Aruba-Mermaid Divers critiques

[kdsmithjr]

I wasn't sure where you were when you said "island time." It sounds like you weren't dealing with a "professional" dive shop. By that a mean there are folks out there who will hire divemasters who are desperate for work and, when they can get away with it, those dive operators will cut every possible corner--some will cut dangerously close to the quick as you implied with the person on a wreck dive.

I'm a relatively new diver, with a few more dives over the 25 needed for your advanced open water (it's a two part certification and i just finished the first "level" of advanced open water). I'm recently retired State University of NY administrator/instructor who has decided to retire in the Philippines. I learned to dive at the Carabao Dive Center in Davao City on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Great shop. They have a four day open water course. the first day in in the pool...and with my experience it was one instructor to two students. The next three dives are in open water in the Davao Gulf...where the water is around 85F and in the open water it is one student to one instructor.
I hear there are some great dive resorts here in the philippines, but I assume there are a few that will try to fleece you, if they think they can get away with it. I even had an experience with one place that wanted to charge me ten times (yes,ten times) what Carabao Dive Center charges for a dive. So shysters are everywhere.

 

[knowone]

- WAY overcrowded dive boat

Well?

- Not enough weight on boat for everyone!

Huh

 

[kdsmithjr]

Interesting. I saw another "review" of the same operation and i checked twice to see that is wasn't the same "complainer." Nope. Sounds like a low level operation. Just for your information, though, as an american living in the philippines (i retired and i have been living here since december 2010) I can (perhaps) ease your next sojourn outside the United States to dive by saying that Americans (and some Europeans) are a little too ....uh...."chronocentric" for most peoples' tastes. I dive at an excellent dive shop in Davao City in the southern Philppines (Carabao Divers). I learned to dive here and others who have dived around the world sing the praises of Carabao Divers and diving in the Philippines in general. For instance....Carabao's "8 o'clock boat" has never left the dock at 8 AM--in my experience of 25 dives or so. "8 AM" can easily mean 8:20 (if you're lucky) or even 8:30 or later. You say 8 AM so that everyone makes a concerted effort to be at the dive shop by 8 AM. You start loading the pickup to take everybody's bag (and the dive shop's rental gear) down the wharf to the boat at 8:05 or even 8:10. Folks start walking down the wharf at about 8 am so that, by 8:30 at the latest, usually, final checks are being made, the manifest is being signed by those on board and we are just about ready to shove off at, say 8:35.
We usually go out into the davao gulf for about a 45 minute ride and most folks are suited up and taking plunges by 9:45 or so. Most folks are back on board by about 11 to 11:15 at the latest, so the boat can go to baba santa...a white coral sand beach with philippine "cottages" (huts with bamboo seating and tables) for a two hour or so lunch. we are typically back out in the gulf for a 1:30 or so entry and beginning to pick up the divers at 2:30ish and headed by to davao by, say, 3, with a planned docking at the Santa Ana Wharf by 4 or so.
My point here is that 8 o'clock "other world time" isnt the same as 8 am EST/PST. Even though (to an american mind--and i am an american) things start out "late" you can still have a great time and not be "rushed" as you seem to have been at the dive shop you named.

 

[kdsmithjr]

Interesting. I saw another "review" of the same operation and i checked twice to see that is wasn't the same "complainer." Nope. Sounds like a low level operation. Just for your information, though, as an american living in the philippines (i retired and i have been living here since december 2010) I can (perhaps) ease your next sojourn outside the United States to dive by saying that Americans (and some Europeans) are a little too ....uh...."chronocentric" for most peoples' tastes. I dive at an excellent dive shop in Davao City in the southern Philppines (Carabao Divers). I learned to dive here and others who have dived around the world sing the praises of Carabao Divers and diving in the Philippines in general. For instance....Carabao's "8 o'clock boat" has never left the dock at 8 AM--in my experience of 25 dives or so. "8 AM" can easily mean 8:20 (if you're lucky) or even 8:30 or later. You say 8 AM so that everyone makes a concerted effort to be at the dive shop by 8 AM. You start loading the pickup to take everybody's bag (and the dive shop's rental gear) down the wharf to the boat at 8:05 or even 8:10. Folks start walking down the wharf at about 8 am so that, by 8:30 at the latest, usually, final checks are being made, the manifest is being signed by those on board and we are just about ready to shove off at, say 8:35.
We usually go out into the davao gulf for about a 45 minute ride and most folks are suited up and taking plunges by 9:45 or so. Most folks are back on board by about 11 to 11:15 at the latest, so the boat can go to baba santa...a white coral sand beach with philippine "cottages" (huts with bamboo seating and tables) for a two hour or so lunch. we are typically back out in the gulf for a 1:30 or so entry and beginning to pick up the divers at 2:30ish and headed by to davao by, say, 3, with a planned docking at the Santa Ana Wharf by 4 or so.
My point here is that 8 o'clock "other world time" isnt the same as 8 am EST/PST. Even though (to an american mind--and i am an american) things start out "late" you can still have a great time and not be "rushed" as you seem to have been at the dive shop you named.

