Would you dive with this op?

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Lost Sailor

Registered
Messages
40
Reaction score
9
Location
DC
# of dives
100 - 199
Disclaimer - I have waited almost two weeks to post this trip report since I was very angry at the time of the event, very angry. After almost two weeks, I am just as angry as I was when I left the island. Long post...

Background - This was my third trip to Cozumel. The first two trips were full weeks of 3 to 4 tanks a day with my brother; this trip was meant to be a mix of relaxation and diving (but the diving was a very important part of the trip). This trip I stayed at the Occidental Grand with a friend, planning on introducing her to Cozumel drift diving with a few days of mellow dives, maybe more depending on how the trip went. The plan was great, wish it actually happened.

We arrived on Cozumel on Thursday, April 10, planning on relaxing the first day or so and diving on Saturday afternoon. We went with the on-site dive op, Pro Dive, for the convenience. We had two full sets of gear and didn't want to really deal with it after hauling it through the airport. I went with the same op out of the Allegro last year; not the best experience, but decided to give them another shot. After we checked in, I went to the dive shop and checked on their schedule. I let them know that I had a new diver with me - first dive would be number 11 in the log - and that we wanted to stay shallow and mellow, at least to begin. I specifically noted that I did not want to go near any wall since my friend had no right being near a potential down current. No problem - well, except for the fact that the person working the desk responded with "what's a down current?" - probably should have run at that point.

On Friday, I stopped by the dive shop twice - a little anal or OCD or whatever - and stressed that we wanted to stay shallow to introduce my friend to drift diving. Again, no problem.

Saturday morning I stopped by the dive shop again and confirmed the plan for the afternoon - shallow and mellow, no problem. Have I mentioned that I am angry?

Saturday after lunch we showed up with gear for the first dive, met our guide and did a dive briefing while waiting on the boat. Our guide briefed Paso de Cedral - perfect! Shallow, usually mellow current with coral heads to help someone get used to current. Couldn't have asked for a better first dive for our plan. Boat shows, load up and set up gear. No problem.

Arrive at the dive site, first group of six drops in the water and the boat moves off to our drop spot. STOP... as we move to the stern to drop, our guide says that we are not at the site that we briefed and were at the wall. This is where I have to accept fault because we went into the water; kind of like deer in headlights. I knew that I could watch my buddy, but I was pissed.

My buddy had issues equalizing; the current was a new experience and she was disoriented. We went down slow and started out around 75 feet. I was on my buddy like a remora and watching her face for stress. At 6 minutes in, I thumbed the dive based on my read of her face. We (7) surfaced and my buddy collected herself; after a solidly rude response from the guide (who had completely messed up the dive briefing and brought a novice on the wall), we (7) went back down and finished the dive. My buddy performed like a champ after getting comfortable with the current, though I was riding her tank the whole time - I have no idea what we saw.

Unfortunately, my buddy ruptured an eardrum on the dive - the result of a pre-existing condition and probably the first stressed drop. I don't have an issue with the ear, it happens. My issue is with an op that has ample notice of what a customer expects, based on the limits of one of the divers, agrees to serving that level of experience - then briefs the perfect dives and drops the divers in exactly the spot, exactly the spot, I told them I wanted to avoid. The second dive would have been perfect for my buddy - my next two dives the next day would have been perfect. She would love Cozumel now, but she doesn't. Pro Dive messed it up on the first dive.

How bad did they mess it up? Well, thankfully my friend is not turned off on diving, but she's turned off on Cozumel. That means the island is most likely off of my list of dive destinations for the future; we agree that there are plenty of other places to visit in the world. So, I'm not happy - I love Cozumel.

Other top moments of the first dive?

1 - guide overweighted one customer by 50% (disclaimer - I handle my own weight and check my buddy's weight, I don't trust my life to anyone). Result - she shot down to 80 feet at Cedral Wall when she dumped her BC - BC didn't arrest her drop - what if we were actually over the wall and not the reef???

2 - guide noting that he had squid in his pocket to bait toadfish... isn't that illegal?

Bottom line - in my opinion, I wouldn't use Pro Dive if you have any concern for your or your buddy's safety. Screw the bottom line... I would have spent a bit o' money on the island over the next many years...

So who do I write?
 
I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I dove with that dive op one time and it was so-so, not bad at all like you experienced. However, there are numerous good ops that you should use next time (if you get a next time). I would try Dive with Martin if you are not at a scuba resort such as Scuba Club Cozumel. Dive with Martin is very professional, some of the best dive masters and I have not heard of any bad experiences. There are other great ops too that regularly monitor this forum so I am sure you will hear about them. Make sure you get some good input before you go next time. Show your friend these post's too, it may change your friends mind. Good luck, I hope you get back!!
 
Sorry that you and your buddy had a bad experience; I understand why you are upset. As to who to write to? Well, I would start with the dive op you contracted with. Sounds like you have lots to talk to them about.

