Weird review of Scuba Club Cozumel on TripAdvisor

[firstdive2005]

Hysterics aside, or just plain her version of the event aside SCC should be coming forward with their side of the story.
There sure are a lot of dive ops that will not relate on the boards. I suppose they believe the conjecture and inuendo is enough for the reading public to make their collective minds up about them. Or simply that the crap will blow over soon enough.
I've been on 2 separate boats when a chamber ride was needed. One was not so obvious but we managed to talk him into the ride. The second was very evident and no encouragement needed.
Something is just not adding up. She definitely has an agenda. For sure she shut down her remaining dives. She has never suffered a hit before or done a chamber ride.(Her description of the episode is not sound.) She has very limited dive experience with dive operations. (thinking that padi is a reason that dive ops are good.) She was told to stop diving as a result of her phone call to Dan. They do this a lot when the person on the line is hysterical. She reads like she would have been. It is a precaution on Dans part if the person wont do a chamber ride.
I can just see the dive op looking at her while she tries to explain her DCS hit one day later like they've never seen a hit before or been through an emergency dive issue. She reads like a diver that needs to blame for her mistakes. Leading me to believe she is a very inexperienced diver. Someone at the club should have picked up on this and helped her calm down. Likely she would have dove the next day and this would never have been heard of.

 

[DandyDon]

...SCC should be coming forward with their side of the story.
There sure are a lot of dive ops that will not relate on the boards.

I can think of a dozen or so reasons why they would be wise not to get involved here really, and certainly not in addressing a third hand version of the story. I've never dived there, but I've never heard anything bad about them from a credible source, which she is not one - trying to blame the DM for her possible diving problems. I would like to know how well hydrated she was for one, but obtaining a urine sample at the time would have failed I am sure. Certified divers are responsible for their own diving and safety. Most places I have dived, the boats are simply the chartered ride and backup support, but in Mexican parks the DMs are required as leaders - nothing more, and certainly not Instructors, caretakers, personal trainers, babysitters, etc.

Someone at the club should have picked up on this and helped her calm down. Likely she would have dove the next day and this would never have been heard of.

Oh great, now we need trained counselors on staff & on call? Scuba is a potentially dangerous sport. Learn to dive before you go alone, or hire Insts & private DMs to hold your hand. For her, I would strongly suggest the latter, or get into a hobby like golf.

 

[BTravlin]

<SNIP>SCC should be coming forward with their side of the story. There sure are a lot of dive ops that will not relate on the boards. I suppose they believe the conjecture and inuendo is enough for the reading public to make their collective minds up about them. Or simply that the crap will blow over soon enough. <SNIP

I can think of a dozen or so reasons why they would be wise not to get involved here really, and certainly not in addressing a third hand version of the story. <SNIP>

I've seen many times where various dive vendors have replied on these boards and often it does not go well. If I were a vendor, I would think long and hard before posting on public boards due to the nature of some of the idiots out there. No matter what you say you can't please everyone and some posters just have no sense of propriety while others have agendas to push. I think I would refrain from posting except in the most egregious situations.

 

[firstdive2005]

I've seen many times where various dive vendors have replied on these boards and often it does not go well. If I were a vendor, I would think long and hard before posting on public boards due to the nature of some of the idiots out there. No matter what you say you can't please everyone and some posters just have no sense of propriety while others have agendas to push. I think I would refrain from posting except in the most egregious situations.

I agree totally. I think my wording was not put out there correctly. I actually am on the side of the dive op.
Don, one of the characteristics of a dive leader is to be able to calm an hysterical diver. At least this trait is taught to be a valuable tool in the circles I run with, so this is definately an opinion. I was not there so I am tongue in cheek observing this from a one sided story. MAYBE they did try to calm her. MAYBE they did try to get her to the chamber. So my words where not meant to be a negative towards the op in anyway. I beleive the ops on Coz are good at trying to make sure their clients are healthy, they only can persuade their clients to do so much. That is not babysitting. That is trying to help an hysterical client. Which at that point is a mental issue not easily addressed. If I put a poll out, I am sure the dive ops would say they get several a year.

 

[farsidefan1]

Unfortunately I have had the experience of taking an unprovoked dci hit while diving in Coz. Fortunately I called DAN that night (symptoms hit after a night dive) and they were outstanding in providing assistance. I was given an address and told to grab a cab and I would be at a chamber within 5 minutes. The Doctor had already been called and was there waiting for me (Dr. Piccolo) and I was being treated within minutes of symptoms. Dr. Piccolo was outstanding, DAN could not have been more helpfull (thank goodness for 24/7 phone service) and dive assure paid every penny of my 2 chamber visits and the hospital stay. Scubamau, with whom I was diving, did not charge me for any dives I did not make and Mau checked with me in the hospital and gave me rides to and from the doctors office each morning till I was cleared to fly home. All in all I have to say Coz was probably the best place in the world to get bent???? Yeah, I know how crazy that sounds. Since then, just last week as a matter of fact I had a pfo closure performed, hopefully reducing my odds of a repeat incident. I'll also change my dive profiles in the future a bit.

 

[firstdive2005]

Unfortunately I have had the experience of taking an unprovoked dci hit while diving in Coz. Fortunately I called DAN that night (symptoms hit after a night dive) and they were outstanding in providing assistance. I was given an address and told to grab a cab and I would be at a chamber within 5 minutes. The Doctor had already been called and was there waiting for me (Dr. Piccolo) and I was being treated within minutes of symptoms. Dr. Piccolo was outstanding, DAN could not have been more helpfull (thank goodness for 24/7 phone service) and dive assure paid every penny of my 2 chamber visits and the hospital stay. Scubamau, with whom I was diving, did not charge me for any dives I did not make and Mau checked with me in the hospital and gave me rides to and from the doctors office each morning till I was cleared to fly home. All in all I have to say Coz was probably the best place in the world to get bent???? Yeah, I know how crazy that sounds. Since then, just last week as a matter of fact I had a pfo closure performed, hopefully reducing my odds of a repeat incident. I'll also change my dive profiles in the future a bit.

Thats a great example of obeying the doctors orders. As a matter of fact at story like yours came up one day when Mau and Opal and myself where trying to tell a diver to get a chamber ride in.(They did not mention your name) He had skin rash setting in. He would not even see the doc. He was calm, just did not feel the need. Could have been costly. Great to hear the pfo was a success.

 

[DandyDon]

Excerpting some here - emphasis mine...

I called DAN that night (symptoms hit after a night dive) and they were outstanding in providing assistance. I was given an address and told to grab a cab and I would be at a chamber within 5 minutes. The Doctor had already been called and was there waiting for me (Dr. Piccolo) and I was being treated within minutes of symptoms. Dr. Piccolo was outstanding, DAN could not have been more helpfull (thank goodness for 24/7 phone service) and dive assure paid every penny of my 2 chamber visits and the hospital stay.

Yep, DAN will help you 24/7 even if you insure elsewhere, are not a DAN member, or failed to insure against diving accidents.

1: I would suggest DAN membership even if one insures elsewhere, as you still get Travelers' Assist, Dive Alert magazine, and are a member of a fine organization.

2: I would not scuba dive at all without dive insurance of some brand.