Free Hotel Room in Orlando, but lengthy drive to each dive site...

[Barnaby'sDad]

Would you do it? The GF has a work trip to Orlando this summer. I am welcome to tag along. My question for you...would you consider staying in Orlando (free room) and driving ~2.5 hours to the closest diving spots (ex. Venice Beach, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, etc.) to save ~$100/day for hotel costs?

To put this trip in the context of my current driving/diving...I have to drive 2.5 hours to get to a decent quarry and I've done that as a day trip on a few occasions. That and I flushed a lot of money down the toilet on hotel rooms on my last trip to Florida. I'm not looking to do that again.

If I drop ~$100/day for a hotel, it would double the cost of the trip...and that's ~$500 that I can't spent on diving later in the summer. ex. I would like to get in a 2-3 day trip to NC. That ~$500 would pay for two days of diving ($250/day or so for the meg ledge trips).

I will of course have to consider that I'm going to burn ~$25/day on fuel driving back and forth from Orlando to a dive location each day. The benefit of the long drive is that if I rig up the rear cab of my truck with 550 cord like I did last time, hang my gear up, and roll with the windows down...it'll be dry (or mostly dry) by the time I get back to Orlando each evening.

Any thoughts other than "you are cray cray" are appreciated.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

Wow, I was in the same sitation as you last year: I was in Orlando for a two week tradeshow, and wanted to do some diving. I ended up concluding that 2.5 hours driving out for a few hours of diving, then another 2.5 hours back didn't make sense to me (even though I abhor Orlando).

But, what doesn't make sense to me may be perfectly reasonable to someone else. My suggestion: hold onto your cash for diving later instead of trying to force something that will stress you out.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

That's why I provided the context. I'm not saying that a 2.5hr drive to have a day of diving makes sense, but that if I want to dive...a 2.5 hour drive is generally what I'm looking at.

The bigger issue for me is what to do with the animals. ex. If I stay put, I'll be chilling with the dog and cat. If I go, we'll have to line up a pet sitter.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

Yea I would, the drive is not a terrible drive, pretty wide open.

 

[DreadnoughtNH]

That's why I provided the context. I'm not saying that a 2.5hr drive to have a day of diving makes sense, but that if I want to dive...a 2.5 hour drive is generally what I'm looking at.

The bigger issue for me is what to do with the animals. ex. If I stay put, I'll be chilling with the dog and cat. If I go, we'll have to line up a pet sitter.

I think you're answering your own question.

 

[arcticat99]

i would do that in a heartbeat .here in Sask Canada we normally drive 1.5 hours to dive a "decent"nearby lake with very low visibility .but thats up here where its nothing to hop in a car and drive hours to get somewhere cause everything is so spreed out .cape Canaveral is only an hour from Orlando .no diving there?what about Daytona beach?never dove either but both are under 2 hours from Orlando. another thought why not dive the Disney aquarium all they will allow you is your mask they supply the rest .me thinks that one would be worth the extra dollars

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

but that if I want to dive...a 2.5 hour drive is generally what I'm looking at doing as it is.

If I were you I would either look at the tides or call Force E in Riveria Beach - ask them for the tides and dive Blue Heron Bridge. If you have not done this shore dive it will be well worth the 2.5hr ride each way - plus tolls... I have dove there several times - day and early night dives. Talk with Force E and they will set you up with all the paperwork needed - they may even have a "planned dive" that you can tag along on - if you have not dove the site before it makes it easier to find the hot spots.
Boat diving and such driving such a long distance may be more of a hassle than it is worth...
Have fun - save the money.

 

[SandyRobinson]

Maybe leave early one morning, make A two tank boat trip and a dive at Blueheron bridge, tide permitting. Stay the night and do the same thing the next day and drive back. That would be six dives for one hotel night or make it 9 dives for two nights. You would still have some time to enjoy Orlando too.

 

[arcticat99]

Would you do it? The GF has a work trip to Orlando this summer. I am welcome to tag along. My question for you...would you consider staying in Orlando (free room) and driving ~2.5 hours to the closest diving spots (ex. Venice Beach, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, etc.) to save ~$100/day for hotel costs?

To put this trip in the context of my current driving/diving...I have to drive 2.5 hours to get to a decent quarry and I've done that as a day trip on a few occasions. That and I flushed a lot of money down the toilet on hotel rooms on my last trip to Florida. I'm not looking to do that again.

If I drop ~$100/day for a hotel, it would double the cost of the trip...and that's ~$500 that I can't spent on diving later in the summer. ex. I would like to get in a 2-3 day trip to NC. That ~$500 would pay for two days of diving ($250/day or so for the meg ledge trips).

I will of course have to consider that I'm going to burn ~$25/day on fuel driving back and forth from Orlando to a dive location each day. The benefit of the long drive is that if I rig up the rear cab of my truck with 550 cord like I did last time, hang my gear up, and roll with the windows down...it'll be dry (or mostly dry) by the time I get back to Orlando each evening.

Any thoughts other than "you are cray cray" are appreciated.

quick question .where are you finding 100 bucks a day hotel rooms only thing in that price range has chalk outlines around the place lol every time i been to Florida its a minimum 200 a night maybe in the off season i guess

 

[KDAD]

I did just that a few weeks ago. We were staying in Orlando for the week and I was not doing Disney all week and also miss out on diving while in Florida. I drove down to West Palm Beach. We were going to stay over and dive again the next day but found out that we had free tickets to the park again the next day so drove back.

I drove down again the next day and dove solo.

If you can stay over leaving early one morning, making a two tank boat trip and a diving at Blue Heron Bridge, tide permitting, staying the night and do the same thing the next day and drive back would be the best use of time.