What dive op do you use...

[jawfish]

There are SO MANY good ops on the island, I would find one that offers your "speed" and preference of diving. I prefer a slower boat actually, as I like the ride! However, a fast boat that takes you to a nice beach spot between dives is awesome as well. Ask the operator what "experience" they offer and of course, check these boards for recomendations!

 

[Ron Brandt]

I ditto what Parrothead said about the boat captain. They are JUST as important if not moreso than the divemaster. Don't underestimate thie importance and how instrumental they are from a safety standpoint. The boat captain is also responsible for the everyday boat/engine maintenance and making sure that problems with the engine are addressed immediately.

When I need to rent an additional boat(s), I am very selective about the boat. Before I ask "how much" I ask who the captain is. Of course the boat I normally lease as a second boat is a great boat with a great captain, as is my 2nd choice boat.

Recently I had a last minute emergency and had to rent a boat with a captain I was unfamiliar with for a day...I will NEVER rent that boat again! I will literally cancel a trip before I rent that unamed boat again! Poor Jayjoans and his group know what I am talking about and they were amazing sports about it!

There are only two or three boats on the island that I am comfortable/confident with when an extra boat(s) is needed.

Tony is selective as well, and he makes arrangements with reputable shops or boats when he has a group.

Thanks for clarification,Christi,this was not meant to bad...After being intoduced to Tony I would not mind having a beer and a dive with Tony(not necessairly in that order).Boats is hard game and a necessity for business,the unfortunate thing is some ops DO get stung by renting a boat,heck I used to hire photographers when I had a photo business...really risky.Ops also get stung when an extra boat is hired and the clients don't show up!

I hope he can find a good boat soon.

Being selective of the boat,owner,captain and DM is a must! Personally,one REALLY has to trust the boat captain to make everything come together.....without the boat and captain ???? .....say cantina,cervesa.....it happens....:11:

Ronnie

 

[Christi]

Yes, Tony selects the boat and captain, not me. I put my trust in the DM/Instructor. It should not be my concern who he/she picks. I pay the dive operator not the boat captain. I also don't dive in rough seas. Majority of the problems are with the DM's not the boat captains. If there are problems with the boat or captain it usually reflects on the dive operator not the boat or captain. Christi- maybe next year we will get to do some dives with you. We are not making it to Coz this year (company coming the whole summer- our last summer in Hawaii).

Melissa

Melissa, I was just trying to make the point in general not to underestimate the importance of the boat captain. I wasn't suggesting anything else.

 

[Martha]

My husband and I used Christi's Blue XT~Sea last year and have nothing but good things to say about her and the crew. She goes above and beyond to make sure you have the best dive experience possible and the DMs were very friendly and helpful. We've already scheduled our June trip with her. Christi (Blue XT~Sea) will always be our first choice.

 

[ch0ppersrule]

Melissa, I was just trying to make the point in general not to underestimate the importance of the boat captain. I wasn't suggesting anything else.

hey Christi,

We are all just giving our 2 cents worth. I didn't take any offense. Have a great day of diving while my wet suit has gotten so dry it shrunk (has nothing to do with me sitting on my backside gaining weight).

Melissa

 

[jayjoans]

Recently I had a last minute emergency and had to rent a boat with a captain I was unfamiliar with for a day...I will NEVER rent that boat again! I will literally cancel a trip before I rent that unamed boat again! Poor Jayjoans and his group know what I am talking about and they were amazing sports about it!
.

Your post made me smile Christi, as a matter of fact in my logbook it shows these dives were taken off of the "HMS POS". We appreciated the way you handled the situation, you effectively turned a potential bad memory into one we still joke about. Heck, it's Mexico, there was a hurricane not long ago, and we still enjoyed great dives even off of the POS.

I know this thread is about what dive op TO use, and we'll always go back to BlueXTsea.

I can certainly tell you what dive op NOT to use, Diving Adventures. My 11 year old son was given a BC that had a faulty inflator. They knew about it but didn't tell us until he tried to test it on the way out to the site. After asking the DM about it, his solution was to have my son not use the inflator, but to just take a deep breath, take his reg out of his mouth, push on the button and blow air backwards into the bladder.

Uh, no. Not for a beginning diver to do at depth. They were a little confused as to why I made such a big deal about them turning around and going back and finding a proper BC. We had dived with Diving Adventures 3 times, and we didn't know any better. After that I looked here on the board for a recommendation and we went with Christi. I'm glad I was forced to look elsewhere and found BlueXTsea.

 

[Nevis Diver]

I have been once and used Dive Paradise so I only have them as a reference. I am going back in a few weeks and will use them again for my morning dives. They are very conveniently located to the Hotel across the street through a tunnel under the road. The DM's all seemed knowledgable, cooperative and would take you wherever the group wanted to go. (But what do i know, I've only been once)

I use this arrangement because I have gone with a group and it seems to work out. If this the kind of thing you are looking for, then great.

However, I am really looking forward to the time that I go either alone or with a buddy and stay somewhere else around town, eat out or cook our own and dive with a smaller op like Christi's. I am planning on trying things out, venturing away from the big dive op for my afternoon dives.

My 20 pesos.

 

[hdiaz]

What dive operation do you use and why do you like them?

I've been to Cozumel twice. On my first trip In September of '04 I stayed at and dove with Scuba Club Cozumel. Overall a good experience but perhaps too big of a diver to DM ratio.

On my second trip in September of '05 I dove with Christi's Blue XT Sea Divers. Fantastic first class experince. Excellent service, absolute attention to detail and very nice touches like they supply towels and wind breakers on board. The diver to DM ratio was just right. Pedro Pablo is an excellent guide and our group was entertained by the boat captain "Mago" and his magic tricks during the surface intervals. I really enjoyed longer surface intervals at a local beach. I also like having AL 100CF tanks available.

I'm scheduled to be back in Cozumel on February 25 and I am looking forward to diving with Christi's outfit again. She's helping me with hotel reservations as well. With so much good food in Cozumel it makes no sense to stay at an "All Inclusive" hotel. Last September I stayed at the Playa Azul. That worked out well as we had a non-diver golfer in the group. That hotel's room rates included green fees at the Golf Course nearby.

For my upcoming trip I'm looking at staying at the Casa Mexicana.

In conclusion I can recommend Blue XT Sea without any reservation.


Hector

 

[00scuba]

I liked the fast boats with Dive Paradise...

 

[Ron Brandt]

I am really supprised no one on here has mentioned Dive Cozumel and the Yellow Rose.

Ron