I normally dive with Living Underwater but because this op could only accommodate me for one day at either end of my trip I went to Aldora and did 6 dives with them over 7 days with an allegedly advanced group (more on that later). We have a lot of discussions on here about the pros and cons of various ops but not about the pros and cons of the few steel tank ops with the experiences of someone who has dived with all three of them and especially recently. But this will only be about Aldora and Living Underwater since I have not recently dived with the third, Liquid Blue.
Tank Comparisons
First off, I like steel tanks. LU has LP and Aldora has HP. I dived with 95s and 100s respectively. I liked that Aldora's tanks weighed less and I found that they were easier to control my ascent at the last 15 feet than is the case typically with LU's. That might have been because I had a lot more air left in them however. Again, more on that later.
Communications
I thought the pre-booking/arrival communication with Aldora was excellent. It is also excellent with Living Underwater but usually I just arrive and ask LU to work me into their schedule. This time I got the answer that it was not possible.
Boats
I dived on 4 of Aldora's boats. I have to say I prefer LU's Jewfish to each and every one of them. The Aldora boats' edges rise toward the prow, making the distance from the seat to the edge considerably higher at the front of the boat than the stern. On my first day of diving I was seated at the middle and required the captain's assistance to climb to the edge of the boat to do my back roll. (I am 5'3"). It would have been better to have switched me with the 6'4" diver seated at the rear! Anyway, I got that fixed on subsequent dives (except for on the Felicity where giant strides are the standard entry mode). On the Jewfish, the distance from the seat to edge is identical across the length and I can easily reach the edge with at 95 tank...more difficult with a 120 but that isn't an issue for me. Another difference...on Aldora's 6 packs, there are vertical roof support struts at either end and none in the middle while LU's have one in the middle as well. I like having something to hang onto when balancing on the edge so again got that fixed by asking to have my place moved. I was surprised at the number of women (at least 50%) on the Aldora boats using the 120s...usually only men use them at LU as the LP 120s are pretty cumbersome. Finally as to entry.. On all of the dives with Aldora, they sent divers into to water 2 at a time (one from either side of the boat) except on the Felicity. LU sends all divers back rolling into the water at the same time which I prefer in terms of speed and simplicity.
I like to sit in the sun (usually to warm up) but on Aldora's boats, unless you move from your seat and stand at the back right next to the engines, this is not an option. On the LU boat, Jewfish, there is lots of space at the front to lay in the sun away from the smell and noise of the motors. If you are on a boat the owner has contracted for divers that cannot be accommodated on the Jewfish...well, you will get what you get. I am pretty picky about boats and there is only one boat LU contracts, the Sleeping Shark (not to be confused with the Skinny Shark), that I like equally well.
Amenities
When I leave the water, I like to towel dry my hair. No towels on Aldora boats so I had to ask for a jacket. Not really necessary in the summer so after a day or two when I realized there were no towels, I started bringing my own so that they didn't have to break out the jackets just for me bit it's an additional PITA. LU has towels AND jackets.
I just drink water (no soft drinks) on the boat. Aldora has lots of water but no soft drinks. No big whoop for me there. However LU also has fresh fruit and cookies in addition to the water and soft drinks. I really missed the fresh fruit; cookies I almost never eat though so that was a non-issue for me.
SIs
We did some of our SIs at Playa Palancar and some at Mr Sanchos with Aldora. LU never stops at Mr Sanchos which is HUGE and popular with cruise ship patrons. I prefer the food, prices, atmosphere and service at the former but the latter has a nicer beach. SIs were 1 hour since very often the Aldora boats/DMs needed to be back for an afternoon dive...they tend to be a bit longer with LU.
However, that could possibly be attributable to the fact that you have a mixed bag of divers on LU's boat, some nitrox certified and using same, and some not. All divers on my trips with Aldora were using nitrox on both tanks. I had told them when I booked that I wanted air for the first dive and nitrox for the second. On my first dive I asked why I had been given two nitrox tanks and was told that everyone on the "advanced" boat was using this so I needed to also. OK. Makes sense I guess although I think it should have at least been discussed with me beforehand. I did like having 32 and 36% (LU does not offer 36%) for the first and second dives to extend times but it did limit our depths. When I paid my bill, the office person said "you requested nitrox for all dives" and I corrected her that was NOT what I asked for. However I am fairly easy to get along with and it only was an extra $60.