Unless I have missed something, the rest of this isn't a training standards issue so no point talking to an agency; it is really a customer experience report. Reports like yours help readers make decisions on which ops they will or won't dive with when they do their research on boards like this one. So the only other suggestion I would have is that you request the title for your thread to be changed to make it easier for people to find when using the search function.
 
The lesson you should learn is to NEVER, EVER just "settle" for the on-site Dive Op just because it's convenient. I understand very well the need to mix diving and relaxation. Years ago, when I first started diving, the vacations were dive, dive, and dive some more. Now, I like to relax, so if I only do 2-tank morning dives on 4 or 5 days of a week stay, I'm good. But I only dive with Dive Ops I know and trust. Like many of the folks who regularly post on this board, I have been going to Cozumel regularly for many years, and I have my own list of Dive Ops I will go out with, and my own list of Ops that I will NOT go out with. Don't let it ruin your opinion of Cozumel. BTW, when the DM told you you were over the wall, why didn't you nix the dive? Just tell the DM, "No - I made it clear that we wanted shallow, easy dives. If you don't understand that, we'll demand a refund and dive with a Dive Op that actually listens to its customers."

PS - Ditto on the recommendation for Dive with Martin. Not my absolute favorite Dive Op on Cozumel (that would be Aldora, because I really like the Steel 120 tanks, the long SIs at a beach club, and the top-level valet-type service), but Dive with Martin is definitely on my "will dive with" list. I've dove with them many times, and never a problem, and the DMs I've had at DWM, Roberto and Miguel, are both excellent.
 
My fiance and I just got back from Cozumel last week. We are new divers too. We only had our 4 cert dives in our logbook. We did several shore dives on our own before getting on a boat. I'm very glad we did. First dive off the boat was Santa Rosa wall at 85 feet and swimthroughs at the end. Everything went very well and we had a great time.
 
Disclaimer - I have waited almost two weeks to post this trip report since I was very angry at the time of the event, very angry. After almost two weeks, I am just as angry as I was when I left the island. Long post...


I went with the same op out of the Allegro last year; not the best experience,



....... - a little anal or OCD or whatever - and stressed that we wanted to stay shallow to introduce my friend to drift diving. Again, no problem.

Saturday morning I stopped by the dive shop again and confirmed the plan for the afternoon - shallow and mellow, no problem. Have I mentioned that I am angry?

Saturday after lunch we showed up with gear for the first dive, met our guide and did a dive briefing while waiting on the boat. Our guide briefed Paso de Cedral - perfect! Shallow, usually mellow current with coral heads to help someone get used to current. Couldn't have asked for a better first dive for our plan. Boat shows, load up and set up gear. No problem.

. STOP... as we move to the stern to drop, our guide says that we are not at the site that we briefed and were at the wall. This is where I have to accept fault because we went into the water; kind of like deer in headlights. I knew that I could watch my buddy, but I was pissed.

And this is where you lost me. Doesn't anyone take responsibility for their own decisions anymore???????
 
Tell your buddy to give Coz another chance .... it's not the island that blew it, it's the dive op!!:shakehead:

My DH & I had a VERY similar situation our 1st time to Coz. I believe we each had 7 dives under our belt. We booked with the op online - being VERY clear as to how new we were (over & over again), and were reassured (over & over again) that we would be well taken care of as novices and dive shallow sites. It happens the person handling everything was not on island the day of our dives, so we get to the op, check in, and are told the boat is going to Devil's Throat! At least we had the sense to NOT get on the boat, and eventually worked out a deal (at a much higher cost) to go out on another boat they pulled into use for us. (I won't even go into the issues about the problems paying them after the dives - but to say it was the icing on the cake!) It could have soured us on Coz permanently, and almost did - but we decided to give it another shot. Initially dove with Papa Hog, and they were good to us; spent some time diving with Blue Angel (loved Jorge, but hear he's moved on); and finally settled with Scuba with Alison - and been with her for nearly 9 years now. The DH and I are both very, very glad we didn't give up on the Island. We would have missed so many great dives, so many great people, so many great meals! (Ahhhh but that's a whole other post!!:D)

(And I rarely - if ever - mention the dive op that 'almost' killed Coz for us, as so many people here on SB LOVE them .... which just goes to show that some good ops have a bad day; some ops are always lame; and you need to just find the one that's perfect for you [and your buddy!])
 
And this is where you lost me. Doesn't anyone take responsibility for their own decisions anymore???????

Nope.

You get off the boat into the water, you're consummating the dive. You know it, I know it, the OP knows it too.

But to answer your question Lost Sailor would I dive with this op? Nope. Wouldn't have dived with them before your story.
 
So you travel to a dive destination known for swift currents and bottomless walls and you wanted to dive with no currents and no wall. Seems like you screwed up by taking her to Cozumel in the first place.

Bad drops happen occasionally. If you want to be assured that the boat will take you exactly on the type of dive you want to do, simply charter the entire boat. Otherwise, there's an entire boatload of divers that may not agree with your decision and the guides, who want to maximize their tips, will try to please the majority.
 
I have dived with that op. Never again. About 2 days in, I was really regretting paying for a week in advance just to save 10%
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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