Aldora Divers Review: Two Tank Solo New Diver Experience Coming off a Cruise Ship

[Snoweman]

Sixteen pages with post drift at page 15/16. My input? Aldora was a close third as a choice to try after my favorite. Now, it's 103rd. I'm sure Dave doesn't care. Now he has one less potential customer to worry about.

 

[Arad1]

For a shop that runs numerous boats a day - that's easy to split up if that was the request. For a shop that only runs 1 or 2 boats - that isn't always possible from a logistics standpoint. If a fleet of boats is available then that is no problem.

It's funny to me that some think it's as simple as grouping same level experienced divers together. Depending on who is booked on any given day, singles, couples, groups of 3 or 4 or 5 - has a lot to do with how the boats are split up.

Example Scenario: I have 6 spaces available on each boat. I have 12 divers booked over the course of the same week.
a group of 5 (who books for 5 days),
a group of 4 (who books for 3 days),
a couple who books for 7 days,
and a single diver (who books for 8 days).

The group of 5 does not want to be split up. - that means that no matter what, these 5 divers are going to be on one boat for 5 days leaving 1 open spot - guess who goes in that spot - the single diver for those 5 days.

The couple and the group of 4 will be on the same boat for 3 days. Then after those 3 days, I'll probably move that single diver over to the boat with the couple to even things out a little - unless the group of 5 and the single diver have bonded - or unless I have new arrivals coming in to fill those spots.

And this goes on and on - scheduling the dive boats is more logistics than anything else and it changes from day to day - and often several times in the days before the actual dive day. When we can put you together with divers who meet your perceived experience qualifications - we will do our best. If you are traveling with others (especially YOUR dive buddy) who is less experienced, we will happily put you on seperate boats upon request IF spaces are available for a couple on the other boat.

When we DO have to mix experience levels on the boat, it's rarely for everyday of the trip and I cannot think of a single example in 16 years of being in business that divers of differing experience levels have held each other back or affected each others dives. We have solutions for those times when we have to mix novice divers with super diver ego's. Those who dive with us know that often we have a second DM on the boat for exactly that reason - yes, of course the person requiring the extra DM has to cover that expense - but that solution is there for this very reason. It's also my experience that very very rarely are the experience levels indicative of how well of a match they will be with other divers on the boat to the point of wrecking someone else's dive. If someone has 40 dives in 2 years and you have 100 in 5 years - sorry, you're realistically at the same level.

Unless we're doing a super advanced dive (which we would only plan with those Pedro or Martin approved) - it's out experience that most divers have a very inflated perception of how exceptionally better than every other diver they are. When you're booking a dive charter expectations have to be realistic - if you want extra special accommodations or exceptions above our already excellent service and dive management just the two of you, then we also offer private charters that will give you exactly that.

But people, this is what we do everyday. This is not a hobby for us and we are not weekend warriors working in a land locked dive shop teaching SCUBA in a pool or at a quarry on weekends. This is what we do every single day all day long, 363 days a year. We have non-invasive solutions and 99.9% of the time - we DO KNOW BETTER than you - the leisure diver - regardless of how frequent you dive here) how to run the boats.

My suggestion to all vacation divers - relax, clearly communicate your requests/goals/wishes. etc anjoy your vacation and leave the rest to us - please don't try to micro-manage us. When I hire a professional to do something for me it's because that's their specialty - their thing - they know what they are doing - I don't try to do the job I am paying them to do.

With that said - I clearly understand the OP's request and here is my summary and take away from reading this.

1. The OP (a HUMAN) wanted a 2 tank dive for 1 person WITH a private DM that was booked 6 months in advance and confirmed several times before arrival.

2. Then 3 months later (still 3 months from travel date), a travel companion decided she wanted to try SCUBA - so they made a confirmed reservation for the Discover SCUBA class - which goes without saying is completely separate, NOT done on the boat and done with an Instructor, not a DM. This was also confirmed several times prior to arrival.

3. Somewhere along the way, Aldora office staff dropped the ball and didn't get them on the schedule (HUMANS) - and yes, when they arrived, the Dive crew was surprised because the reservations department hadn't put them on the schedule. (HUMANS)

4. Aldora staff scrambled and got the certified diver on the boat (sans private DM) and got the Discover student out with an Instructor - staff did a GREAT job of fixing the situation to the best of their ability on the spot. (HUMANS)

5. Diver gets back home, reaches out privately to dive op - waits a reasonable amount of time with no response and understandable writes about the experience - very balanced - but not 5 star and glowing. The OP mentions all of the great things, but also shares a real experience and a real disappointment - legitimate too!

6. Owner of shop (a HUMAN) is having a ****** day for whatever reason - should probably stay off SB but doesn't (I do when I'm having a ****** day because it always bites me when I don't) - and responds inappropriately out of frustration. Yep, better choices could have been made - but like most other HUMANS, we screw up and make bad choices - this was one of those times for Dave (a HUMAN). And THIS is where things changed for the OP (another HUMAN) - it was in the way the owner (HUMAN) handled it.

