Trip Review Cozumel/Scub Club Cozumel July 2014
- Thread starter an13743
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
scubbygirl
Registered
I must be special also as I have not entered the water with my tank off. I agree it is my responsibility to check my gear. If possible I also prefer to set it up myself before we leave the dock to make sure I have everything. The crew switches tanks between dives and again, I check my gear and air pressure. I have seen new divers let the crew or their buddies do it all and I do not agree with that practice or they wait until it is right before the dive and then set up only to find there is a problem. That being said, the DM have held the group until all were ready to enter the water. Not so pleasant when hot, sunny and sitting in a black wetsuit with gear.
Oops, I guess I got a little off topic. I too have stayed places where the reviews were outstanding and I just did not get it. I personally like SCC and have stayed there many times but it is not for everyone. When there has been an issue the dive shop or hotel staff has done everything in their power to resolve it.
Oops, I guess I got a little off topic. I too have stayed places where the reviews were outstanding and I just did not get it. I personally like SCC and have stayed there many times but it is not for everyone. When there has been an issue the dive shop or hotel staff has done everything in their power to resolve it.
Have I over looked something or isn't the Devil's Throat consider an advance dive? From what I have read the current is very strong...I do not think it is unreasonable for the DM to get the group onto the dive ASAP and not wait a minute for late comers.
It appears that some of the divers did not have the competence for such a dive...hence no Buddy/Equipment checks.
I wasn't there and I know that much can be lost in translation on forums; I feel for the OP, no one wants a bad dive experience.
It appears that some of the divers did not have the competence for such a dive...hence no Buddy/Equipment checks.
I wasn't there and I know that much can be lost in translation on forums; I feel for the OP, no one wants a bad dive experience.
And here I thought foregoing the buddy/equipment check IS a sign of competence. I'm competent enough to dive without a buddy and competent enough to know that my gear is properly assembled by merely glancing at it, no 100-point checklist necessary. New divers, who lack such competence and familiarity with their gear, should perform such a check, I agree. It keeps them from doing silly things like jumping in with their air turned off.
robint
Contributor
My husband and I have done alot of diving in lakes and freshwater locations as well as out in Calif where no one checks your gear before you jump in. Yes, I have rushed to get setup and forgot. No problem though, my buddy can turn on my tank for me as we do not descend until we give each other the OK sign. He has done the same thing, rushing and not checking.... but once again, it was OUR fault and we did not blame anyone. Our responsibility to check. It is also our responsibility on a boat, no matter which boat and whether a DM is there to help or not.
cb5150
Contributor
Thanks for the detailed review. I dive in Cozumel quite frequently, but have never stayed at SCC. I'll be staying there in a few weeks with our group of regular dive buddies.
I agree with the others that it sounds like you were looking for more of a "valet service" style dive experience. That's not really what Coz is all about, however I've always been treated better in Cozumel than anywhere else I've travelled. Perhaps a bit more research would help for future endeavours.
You mentioned that you "don't like Mexican food" and that the food served was "far from gourmet." Were you really expecting something other than Mexican food in Mexico? Were you really expecting gourmet food at a small dive resort? Again, this is where I'd suggest research ahead of time.
The issue with your air not being turned on and your gear being set-up incorrectly is your responsibility. I appreciate the fact that Coz DMs try to assist me with my gear, but I always let them know that I'll set-up and check my own gear. It's never been a problem on any of the dive ops I've used, stateside or international.
You jumped in the water a full minute after the others had descended? Sounds like maybe you weren't prepared for the dive. I see this all the time. There always two groups of divers on a boat. Those that are checking and double checking each others gear and reviewing the dive plan and ready to splash when the boat stops. Then there is the other group that sits around sunning themselves, chit-chatting and not preparing for the upcoming dive. These are the divers that we sit on the surface waiting for while they fiddle-fart around. Not saying it is what you did, but it sure fits the profile.
Tipping? Yeah, thats just part of life. Either tip or don't. If you do tip, feel good knowing that the people in Cozumel probably appreciate it more than they do back home. If you don't tip...well, thats your cross to bear.
Consider the observations of the others who have responded to your post. Perhaps take a look at how you prepare for a dive and what your expectations have been up to this point. Maybe a change in philosophy is in order.
Wishing you safe dives in the future and thanks again for the tips at the end of your post!
I agree with the others that it sounds like you were looking for more of a "valet service" style dive experience. That's not really what Coz is all about, however I've always been treated better in Cozumel than anywhere else I've travelled. Perhaps a bit more research would help for future endeavours.
You mentioned that you "don't like Mexican food" and that the food served was "far from gourmet." Were you really expecting something other than Mexican food in Mexico? Were you really expecting gourmet food at a small dive resort? Again, this is where I'd suggest research ahead of time.
The issue with your air not being turned on and your gear being set-up incorrectly is your responsibility. I appreciate the fact that Coz DMs try to assist me with my gear, but I always let them know that I'll set-up and check my own gear. It's never been a problem on any of the dive ops I've used, stateside or international.