Advanced divers versus Mixed Bag
The BIG clanger for me is that Aldora positions itself on its ability to group divers by ability thus ensuring maximum bottom times for all, given their policy that all divers must ascend together. I wish that were the case that all divers in our group were matched. With the exception of one or two dives, I ascended with loads of air and NDT...even WITH the DM sharing air with the weakest link. A couple of times divers refused to share air with the DM so that brought things to an abrupt end. I "get" that divers may exaggerate their abilities but I would argue that being put on an advanced diver boat is no guarantee that you will be diving with divers of equal abilities. I did appreciate that DMs were pretty good about trying to move "so-called" advanced divers to different boats after the fact, but it WAS after the fact and it happened pretty frequently. LU sends divers to the surface with an SMB as they run low on air making matching air a non issue. However, LU's mixed groupings does limit site selection somewhat.
DMs
As to the DMs...I had two: Dario and Steve (who is not a"regular" DM). Dario is very experienced and low key....which I like. Steve is also low key but a bit more outgoing. I liked both on a personal level and they seemed very aware of divers in the water. While they were comparable to some of LU's contract DMs, neither could come close to the ability of LU's chief DM and owner, Jeremy...especially at finding and pointing out interesting critters. Both told me it was difficult to do so with divers everywhere in the water...not something that should be a problem on an advanced boat IMO and certainly not something Jeremy struggles with even with his mixed group of divers. While MOST divers in my "advanced" group were OK, it seemed we had at least one or two on every dive who did not belong there. Like I said, they got moved, after the fact. With another weak link taking their place.
Valet Service
I disliked having to haul my gear to and from Aldora's shop. I prefer LU's door to door pick up and delivery. I DISLIKED hauling my wetsuit and hooded vest back and forth several blocks each day. LU takes care of these and washes them separately. For the extra personal attention, I like that LU has 3 crew on its boats most time...the DM, a first mate and the captain. The DM spends the SI with the divers. On Aldora's 6 packs (Felicity is a slightly different issue), the entire crew stays with the boat. Both ops set up your gear before diving. Packing it up after the dive was a mixed situation on Aldora boats (depending on the crew). LU packs it up asap.
Cost
I don't eyeball prices and it is certainly not one of my key determinants in assessing an operation, However, I would note that Aldora's prices do not include the Marine Park fee which I believe LU's do. I pay a pier fee for downtown pick up with LU (20p) but no fee with Aldora. Both offer cash discounts and both accept major credit cards. A minor thing but something to be mindful of: Aldora recommends that you tip $10 US on each 2-tank dive due to the many boats and crews among which you may be shuffled. I probably over tipped daily (at 200 pesos) since I didn't have the correct change. Since crew seldom changes at LU, with them I prefer to tip at the end and leave it up to the owner to dispense accordingly, even when we have had different DMs or on occasion different boats.
A few other odds and sods.
I liked that Aldora had a nitrox analyzer on board unlike LU. One day, after Mexico played in the big soccer game, all Aldora tanks, which promotes that it does its own fills for added safety (both 32 and 36) were labelled 36%. The analyzer proved it as the DM tested all tanks.
I forgot my camera in Canada so didn't have to use the teeny tiny buckets Aldora provided on all but the Felicity. (LU has a GIANT camera bucket on the Jewfish). I disliked the smell and noise of the Felicity's engines. Aldora seems to allow any of its divers (at least those it knows) to use slings in the Marine Park to hunt lion fish. LU only permits this outside of the park. I did see one diver chastised underwater by the Aldora DM over how he was carrying his sling (dragging it through soft corals).
I went to pick up my gear after diving (during regular office hours as advised in the email I received in my email briefing) only to find the shop closed. There was a sign posted on the door that they were closing early; fortunately it is only several blocks from my house but I would have been choked if I had paid a big cab fare to get there only to find no one there. LU arranges a time with you for him to drop off your gear and to pay.
On the second day of diving with Aldora, I noticed, at the surface, some air leaking at my pressure gauge. I wiggled it a bit and it seemed OK but once in the water, noticed it continued to leak. At the surface, I raised the question of whether I should try and take it in for repair to a shop on the island. The DM indicated they had a person on staff who could repair it (replace O-rings) for a minor charge which was what I did. That was a nice convenience. When we went north, the DM carried a Nautilus Lifeline on his BCD; he told me it was an Aldora SOP for dives north of the Marine Park. I thought that was an excellent idea.
