Lost Sailor
Registered
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?
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?
)