7. Many (HUMANS) come to Dave's defense and the OP agrees that we all have bad days, still singing Aldora praises in other areas - things seem to be getting better.

8. Then BAM - Dave (the HUMAN) comes in with another inappropriate response - clearly triggered by the situation.

9. Now HUMANS have made this into a 9 page thread!

10. This would never have escalated to this point if the #1 rule of HUMANITY would have been practiced - that is HUMILITY. "I am so sorry your experience wasn't what you had hoped for, we dropped the ball, what can we do to make it right for you?" PERIOD

While I have LOTS of empathy for BOTH sides, I think the OP's review was fair, honest and understandable. Sorry Dave, this wasn't your best moment - and I get it, I've had plenty of these myself (also a HUMAN).

BAM! This is the best reply, well said!

 

[Streydog]

I have about 100 dives with Aldora over the last 3 years, the majority of my dives. I have never met Dave. I will continue to use Aldora because of the people he has working for him and the service provided to me.

 

[Efka76]

I have never been in Cozumel. However, if i go there, i will not use Aldora services.i do not want support business whose owner does not care of its customers. I am pretty surre that Dave already lost many potential customers.

 

[admikar]

IMO, main difference between this and Anita thread is that Dave thinks his dive op has done nothing wrong. In Anita's case, owner apologized (although it took some nudges to do so). Another difference,I'm on OP side in this one.

 

[ggunn]

I have never been in Cozumel. However, if i go there, i will not use Aldora services.i do not want support business whose owner does not care of its customers. I am pretty surre that Dave already lost many potential customers.

Suit yourself, but did you read Christi's carefully constructed and comprehensive response? Some people seem to think that they can just order up any dive environment they want with no regard to what else is going on with their op du jour.

No op gets it right 100% of the time, and although I have never dived with Aldora and don't have any specific plan to do so, I would not let something like this dissuade me from diving with them or any other op that offers what I am looking for in a dive experience. This was an anomaly that has gotten blown way out of proportion. To say that Dave doesn't care about his customers based on what one has read in here is, at the most charitable, inaccurate. I would hope that anyone who is planning to dive with his op would not change their plans because of a stupid minor internet tiff.

 

[admikar]

Suit yourself, but did you read Christi's carefully constructed and comprehensive response? Some people seem to think that they can just order up any dive environment they want with no regard to what else is going on with their op du jour.

No op gets it right 100% of the time, and although I have never dived with Aldora and don't have any specific plan to do so, I would not let something like this dissuade me from diving with them or any other op that offers what I am looking for in a dive experience. This was an anomaly that has gotten blown way out of proportion. To say that Dave doesn't care about his customers based on what one has read in here is, at the most charitable, inaccurate. I would hope that anyone who is planning to dive with his op would not change their plans because of a stupid minor internet tiff.

I did read it, and read it carefully. And I agree with it. If that was the reason for original "problem", all that Dave should have done, or indeed, Aldora's staff should have done, is to explain it to the OP. He seems like a reasonable guy to me, and he would probably accept that explanation. If they throw in an apology , even better. But no, owner decided to blame customer.
No one is infallible, but also, no one is above reproach.

 

[ggunn]

I did read it, and read it carefully. And I agree with it. If that was the reason for original "problem", all that Dave should have done, or indeed, Aldora's staff should have done, is to explain it to the OP. He seems like a reasonable guy to me, and he would probably accept that explanation. If they throw in an apology , even better. But no, owner decided to blame customer.
No one is infallible, but also, no one is above reproach.

Whatever floats your boat, but I certainly would not set myself up to pass judgement on an op I don't have any firsthand experience with and a man whom I have never met based on a minor dustup in an internet forum. Those of us like me who have only read about in here have only a tiny fraction of the whole story. It's all "he said, she said", full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Apologies to William Faulkner.

 

[admikar]

Whatever floats your boat, but I certainly would not set myself up to pass judgement on an op I don't have any firsthand experience with and a man whom I have never met based on a minor dustup in an internet forum. Those of us like me who have only read about in here have only a tiny fraction of the whole story. It's all "he said, she said", full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Apologies to William Faulkner.

This might surprise you, but I agree with you. I am not judging dive op per se, but I am forming an opinion on this case. Would I consider them if I go to Coz? Yes. Would I take this case into account? Yes. Would I take a ride with them, or choose some other dive op? I don't know, never did the research.

 

[ggunn]

This might surprise you, but I agree with you. I am not judging dive op per se, but I am forming an opinion on this case. Would I consider them if I go to Coz? Yes. Would I take this case into account? Yes. Would I take a ride with them, or choose some other dive op? I don't know, never did the research.

I doesn't surprise me when people agree with me when I am right.