I dove with them back in 06 and had no issues. I am going back to aruba in May. I know there were some bad experiences but i havent seen anything recent. Still stay away or have they changed? Thanks!
mermaid divers update?
- Thread starter Culcuhain
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Hapkiman
Registered
I was in Aruba for nine days and Dove with Mermaid Divers , I was looking for some time to to do some tec training or a group that was tec friendly . Since I was unable to find what I was looking for I sent a few emails out too several Dive shops , Mermaid Divers were the first too answer me Carlos the owner was very easy too deal with one would pick me up Hotel every day after we dove the shop was modern and the staff was very friendly . Bero the dive master was very knowledgeable and very funny with a great sense of humor whom made the most experienced feel secure .
It was the first time in some time I saw a dive boat physically check every tank on the boat for carbon monoxide , or contaminated back Gas . When I return to Aruba I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them . I know the crew was curious why I did not wear a weight belt , and they loved my UTD delta trim system and I explained about my hose configuration to those on the boat that have never seen a long hose
It was the first time in some time I saw a dive boat physically check every tank on the boat for carbon monoxide , or contaminated back Gas . When I return to Aruba I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them . I know the crew was curious why I did not wear a weight belt , and they loved my UTD delta trim system and I explained about my hose configuration to those on the boat that have never seen a long hose
Brendan O'Dowda
New
Mermaid Divers - Aruba - Beware !!!!
Sorry for the late post but I have just returned from Aruba and made the wrong decision to dive with Mermaid.
I offer up my personal experience so all of you can make up your own mind.
Firstly Mermaid will undercut nearly all of the resort/island diving businesses as they offer a range of packages with free dives. All in all they are cheaper. They back this up with stacks of rhetoric about safety and it being a dive centre run by divers. The owners Carlos and Wendy are friendly enough. All I wanted wanted to dive a few wrecks and reefs but really wanted to go to the Antilla Wreck, Wendy stated this was a Wednesday dive dependant upon vis and another beautiful wreck the Jane Sea was the following day (both double tanks). So I booked the 4 dive package for my wife, son and I.
Wednesday - picked up by Carlos at our hotel. Short trip to dive shop to form fill and kit up with some hire bits and bobs. Kit is quite old but nothing drastically wrong. First news...Antilla wreck (north of Island) off due to poor vis and safety ? We would be diving on the south side at the Pilot Wreck. Short trip to marina and onto the boat. There were 16 divers and the boat was simply too small. We were then subjected to quite a weird briefing from Carlos who then left the boat leaving us in the company of two DMs (more on them in a mo). Carlos told us all of an incident the previous day which resulted in a diver with brand new kit having to dump his entire rig as he had ran out of air. Carlos stated we must all take responsibility for ourselves (quietly I thought 'who was checking air and what was the instructor/DM up to ?). The DM 'Bero' (a charismatic Croatian who spend all hi refefs time shouting to and at local people) gave an uplifting brief on the Pilot Wreck and second reef dive. All loving the creatures, protecting the corals and not touching. Shame he could not practice what he preached.
As we pulled out of the marina the skipper explained the black smoke bellowing from one of the engines wa snothing to worry about. They were awaiting a part and that it was safe to travel a third of the speed - well that explained why we were not travelling to the Antilla. The trip to the Pilot Wreck was around 15 minutes away - really close to the shore. A very dull dive with very little to see of any interest.
During both the wreck and second reef dive Bero pushed, poked and grabbed a whole variety of fish and corals. He seemed more concerned with posing for photographs rather than taking any notice of his dive group. NOT ONCE did he check our air. He grabbed a porcupine fish, made it puff up and then gripped it and put his reg to its mouth to pose for a shot. Then onto an oyster, opened it and took out a small pearl, then to rocks, turning them over etc. We travelled next to no distance to the second dive - clearly safing on fuel. This was an uninspiring
When we got back our hotel and I learned that other dive groups had dived on the Antilla.
Thursday was worse. Picked up as usual and off to the Jane Sea Wreck...so far so good. A beautful dive which was completely ruined by Bero and his DM companion (an Aruban fisherman who had bad scaring on his right shoulder). The trip to the wreck was around 15 minutes away and we didnt even move for the second dive. They also took down a diver with 5 dives under her belt to 30 meteres !! This was with Carlos - the Dive Manager. The poking antics started straight away. Bero took hold of a rock/stone fish (yes the toxic one) and gripped it hard, holding it up to the camera as if saying 'look what I can do with such a dangerous fish' - what an idiot !. His DM companion (Tito I think) then signalled to the group - it was clear ...an octopus..I was next to him and it was clear that it had taken cover in a hole. What happened next was quite unbelievable. Bero and Tito positioned themselves at each end of the hole and poked in bits of fan coral, hands, arms and eventually a knife into the hole. They were like two mad men ripping away at the rock formation. They took turns with the knife. We wre 30 minutes into the dive and this was now at 8metres, The entire grouip had to waste time watching this ridiculous situation.
Finally Bero pulled back from the clods of silt etc and held his prey aloft - a beantiful octopus spewing ink and clearly dying. His body was cut up badly and Bero took it to the surface. As I swam past in disgust I heard him claim that 'a moray had attacked it and it was dying anyway' - what a load of rubbish !!!
