We completed several previous dives, in various parts of the world, prior to this dive in the DR.
Daniel was our DM and provided round trip transportation for us in an open-air truck. His English is great. When we reached the humble dive shop to gather our flippers, masks, and tanks, we were told that there would be an additional fee of $5.00 (USD)/pp for wet suits. Hmm, why wouldn’t wet suits be included in the original fee?
Prior to the dive Daniel gave us a brief tutorial on the equipment, communication, and safety precautions. We had to carry all equipment, except the tanks, down to the beach and load onto the boat. I had an underwater camera, but Daniel said he would take photos of us with his camera (an additional $20.00(USD) charge of course). There were only three guests diving in our group and two DMs. The dive was BEAUTIFUL. Tons of marine life to enjoy + clear, calm water!
Bad news - After we returned to the beach and hauled our equipment to the truck, Daniel told us his camera cracked when he was getting back on the boat. I immediately regretted not bringing my underwater camera. He said he was going to try to recover the photos and email us. We will see if he emails us at all...stay tuned.
Overall opinion: We would recommend this dive. We did end up tipping Daniel and the other DM. The actual dive was excellent. The reason for 4 stars and not 5 is b/c of the potentially lost photos. Be prepared to carry your equipment and extra fees.