I don't want to give the impression I am recommending one over the other although I HAVE indicated what I prefer. I wanted to give a clear view of the differences FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. Readers should consider what THEIR preferences are and decide accordingly.
Tank Comparisons
First off, I like steel tanks. LU has LP and Aldora has HP. I dived with 95s and 100s respectively. I liked that Aldora's tanks weighed less and I found that they were easier to control my ascent at the last 15 feet than is the case typically with LU's. That might have been because I had a lot more air left in them however. Again, more on that later.
Communications
I thought the pre-booking/arrival communication with Aldora was excellent. It is also excellent with Living Underwater but usually I just arrive and ask LU to work me into their schedule. This time I got the answer that it was not possible.
Boats
I dived on 4 of Aldora's boats. I have to say I prefer LU's Jewfish to each and every one of them. The Aldora boats' edges rise toward the prow, making the distance from the seat to the edge considerably higher at the front of the boat than the stern. On my first day of diving I was seated at the middle and required the captain's assistance to climb to the edge of the boat to do my back roll. (I am 5'3"). It would have been better to have switched me with the 6'4" diver seated at the rear! Anyway, I got that fixed on subsequent dives (except for on the Felicity where giant strides are the standard entry mode). On the Jewfish, the distance from the seat to edge is identical across the length and I can easily reach the edge with at 95 tank...more difficult with a 120 but that isn't an issue for me. Another difference...on Aldora's 6 packs, there are vertical roof support struts at either end and none in the middle while LU's have one in the middle as well. I like having something to hang onto when balancing on the edge so again got that fixed by asking to have my place moved. I was surprised at the number of women (at least 50%) on the Aldora boats using the 120s...usually only men use them at LU as the LP 120s are pretty cumbersome. Finally as to entry.. On all of the dives with Aldora, they sent divers into to water 2 at a time (one from either side of the boat) except on the Felicity. LU sends all divers back rolling into the water at the same time which I prefer in terms of speed and simplicity.
I like to sit in the sun (usually to warm up) but on Aldora's boats, unless you move from your seat and stand at the back right next to the engines, this is not an option. On the LU boat, Jewfish, there is lots of space at the front to lay in the sun away from the smell and noise of the motors. If you are on a boat the owner has contracted for divers that cannot be accommodated on the Jewfish...well, you will get what you get. I am pretty picky about boats and there is only one boat LU contracts, the Sleeping Shark (not to be confused with the Skinny Shark), that I like equally well.
Amenities
When I leave the water, I like to towel dry my hair. No towels on Aldora boats so I had to ask for a jacket. Not really necessary in the summer so after a day or two when I realized there were no towels, I started bringing my own so that they didn't have to break out the jackets just for me bit it's an additional PITA. LU has towels AND jackets.
I just drink water (no soft drinks) on the boat. Aldora has lots of water but no soft drinks. No big whoop for me there. However LU also has fresh fruit and cookies in addition to the water and soft drinks. I really missed the fresh fruit; cookies I almost never eat though so that was a non-issue for me.
SIs
We did some of our SIs at Playa Palancar and some at Mr Sanchos with Aldora. LU never stops at Mr Sanchos which is HUGE and popular with cruise ship patrons. I prefer the food, prices, atmosphere and service at the former but the latter has a nicer beach. SIs were 1 hour since very often the Aldora boats/DMs needed to be back for an afternoon dive...they tend to be a bit longer with LU.
However, that could possibly be attributable to the fact that you have a mixed bag of divers on LU's boat, some nitrox certified and using same, and some not. All divers on my trips with Aldora were using nitrox on both tanks. I had told them when I booked that I wanted air for the first dive and nitrox for the second. On my first dive I asked why I had been given two nitrox tanks and was told that everyone on the "advanced" boat was using this so I needed to also. OK. Makes sense I guess although I think it should have at least been discussed with me beforehand. I did like having 32 and 36% (LU does not offer 36%) for the first and second dives to extend times but it did limit our depths. When I paid my bill, the office person said "you requested nitrox for all dives" and I corrected her that was NOT what I asked for. However I am fairly easy to get along with and it only was an extra $60.
