Vandenberg report and profile shock!

[Amazz]

I see this is your first post on Scuba Board. Coincidence? Yes, I gave a poor review on Trip Advisor. You must be well connected to Southpoint to even go there to check it out. If you look at my other reviews on Trip Advisor, you will see that I have a great time wherever I go and review as such. My experience with Southpoint Divers was an exception to that and it was reflected in my review.

I never said I had a million dives.

If you read my report, you'll see that I chose Southpoint Divers not due to lack of experience, but because it was a last minute trip and they were the only shop planning to go to the Vandy the day we would be there.

I have never been asked never to return to a town by a message board poster for providing feedback for others who may appreciate it. That's just plain silly or you are a teenager and don't know any better. You are certainly welcome to come dive Jupiter. I'll take you out and show you some really cool stuff.

I find their "conservative" policies a bit hypocritical. They won't allow "qualified divers" as they call it on their website to dive their profiles, yet will allow anybody with a certification card to drop on a 140' wreck without an experienced guide. Where is the concern for safety as you speak? Interesting.

"You say you have a million dives...how are you that experienced and still go out on a charter that doesn't fit your cool guy profile."

And furthermore, I'm not a cool guy. I'm a VERY cool girl ;-)

---------- Post added August 6th, 2013 at 08:15 PM ----------

I sent an email to the company although didn't mention that I wouldn't be back. That's evident. I was not inflammatory but just asked for an explanation why they state on the site that qualified divers may dive their profiles then not allow it. They got our $85 and will get it again and again from others.

 

[lds922]

Weird...I dove the Vandy 2 years ago with Southpoint... They ran almost identical to how Capt's Corner ran the trip I took last week to the Vandy, Dive briefing for first dive then told us the time we'd be leaving for the dock and to plan our own surface interval. Basically, the rules were to stay within NDL's and be back in time to leave for the dock.

They must have changed policies in the past two years. At the time I was on their boat, it was a well run operation. Sorry you got shorted...

 

[Dr. Lecter]

can you not let this GO? you trashed this operator on trip advisor now you are spreading your ignorance on scubaboard. Why did you even dive with this operator? I called them, its obvious they have a conservative profile, they make it perfectly clear so that divers like you don't get your hoses in a tangle because you couldn't put yourself in harms way on their charter. You say you have a million dives...how are you that experienced and still go out on a charter that doesn't fit your cool guy profile. Rent you own vessel and dive your brains out and give the charters a break with your trashing talking of their livelihood. That and stay in Jupiter, don't need your kind in KW> The other 99% of the divers would appreciate the concern for safety by setting the expectations of the profile as opposed to you.

that they run

If it was really clear, their website wouldn't contradict itself. If you have something useful to say about why the OP's experience wasn't as misleading as she says it was and it seems to have been, by all means put it out there. Otherwise I just see a lot of biased words, whining about "livelihood," plus some kind of whining about how the divers KW ops want are fresh out of OW cattle. This kind of selfserving crap is more of a ding against the shop than the OP's complaint, IMO.

 

[sportxlh]

I, for one, found Amazz's original post on the subject to be helpful. I don't read every dive shop/boat's website completely before I make a charter reservation, I scan looking at the highlights and where the boats are scheduled to go.... something like the conservative profile enforced by the shop could easily be overlooked, at least by me. So a 'heads up' from Angie is helpful imho. Its probalby a good lesson in that I should look at a new, to me, shop's website more carefully.

BTW, a positive note from Amazz on another diver operator lead me to investigate and then have a fantastic week of diving in the Bahamas with Juliet Diving and Sailing a couple of weeks ago. So Amazz spreads the kudos as well. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-diving/447500-help-me-find-liveaboard-april.html

 

[Amazz]

I am very sad that Juliet is ceasing operations next year to travel the world. So glad you had a great time on her. I learned a lesson as well from the Southpoint Divers disappointment. From now on, I will ask more specific questions about the diving. I made some assumptions but their website is clearly misleading. Wookie wants to take the Spree to the northwestern Bahamas (tiger beach, Mt. Olympus, El Capital). Now that is some FANTASTIC diving. When I did Mt. Olympus I felt it was the closest thing to being in heaven. We locals should get a trip together.

 

[travelinman2]

Absolutely: I dove the Vandy last year with Cap'ts Corner. The Captain let us know the time the boat would head back to dock and completely let my dive buddy and I plan our first dive, SI and second dive. No one lorded over us. When I want to dive the Vandy again, it will be with CC.

---------- Post added August 2nd, 2013 at 05:18 PM ----------



wow, that's weird, my wife told me the same thing, though she added the cage-less great white shark dive in Australia to my bucket list.

When I dove Bahamas last year, wife snuck some chim in my BC pocket. Hmm...

 

[Tom Winters]

....blah...blah....blah... your cool guy profile...

Well shoot, I thought Amazz was a guy too.

....That and stay in Jupiter, don't need your kind in KW>

And this part - instant classic.

 

[billinwilliamston]

I've sat and lurked on this thread for a while now. The Southpoint profile is more conservative than the profiles that any of the ops I've dived the Vandy with use. It sounds a lot like the old pre-computer profile they used to use on Grand Cayman for deep wall dives. I know CC, Lost Reef and SEADuction (RIP) pretty much let you dive your computer if your cert is up to snuff. Blow your no deco (unless it's a tech trip) and you're done, but otherwise no worries.

I'm sure there are good reasons why they want you to dive a profile that would have fit perfectly if you were using an RDP, but they really need to fix their web site.

BTW, Amazz you are welcome to return to our little rock at your earliest convenience.

 

[Amazz]

Well shoot, I thought Amazz was a guy too.

Would have Dive Slut as an avatar? LOL! I'm a girl, alright....5'3 inches and 120 lbs soaking wet.

AWW crap...I just looked at my profile picture. I do look like a dude with that hair and those dead fish. I do clean up and look like a girl from time to time. Good laugh over this one!!

 

[Tom Winters]

REALLY TOM? How many dudes + Would have Dive Slut as an avatar?..

I'm sitting up here in CT this week reeling from the wheeling and dealing, the legislative stealing ... thinking that the answer is........... all of them?
Well, maybe just the young ones.

If that was a trick question, I'm easily fooled and always the last one to figure stuff out.