Who to dive with in Oahu

[rockjock3]

Your right fishb0y, they don't change vendors annually, but contracts are renewed annually and subsequenty some vendors do change. Especially if a vendor bids lower than the current year's contract. It is then awarded to a lower bidder.
But please, let's not turn this in to a "I know more about this than you" discussion.

Let's stick to the subject of lending a person some informative information about good dive operators on the island of Oahu based on "personal" experience not based on hearsay. If you had experienced some bad service from OC then say so. Then I hope you would have complained to OC and lended them some contructive suggestions on how to improve their service to the public.
Afterall, that would be the "professional" thing for us instructors to do right?

Safe diving

OK, I won't turn it into that. I will say this about OC. I PERSONALLY witnessed them talking with 2 Navy guys one evening (I talked to the guys later) and heard them tell the guys first that the Brand New Apexs reg they just bought not an hour before, was crap. Why? Probably because they didn't buy it from them and OC doesn't sell them. This got me interested and you will never guess why the guy told them next.

There are 3 best ways to improve your SAC rate. Do you want to hear them, do you? First, buy a high performace reg and I just happen to have some to show you. Second, buy a dive computer. Third, buy new fins. Well, I don't remember any of those methods being taught in my OW course or any of my tech courses. That is exactly what the guy told them though. This is not a second hand account, this is exactly what I witnessed the guy telling them. When I talked to the guys they also said that I heard exactly right.

This problem is indicative of the experiences I have had with them and I would never send anybody to them as these experiences have been mirrored by countless other first-hand experiences.

No business is perfect, but OC tends to have an ongoing practice of not truly putting the customer first, along with other issues.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I dove with Deep Ecology on the north shore 3-4 years back. I find they're more environmentally conscious than most other ops, had small boats (which weren't quite big enough in the winter waves of the North Shore), friendly & helpful crew. Also has a nice retail store selling non-dive apparel as well.
Dive safely.

Your DE crew is very likely lurking in the Ohana. To my knowledge, nobody has run dive charters off the North Shore in the winter, ever. In the winter DE traditionally operates the boat off the West Side, with the boat staying over there. In the summer, DE does the North Shore (4ish months?). There can be a summer North swell and the trades can blow fierce by the second dive, are you sure it was Winter?

 

[Whale Whisperer]

OK, I won't turn it into that. I will say this about OC. I PERSONALLY witnessed them talking with 2 Navy guys one evening (I talked to the guys later) and heard them tell the guys first that the Brand New Apexs reg they just bought not an hour before, was crap. Why? Probably because they didn't buy it from them and OC doesn't sell them. This got me interested and you will never guess why the guy told them next.

There are 3 best ways to improve your SAC rate. Do you want to hear them, do you? First, buy a high performace reg and I just happen to have some to show you. Second, buy a dive computer. Third, buy new fins. Well, I don't remember any of those methods being taught in my OW course or any of my tech courses. That is exactly what the guy told them though. This is not a second hand account, this is exactly what I witnessed the guy telling them. When I talked to the guys they also said that I heard exactly right.

This problem is indicative of the experiences I have had with them and I would never send anybody to them as these experiences have been mirrored by countless other first-hand experiences.

No business is perfect, but OC tends to have an ongoing practice of not truly putting the customer first, along with other issues.

I've had a sales person from OC give me some weird information too. They were featuring Reef Neptune Full Face Masks at a display held at the Navy Exhange. When I was checking out the mask their sales rep asked me if I had any questions. So I asked "how do you equalize with this mask?". The mask had no way to block the user's nose to equalize that I could see. The sales person said with confidence, "You don't have to, the air pressure is equal as the sea pressure". I gave him a weird look and said "you sure about that?".

When ever I walk in their door it feels like they just want me to hand over my plastic and cash over to them. Sometimes visit the store to see if it's changed, but it no such luck

 

[justleesa]

should look differnt now, they are no longer in the Navy exchange

 

[fishb0y]

Yup, I was in there today... when is Turtleguy gonna work the counter?

 

[justleesa]

nope...that privilege is for special people

 

[mrjimboalaska]

should look differnt now, they are no longer in the Navy exchange

Can anyone give me a "Hooty Hoo"!!!!!!!!

 

[rockjock3]

Hooty Hoo!!!!!!

 

[Cacia]

the truth is, it is hard to recommend an operator because Oahu is very pricey and you wil not get whatever it is you are used to.

thats the truth....

so, even if somebody is the best HERE, you probably will not like them compared to the service at other dive destinations.

But the diving can be fantastic if you hit a 200 ft day and see something big.

 

[DiveWestOahu]

if you think it's expensive here,,, you obviously never dove on Maui... even with professional courtesy pricing it's still more that on O'ahu