At Blue Grotto, we constantly look for ways to improve our visitors’ experience. Here is just one example.
No one likes getting dirty
At least not while diving. The ground beneath the pavilions and parking area is a mixture of sand and gravel. If you stand on it while getting into or out of your wetsuit, you will likely end up with sand and dirt on or, worse, inside your suit. We’ve seen divers do a variety of things to avoid this.
- Some divers bring portable mats to stand on while donning or removing suits.
- Others will suit up on the large deck overlooking the water.
- Still others will stand on picnic tables or benches while suiting up.
None of these approaches are particularly convenient. Some are even dangerous. One of our staff members broke his foot at another dive site, trying to get out of his drysuit while standing on a picnic table. He slipped and fell.
A better alternative
To help our visitors avoid suiting up in the dirt, we recently installed thick rubber mats in all our pavilions. These can provide a cleaner surface to stand on while donning or removing wetsuits and drysuits.
The only drawback with these mats is that people will track dirt on them, leaving them no cleaner than the surrounding gravel. We have a way to deal with this, though.
At each pavilion, you will find a full-size kitchen broom mounted on a post. If the group ahead of you has left the mat dirty, it only takes a few seconds to sweep it clean. Of course, it would be a nice gesture on your part to sweep the mat off before you leave. Doing so shows consideration for others.
Little things mean a lot
Installing rubber mats in each pavilion may not be as significant as building the new dock or running the Grotto on solar and battery power. Still, we find these are the kinds of things our visitors appreciate.
Do you have any ideas on how we can further improve the experience of diving the Grotto? Let us know.