AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye What happen to Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop

I'm not sure PADI should be making moral judgements on a company based on an alleged employees actions. I have no first hand knowledge of the story facts other than the above and trying to sift the truth from fiction of the rampant and potentially exaggerated island talk flying around. If a case had been taken to a Court of Law, the defendant found guilty AND Amigos kept him in employment I can see them protecting their interests name and clientele.

This seems beyond their scope and I'd talk to a lawyer if there's not more to this than meets the eye.

I think what we're talking about here is assault and, to me at least, assault IS a safety issue.

Where do the dive shops on the Island get their tanks filled??

Several do their own but Amigos is prob the largest supplier.

So are the other PADI shops getting their air from a NON-PADI shop?
Wonder what PADI would say about that?

Padi's response to my request for details.

Byron,

Following the published Quality Management procedures, the members are notified of the concerns and are required to send their perspective in writing. Mr. Paz can share the details of the inquiry if he chooses.

Thank you again for your concern,

Linda Van Velsan


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Linda Van Velsan
Manager, Quality Management
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If PADI received complaints or concerns about the training being done, which is what is implied in the letter at the top of the thread, they MUST look into it. Likely they found training was not meeting their standards, or perhaps they received multiple complaints that were not published here. Dive shops must meet certain standards, are subject to audits, must jump through many hoops and probably pay for the right to REPRESENT the organization and use the PADI name for profit. PADI reserves the right to choose who represents them and their $$$ name. We may never know the whole story.
As for filling tanks at non PADI shops, of course PADI would rather you give your $$ to a shop bearing their name, but as long as the fills are done properly and to spec, it doesn't matter.

As I noted before...

PADI does not just expel members without going through a long process unless the infraction was of extreme nature which would require an immediate termination.

Also taken into consideration is past reports of standards being broken etc and all of that will of been documented and taken into account as new cases are presented.

PADI takes action specifically on feedback from its members and then follows up in detail with the offending diveshop who has the opportunity to address the case and put there side forward and at that point PADI diciplinary panel then makes a decision based on input from all parties.

Do not think that PADI has just expelled a Dive Center for something that is trivial, it is a last resort of PADI and not taken lightly.

It sure would help if Amigos would make a statement. Not necessarily here but at least to the newspapers.

I have to wonder if it has to do with the stand DAN and PADI have been taking about taking divers to the Blue Hole who are not certified for deep diving???