 

[DiverVince]

Why are you wasting your time diving in Aruba when Bonaire is so very much superior in this area? Next dive trip, head to Bonaire and dive your own schedule. You'll be very glad you did!

 

[jdcpa]

...At no time were we anywhere near deco limits...

I will certainly not support the actions of the dive shop.

I was also not aware that you were supposed to conduct your dives near the deco limit.

Sorry you did not have a better time.

 

[Jax]

Another one-post wonder writing a book to Pi$$ all over a dive op? Has anyone contacted the Dive Op?

If it was that bad, why didn't you stop after one day and get your money back? (Pay the one-day fee and get the rest refunded.)

 

[Teamcasa]

I'm confused.
If a shop does not meet my expectations on the first experience, they have zero chance of getting any more money from me. Even if I have to book with a different shop and fight for my money back later. I figure that I've spent a ton-o-cash just getting there and hotel costs, why make the diving suffer? After-all, that's why I went there in the first place, right?

Finally, Is it a law (at that place) that you must stay with a guide? I rarely, and I mean rarely dive with a guide that tells me when to surface unless the guide is my actual dive buddy.

 

[ktomlinson]

When they only had 5lbs of weight, what did you end up doing?

 

[mike_s]

Beware of Mermaid Dive Center...by far the worst dive operation I have ever dealt with.

[snip]

My dive experience started with Carlos, the owner,

put his name and shop name into Google Search and see what you come up with. (Carlos Hill, or Carlos Daniel Hill)

Then go look at PADI and NAUI's quality Assurance lists.... He's been black listed by them.
NAUI Worldwide Quality Assurance (Hill, Carlos)


Reference this post from a few years ago. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/abc-islands/165309-aruba-christmas.html#post2451328

Not the best reviews on Trip Advisor either.
Poor Experience - Mermaid Dive Centre, Aruba Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

On receiving the copy to sign, I noticed the ENTIRE card number was printed on the receipt, to which for the last 10 years, I always scribble out as there is no reason to have the entire card number printed (some banks do this instead of last 4 digits only, but it is never required). Carlos absolutely flipped his lid asking why I did it, to which I explained for my security, I don't want my credit card number to be stolen. He then ripped into a tirade about how he's never had a customer do this, that he has security cameras, dogs, etc. I replied that if some thief gets past all that security, that would still have my CC #. He then threatened to call the police on me to which I told him go ahead, which I think just set him off more. We spent nearly 45 mins going back and forth...I offered to pay with cash, and he finally refunded my card, ran it through another bank, which then only printed the last 4 digits...I'm still trying to figure out what his tantrum was for...and this was just the beginning!

Be glad you did this. SEVERAL years ago there were many posts on the forum Aruba.com (before they upgraded to their new forum software) of people getting back to the states and finding "extra charges" on their credit card bills from Mermaid. Where' they'd been overcharged or charged twice.



Another thread about Mermaid here...

This thread on Aruba.com discusses credit card overcharges and inappropiate "touching" by the owner.
Dive operators - Aruba Forums at Visit Aruba


There used to be a lot more "negative" posts about Mermaid on Aruba.com but hard to find them anymore. The board is a lot more Moderated since Natalie Holloway incident and they moderate a lot of posts now that portray the island in any negative manner, (in the mindset of positive economic tourism )


Still, Aruba is a GREAT place to visit. Don't let Mermaid scare you away from visiting there again.