Reef Club Cozumel / Sand Dollar Sports Trip Report

[Spike_Digger]

You and I must have seen the same moray at Yucab. That monster was HUGE!! Am I exaggerating in saying it was at least 10 feet long, 1.5 feet high?

That's what it looked like to me. If you consider that objects look 25% larger underwater, it might have been 8 ft long? This site says that green morays grow to 2.5m in length (8.2'), so it's quite possible.
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=106

 

[jessica123]

that is really bad, I was at the reef club in july (06) and used sand dollar and they were nothing but nice to us the let us pick our dive sites morn or afternoon and when I advised them I might be interested in a night dive they offered to get a lantern for me whih I did not have at the time. they loaded my camera in my housing for me and gave me a few tips how how to get a great picture and then one of the dm under water took a picture of me and my husband in a water embrace its was great may be there were different staff there and gave us a free picture of a shark from one of the videophotophers on our boat and it was a great shot too. and my husband was named Mr Reef from winning one of there talent night there.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

In addition to your many other problems with SDS, they own the pier at Reef Club and make other dive ops pay to use it for pick ups. I'm not fully educated on the economics of Cozumel's dive society, but it seems to be against the grain. Not exactly in the spirit of helping other dive ops out or looking out for the customer.

 

[Spike_Digger]

In addition to your many other problems with SDS, they own the pier at Reef Club and make other dive ops pay to use it for pick ups. I'm not fully educated on the economics of Cozumel's dive society, but it seems to be against the grain. Not exactly in the spirit of helping other dive ops out or looking out for the customer.

That's true. When we got picked up at the SDS pier by a boat from The Dive House, an SDS employee came running down to see whose boat was landing at their pier. They apparently allow some dive ops to use the pier, and others not. I heard from someone staying at the Reef Club that some boats will come in close to shore, and guests will wade out to get on the boat. I'm glad we didn't have to do that, because in the windy conditions that we had, it could have been a recipe for an accident.

 

[Suzanne_in_Cozu]

I'm Suzanne Fernandez, one of the owners of Sand Dollar Sports. I'm late in replying to your post as I have been off the island. I find it interesting you did not give me your name so I could check into all you accusations. Or better yet, contact us directly. However, with the information and the our records, I think I can find your name and exactly what happened. We pride ourselves in being service oriented, and any and all complaints do not go unattended.
Regards
Suzanne Fernandez
Sand Dollar Sports
987-872-0793

 

[Spike_Digger]

I'm Suzanne Fernandez, one of the owners of Sand Dollar Sports. I'm late in replying to your post as I have been off the island. I find it interesting you did not give me your name so I could check into all you accusations. Or better yet, contact us directly. However, with the information and the our records, I think I can find your name and exactly what happened. We pride ourselves in being service oriented, and any and all complaints do not go unattended.
Regards
Suzanne Fernandez
Sand Dollar Sports
987-872-0793

Ok, glad to hear you're following up on these complaints. I don't believe in mentioning individual's names when airing my dirty laundry, so PM sent.

 

[pilot fish]

When I was there in Novemeber on a scheduled dive to Palancar Caves the crew said to us that the sea was too rough further south so we would dive close by at some shallow site. We all said, we can deal with the rough seas, the sea around us at the time was not rough at al. They spoke among each other and decided to take us there, as we insisted. When we got there the sea was calm. The point is, they wanted a shorter dive day and did not want the longer boat ride to Palancar Caves.

The dive was great and we all had a good time. Ms Fernandez, you might want to be at the shop a bit more often to make sure things are run the way you want them run? I know several divers that are members of the Reef Club that will not dive with you. Instead they wade out to be picked up by another dive op. That has to tell you something?

I'm Suzanne Fernandez, one of the owners of Sand Dollar Sports. I'm late in replying to your post as I have been off the island. I find it interesting you did not give me your name so I could check into all you accusations. Or better yet, contact us directly. However, with the information and the our records, I think I can find your name and exactly what happened. We pride ourselves in being service oriented, and any and all complaints do not go unattended.
Regards
Suzanne Fernandez
Sand Dollar Sports
987-872-0793

 

[Christi]

When I was there in Novemeber on a scheduled dive to Palancar Caves the crew said to us that the sea was too rough further south so we would dive close by at some shallow site. We all said, we can deal with the rough seas, the sea around us at the time was not rough at al. They spoke among each other and decided to take us there, as we insisted. When we got there the sea was calm. The point is, they wanted a shorter dive day and did not want the longer boat ride to Palancar Caves.