You jumped in the water a full minute after the others had descended? Sounds like maybe you weren't prepared for the dive. I see this all the time. There always two groups of divers on a boat. Those that are checking and double checking each others gear and reviewing the dive plan and ready to splash when the boat stops. Then there is the other group that sits around sunning themselves, chit-chatting and not preparing for the upcoming dive. These are the divers that we sit on the surface waiting for while they fiddle-fart around. Not saying it is what you did, but it sure fits the profile.
Tipping? Yeah, thats just part of life. Either tip or don't. If you do tip, feel good knowing that the people in Cozumel probably appreciate it more than they do back home. If you don't tip...well, thats your cross to bear.
Consider the observations of the others who have responded to your post. Perhaps take a look at how you prepare for a dive and what your expectations have been up to this point. Maybe a change in philosophy is in order.
Wishing you safe dives in the future and thanks again for the tips at the end of your post!
Skittl1321
Contributor
- Messages
- 1,756
- Reaction score
- 660
- # of dives
- 25 - 49
Thank you for your review. I knew that SCC had slow boats, but I didn't realize they didn't offer the valet service that smaller ops had. I thought with them being a dive resort, they would offer that type of service that resort house boats generally lacked. It is not something I had heard in other reviews.
I hope others looking are able to use this to help inform their decision. It really isn't positive or negative (though I'd be pissed if a DM was gone by the time I got down. I know they aren't my "buddy" but if the law says they are supposed to be there, taking off is a bit ridiculous), just information that is useful to decide what is for you.
It definitely sounds like SCC is not for me...
I hope others looking are able to use this to help inform their decision. It really isn't positive or negative (though I'd be pissed if a DM was gone by the time I got down. I know they aren't my "buddy" but if the law says they are supposed to be there, taking off is a bit ridiculous), just information that is useful to decide what is for you.
It definitely sounds like SCC is not for me...
You are talking about Cozumel? The one across from Playa? All we do on the Coz board is discuss which 'valet' style OP is our favorite.
Well I would have to say around the Island there are restaurants serving ALL kinds of 'not-Mexican' food. Heck there is a Tai Noodle place.....
Of course you should check it, but it doesn't alleviate the responsibility of the person who set it up for you. My valet OP does everything for me. I check all my air for function before I go in, but if I found it was screwed up, I would B$%TCH, because that is what I am paying them for. If I found out after I got in, then I would be an idiot too, but not instead of them.
Wow. People relaxing and enjoying themselves on a dive trip? The horror of it when boats should be run like a Seal op.
Maybe change the OP should philosopise about finding an OP that is full service and responds to their needs. There is an OP for everyone's way of diving in Coz, I think. No need dive someone else's way. It may be great for others but if you don't like it, find the OP for you. Doesn't make you (or them) wrong.
It isn't? Hmm. You should let Aldora, Living Underwater, Blue XT Sea, et al. know that they're obviously in the wrong place!
Why not? On my recent trip, I only ate one traditional Mexican dish, the chilaquiles at Blue Angel. I had fish tacos and breakfast tacos at Rock 'N Java, but they were made with healthy whole-wheat tortillas (and breakfast tacos are hardly "traditional"). Kinta and Kondesa serve nouvelle Mexican cuisine which would hardly be recognizable as Mexican to an gringo used to authentic stuff like Taco Bell and Del Taco
My other restaurants this trip included New Especias, Sorrisi, and Le Chef. Of the dishes I sampled at those three, the only one remotely Mexican was the calamari al ajillo because it was prepared with strips of chile guajillo in addition to the typically Spanish garlic bath.
Thanks for the great discussion everyone. It's interesting to read everyone's opinions on this. Everyone has different diving styles and preferences and this review was solely based on mine and my buddy's.
One thing I would like to address is that my buddy and I were not looking nor expecting a "valet dive op." We enjoy Bonaire very much and that is pretty far from valet. I even said in my OP that I wanted to set up my own dive equipment. I eventually learned to set it up when they weren't looking because I was shooed away when they were. I would not expect someone double checking your air before you get off the boat "valet service." Especially since every other boat I had ever been on had done so. I am not saying the responsibility is entirely on the boat crew, but it is an easy double check. I am not sure what constitutes a valet dive op, but I wasn't expecting it from SCC.
Of course I expected Mexican food in Mexico, the food isn't why I went, but it was part of our stay and part of my review.
One thing I would like to address is that my buddy and I were not looking nor expecting a "valet dive op." We enjoy Bonaire very much and that is pretty far from valet. I even said in my OP that I wanted to set up my own dive equipment. I eventually learned to set it up when they weren't looking because I was shooed away when they were. I would not expect someone double checking your air before you get off the boat "valet service." Especially since every other boat I had ever been on had done so. I am not saying the responsibility is entirely on the boat crew, but it is an easy double check. I am not sure what constitutes a valet dive op, but I wasn't expecting it from SCC.
Of course I expected Mexican food in Mexico, the food isn't why I went, but it was part of our stay and part of my review.
Similar threads
