Ministryofgiraffes
Contributor
Scuba life just told me they are diving tomorrow...
Can we go to Coz yet?
- Thread starter wildbill9
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deepsea21
Contributor
That is not necessarily true. If the dive shop charges a double, 2 divers are equivalent to 4 divers per 6-pack... Just saying... supply and demand. I am sure some of us would pay double to go diving now
That is true... I didn't consider Coz dive ops raising their rates from say $80 for a 2 tank dive to $160. If you can afford that... Have at it. I won't be diving at $160 for a 2 tank dive in Coz. I can drive to the FL Keys that are on fire sale right now, avoid air travel, and dive far cheaper than that on a boat in the Keys that is opening up or just shore dive the Keys.
deepsea21
Contributor
No. But I know the cost of rent and employees and fuel and wear and tear on equipment. Call your preferred dive op and ask them. Maybe I'm wrong but I doubt it. Do you really think a 6 pack boat paying a Captain and DM, fuel, wear and tear on the boat and engine(s) (engines don't last forever) reaches break-even with 2 divers paying say $80 each? Ignorant dive op owners are no different than ignorant lawn mowing companies that don't understand that their equipment has a limited life span and must be replaced at some point. Show me a lawn mowing company that charges less than $1 per minute mowing my yard and I'll show you a business that is destined to fail in a few years when their equipment has reached the end of its useful life and they still owe money on it because they financed it on an amortization schedule that exceeded its useful life.
My problem with that equation is the lodging costs. I haven't found anything in the Keys as cheap as Coz. And, the diving in the Keys seems to be about 50% more expensive than Coz (normal rates).
deepsea21
Contributor
Yeah, Keys accommodations are expensive compared to Coz but I have no airfare cost going to the keys I can drive there in 2 days taking my time. Personally, the diving on the FL Keys absolutely sucks compared to Coz but if that's where my wife and I have to spend the greater part of our annual December 2020 travel and the boats are running so be it.
So Virginia Beach to Key Largo is about 1,050 miles. Using the government rate of $0.575/mile, that would cover the cost of $600/person of travel costs. That doesn't include accomodations each way. The math still works for either choice (and increased charges from Coz dive ops).
I'm looking at the Keys this summer vs Coz mainly because it is open for sure and I can avoid the airline international travel issues but I don't see any "fire sale". Lodging prices are higher if anything. Aside from a few locals specials, dive trips look the same or higher. Where can you shore dive in the Keys?
The government rate counts all overhead, much of what will be incurred whether you make the trip or not. His auto insurance and car registration isn't changing. And the actual operating cost varies by vehicle. Maybe he has an older car that's already depreciated? That might be true of dive ops too. Sometimes it's about immediate cash flow.
What I do for such trips usually is rent a car. Right now I can rent a compact for $200 all in, mid-size for about $250 or a mid-size pickup truck for $300. Unlimited mileage. So $200-300 for two people and no baggage limits versus $400 per person airfare to CUN. Huge savings right off the bat.
From Houston it's a similar distance, maybe a bit more but my plan would be to take 2 days each way, stopping halfway to dive a spring or somewhere like PCB. Those overnights would be a cheap Super 8 or something. It's the Keys accomodations that are the price killer. Thinking maybe split a week between Keys and Palm Beach area. Shore diving is decent in South Florida.
According to a DM at Blue Angel in another thread, the marine park is still closed; one of the dives they did yesterday was on Villablanca Reef, which is right out in front of the shop. That one, at least, was a cheap dive to supply.
Ministryofgiraffes
Contributor
Hmmm. Scubalife are saying the only closed reef at the moment is paradise reef and their boat went out this morning...
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