panama city dive report - Dive Locker great customer service ><))))*> ~

[rebelrph]

I just got back from a quick trip to Panama City. I wasn't sure I would be diving after not feeling well for about a week so I didn't book any dives before arriving. Monday I decided I could dive in spite of still not being 100% and checked with PCDC as recommended by Bob. They had no divers scheduled until Saturday ( I came home today - Wed ). They gave vague directions to Dive Locker which I eventually located. It's now 9am Monday and they had no divers scheduled either - apparently I was the only person in town wanting to dive Monday or Tuesday ! Scott was the guy who greeted me when I came in the store and he called around trying to find someone who had a boat going out on Tuesday. No one else did either. So, he agreed to go diving with me at the Jetties when he got off work at noon. Now that's great customer service!! We made 2 dives (first was 72 minutes and the second was 50 minutes - he had to get home to keep their child so his wife could go to work that evening.) Very enjoyable. viz about 25 feet, which was he said was good for there. A lot of fish and pretty good , though young, coral growth. the second dive we went pretty far out and worked our way back in about the 50 ft level, spending a lot of time retrieving lead sinkers, hooks, and monofiliment line lost by fishermen. To some this may not seem like a great diving activity, but to remove potentially harmful products from a environment with growth potential seemed to be very worthwhile to us.

I can't wait to use Dive Locker in the future to make us of their boat dive op. They will definitely be the top of my list.

TC

[Bob]

Glad to hear you had a good time! Yeah, Tony runs a pretty good operation at the Dive Locker. I first met Tony when we were both working for Chuck Gigli's Diver's Den. If I didn't dive with PCDC on a regular basis because of our shop's classes, I would definitely be diving with the Dive Locker.
 
...and cleaning the Jetty's is a good diving activity. I do it all the time when I dive there. Whenever I get back to the shore, the first thing I always have to do is throw away some piece of trash I picked up from the bottom. If I come across a can or bottle, and it already has marine growth on it or something living in it, I leave it there. I figure the reef has already claimed it and has a use for it.
 

[KristiP]

I notice your screenname rebelrph. Are you a pharmacist from Ole Miss?

[Don Wray]

I'm glad ya'll had a good time Todd.  I'll give you a shout when I get home and we maybe can dive our dry suits.  I gotta get some new fins.  Someone took my Mares fins out of my tool box and my Tilos pockets are too small for the boots, so I gotta find some jets or something with a pocket big enough for these size 14's to fit in.

[Bob]

I'm glad ya'll had a good time Todd.  I'll give you a shout when I get home and we maybe can dive our dry suits.  I gotta get some new fins.  Someone took my Mares fins out of my tool box and my Tilos pockets are too small for the boots, so I gotta find some jets or something with a pocket big enough for these size 14's to fit in.

Michael mentioned a couple of days ago that he was buying some Dive-Rite fins because his XXL Jets were too heavy (or something like that). Maybe you could check with him and see if he'll make you a deal on the Jets?

[mwhities]

Michael mentioned a couple of days ago that he was buying some Dive-Rite fins because his XXL Jets were too heavy (or something like that). Maybe you could check with him and see if he'll make you a deal on the Jets?

Thanks but, I'm keeping my Jets. I'm almost small enough to fit comfortable into my dry suit, I'll still need my XXL Jets.

Michael