My anger got the better of me and I publicly challenged Bero on the boat. I told him he was a disgrace and that we had all seen him kill this creature. What followed was unpleasant and the rtip back to the marina was was very low and negative. Bero became very angry. Anyway this poor octopus was given to the skipper, who no doubt cooked it up later that evening.
Bero - Shame on you. You may have over 30 years diving experience but from what I witnessed, sea creatures should be protected from people like you. Ebay your kit.
Carlos/Wendy/Mermaid - Clean up your act. Be honest with divers, get the boat fixed, travel to interesting sites, stop scrimping on fuel and take a long hard look at yourselves in respects of safety.
Sorry for such a negative post.
Brendan
Sorry for the late post but I have just returned from Aruba and made the wrong decision to dive with Mermaid.
I offer up my personal experience so all of you can make up your own mind.
Firstly Mermaid will undercut nearly all of the resort/island diving businesses as they offer a range of packages with free dives. All in all they are cheaper. They back this up with stacks of rhetoric about safety and it being a dive centre run by divers. The owners Carlos and Wendy are friendly enough. All I wanted wanted to dive a few wrecks and reefs but really wanted to go to the Antilla Wreck, Wendy stated this was a Wednesday dive dependant upon vis and another beautiful wreck the Jane Sea was the following day (both double tanks). So I booked the 4 dive package for my wife, son and I.
Wednesday - picked up by Carlos at our hotel. Short trip to dive shop to form fill and kit up with some hire bits and bobs. Kit is quite old but nothing drastically wrong. First news...Antilla wreck (north of Island) off due to poor vis and safety ? We would be diving on the south side at the Pilot Wreck. Short trip to marina and onto the boat. There were 16 divers and the boat was simply too small. We were then subjected to quite a weird briefing from Carlos who then left the boat leaving us in the company of two DMs (more on them in a mo). Carlos told us all of an incident the previous day which resulted in a diver with brand new kit having to dump his entire rig as he had ran out of air. Carlos stated we must all take responsibility for ourselves (quietly I thought 'who was checking air and what was the instructor/DM up to ?). The DM 'Bero' (a charismatic Croatian who spend all hi refefs time shouting to and at local people) gave an uplifting brief on the Pilot Wreck and second reef dive. All loving the creatures, protecting the corals and not touching. Shame he could not practice what he preached.
As we pulled out of the marina the skipper explained the black smoke bellowing from one of the engines wa snothing to worry about. They were awaiting a part and that it was safe to travel a third of the speed - well that explained why we were not travelling to the Antilla. The trip to the Pilot Wreck was around 15 minutes away - really close to the shore. A very dull dive with very little to see of any interest.
During both the wreck and second reef dive Bero pushed, poked and grabbed a whole variety of fish and corals. He seemed more concerned with posing for photographs rather than taking any notice of his dive group. NOT ONCE did he check our air. He grabbed a porcupine fish, made it puff up and then gripped it and put his reg to its mouth to pose for a shot. Then onto an oyster, opened it and took out a small pearl, then to rocks, turning them over etc. We travelled next to no distance to the second dive - clearly safing on fuel. This was an uninspiring
When we got back our hotel and I learned that other dive groups had dived on the Antilla.
Thursday was worse. Picked up as usual and off to the Jane Sea Wreck...so far so good. A beautful dive which was completely ruined by Bero and his DM companion (an Aruban fisherman who had bad scaring on his right shoulder). The trip to the wreck was around 15 minutes away and we didnt even move for the second dive. They also took down a diver with 5 dives under her belt to 30 meteres !! This was with Carlos - the Dive Manager. The poking antics started straight away. Bero took hold of a rock/stone fish (yes the toxic one) and gripped it hard, holding it up to the camera as if saying 'look what I can do with such a dangerous fish' - what an idiot !. His DM companion (Tito I think) then signalled to the group - it was clear ...an octopus..I was next to him and it was clear that it had taken cover in a hole. What happened next was quite unbelievable. Bero and Tito positioned themselves at each end of the hole and poked in bits of fan coral, hands, arms and eventually a knife into the hole. They were like two mad men ripping away at the rock formation. They took turns with the knife. We wre 30 minutes into the dive and this was now at 8metres, The entire grouip had to waste time watching this ridiculous situation.
Finally Bero pulled back from the clods of silt etc and held his prey aloft - a beantiful octopus spewing ink and clearly dying. His body was cut up badly and Bero took it to the surface. As I swam past in disgust I heard him claim that 'a moray had attacked it and it was dying anyway' - what a load of rubbish !!!
My anger got the better of me and I publicly challenged Bero on the boat. I told him he was a disgrace and that we had all seen him kill this creature. What followed was unpleasant and the rtip back to the marina was was very low and negative. Bero became very angry. Anyway this poor octopus was given to the skipper, who no doubt cooked it up later that evening.
Bero - Shame on you. You may have over 30 years diving experience but from what I witnessed, sea creatures should be protected from people like you. Ebay your kit.
Carlos/Wendy/Mermaid - Clean up your act. Be honest with divers, get the boat fixed, travel to interesting sites, stop scrimping on fuel and take a long hard look at yourselves in respects of safety.
Sorry for such a negative post.
Brendan
richh32
Contributor
Similar threads
Trip Report
Aruba - June 2023
