Dive Review of Divers Den & "The Splash"/Rented a Condo Independently in
The Continental USA/Florida

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Divers Den & "The Splash"/Rented a Condo Independently, Jul, 2004, by Patrick Coyne, TX, USA . Report 1109.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Our group of six divers included three with fewer than 15 dives each. Plans were made for dives that met the needs of those with limited experience. We experienced two days of 2-tank dives. The artificial reefs were at reasonable depths for the less experienced divers. Seas ranged from flat to less than 18” so the first boat diving experiences for the rookies were as pleasurable as possible. We had to report to the shop one hour before departure to pick up our tanks and rental gear. We were amazed to find out that it was our responsibility to transport tanks to the marina, a distance of 3-4 miles. At the marina a “deck hand” did assist in our unloading of the tanks and gear and in the transportation of these items to the boat, a distance of 50-75 yards. The “deck hand” did place the tanks and gear on the boat and did little else in assisting. It appears that Diver’s Den does nothing more than sell lessons and gear, rent gear and broker divers to the owner of “The Splash”. That boat is adequate in size and was not overcrowded. Amenities are limited to an ample supply of cold water and a seating area that has a reasonable amount of covered deck space. The dive and safety briefings were minimal but adequate. On the second day one of our divers used the marine head. Only then did Capt. Casey announce that the head had been out of service “for two weeks” and that parts had been ordered. Given the number of boats and supply houses in the area it is doubtful that any serious effort had been made to repair the defective head. The crew did assist in securing fins to feet before entry. No shop supplied dive master or crew member entered the water with us. Upon our exiting the water the crew did take fins from the divers and immediately disappeared. The crew seemed to make an effort to be nowhere near the ladder as divers exited the water. This lack of assistance was an inconvenience, especially for the new divers, and could have posed a serious safety risk in heavier seas. On the first day Capt. Casey proudly announced that he always insisted on a minimum surface interval of one hour between dives. However, on the second day he stated that he “had a date” and made a serious effort to bully us into the water after the last surfacing diver had been up for only 35 minutes. Nobody complained but nobody got into the water quickly either. When the Capt noticed that he had been ignored he stated that “I don’t have much of a life, but I ‘got a life and I do want to get home”. Thankfully, on the first dive that had a possible maximum depth of 80-85,’ I did not let our group drop below 60’so the 55 minute surface interval that I managed to take kept us out of the shaded areas of the PADI dive tables…but not by much. Another disappointing item was that Capt Casey calmly directed insults at several divers when small issues arose. The captain would do well running a slave ship in Sudan and should reconsider being in the service industry. When we returned to the pier we were not asked but were directed to “form a conga line” and to remove the empty tanks from the boat. We were reminded that it was our responsibility to return them to the shop. Attitudes of the dive shop personnel ranged from incredibly helpful to borderline combative. On the next trip to Panama City my group will be using different dive operators.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Florida, Texas gulf coast
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	76-84°F / 24-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	0
Water Visibility	30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	None
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Divers Den & "The Splash"/Rented a Condo Independently in The Continental USA/Florida

Divers Den & "The Splash"/Rented a Condo Independently, Jul, 2004,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Divers Den & "The Splash"/Rented a Condo Independently in
The Continental USA/Florida