Akumal Dive Op Recommendation Needed

[bluechub]

I wanted to provide a quick update on something that may be of interest. Based on recommendations from posters in the thread and elsewhere I contacted via email the Akumal DS, Akumal DC and Blue Experience Diving. I sent an email to the address each one of them posts on their website, as you would think that a business that shows an email address on its own web site also monitors it. This was done several days ago.

The only reply I received was from Blue Experience Diving, extremely prompt (within a few hours from my email) and very detailed (as you would expect from a pro DC). I did not contact Natalie and Ivan (yet), the other operator mentioned here.
How are the two Akumal shops getting back to their customers if not by email?

 

[Reidkon]

Apparently they get enough walk in customers that they don't care. Call it arrogance.
I booked our dives last August a month in advance through email.

 

[mikeycanuk]

You have a young son? Luis from ADS lost our just turned 10 son on our very first open water dive. We got to depth and he took off with us having to follow. Our son saw something, stopped and when Luis then us turned around he was gone!!!!!!! He popped up 20mins later ok but no briefing on buddy separation and the few people I talked to in the area (other DM's) were horrified that his #1 concern wasn't the child.


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[nimoh]

You have a young son? Luis from ADS lost our just turned 10 son on our very first open water dive. We got to depth and he took off with us having to follow. Our son saw something, stopped and when Luis then us turned around he was gone!!!!!!! He popped up 20mins later ok but no briefing on buddy separation and the few people I talked to in the area (other DM's) were horrified that his #1 concern wasn't the child.


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where was your son's buddy?

Divemasters generally lead groups, and buddies look after individuals

 

[mikeycanuk]

It was just Luis and the three of us. He had been assigned to us to get our OPW.

 

[driftwood]

Sounds like the ADS I know. 10 dives with them and never again.

 

[cdemith]

I just returned yesterday from Riv Maya, staying in Puerto Aventuras. I took my 11 year old daughter diving. She was making her 15-18 dives as JOW. I highly recommend Dive Aventuras! I super highly recommend Dive Aventuras! This was the second time I went with them, and they are awesome. Max and Cesar were great DMs.

Akumel is just a bit further south of Aventuras. They may pick you up at your resort.

As for situations like mikeycanuck mentioned, as the parent, your child is YOUR #1 concern and responsibility. The ONLY time that is not the case is if you make arrangements before the dive that the DM (instructor level+) will be assigned as your child's buddy. It is also your responsibility as the parent to make sure that the DM is instructor level+.

 

[mikeycanuk]

In our case this was the first dive of the OPW course and yes it's our responsibility but the DM had 3 utterly green divers on his hands and was negligent and careless.


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[driftwood]

Mike, I agree with you. One DM for three green divers is beyond reasonable. Luis should have been watching over your group like an avenging angel.

 

[bluechub]

Rather than starting a new thread I wanted to provide a quick feedback on what we did, perhaps it may be useful in the future to others.
We are back from 11 days in Akumal and we dove with Blue Experience Diving, We had absolutely an excellent experience. They are a top notch boutique operation, safety oriented and provided a lot of flexibility. Among the four of us we did 43 dives, my son did 10. The boats are small, the trips to the reefs are short (5-10 minutes max), and the ratio guide:divers is 1:4. That is correct, every four divers you have a guide, we basically had our own guide every time the entire family was diving. You pretty much choose the dive site (based on the experience of the group) which for us was mostly shallow sites every time we were all diving. They also have nitrox but you need to reserve it in advance. While we were walking distance from where the boats departed, Blue Experience can pick you up for free at several resorts in the area. They also store your gear at their shop, and in the morning you find your stuff by the tank ready to assemble.
The staff is great, knows the local reefs inside out, one of the owners, Tim, has an extensive worldwide diving experience. We also booked the whale shark snorkeling trip through them and it was good as well. Definitely recommended.