Dive with Cruise operator vs Local Cozumel Op?

[DandyDon]

sounds like you got enough to decide.

 

[kabal22]

I dive with one of the few steel tank shops on the island and have gone out with another one of them too. Is there a new shop using steels now? I don't know of any that are $80 ($85-95, yes, but not $80).... and what you're describing sure sounds like the shop I've been using for years...

My mistake. You are absolutely right, they were $85 a dive.
My wife paid that bill and I guess I remembered the price wrong.
I guess my original post is too old to edit so I can fix the price there.

Just pulled this from their website. I bet it is the same one you have been using.

DIVING PRICES 2-Tank Dive Trip, Morning/Afternoon/Night ($85)
No additional charge for extended range and/or advanced sites*

1-Tank Night Dive Trip ($55)
3-Tank Extended Range, Advanced Site Trips (Inquire)
Punta Sur, Maracaibo, El Islote, Barracuda, San Juan, and other advanced and less frequently dived sites are available at no additional charge*

All Dive Trips Include:
Hotel/condo/villa pier pickup for most locations south of town.
Marine Park fees are included
Tanks and weights included (Nitrox available, additional $10 per tank)
Bottled water, soda, snacks, fresh fruit, towels and jackets
Gear storage, including wetsuits, included for multi-day bookings

 

[scubawife]

My mistake. You are absolutely right, they were $85 a dive.
My wife paid that bill and I guess I remembered the price wrong.
I guess my original post is too old to edit so I can fix the price there.

Just pulled this from their website. I bet it is the same one you have been using.

DIVING PRICES 2-Tank Dive Trip, Morning/Afternoon/Night ($85)
No additional charge for extended range and/or advanced sites*

1-Tank Night Dive Trip ($55)
3-Tank Extended Range, Advanced Site Trips (Inquire)
Punta Sur, Maracaibo, El Islote, Barracuda, San Juan, and other advanced and less frequently dived sites are available at no additional charge*

All Dive Trips Include:
Hotel/condo/villa pier pickup for most locations south of town.
Marine Park fees are included
Tanks and weights included (Nitrox available, additional $10 per tank)
Bottled water, soda, snacks, fresh fruit, towels and jackets
Gear storage, including wetsuits, included for multi-day bookings

I knew who you were talking about (been diving with him several years now...) but when you said $80 I thought maybe there's a new shop I didn't know about. No worries. (and since you didn't want to say, I will, it's Living Underwater. While this is my personal first choice, I'm not so sure they're going to be what the OP is looking for. If you only have 2 dives on the island, and you have 2 teens with you, the steel tanks might be more of a learning curve then they have time for. They'd spend one dive just getting used to it.)

 

[Mike]

Well, here's an update:

I've sent about emails to 14 of the dive shops..

Oh my lord.

I know, I know, it's not about a cheap dive op. God, to waste so much of so many people's time... all for the sake of saving what amounts to a take of gas. 14 dive ops.

I know, I know, it's me, not you. I've been way off base the whole time. My apologies.

A dude with 2500 dives. I can only imagine the millions of wasted hours of so many lives that must have been involved with scheduling that many dives.

 

[WestHoustonDiver]

Mike:

Since you have nothing positive nor constructive to say, Please leave!!! & go troll / spread your BS on some other boards.

It's people like you that makes me glad I'm back to the friendly State of Texas & don't have to put up w/ SOBs like you...

 

[kabal22]

If you only have 2 dives on the island, and you have 2 teens with you, the steel tanks might be more of a learning curve then they have time for. They'd spend one dive just getting used to it.)

Yeah, I guess with the teens/less experienced divers that may be an issue. Personally I didn't experience any difficulty with the steel tanks. Jeremy explained all about their negative buoyancy and gave us tips on how to deal with any issues. But within 5 minutes I forgot there was any difference.

 

[scubawife]

Yeah, I guess with the teens/less experienced divers that may be an issue. Personally I didn't experience any difficulty with the steel tanks. Jeremy explained all about their negative buoyancy and gave us tips on how to deal with any issues. But within 5 minutes I forgot there was any difference.

I use the steel 95s and find them more comfortable then AL80s. I don't need the extra air, I just find the tank more comfortable. With AL80s I have lower back aches by day 3. With the LP95 I can dive for a couple weeks in comfort. For me they're just better balanced and sit more comfortably.

We had friends dive with us for a day who usually use another shop. They very much disliked the 95 and 120. She was very uncomfortable and he was fine but prefers the standard tanks. All a matter of preference.

 

[Mike]

Mike:

Since you have nothing positive nor constructive to say, Please leave!!! & go troll / spread your BS on some other boards.

It's people like you that makes me glad I'm back to the friendly State of Texas & don't have to put up w/ SOBs like you...

Buddy, how about you get a clue and stop the maddness?

Let me get this straight.

You have a dive op you have used before who did you right, but you feel the need to shop them with 14 other dive ops, just in case you can save a few dollars.

You're a cruise ship diver. Will blow in and out of port like a fart in a whirlwind, probably to never be seen again... (and if you do return, you're going to shop your business with another 14 dive ops again, just to make sure that you aren't missing saving $4.00)

You probably need a non-standard start time to your dive due to coming in on a cruise ship and any dive op that can accomodate you will do so at their inconvenience just to get your low ball business and a guarantee of ZERO loyalty to them for going out of their way, if you ever return.

Hmmm.. you're probably also going to be coming in on Thanks Giving Week or Christmas or New Years or some other busy time, when dive ops are trying to make back some money during a busy time to make up for the lulls during slow times, and you'll want a discounted rate during this busy time.

You'll probably be needing special care... wife who is nervous... hmmm... kids who are junior divers.... etc... something that will require above normal care from a dive op... and you want it as cheap as possible...

You'll probably be wanting a private ride with your 4 people in a 6 pack boat at a discounted price too.

Get serious. Beating down hard working dive ops for you to save a buck doesn't help yourself in the long run. Who are you going to dive with after they go out of business catering to cheap skate divers?

Try this on, probably make you go nuts -

Hi mr dive op -

I'm coming into town on a holiday.. .yep I know it's your busy season... I'm a cruise ship diver to.. .so yep, you'll have to accomodate my odd start and ending times to deal with the cruise ship docking and departure.... I have some special needs.. 2 junior dives and a wife that is not too sure about diving...

... I'm wondering if there is any chance you could accomodate us? We are really interested in a nice dive experience and understand this is really pretty hard to do under our circumstances...

... how much extra would it cost us to help us out with this? By the way I'm very loyal to our dive ops, I have dived all over the world with 2500 dives under my belt and we wouldn't even be contacting you in regard to this other than the dive op we would normally use was ran out of business, I think by trying to cater to cheap skate divers that you have heard about I'm sure.

 

[cicopo]

First & foremost I do think that a small op is your best value for reasons already stated, but I do agree with Mike's thinking, BIG TIME. I've done my fair share of barganing for dive trips in Cozumel, mostly because our Canadian $ was so low (worst case was $1.645 per US dollar) but it was for multiple days of 2 tank diving (normally for 20 tanks total) and frankly I'm on Mike's side of your logic. Your asking several ops to take the time to cut you a deal, answer your email, and be prepared to haggle on line with who knows who for an even lower price. As a small business owner who can speak ONLY for myself I'd be polite in answering your email, but it would be with a SORRY, I don't cut my prices for situations like this. I work for myself, do quality work, and my prices are fair (actually low according to my customers) and expect full pay for what I do in my marketplace.

 

[DandyDon]

I didn't get the idea that he wanted a discount from the Op, just to pay less than with the cruise vendors. Did I miss something?

14 emails was a bit much.