On Sun, 8 Sep 2002 14:08:41 -0500, Don Ward <[log in to unmask]> wrote,
quoting Chuck:

>>On my list of I dont dive with and stay away from:
>>Cha Cha Cha
>>Black Shark
>>Aldora
>>Dive Paradise
>>Pasquales (if he is sending you to Cha Cha Cha)

Chuck is certainly entitled to his opinion about the above shops, and
has reasons for his opinion.  He has given the reason why he doesn't
like Aldora anymore.

But in the absence of some specific reasons, or specific complaints
against certain DMs of boat captains, especially for a dive op
the size of Dive Paradise, which has perhaps the largest staff of
DMs and boat captains in Cozumel, such a blanket indictment is most
likely to be unfair to the shop and MANY of its diving staff.


>Having read now for years post from those in the know, regarding who is in
>and who is out among dive operators in Coz, what I always found interesting
>was how quickly some seemed to move from the "in" list to the "out" list.

Part of the reason is that DMs and boat captains often move from shop to
shop, and it's not so much the SHOP itself, but its specific diving
STAFF (certain DMs and Captains) that make a shop commendable and
recommendable.

Over the years, it's the "free market" competitive force of excellence
that gives Cozumel its reputation of having some of the best dive ops
compared to anywhere in the world because there are now nearly 200
shops competing for survival, and only a dozen or so are among those
"best".

Papa Hogs has been increasingly mentioned by divers to be the shop
of their choice.  One of the reasons may be the fact that the
FORMER DM at Black Shark, Geyler (pronouned Hayler), one of my
favorites, moved first to Dive House, and has been with Papa Hogs
for awhile now.

>I get the impression that in Cozumel, things can turn quickly.

I had posted this line back in 1995, "the only thing constant in
Cozumel is change itself", and that was BEFORE the major and
ever escalating changes in recent years and months.

-- Bob.