This 1 star review will make you wanna train with these guys!

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Dogbowl

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I was surfing the net as usual and thinking about my next trip. I was thinking about going to Coz and PDC and possibly diving with CenoteXperience again. I dove with them in 2017 and I was very impressed with Nico, the owner, as our cenote guide. Nico and his shop are highly recommended here, so I really didn’t need to read any reviews on them again, but I just so happened on a recent TripAdvisor review of them. The reviewer gave them a 1-star review because the shop didn’t give him his AOW card because he didn’t show the skills necessary to get an AOW. I’ve never heard of anyone failing AOW, so this was a first. However, this 1-star review is a 5-star review in my eyes. I’m going with them again the next time I’m there, maybe for a cavern class.

I put this in Basic Scuba Discussions rather than the Mexico subforum because I think the grander theme here is that there are very good shops and instructors who hold a higher standard that should be admired. It’s not just “show me the cash and I give you the card” like with some shops. This should be applauded.

Here’s the link to the review:

never PADI course at this shop! - Cenote Xperience, Playa del Carmen Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

Remember to read the shop’s response.
 
It is, after all, just Twit Advisor.

Good for room descriptions and cheeseburger quality. A very bad source for SCUBA information.
 
I trust neither good nor bad reviews. I'll stick with Aldora and will continue to say nothing good or bad about Nico (since I don't have any idea who he is).
 
It is, after all, just Twit Advisor.

Good for room descriptions and cheeseburger quality. A very bad source for SCUBA information.

I trust neither good nor bad reviews. I'll stick with Aldora and will continue to say nothing good or bad about Nico (since I don't have any idea who he is).

Not the point of my post, but ok. :)

I would not go with Aldora on a cenote dive but to each his own. :wink:

This review I trust because I’ve met Nico and that’s very much like what he would do. But again, that’s not the point of my post. It’s not about him and his shop. It’s about shops and instructors in general that still uphold standards. Hasn’t that been a complaint in many other threads? Give me the cash, I’ll get you the card? Here’s an example where that isn’t happening.
 
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Not the point of my post, but ok. :)

I would not go with Aldora on a cenote dive but to each his own. :wink:

This review I trust because I’ve met Nico and that’s very much like what he would do. But again, that’s not the point of my post. It’s not about him and his shop. It’s about shops and instructors in general that still uphold standards. Hasn’t that been a complaint in many other threads? Give me the cash, I’ll get you the card? Here’s an example where that isn’t happening.
Ah, sorry, as the title of the post indicated that the post was about a one star review, I took the easy way out and thought it was about a review.

I'm trolling you gently. If I were cenote diving, I'd for sure go to any number of other facilities in Akumal or Tulum for that. Cozumel cenote diving is pretty much limited to one place that turns into a cave pretty fast I think?

And yes, there are still dive shop owners that have standards and morals and etc, and it's good to out them.
 
Loved diving with Cenote Xperience. They told us after our first dive in The Pit that they have not allowed divers to continue due to not having the minimal skills for cenotes. Great shop, great staff, reasonable standards. Hope to do a day of Cenotes in March when we are back in Cozumel. (We dive with Aldora in Coz)

Stumbling on to Cenote Xperience by blind luck was like winning the scuba lotto!

Safe travels folks!
Jay
 
"learning to respect the environment"

I got the feeling the reviewer may have done some damage?
 
The reply on Trip Advisor from the dive center owner is great !
This AOWD candidate has shown poor buoyancy, trim and fin technique, poor awareness of diving in a team and interacting with the environment ... but he was expecting to get his PADI plastic card because he paid for the course.

I would definitely dive with them after reading this 1-star review :)
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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