Not directly applicable to THIS particular issue, but some folks consider getting the best deal as a competitive sport. For example, not to pick on Dandy Don, but I always wonder how many hours of worth of CRAY supercomputing time goes into planning/plotting his trips.
You know, I guess that just depends on the motive. If you're retired and enjoy focusing on the small stuff, I'd say there's not a thing in the world wrong with spending hours making sure you're booking the right trip to make you happy. We all have our own criteria.
I am a self-confessed PAIN IN THE ASS...but only when I'm researching a new location/new dive op/new place to stay. I book these trips for groups, and there are MANY details that go into pleasing multitudes of people. Of course I pick the dive operation first, and they have to be SAFE, EFFICIENT and FUN. ScubaBoard has been invaluable in assisting with those types of opinions. Before I book a group trip, I have already asked all of the pertinent questions and know the ethics of the dive op. THEN it's on to finding the best place to stay. A good dive op is also very helpful in this area. Especially with group trips, dive & stay packages are the way to go.
Once I am satisfied that all of my criteria will be met and even exceeded, and once I experience the quality of the trip provided, if all goes as expected I'm one happy girl. And then the dive op owner will become one happy guy or gal, because I am a loyal customer and my business will continue going back to that op as long as things remain copastetic. At that point I consider the questions asked and answered, happy that I have found a good op to work with, and go about my business.
I realize not everyone is so detail oriented, but any diver who doesn't take the time to at least check that their dive shop is legal and the resort where they're staying is engaged in ethical business practices is just missing the boat
