do not recommend diving with this operator due to multiple serious safety concerns, poor organization, and unprofessional customer service.
I prepaid for a two-tank Nitrox dive approximately one week before the trip. When I arrived at the boat, there were no Nitrox tanks available for me despite my reservation and prepayment. Brad repeatedly counted tanks and passengers but could not determine why my tanks were missing. It was eventually discovered that another diver had taken the tanks I had reserved and paid for, set up his gear, and used them without having a prior reservation or payment.
Rather than reclaiming the tanks that had been reserved for me, Brad arranged to use tanks that a friend happened to have in the back of his car. These replacement tanks raised several concerns. They were not properly labeled, had no visible inspection stickers, and there was no way for me to know when they had last been inspected, serviced, or how they had been filled. One tank had a damaged O-ring that required replacement before it could be used.
Additionally, the replacement tanks were not secured when brought aboard. One fell over onto the deck, causing the valve handle to break off. This seemed to me that the handle had been corroded. I was also inconvenienced by having to reconfigure my gear to accommodate a steel cylinder instead of the tank type I had reserved.
After the first dive, I set up for the second dive and discovered that my replacement tank contained only 2,500 PSI rather than a full fill. When I brought this to Brad's attention, his response was dismissive and unprofessional. I explained that I had reserved and paid for full Nitrox tanks and expected to receive what I had purchased. Rather than addressing the issue professionally, he became confrontational and aggressively stated that he would "comp the tanks."
The most concerning issue occurred after the second dive. The boat began departing the pickup location while two divers were still in the water, visible at the surface with their dive flag. Brad had to shout to the captain that divers were still in the water, forcing the captain to stop and reverse course to retrieve them. Starting the engine and moving the vessel while divers are still in the water is an extremely serious safety concern and could have resulted in severe injury or worse.
The trip concluded with passengers being required to climb approximately five feet from the boat to the dock using an unstable ladder, creating yet another safety concern.
Overall, this operation appeared poorly organized and inadequately prepared for foreseeable issues. There were no readily available backup tanks, equipment handling practices were questionable, and customer service was lacking. Most importantly, several situations raised significant safety concerns that no diver should have to experience. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this operator. read more