Advanced divers versus Mixed Bag
The BIG clanger for me is that Aldora positions itself on its ability to group divers by ability thus ensuring maximum bottom times for all, given their policy that all divers must ascend together. I wish that were the case that all divers in our group were matched. With the exception of one or two dives, I ascended with loads of air and NDT...even WITH the DM sharing air with the weakest link. A couple of times divers refused to share air with the DM so that brought things to an abrupt end. I "get" that divers may exaggerate their abilities but I would argue that being put on an advanced diver boat is no guarantee that you will be diving with divers of equal abilities. I did appreciate that DMs were pretty good about trying to move "so-called" advanced divers to different boats after the fact, but it WAS after the fact and it happened pretty frequently. LU sends divers to the surface with an SMB as they run low on air making matching air a non issue. However, LU's mixed groupings does limit site selection somewhat.
DMs
As to the DMs...I had two: Dario and Steve (who is not a"regular" DM). Dario is very experienced and low key....which I like. Steve is also low key but a bit more outgoing. I liked both on a personal level and they seemed very aware of divers in the water. While they were comparable to some of LU's contract DMs, neither could come close to the ability of LU's chief DM and owner, Jeremy...especially at finding and pointing out interesting critters. Both told me it was difficult to do so with divers everywhere in the water...not something that should be a problem on an advanced boat IMO and certainly not something Jeremy struggles with even with his mixed group of divers. While MOST divers in my "advanced" group were OK, it seemed we had at least one or two on every dive who did not belong there. Like I said, they got moved, after the fact. With another weak link taking their place.
Valet Service
I disliked having to haul my gear to and from Aldora's shop. I prefer LU's door to door pick up and delivery. I DISLIKED hauling my wetsuit and hooded vest back and forth several blocks each day. LU takes care of these and washes them separately. For the extra personal attention, I like that LU has 3 crew on its boats most time...the DM, a first mate and the captain. The DM spends the SI with the divers. On Aldora's 6 packs (Felicity is a slightly different issue), the entire crew stays with the boat. Both ops set up your gear before diving. Packing it up after the dive was a mixed situation on Aldora boats (depending on the crew). LU packs it up asap.
Cost
I don't eyeball prices and it is certainly not one of my key determinants in assessing an operation, However, I would note that Aldora's prices do not include the Marine Park fee which I believe LU's do. I pay a pier fee for downtown pick up with LU (20p) but no fee with Aldora. Both offer cash discounts and both accept major credit cards. A minor thing but something to be mindful of: Aldora recommends that you tip $10 US on each 2-tank dive due to the many boats and crews among which you may be shuffled. I probably over tipped daily (at 200 pesos) since I didn't have the correct change. Since crew seldom changes at LU, with them I prefer to tip at the end and leave it up to the owner to dispense accordingly, even when we have had different DMs or on occasion different boats.
A few other odds and sods.
I liked that Aldora had a nitrox analyzer on board unlike LU. One day, after Mexico played in the big soccer game, all Aldora tanks, which promotes that it does its own fills for added safety (both 32 and 36) were labelled 36%. The analyzer proved it as the DM tested all tanks.
I forgot my camera in Canada so didn't have to use the teeny tiny buckets Aldora provided on all but the Felicity. (LU has a GIANT camera bucket on the Jewfish). I disliked the smell and noise of the Felicity's engines. Aldora seems to allow any of its divers (at least those it knows) to use slings in the Marine Park to hunt lion fish. LU only permits this outside of the park. I did see one diver chastised underwater by the Aldora DM over how he was carrying his sling (dragging it through soft corals).
I went to pick up my gear after diving (during regular office hours as advised in the email I received in my email briefing) only to find the shop closed. There was a sign posted on the door that they were closing early; fortunately it is only several blocks from my house but I would have been choked if I had paid a big cab fare to get there only to find no one there. LU arranges a time with you for him to drop off your gear and to pay.
On the second day of diving with Aldora, I noticed, at the surface, some air leaking at my pressure gauge. I wiggled it a bit and it seemed OK but once in the water, noticed it continued to leak. At the surface, I raised the question of whether I should try and take it in for repair to a shop on the island. The DM indicated they had a person on staff who could repair it (replace O-rings) for a minor charge which was what I did. That was a nice convenience. When we went north, the DM carried a Nautilus Lifeline on his BCD; he told me it was an Aldora SOP for dives north of the Marine Park. I thought that was an excellent idea.
I don't want to give the impression I am recommending one over the other although I HAVE indicated what I prefer. I wanted to give a clear view of the differences FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. Readers should consider what THEIR preferences are and decide accordingly.
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