The dive was great and we all had a good time. Ms Fernandez, you might want to be at the shop a bit more often to make sure things are run the way you want them run? I know several divers that are members of the Reef Club that will not dive with you. Instead they wade out to be picked up by another dive op. That has to tell you something?

I cannot speak to the crew's motives that day, but I will say this.

Many don't realize, that while the sea in front of your hotel may be flat, that does not mean it will remain that way as you go further north or south. The wind direction and speed has ALOT to do with how the seas are. The boat captains KNOW how to read this.

For example, there are days that we would like to plan a dive all the way south...Punta Sur or beyond. Conditions in town may be flat as glass...but if the wind is coming out of the southest for example, conditions down south (even at Palancar) are going to be nasty.

My point is, don't always judge the sea conditions or even the weather conditions by what you see out your window. Give the crews some credit and realize that they usually know what they are doing and there is usually a reasonable explanation as to their decisions on dive sites.

I will add that Thanksgiving week was in fact very nasty as far as the wind goes. There were only three partial days that the port was even open to big boats...and even then, conditions were questionable. I would NEVER have taken an OW referral student out on a boat in thos conditions. It would have been no fun and it would have been dangerous (getting on and off the boat). Thanksgiving day the port opened in the afternoon for all boats, but again, it was still pretty nasty out there.

 

[pilot fish]

Hi Christi. You're right, of course, but something told me that what we were hearing was bogus -the date was Nov 1. It was THAT DM, that day, that gave me a feeling that what he was saying was not the case. It turned out we were right. On the way down one diver was handing out dramamine pills to us for teh choppy water It was soooooo unneeded.

Anyway, your advice is sound. If YOU or one of your DM's said that, I would not hesitate but follow the advice.

I cannot speak to the crew's motives that day, but I will say this.

Many don't realize, that while the sea in front of your hotel may be flat, that does not mean it will remain that way as you go further north or south. The wind direction and speed has ALOT to do with how the seas are. The boat captains KNOW how to read this.

For example, there are days that we would like to plan a dive all the way south...Punta Sur or beyond. Conditions in town may be flat as glass...but if the wind is coming out of the southest for example, conditions down south (even at Palancar) are going to be nasty.

My point is, don't always judge the sea conditions or even the weather conditions by what you see out your window. Give the crews some credit and realize that they usually know what they are doing and there is usually a reasonable explanation as to their decisions on dive sites.

I will add that Thanksgiving week was in fact very nasty as far as the wind goes. There were only three partial days that the port was even open to big boats...and even then, conditions were questionable. I would NEVER have taken an OW referral student out on a boat in thos conditions. It would have been no fun and it would have been dangerous (getting on and off the boat). Thanksgiving day the port opened in the afternoon for all boats, but again, it was still pretty nasty out there.

 

[Christi]

Hi Christi. You're right, of course, but something told me that what we were hearing was bogus -the date was Nov 1. It was THAT DM, that day, that gave me a feeling that what he was saying was not the case. It turned out we were right. On the way down one diver was handing out dramamine pills to us for teh choppy water It was soooooo unneeded.

Anyway, your advice is sound. If YOU or one of your DM's said that, I would not hesitate but follow the advice.

Well, I am not going to speculate or jump to the conclusion that they just didn't want to take you all to Palancar. It's not that much further, so your argument really isn't logical. If that WAS the case, I am sure Suzanne would have a problem with that and would want to know about it. I know her and have the utmost respect for her. She has been in operation for 20 +/- years here, that has to say something.

It is possible that conditions improved on the way out or that they simply misjudged the conditions. Just because it turned out that you were "right" doesn't mean they were out to diminish your dive experience.

There are so many logistics issues and other things that people don't understand. Many people need to remember that we all do our jobs day in and day out, just like you do your job day after day. We wouldn't second guess you on how you do your job and I wish people weren't so quick to judge a dive op when things aren't "perfect" in the way THEY think they should be or the way "dive shop X" does it, or the way they do it "insert other destination."

Most of the time, there are very good reasons for why certain decisions are made.

Is Sand Dollar for everyone? No. There is no one dive shop that is the right match for everyone, regardless of what anyone wants to believe!

I am very happy and grateful to have the loyal following and return customers and positive reputation I have. But I am also reasonable enough to believe that my dive operation is not the right match for everyone. I accept that and understand it with no hard feelings.

With that said, I hate to see ANY dive operation unfairly judged, particularly when the complaints are taken public before they are taken directly to management/ownership for a chance to resolve issues. If they don't hear the complaints, tehy can't do anything about them. Please remember that!

Also remember that everyone has bad days...it's not necessarily about what happens, it's about how the operator handles an adverse situation that should really count.