Dive Review of
Peter Hughes in
Belize

 Galapagos, Bahamas, Caymans, Florida, SC, Tobaggo 

Dive Conditions

[Unspecified]  

[None]  

Overall Rating

My husband and I have been on a total of ten liveaboards with Peter Hughes
and this trip was our last.  We have since been on the Aggressor and will
be on the Nekton soon.  First, let me say the crew on the boat was awesome.
 The staff at the Florida office was horrible - especially the executive
staff (Larry Speaker).  This trip was supposed to be a whale shark trip and
we paid $1400 extra for it.  Then Peter Hughes (without advising us in
advance), subcontracting the whale shark encounter to a local dive shop. 
These people were horrible.  They did not care about the divers or their
equipment.  They damaged many diver's equipment, including mine.  They were
high most of the time and lacked basic diving knowledge.  One of them
actually asked us questions about Nitrox because he did not understand it. 
This was the divemaster for our whale shark encounter!!  They were also
very rude.  Once, one of our fellow divers trying to get on the tiny boat
fell back in the water.  The help on the boat just laughed at her instead
of trying to help.  Needless to say, they knew nothing about how to find
whale sharks.  After our trip was over, everyone we encountered at the
hotel, airport, etc.. had seen whale sharks and told of specific techniques
used to find the whale sharks.  Our guides told us we would use techniques,
but we did not.  The actual Peter Hughes crew was great and the captain
told us all to write the Florida office because we were due compensation
for this disaster.  We all wrote the Florida office and we emailed each
other copies of our letters.  Peter Hughes turned it over to Larry Speaker,
a VP at the Florida office.  This man told us all we had a great week with
a well trained company and that there was nothing to refund.  He was very
rude.  He also sent cookie cutter letters to all of us, which is pretty
sad.  I had also requested reimbursement for my first stage repair.  It had
been damaged on the boat by being hooked up to a tank that had been emptied
previously.  The crew took full responsibility, cleaned my first stage out
and told me to get it serviced when I got back and let the main office
know.  It had just been serviced before going on this trip, so this was
definitely an extra service.  Mr. Speaker refused my ~$50 reimbursement
stating that I had to leave the cap off my first stage for this to happen. 
This was after the crew already took responsibility.  It was really
pityful.  There was also a group of friends on the boat planning on going
on a Peter Hughes trip to Galapagos.  After we received PH's responses to
our letters, the trip was changed to Blue Water.  

None of us would be upset if we didn't see whale sharks because of nature.
 You cannot control nature.  However, we did not have a chance in the world
with the dive shop Peter Hughes hired to handle this.  Peter Hughes also
announced they would not be offering the Whale Shark trips any more, which
is basically an admission that it is not working.  However, they could not
see giving any of us any kind of compensation.  Like I said previously, we
are done with them.  They have called me a liar, and I don't take that very
well.  There are lots of other liveaboard companies that appreciate their
customers. 

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