Scuba Mag's Reader Ratings

[Christi]

I forgot about Deep Blue. They're on my list for shops to try. I'm getting tired of diving the same profiles with the same DMs. I want to know WHERE Aristeo is working. I had the single best dive of my life with him at Columbia Deep. I love the fact he is the only DM on the island (to my knowledge) in force fins. Aristeo, where are you???

He's a freelancer so it's hard to say. He is very good for advanced divers!

 

[Christi]

I agree with you about the steel tanks. Air consumption wise I do just fine with an AL80, but the steel 95's or 100's are much more comfortable for me. The extra air is a nice bonus.

Yeh, some people are more comfy in the steels...but for me they are just too heavy, even the 95's. Not having to add lead is nice, but now I have wings and a SS backplate, so I don't have to wear a bunch of lead either...just the extra weight I need to carry for divers if I am leading a dive.

 

[chuck86]

Yeh, some people are more comfy in the steels...but for me they are just too heavy, even the 95's. Not having to add lead is nice, but now I have wings and a SS backplate, so I don't have to wear a bunch of lead either...just the extra weight I need to carry for divers if I am leading a dive.

Hey Gal!!! How about that backplate and wings???? How do you like them. I love mine and probably will never dive anything else again.

 

[ronrosa]

I think Scubawife is right. My guess is LU, Blue XTSea, and Liquid Blue did not receive enough votes. I also bet the votes they did receive were all highly positive.

I usually dive with Aldora. Dove with LU when Jeremy just started working for Oracio. Nice guy, good DM. The last few trips, Liquid Blue and Blue XTSea have been booked. One of these days.....

 

[scuba_guy62]

You have to consider the type of mag. Scuba Diving is and the market (marketing). I think someone very serious or experienced is going to do heaps more research (like here obviously) but let's face it...glossy mag has to pay for itself...money talks...and do we really want the high end ops to be overrun with pod people..lol...(just kidding).
I haven't been to Coz in forever and hope to head down next month...and hope to dive a couple of different operators to broaden the experience (share the wealth) so I can make good reco's to other folk heading down. I never buy the magazine (I read it at chapters..sorta like Barnes and Noble) but I do like to leaf through it along with the Brit. one's. The positive thing is it inspired the type of board specific mentions that will get people looking to go beyond what the mag says. I've read things in undercurrent that perhaps didn't jive with my particular experience....then again...perhaps my time frame or expectations differ from the reviewer (I think it's called perception...something we all have that is unique to us)...good thread...and informative. Namaste

 

[Moodiejeff]

Aristeo, where are you???

He is very good for advanced divers!

Ha ha!!! Oh my! Aristeo at Colombia Deep - Hmmm, brings back memories...

Yeah, he may be good for advanced divers but... (I'm going to edit myself right here). Let's just say he's not the most attentive to new divers.

 

[TheRedHead]

I can't find those swimthoughs that Aristeo showed me! Maybe he shouldn't dive with newbs, but he's my favorite. I love Aristeo!

 

[scubawife]

Yeh, some people are more comfy in the steels...but for me they are just too heavy, even the 95's. Not having to add lead is nice, but now I have wings and a SS backplate, so I don't have to wear a bunch of lead either...just the extra weight I need to carry for divers if I am leading a dive.

With an AL80 I get a sore lower back. I use 9-10lbs and put at least half of it in my tank trim pockets. With a steel 95 by back feels much better. I haven't tried any AL's bigger then an 80. Maybe it's the size of the tank and how it sits on my back more then the steel vs AL?

 

[TheRedHead]

I like diving with 2 lbs on the tank band, but I can see Christi's point about having to carry extra weight for other divers. I would think that an AL100 would be more positively bouyant at the end of a dive than an AL80, but I don't know.

 

[AggieDiver]

I suspect that they won't score ops with fewer than a certain number of responses. If you assume that prior to getting her new boat, Christi could take at most 6 divers per day out, and that with Wilma and other slow periods, she might get that total for 330 days a year or so...that leaves her with 1980 potential divers. If you assume that each of them is on a 3-5 day package with her (divide by 4), that leaves 495 divers who could refer her. If you then assume that most are either couples or at least two friends diving together, where only one would report on the trip for both of them together...that leaves 248. If they get what is probably a high rate of responses like 10% of all her customers, they would get 25 responses...which is probably nowhere near the min. they require for scoring...

I am sure the numbers work out the same way for alot of the smaller ops.