Have to ask

[Christi]

Caribbean Divers is a great operation, and has been around for a very long time! But based on what YOU are looking for, they may not be your cup of tea. They run one large boat, but don't tend to over fill it except when it's very busy and they have to run at capacity. It's a slow boat, so it's an all day trip for a two-tank dive. They often have technical divers as well as recreational divers on board, so that is also something to consider - you may have a lot of time on the boat waiting for the tech divers.

There are many others that will meet your needs though. In no particular order and definitely not exhaustive - shops that run more than one boat and have small boats and/or a combination of big/small boats:

Blue Angel
Dive with martin
Blue XT~Sea
Deep Blue
Aldora
Dive Paradise
Aqua Safari
Scuba Tony
Scuba Du

Prices will vary here from $65 to $85 for a two-tank dive with different offerings and ammenities

 

[Mossman]

My own reasons for liking Aldora are: (1) HP Steel 120 tanks - I tend to suck air after no diving for 6-8 months, and the extra air means I don't have to worry about cutting other divers' short by having to come up. I also really like the bouyancy characteristics of the Steel tanks; AL tanks will get positively bouyant at 500-700 psi, so I need extra weight to do a comfortable safety stop; not a problem with Steel; (2) small, fast 6-pack boats - get out to the reefs early to avoid the rush; (3) long Surface Interval on the beach, more outgassing, longer second dive; (4) everyone dives computers - that, with higher capacity tanks, means lots of bottom time on each dive; while Aldora charges more than most Ops for a two-tank dive, but on a dollar per bottom time minute basis, it is probably about even; (5) valet service - I really like dropping my gear off with Aldora at the beginning of a trip and not worrying about it til I'm ready to go home, letting someone else do all the set-up work, rinsing, etc. I know some divers are a bit anal (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way at all) about doing their own gear set up before a dive, but that's not me.

(1) My dive op has those too. (2) My dive op has that too, and so do all the non-cattle boat ops on the island. (3) My dive op has that too, and so do plenty of other dive ops on the island. (4) My dive op has that too, and so do many others. (5) Yada yada. Scuba Mau handles wetsuits too. My dive op handles wetsuits too. Does yours?

 

[cvchief]

My dive op handles wetsuits too. Does yours?

No and I don't want to either, so no wetsuit for me.....

 

[Snips]

Caribbean Divers is a great operation, and has been around for a very long time! But based on what YOU are looking for, they may not be your cup of tea. They run one large boat, but don't tend to over fill it except when it's very busy and they have to run at capacity. It's a slow boat, so it's an all day trip for a two-tank dive. They often have technical divers as well as recreational divers on board, so that is also something to consider - you may have a lot of time on the boat waiting for the tech divers.

Thank you for the need/want specific info Christi. Also thanks to those who provided helpful information/advice.

 

[DjDiverDan]

(1) My dive op has those too. (2) My dive op has that too, and so do all the non-cattle boat ops on the island. (3) My dive op has that too, and so do plenty of other dive ops on the island. (4) My dive op has that too, and so do many others. (5) Yada yada. Scuba Mau handles wetsuits too. My dive op handles wetsuits too. Does yours?

No, and I don't want or need that service. So, Mossman, you stay with your Dive Op, and I'll stay with mine, and we'll never meet on a dive boat. Suits me just fine.

 

[ggunn]

Let the trolling begin...

Wow. That hurts. I guess you told me.

 

[Mossman]

No, and I don't want or need that service. So, Mossman, you stay with your Dive Op, and I'll stay with mine, and we'll never meet on a dive boat. Suits me just fine.

Suits me just fine too. The only kind of cheerleaders that belong on my dive boat are the Dallas Cowboy kind. I'll handle their wetsuits.

(But everything your dive op can do, mine can do better. Nya, nya, nya.)

 

[Shut up & dive]

If you're looking for steel 120's, only 3 ops on CZM offer them regularly - Aldora, Liquid Blue & Living Underwater. On the other hand, ANYONE can rent a second boat if needed. If it's familiarity with a crew that you'll be diving w/ for a week and diving w/ the heavier tanks, I'd stick w/ one of those operators. I've never gone with Living Underwater but I HAVE gone diving w/ Aldora and Liq Blue. Aldora tossed us all on a large boat for a day or two, with several groups being dropped at different sites. Not cool.

 

[Ron Lee]

.............I've never gone with Living Underwater but I HAVE gone diving w/ Aldora and Liq Blue. Aldora tossed us all on a large boat for a day or two, with several groups being dropped at different sites. Not cool.

Interesting comment. I have been on the larger boat (Felicity) a few days and it was nice. My recollection is that you have possibly two groups at the same dive site...separated by a few minutes or maybe even a little distance (not positive on the distance which if true is probably just tens of yards).

I consider it unlikely that they would go to a significantly separated dive site.

 

[Dan G]

Classic thread in Coz Forum:
-someone asks a question about a dive op
-folks begin to chime in about their favorite op
-argument ensues
-conversation turns to pee and farts
-argument ensues
-a couple people try to get thread back to original question by OP with some success (results still to be determined)


... and I wouldn't have it any other way!