Guam diving with budget

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Someone just wrote me that I need a dive guide and it's $150? That's a lot.
 
Someone just wrote me that I need a dive guide and it's $150? That's a lot.

Tell this person to post here why you need to pay a $150 for a dive guide! The rest of us would really like to hear this..... I wonder.... did they just happen to know someone who could provide this service? :eyebrow:

I've been there, and I paid prices similar to what I posted to you. They buddy you up with someone on the boat. When exactly are you going to be there. Diving on the weekend is easy.... during the week maybe a little more difficult.... then sometimes you do need to have a buddy, because they were catering mainly to Japanese tourist when I was there last.

I'd be willing to bet that someone here who lives in Guam would dive with you or as was suggested go to the MDA facebook page at Login | Facebook You may have to join facebook if you're not already a member. There are currently 241 members there many of whom live in Guam. I'm sure you'll find someone to dive with. "Most" people are really friendly in Guam as I recall :)

If nobody will dive with you (unlikely) come to Guam anytime after December and I'll dive with you :)
 
Guys, Thanks for all your help. Your tips guided me on what to do and where to go. Went with MDA and had fun with the dives there. Went to American tanker and finger reef. Wish I could've dove more so I could've experienced the Blue hole. Hehehe. anyway, hopefully I'd get back and dive Guam again someday.
 
Were you on the morning or afternoon dive? I was on the morning boat. That would be funny if we were on the same boat and didn't know it! :)
 
Hi Sanjac! Hehehe. Was there on Aug 21 in the morning boat. Had 2 dives. Were you there as well?
 
Hi Sanjac! Hehehe. Was there on Aug 21 in the morning boat. Had 2 dives. Were you there as well?

Yeah I was there. Funny. So far around the world, end up within feet of each other and didn't even know it! :)
 
Someone just wrote me that I need a dive guide and it's $150? That's a lot.

hey guys,

I have the same experience as Jonky. I was shopping around for dive prices and was given a quote of $170 for a guided dive. Including rentals, think it's gonna cost about $200 :(

$50 is for a dive without a guide. I need a guide because I'm newbie.

GTDs, on the other hand, charges about $93 including a guide.

Does anyone have any experience with GTDs? Are they good? Is the general reason why MDA is chosen over GTDs because of the price?
 
LW,

GTDS was a great dive shop. I did most of my diving and buying through them. Unfortunately, the owners went back to Australia and they hired on a Japanese partner who now pretty much runs the place. He doesn't care about locals or American tourists. His forte is the Japanese tourist. He pissed off all of his instructors and they (well, most of them) moved over to MDA. He replaced them with Japanese speaking instructors. The prices are generally much higher because the Japanese tourists will pay it. I heard they also lost their license to sell some of the main brands for various reasons. MDA has picked up some of those brands recently. GTDS also moved to a much smaller store front and no longer have the classroom set-up they used to have. As I said, they basically gave up the local and non-Japanese tourist industry and concentrated solely on Japanese-based clientele. GTDS has gone way down hill as far as I am concerned and I would not do business with them any more. I sure wish the owners would come back, take over, and make it once again the great dive shop it used to be.

You can't go wrong with MDA. Boat dives are cheap, especially with the 5-star card. They have free guided shore dives each weekend - you only pay the $4 (I think that is the rate) for the rental tank. They have the good equipment and, most importantly, they care about the customer.

Jim
 
Hey LW,
How new are you? Has it been a while since you got certified and you just need to do a review? The $50 should be for a 2 tank trip, so that would be two dives, unless prices have gone up a LOT since I was there last? There are plenty of dive spots that are appropriate for a beginner there. Dive those and get more experience. I still think they will have no problem matching you with someone on the boat, as long as it's the weekend. Leave the more advanced dives for later after you have more dives under your belt. Also I'd suggest joining the MDA facebook page and seeing if you can hook up with anyone to dive with while you're there. Makes no sense to pay all that money if you don't need to :) I'm sure you'll have a great time :)
 
Hi Bill22,

I'm quite new - received my open water certification this May and have only dived 6 times altogether. I'd most probably want a guide with me, and MDA charges $170 for a dive with a guide. $200 including equipment rentals.

I'm thinking about GTDs because it's $93 with a guide and equipment rentals etc etc, but I have heard something about GTDs being a cattle dive? Is that true? And is MDA a cattle dive too?

For $200 per dive with MDA, that's really expensive, and I'm not sure if I want to go with them...but if it's safer with them...

Hey LW,
How new are you? Has it been a while since you got certified and you just need to do a review? The $50 should be for a 2 tank trip, so that would be two dives, unless prices have gone up a LOT since I was there last? There are plenty of dive spots that are appropriate for a beginner there. Dive those and get more experience. I still think they will have no problem matching you with someone on the boat, as long as it's the weekend. Leave the more advanced dives for later after you have more dives under your belt. Also I'd suggest joining the MDA facebook page and seeing if you can hook up with anyone to dive with while you're there. Makes no sense to pay all that money if you don't need to :) I'm sure you'll have a great time :)
 

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