Reef Club Cozumel / Sand Dollar Sports Trip Report

[pilot fish]

It's not about Suzanne at all but what we perceived about one of her DM's. She does a good job but can't be around all the time to check on staff. We did not complain because it turned out OK and we didn[t want to get anyone in trouble.

Perhaps you're right and conditions changed on the way down south. We'll leave it at that.

"Well, I am not going to speculate or jump to the conclusion that they just didn't want to take you all to Palancar. It's not that much further, so your argument really isn't logical"]]Christi
Which is why we wondered why it would be so bad down there, so close, and not at the spot we were at which was, as you correctly point out, so close.

As I said, we'll leave it at that.

 

[wnctarheel]

We are members at the Reef Club and have dove with Sand dollar several times. Chucky is one of the best dm on the island imo. We have a few friends that likes the bigger boats and the way they do their dives. We have dove with several other op's and I do like some others better for different reasons I would not think twice about using Sand dollar again. they are a good dive op as are most on the island.

 

[Suzanne_in_Cozu]

You first said you will not dive with SDS again: We are sorry we have lost your business. And yes, we are always attempting to improve on our service as are most of the dive operators on the island.

In reference to using someones name on the board: Thats, OK, I just think if you have a complaint you should come to administration and we will fix it. Thats what we do. If we dont know whats going on we cant fix it. Knowing your name just makes the search faster.

In reference to advance notification of reservations:
All 3 of your reservations were charged on October 25, 2006. Susan, in the U.S. office, said she remember talking to one of you several times before you booked the dive. We do not record the resevation until we have the funds. (Unless you are a repeat customer.) Even though you booked late your reservation should have been at the dive shop and I will see why it was not there. Your reservation did make it to my computer.

In reference to the Harbon Master closing the port:
We have had the Harbor Master close the port when the water was flat. And we have had him open in when it is rough. He makes the decision. He knows what's coming in the next few hours. All dive shops on the island have had problems with port closures and we just wish there was some way to know what is going to happen. Generally the HM is correct and if he sees he can open the port he will do so. Even after telling us the port will be closed for 2 days he was able to open it in just a few hours on occasion.

In reference to Cruise Ship divers going out on the SDExpress. Mark, you did get a refund for the diving that was cancelled.
When the Harbor Master opened the port he opened it to boats over 40 feet. The SD Express is 48'. But the SD Express is chartered by the curise line so we took them out. Hotel people do not want to dive with curise ship people so we send the Express out with only Cruise Ship divers. Anyone willing to dive with cruise ship can do so.

In reference to a student going on a certified boat:
If at all possible we do not mix students with certified divers. The certified divers do not like that at all. Im sure you understand.

In reference to the new diver having bouyance problems"
I know who the DM was and according to him, this did calm her.

In reference to the new diver having problems with clearing her ears:
According to the DM he kept asking if she was OK. To which she replied 'yes'

In reference to the DM taking conche from the bottom:
The captain of the boat could lose his "Libreta del Mar" if he allowed anyone on the boat to bring back anything from the sea. Especially locals.

In reference to divers not be allowed to dive from the Reef Club Beach:
Divers are not allowed to dive in that area as the Harbor master has deemed it a "Boat traffic Area" If you were caught out there with one of our tanks, we would be fined. We do offer free tanks for beach diving from our location in Chankanaab park. All you have to do is go there and dive. We also provide you with tanks to dive in our training pool.

I will tell you this and in all sincerity......everytime the port is closed for bad weather the operator is held to blame. We do not make that decision. Its like when the airline lose luggage, everybody screams at the poor person behind the ticket counter. Im sorry the weather was bad and that you did not have a good vacation.


Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions
suzanne@sanddollarspsorts.com

 

[pilot fish]

Spike, you are not going to see any other Coz Dive Shop owner come on this Board and answer questions and complaints as openly and honestly as Suzanne just did.. I think you need to give SandDollar another chance.

 

[jayjoans]

Pilot Fish, I agree that Suzanne did a great job there explaining the situation, and I also agree that Spike should give SDS another chance.

I disagree that there isn't another dive op owner in Cozumel that would come on this board and address questions and complaints like Suzanne did. I know Christi at BlueXTsea is constantly on this board helping out with questions and providing information, and it says something that I've never seen her have to address a complaint.....

 

[pilot fish]

I see other dive shop owners on this Board answering questions about Coz restaurnats and hotels but never have seen ANY OTHER dive shop owner, except Suzanne at Sanddollar, answer complaints by posters on this Board about thier own dive operation. It's not like every other dive op is perfect and SDS is not.

Pilot Fish, I agree that Suzanne did a great job there explaining the situation, and I also agree that Spike should give SDS another chance.

I disagree that there isn't another dive op owner in Cozumel that would come on this board and address questions and complaints like Suzanne did. I know Christi at BlueXTsea is constantly on this board helping out with questions and providing information, and it says something that I've never seen her have to address a complaint.....

 

[jayjoans]

I don't want to start a pissing match here Pilot Fish, but your sweeping generalization is just flat out incorrect.

There are many dive ops that are talked about on this site, and the vast majority of them are not discussed on here because of a complaint. How can you say that NO OTHER dive shop owner would act the same way Suzanne did, when MOST other dive ops don't have posters complaining about them by name on the board?

I understand that most other dive ops in Cozumel don't seem to have a presence on scubaboard, and there SEEMS to be only a handful of dive op owners that post here and make their presence known. It is unfair for you to say that those that are here would not respond the same way Suzanne did if their dive op was singled out like Sand Dollar was.

I fully agree that Suzanne did a fine job responding to the original poster. I think she represented her op well and I would not hesitate to use Sand Dollar if my dive op of choice was not available. Actually, due to Sand Dollar and a "introductory dive" my family purchased from a cruise line on a Cozumel port call, we are all now certified divers and have been back to Cozumel many times. I've used SD, I like SD, I have nothing against SD.

Again, your characterization that NO OTHER DIVE OP would respond the way Suzanne did is the problem I have with your post. There are some dive ops discussed here on scubaboard that have not had to address complaints like the one originally posted, so you cannot say that they would not respond as well as Suzanne did.

I'm done, this is bandwidth wasting at it's finest.

 

[Scram Bulleggs]

On one of the dives that we did (can't remember which one), there were piles of conch shells, maybe 3 ft high, every 50-100 yards or so. These were on a sandy bottom, close to the edge of the reef. Do you know what these shell piles are for? I assumed that somebody was harvesting the shells.

Story I was told while there (take with a grain of salt as I am new to diving an gullible)
There was a boom in Dive ops from the mainland with DM's unfamiliar with the area. I am told they stacked the shells as markers to find there way or something to that effect.

 

[pilot fish]

Story I was told while there (take with a grain of salt as I am new to diving an gullible)
There was a boom in Dive ops from the mainland with DM's unfamiliar with the area. I am told they stacked the shells as markers to find there way or something to that effect.

I wouldn't doubt it

 

[pilot fish]

you have to be kidding me?