Skittl's December 2014 Review- Tres Pelicanos, Suites Bahia, and lots of food.

[Skittl1321]

From dive to dive, day to day, different BC's.

That is one thing I've liked about both ops I've dove with- we got the exact same gear every day. I actually left my SMB and whistle hooked to it.

If I had to blow to inflate my BC, I know I can, but I'd sure pout about it! (I don't use a lot of air in my BC though, because I hold a lot of air in my lungs when I'm nervous, so I'm a bit floatier at the beginning of the dive, and that compensates for the lighter tank when I'm more relaxed at the end of the dive. Some dives I don't touch the button at all.)

 

[mediumone]

BTW, I went with TP for the last 2 days of diving on my last trip. I liked them too. Very positive, professional group. But geez, they go early!


JCScubaInc

They also go out in the afternoon -- leaving the shop shortly after 1:00. We like to sleep in on vacation, get up, and have a swim in the pool, a nice leisurely breakfast, and then hit the reefs with fewer than 25% of the boats (and humans), that the morning folks have to contend with.

We'll be there from April 1 - 12 (not diving every day), if anyone would like to help fill the boat. We love swim throughs.:cool2:

 

[Skittl1321]

Yep, they went out almost every afternoon we are there, and I think they said they will go out any afternoon (or night, or twilight) that has 3 or 4 divers.

I didn't think they went out early. We were asked to be at the shop no later than 7:40 for the drive to the marina. We didn't wake up until 6:30 to go get breakfast, if our hotel had breakfast, we would have been able to sleep in later (plus we were usually there well before 7:40).

 

[mstevens]

...and that is how one writes a trip report!

Thanks for the good read.

 

[silas99]

Great report and nice pics! I dove with you on my last day with TP. I think it may have been your first diving day. We didn't get to chat much. I was the knucklehead wading out to the boat from Iberostar.

Regarding the equipment, although you said you don't dive much and can't justify the expense of maintenance, you really should own your own gear. If you only use it a few times a year I can't see any reason it the regs. need to be rebuilt annually. Do you think the Mexican rental fleet that gets used every day gets serviced every year?

I would think you'd be more comfortable diving equipment you chose and that you are familiar with. Not to mention nobody else was peeing in your wetsuit or breathing off your reg the week before.

Plus having a closet full of expensive equipment makes you want to dive more, then buy more gear, then dive more... A viscous cycle.

 

[Skittl1321]

I was the knucklehead wading out to the boat from Iberostar.

I do remember you If I refused to roll of the boat and had a terrified look on my face for the whole boat ride to the site- that was indeed my first day. We had a few people at the Iberostar throughout the week. It's sad their pier policy is still ridiculous because it seems like a nice resort.

Regarding the equipment, although you said you don't dive much and can't justify the expense of maintenance, you really should own your own gear. If you only use it a few times a year I can't see any reason it the regs. need to be rebuilt annually. Do you think the Mexican rental fleet that gets used every day gets serviced every year?

The cost of annual service to a regulator costs what we spend in rental gear (for BC and regs) each year. I've heard that even if you don't use them, you have to get them serviced, because things can dry out/crack- I don't know if that's true. So we'd be spending that even on the years we don't dive at all.

I don't know how often Mexican shops service their gear. I actually would assume they at least inspect it regularly. Maybe that's a poor assumption.

Not to mention nobody else was peeing in your wetsuit or breathing off your reg the week before.

I do have my own wetsuit. We needed those for a trip where they weren't available to rent, so we bought them early on. And my own computer.
There is a bit of icky factor in the regs- which is one of the reasons I loved the fresh taste of detergent when diving with Alison.

 

[chillyinCanada]

You complimented that you had the same gear every day. However, you also believed you had a problem with your reg. Why didn't you ask them to switch it out for you?

 

[Skittl1321]

You complimented that you had the same gear every day. However, you also believed you had a problem with your reg. Why didn't you ask them to switch it out for you?

The problem with the hard breathing was only the last day. It breathed fine the other days. (The first day I had the issue with it just being too big for my mouth, kind of choking on it- but that's because I'm a small person. I would need something custom to fix that. The issue was solved by me holding it away from my mouth when it really started hurting, and just being more comfortable in general so not letting small things bother me as much.)

 

[kmurray719]

The problem with the hard breathing was only the last day. It breathed fine the other days. (The first day I had the issue with it just being too big for my mouth, kind of choking on it- but that's because I'm a small person. I would need something custom to fix that. The issue was solved by me holding it away from my mouth when it really started hurting, and just being more comfortable in general so not letting small things bother me as much.)

You can buy a small sized mouthpiece and some zipties to put on rental regs when you dive. It should cost you under $20, takes about 30 seconds to change out, and will make it much more comfortable to use rental gear.

 

[cvchief]

The cost of annual service to a regulator costs what we spend in rental gear (for BC and regs) each year. I've heard that even if you don't use them, you have to get them serviced, because things can dry out/crack- I don't know if that's true. So we'd be spending that even on the years we don't dive at all.

I bought my scubapro regs used on ebay. Had them checked but not rebuilt at Coz Scuba repair and have been diving them for 4-5 years. The Mexican advice I have received is, "It works well, right? Why chance messing with it?" I do need to order a new console line. My HP line is now leaking, my compass fell out of my console and my Uwatec computer that eats batteries lost a button and flooded. Tank pressure gauge is still works though.