Licensed Dive Boats

[MMM]

But is that an actual law or just taxi mafia strong-arming? Because I've heard stories about the taxistas taking actions against such offenders like blocking shuttles and not letting them proceed but I've never heard of police action against them.

Many of us have used one popular dive op that falls under this but in my experience I have often been taken to caleta in a truck in the morning but usually put in a taxi going to caleta in the afternoon and usually in a taxi for return back to town. The taxistas are getting a lot of business.

I'm fairly sure it's not illegal. If it was, cops would be arresting lots of folks....

 

[El Graduado]

LEY DE MOVILIDAD DEL ESTADO DE QUINTANA ROO requires that you have a permit or concession from the Instituto de Movilidad del Estado de Quintana Roo to transport passengers for hire and that your vehicle conforms to the regulations. Carrying a customer to the boat that he is paying you to ride on is something that is interpreted as “prestando un servicio” (providing a service) which is the same as carrying passengers for hire. The taxistas know this law and will cause dive shops problems if they catch them doing it, as the taxistas have permits to carry passengers as a service and most dive shops do not have the permits and concessions to carry passengers for hire legally.

 

[MMM]

LEY DE MOVILIDAD DEL ESTADO DE QUINTANA ROO requires that you have a permit or concession from the Instituto de Movilidad del Estado de Quintana Roo to transport passengers for hire and that your vehicle conforms to the regulations. Carrying a customer to the boat that he is paying you to ride on is something that is interpreted as “prestando un servicio” (providing a service) which is the same as carrying passengers for hire. The taxistas know this law and will cause dive shops problems if they catch them doing it, as the taxistas have permits to carry passengers as a service and most dive shops do not have the permits and concessions to carry passengers for hire legally.

So what law are you breaking? A municipal law? A state law? A federal law?

 

[El Graduado]

State.

 

[ReefHound]

LEY DE MOVILIDAD DEL ESTADO DE QUINTANA ROO requires that you have a permit or concession from the Instituto de Movilidad del Estado de Quintana Roo to transport passengers for hire and that your vehicle conforms to the regulations. Carrying a customer to the boat that he is paying you to ride on is something that is interpreted as “prestando un servicio” (providing a service) which is the same as carrying passengers for hire. The taxistas know this law and will cause dive shops problems if they catch them doing it, as the taxistas have permits to carry passengers as a service and most dive shops do not have the permits and concessions to carry passengers for hire legally.

What's the penalty? Has anyone been prosecuted? Who made that interpretation? Doesn't seem to me it's for hire if it's a free service. You pay no more or less than a diver that goes to the marina on his own. If just doing something for someone is illegal then seems like a local taking a friend to the airport or grocery store would also qualify.

 

[ChuckP]

It has been my experience that the mate and the DM are typically two separate roles on Mexican dive boats. Though I wouldn't be surprised if there are people that are qualified as both, just that I've always seen a non-diving mate on all the Mexican dive boats I've been on, in addition to the DM that acts as the required marine park guide.

Boats like Blue XTSea's , Scuba with Tony, Challange Diving, all but one of Aldora's - boats with smaller amounts of permits - the ones referred to six paks - those mostly run with a captain and DM, sometimes two DM's.

Boats often referred to cattle boats will have a separate crew - Dive Paradise, Cozumel Marine World, Scuba Du - and a lot of times multiple DM's

There has to be a maritime rule or something covering that, there's rules for everything.

I've been told that you have to be a natural born citizen here to be a captain and I don't think non nationals can get their seaman card, maybe once you're a citizen but still unsure. The work around the seaman card is international ones are recognized, so I'm told.......

The seaman card / work permit - I've dove a lot with one shop taking classes, DM, Instructor and specialties - we technically aren't allowed to handle lines while docking even though it's part of the divemaster class. You'll "lead" dives, "teach" classes but all under the eyes of someone who is really allowed to do it, that would be working and you aren't allowed to do it - let alone not having the marine park card.

I've seen Instructors from the US completing classes or even teaching classes down here - I'm told it's a big no no - not worth risking getting deported over.

 

[Christi]

Boats like Blue XTSea's , Scuba with Tony, Challange Diving, all but one of Aldora's - boats with smaller amounts of permits - the ones referred to six paks - those mostly run with a captain and DM, sometimes two DM's.

Boats often referred to cattle boats will have a separate crew - Dive Paradise, Cozumel Marine World, Scuba Du - and a lot of times multiple DM's

There has to be a maritime rule or something covering that, there's rules for everything.

I've been told that you have to be a natural born citizen here to be a captain and I don't think non nationals can get their seaman card, maybe once you're a citizen but still unsure. The work around the seaman card is international ones are recognized, so I'm told.......

The seaman card / work permit - I've dove a lot with one shop taking classes, DM, Instructor and specialties - we technically aren't allowed to handle lines while docking even though it's part of the divemaster class. You'll "lead" dives, "teach" classes but all under the eyes of someone who is really allowed to do it, that would be working and you aren't allowed to do it - let alone not having the marine park card.

I've seen Instructors from the US completing classes or even teaching classes down here - I'm told it's a big no no - not worth risking getting deported over.

When I became a naturalized Mexican a few years ago, one of the acknowledgments I had to sign was that I could not ever be a MX airline pilot, a boat captain, or a politician. So it's true that only MX Nationals can be boat captains in Mexico.

To clarify, the smaller capacity boats still require a mate, but that mate can be the DM as long as he has his Libreta del Mar. On the larger boats, they must have a dedicated mate. Unless something has changed that I don't know about, women cannot get a Libreta del Mar either.

 

[Jonn]

Deported for working under the table.
In Mexico.
I’m sure it happens, they’re a sovereign nation with their own immigration controls like any other, but it made me smile. I wonder how it meshes with political rhetoric about the human rights of undocumented workers generally? Is Mexico more or less generous in this regard than El Norte?

 

[Snoweman]

What's the penalty? Has anyone been prosecuted? Who made that interpretation? Doesn't seem to me it's for hire if it's a free service. You pay no more or less than a diver that goes to the marina on his own. If just doing something for someone is illegal then seems like a local taking a friend to the airport or grocery store would also qualify.

The difference is that you are "paying" for it as part of the overall service. If you take people to the grocery store as part of the service of staying at your BnB, then they are paying for the service. It's just embedded in the rental rate.

 

[bcaderunr]

There are also a number of very popular dive ops that while having legal boat permits but regularly use very illegal methods of getting divers to their boats in Caletta.
That SAVES ........... GASOLINE but I'm really surprised the taxistas haven't caught on yet…they will.

Dave Dillehay

Greta Thunberg would be proud.