Bonaire Expensive?

[scubaaaronh]

Casablancas mmmmmm I miss that place. Can't get a steak like that in Michigan.

 

[herman]

Good breakfast at Mango's, but go somewhere else for every other meal. I got the fish of the day sandwhich for lunch one day. Picture a fish filet cut to fit a hot dog bun.

Trust me, I do eat all over the island. I am trying to eat at every place at least once. Breakfast is the exception, I want good food, good coffee and someplace quick.

 

[caymaniac]

Trust me, I do eat all over the island. I am trying to eat at every place at least once. Breakfast is the exception, I want good food, good coffee and someplace quick.

Hey Herman, are you stuck in Bonaire?
Have you ever dove the Caymans (all three) or been to the USVI's or how about the Pacific or the Red Sea? How about the Turks & Caicos they are really great?

 

[herman]

Stuck- not exactly...the tightwad in me is part of the reason I return to Bonaire but the people, the diving, the food and charm of the island is what keeps me returning. I like bottom time, that's what I pay for and Bonaire gives me the best $/bottom time ratio. I refuse to put up with 30-45 minute dives or 1500psi limits. My average dive on Bonaire is 75 minutes and has ran a long as 90.
I have looked at the Caymans and would love to dive there but my impression of the Caymans is that it is pretty expensive. If that's not the case then by all means enlighten me. To be honest, it has been a while since I was pricing Cayman but a guick Google search I found the price of a 2 tank dive was $99- that's what I pay for a week of unlimited air in Bonaire and there was a $10 per tank upcharge for Nitrox. I pay $100 more for unlimited Nitrox on Bonaire. Granted the price was for boat dives but I much much prefer to shore dive. From my limited knowledge of the Caymans, shore diving is availible but no where close the the extent it is on Bonaire.
I average 20 nitrox dives a week on Bonaire and to duplicate the diving on Cayman it would cost me $1200 just for the dives($50/dive +$10 nitrox x 20) , that's about the ENTIRE cost of a Bonaire trip(except for food). Why should I pay 2 or 3 times more for less diving?
It is my impression that food in the Caymans is quite expensive. Again, I may well be wrong. How about the food? A good burger on Bonaire is about the same as it is here...actually most of the places, the quality is better on Bonaire.

If my impressions of the Caymans is wrong then please enlighten me.
Just what does a good burger and fries cost in the Caymans anyway?

As for the Pacific and Red Sea the cost, the vacation time needed and my dislike for riding airplanes pretty much rule them out for me at least until I retire and have loads of time to spend traveling. The T&C's are have possibilites but again, the cost/dive has got to be good. While I would like to visit other places, my time and cash are important to me and therefore the controlling factor of where I spend my dive dollar is total $/bottom time.

 

[kevink]

The last time I was in GC, 2002, you could set your watch to the times that each boat dive would be. You would be lucky to get 90 minutes underwater between two dives as they ran religious 100' 30 minute and 60' 40 minute profiles back to back.

I would also care to be enlightened.

 

[caymaniac]

The last time I was in GC, 2002, you could set your watch to the times that each boat dive would be. You would be lucky to get 90 minutes underwater between two dives as they ran religious 100' 30 minute and 60' 40 minute profiles back to back.

I would also care to be enlightened.

Wow, that's not much time for diving. Were you diving with a computer? Who in the heck did you dive with? Try Neptune, or Fish Eye and you won't have those kind of times. You need to research dive ops when going to GC or any island.

 

[caymaniac]

Stuck- on Bonaire.
I average 20 nitrox dives a week on Bonaire and to duplicate the diving on Cayman it would cost me $1200 just for the dives($50/dive +$10 nitrox x 20) , that's about the ENTIRE cost of a Bonaire trip(except for food). Why should I pay 2 or 3 times more for less diving?
It is my impression that food in the Caymans is quite expensive. Again, I may well be wrong. How about the food? A good burger on Bonaire is about the same as it is here...actually most of the places, the quality is better on Bonaire.

Just what does a good burger and fries cost in the Caymans anyway?

As for the Pacific and Red Sea the cost, the vacation time needed and my dislike for riding airplanes pretty much rule them out for me at least until I retire and have loads of time to spend traveling. The T&C's are have possibilites but again, the cost/dive has got to be good. While I would like to visit other places, my time and cash are important to me and therefore the controlling factor of where I spend my dive dollar is total $/bottom time.

Well, I know at the sisters for instance (the Brac) anyway, you can have a week at the Divi for $9**. something. You get three dives a day,(on a boat)- a night dive, at least one trip to Little Cayman, your food and your room. I'm not sure about a burger and fries because when we got an area to dive we let the island dictate our menu and have dishes like grouper and wahoo or mahi mahi. I can get a great burger at home, but fresh fish served island style can't be had.
It cost me $1700. for a trip to Egypt to the Red Sea, included flight from NY to Cairo - to Hurgada. All food, all tours, three dives a day on day boats for a week. Included trip to the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo and to the Sakara (city of the dead), Memphis ( city of the living, the pyramids at Giza, a trip on the Nile to the Tower of Cairo, two trips to the Bazaar (it's been on the same lacation for 2000 yrs.) We stayed in really nice condos along side of the Red Sea.
How about a Nekton liveaboard?
You need to get out of you rut.