What should be expected when purchasing a guided dive trip?

[Duckude100]

I'm an instructor working at a dive shop in mexico, I have worked at a couple of other shops as well, and am looking for people's opinions, and thoughts on the value of an average 2 tank dive trip. the shop i currently work at charges $120 for a 2 tank dive. Those dives are capped at 40 minutes, regardless of how much air is left in your tank. The dives are often conducted off the same vessel carrying snorkelers, so the dive sites are typically quite shallow (30ft), but the reef is nice and quite enjoyable. The boats have to be back 3 hours after leaving to accommodate other trips leaving in the pm, so we only do about a 15 minute surface interval between dives ( shallow water dives). I'm going to refrain from adding my opinion on how this dive shop is currently opperating, but would love to know if people thinks this is a fair price for the dive trip i just described, I value the opinion of both dive profressionals, and recreational divers alike. Also, if you would not go on the dive described above, what would need to change to make it more appealing?? (Sometimes we do deeper dives as well (60ft) but those dives are also capped at 40 minutes.)

 

[boulderjohn]

I would not remotely consider such dives.

 

[Dogbowl]

For me, it would depend on where I am. If I'm in Cozumel, my answer would be "hell no!" If I'm in a place where it's not known for diving, or not a noted dive destination, or for some reason it normally costs that much due to other reasons, and I REALLY wanted to dive and the reef is enjoyable despite it being shallow, then maybe.

 

[dbnewton]

limiting to 40 minutes is ridiculous. At that depth they should be at least twice that length.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Where in Mexico is this?

There are a few things that are working against this being an alluring dive excursion....

- Price. $120 for 2 tanks, in say, Cozumel, is a lot.
- 40 minute dive time is ridiculous, especially at those depths. (I've done 80 minute dives going all the way down to 90 feet and working my way up.)
- 40 minute dive time regardless of how much air in tank is left is even more ridiculous, especially for the price. Does the whole group have to come up if someone is out of air or low? Or is it each buddy group goes up as they are low on air?
- On the same boat as snorkelers. How many? It sounds like a cattle boat.
- 15 minute surface interval....That's hardly enough time to pee, drink, change out batteries for cameras, and change tanks,etc. I'm not even talking safety margins for NDLs since it's so shallow.

What needs to change? At minimum, price would need to come down slightly and dive times maybe limited to 60 minutes, at the very least. Not being so rushed to get onto the second dive and have time to chat about the experience with your dive buddy, your fellow dive group, etc., would be nice. Enjoying the ride out to the dive site and back as well. Snacks. Most of my dives are international dives in various countries and from what you've described, it sounds like the operator is really trying to make as much money as possible in as short amount of time as possible, hence tossing snorkelers and divers onto a boat together, rushing the dives and snorkeling, and hauling back in time to take out another batch.

 

[drrich2]

No, I'd dive with your competitor(s) who doesn't(don't) limit dive time to 40 minutes or depth to 40 feet. The depth isn't an issue if you're diving sites where 40 is hard bottom, and I don't mind if the guide sticks to that, if there's no evident advantage to going deeper. But if it's a sloping wall and I want to fin on down to 55 feet for a few minutes to photo an interesting sea creature and somebody grabs my fin to stop me and wags his finger at me or something, that's not welcome. I understand about rules; I imagine your competitor does, too. And probably doesn't have that one.

Possible exception: if I were traveling with a snorkeler.

Richard.

 

[flyboy08]

If their booked solid who am I to dictate how they operate....competition will determine their fate. No, I wouldn't dive unless there were no other options and its a dive I would find worthwhile.

 

[ratjn]

Nope.

My operator in Cozumel charges less than this with Nitrox. Last trip I averaged over 80 minute dives at depths way greater.

At home in Canada our boat charter goes for about $100 US for two dives. No guide, we typically are getting 70 minute dives with a bottom depth of about 80-100 feet and we work our way up the walls.

 

[MichaelMc]

Possible exception: if I were traveling with a snorkeler.

Traveling with a snorkeler is the only reason, and I would be abandoning them for two rushed weak dives. I might see doing one short one, but not at $120

A 15 min SI is nuts. Just getting say 8 divers out of the water and then back in physically in that time would be hard. 30 seconds per person on exit eats 5 of your minutes.

 

[Aviyes]

Sounds more like Discover Scuba type restrictions, which it could potentially work for if gear was included.