricey taxi back and forth over to the Aventura Palace to do the boat diving. The taxi was the expensive part but Alex was the best dive master we have ever had, so we paid the fare several times to go diving.

Anyway, the problem came with this European guy (not meaning to stereotype...just thought it strange that all the rest were of Hispanic descent and this guy was the only blonde in the mix) was shooting the video. My husband and I did not have an underwater cam at the time and wanted to purchase a video. So we got the papers filled out and he shot the underwater videos and we were all excited...he said it would be ready to pick up the next day in Puerta Aventuras. Well, as luck would have it, they don't always stick to the "no fly for 24 hour" rule and are more like "no fly for 12 hours", so we had to leave for the airport the next afternoon and barely had time to go pick up the video at the Aventura Palace. So we pay the $10 each way to go the 4 miles from the Copa to the Palace, get to the Aquaworld booth, and they are closed. My husband and I are PISSED! We finally found a dive master getting off of a boat and told him the situation. He went and found the camera guy...who acted like he had never seen us before, and all of a sudden NO LONGER SPOKE ENGLISH! He sent the video to Cancun...

The manager refused to have the video mailed to us in the States. We would not do business with them again. The ferry to Coz was WAY TOO CROWDED...we dove in groups of like 35 and they expected us to follow one dive master...

The dives were good, but the service was lousy! Dive in Coz, but don't use Aquaworld.

 

[CPDiver]

Your post brings back a very hazy unpleasant memory.

Several years ago I spent 10 days in Cancun and dove with Aquaworld nearly every day.

On the ride in from th dive site I had a rather unpleasant experience and a quick introduction to Aquaworlds laid back approach. I was sitting on the top deck of their very nice, large (40-50 foot) dive boat when BANG all of a sudden I found myself looking up at the sky from the floor of the top deck 10 feet from where I had originally been sitting.

The retractable weather cover (Aluminum frame with waterproof canvas type cover), which was currently deployed, broke free as the boat was under way at speed on a windy day and struck me square in the side of my neck (Aluminum frame to the neck), literally tossing all 230 pounds of me 10 feet across the deck. I have no reccollection of the actual blow, but I know I never took a shot of that magnitude on the Rugby field.

Considering I was knocked out for a brief time, I felt decent enough when I came to and tried to shake off the "accident" as smoothly as I could. However, I soon started to feel shocked that I received no, zip, nada assistance whatsoever from the boat crew. I never had one crew member even ask me if I was OK. Had I not been dazed I might have raised a bit of heck with the captain for the obviously faulty rigging of the boat and the lack of any semblance of professional responsibility exhibited by the crew. But since I was dazed, I got off the boat, had a few cocktails and called it a day.
I realize **** happens, but when it happens it is not unreasonable to expect just a touch of professionalism from the supposed professional crew.

I as a rule avoid Aquaworld since my fortunately thick and still functioning neck begins to ache at the mere mention of Aquaworld.