Cozumel Trip Report (Blue Angel) -- 5/23 - 5/28

[scubafanatic]

I did a week of diving August 2010 with Casa Del mar/Del Mar Aquatics (it was very slow season) I'd signed up for 4 dives daily (a 2 tank morning/2 tank afternoon package) they took the boat out for me on 3 successive afternoons during the mid week where I was the ONLY diver on the boat...so I did 6 boat dives at ZERO extra expense, had my own boat and DM. Admittedly we didn't motor vast distances from the hotel when they took me on my 'solo' dives, we did nearer sites, which I was fine with, I actually did (requested) Las Palmas several times which was only 5 min from the dive dock and was a beautiful (and still intact from Wilma) dive site. The DM's cut me a LOT of slack, once they'd seen me in action on prior dives, so they'd cruise up shallow and let me cruise well below them and let me do my own thing at my own pace....deep wall cruising is my fav! (I used AL 100's)

 

[Nursediver]

We enjoyed diving with you! (Rob and I were on your Blue Angel boat) Hope you had a nice time on the mainland!

 

[ligersandtions]

We enjoyed diving with you! (Rob and I were on your Blue Angel boat) Hope you had a nice time on the mainland!

We enjoyed diving with you two as well! We had a nice little group the first couple days It was sad when people started splitting off, but we still managed to have a great time!

 

[Blackwood]

Sorry about your night dives. That sucks. Oddly, we never had any problem in January.

Awesome octo shot. Kudos to S.

 

[azscubadude]

I did a week of diving August 2010 with Casa Del mar/Del Mar Aquatics (it was very slow season) I'd signed up for 4 dives daily (a 2 tank morning/2 tank afternoon package) they took the boat out for me on 3 successive afternoons during the mid week where I was the ONLY diver on the boat...so I did 6 boat dives at ZERO extra expense, had my own boat and DM. Admittedly we didn't motor vast distances from the hotel when they took me on my 'solo' dives, we did nearer sites, which I was fine with, I actually did (requested) Las Palmas several times which was only 5 min from the dive dock and was a beautiful (and still intact from Wilma) dive site. The DM's cut me a LOT of slack, once they'd seen me in action on prior dives, so they'd cruise up shallow and let me cruise well below them and let me do my own thing at my own pace....deep wall cruising is my fav! (I used AL 100's)

Sorry about your night dives. That sucks. Oddly, we never had any problem in January.

Awesome octo shot. Kudos to S.

Thanks on the octo shot. After reading scubafanatic's quote above I can see I definitely need to change dive operators. I would have been happy with a boat with 6 divers on it but all I got was.. pay full price or no dive.

 

[DandyDon]

Thanks on the octo shot. After reading scubafanatic's quote above I can see I definitely need to change dive operators. I would have been happy with a boat with 6 divers on it but all I got was.. pay full price or no dive.

Yeah, your unnamed Op that promises a free night dive then reneges because they can't get 6 is a ripoff I think, based on that anyway. I remember now that they last night dive I did with BA a couple of years ago only had 3 paid divers, altho I think they usually require 4. I was with Mau last year but my home bud came and he dislikes night dives so I loafed along with him, but come August - make up! One trap to avoid is a package of dives prepaid; I like to pay an Op based on the dives they actually take me on - not the ones they said they would. Weather happens of course.

 

[azscubadude]

Yeah, your unnamed Op that promises a free night dive then reneges because they can't get 6 is a ripoff I think, based on that anyway. I remember now that they last night dive I did with BA a couple of years ago only had 3 paid divers, altho I think they usually require 4. I was with Mau last year but my home bud came and he dislikes night dives so I loafed along with him, but come August - make up! One trap to avoid is a package of dives prepaid; I like to pay an Op based on the dives they actually take me on - not the ones they said they would. Weather happens of course.

I totally agree, a trap indeed. I've seen several posts where Cozumel dive ops won't refund or even give a future credit of any kind for any prepaid dive days due to weather. After doing some quick calcs in my head I realized that they were making a pile of dough when you figure that even at a half full resort pocketing $65.00 per diver per day adds up to a ton of money in their pockets with virtually no cost to them.

People will probably disagree with me on the above, but I was in the construction business all my life and if I had a nickel for every day I showed up for work and it got rained or snowed out and I went home without pay for the day, not counting nothing for driving to and from the busted day. It happens with construction, farming, golf courses and just about every other outside work environment (and all related sub contractors) in the States. It is part of the job so please no whining about the DM's and Boat Crews not getting paid, it is part of their job too.. or do you think the dive ops in question, or anywhere for that matter, pay all their people for doing nothing. I highly doubt they do.

I had already decided that my next trip would be room only and I would add on the dives I wanted as I wanted them. Last year, do to El Norte I lost 5 days of diving and got nothing back or any credit. So I compared the dive package to paying for individual dive days and it is almost a break even if you only miss a day or so because of weather. If you loose 5 days out of 10 like I did you are way ahead of the game. Another lesson learned.

 

[DandyDon]

Yep, I compare air & hotel packages (often with extra discounts) to air & hotel separately, but book Coz dives separately for sure. If you don't get your dives, don't pay for them; if you hate the Op, switch!

Sometimes trips have to be booked with dives included, like FIBR on Roatan or a liveaboard, and if diving fails - you just lose. Been there, lost that. For Coz, not needed. Sure, I'll work with the Op that needs a commitment on my diving as sending a boat out is expensive and he needs a reasonable idea of the customer load for every trip, but the Op has to be reasonable too. If I am totally unable to dive because of weather or illness, allowances are needed.

 

[Tunaman68]

Jeanie assures me that there SHOULD only be 3 required spots, as was the policy for us last year (we went out twice with only three divers on board) and she is investigating the situation. I'm sure that Eva will find out as well.

 

[SDucotey]

For what it is worth, Scuba Mau doesn't take any money up front and only collects for the dives that you dove when you are done diving for your trip. We dove with them last December and are diving with them next week. I don't have a lot of experience but I don't know what else they could do to make me happier.