Cheapest Warm Water Trip?

[kent_1848]

Hey everyone, please chime in with your cheapest warm water trip. My wife won't dive locally, so I need warm water for her, and something cheap since we are already going to Costa Rica late in the summer. I figure quite a few people have made short trips somewhere out of KC or STL. So far my cheapest warm water trip wasn't cheap! I'm just looking for ideas here.

 

[ozarkjim]

Dare I? Ok I will. Swepco is really cheap. Just go to Rogers Ar. and head west. Really though it is hard to beat Coz and Roatan from the midwest departures. As far as short trips go, unless you can get frequent flyer prices the airfare is a large chunk of the cost so the longer the stay the cheaper that ammortizes out per day.

 

[kent_1848]

Dare I? Ok I will. Swepco is really cheap. Just go to Rogers Ar. and head west. Really though it is hard to beat Coz and Roatan from the midwest departures. As far as short trips go, unless you can get frequent flyer prices the airfare is a large chunk of the cost so the longer the stay the cheaper that ammortizes out per day.

What is Swepco, a nuclear cooling lake? I don't want to die of radiation and see 3 headed fish...

I was thinking more of taking a plane somewhere...I think she wants coral reef as well. I know the ticket will be a large chunk, but what about Fort Lauderdale, they seem to have cheap flights, at least out of KC.

 

[berick]

Hey everyone, please chime in with your cheapest warm water trip. My wife won't dive locally, so I need warm water for her, and something cheap since we are already going to Costa Rica late in the summer. I figure quite a few people have made short trips somewhere out of KC or STL. So far my cheapest warm water trip wasn't cheap! I'm just looking for ideas here.

I've been to Cozumel twice. It's probably the cheapest with air. I've flown USAIR twice, but, there's a non-stop on Frontier (MCI to Cancun) which is usually under $300 and then you could either:
1. Fly to Coz
or 2. Taxi/bus to Playa Del Carmen and take the ferry to Coz.

There's plenty of posts in the Mexico (Cozumel sub forum) forum on getting to Coz from Cancun. Also, there are alot of posts on where to stay on a budget there. Food can be good and inexpensive. Boat dives are the main cost to diving there vs shore diving in say Roatan or Bonaire (which I have no experience with but I'm trying to go to one of those 2 locations in the near future)

 

[ozarkjim]

What is Swepco, a nuclear cooling lake? I don't want to die of radiation and see 3 headed fish...

I was thinking more of taking a plane somewhere...I think she wants coral reef as well. I know the ticket will be a large chunk, but what about Fort Lauderdale, they seem to have cheap flights, at least out of KC.

Not nuclear just coal fired I believe. Does stay 70 degree + most of the winter. Looks really nice too until you disturb the 12" or more thick flour like mud. Makes for interesting OW checkout diving. We take students down one at a time for sure. No experience with northern Fl. I have heard diving in the Keys is nice in the summer. We went the last week of Dec. a couple of years ago and fought wind and waves all week long.

 

[easyrider]

There's always Lauderdale in Fl. you can beach dive there and see the Reef. I think it's about 25' out not sure but lots to see and do.

 

[StSomewhere]

In addition to trips to FLL and MCO (gotta love the Mouse for the kids!) I've also been thinking about driving down to Freeport TX (past Houston) to do one of the two day trips to the Flower Garden Banks NMS. But with gas as expensive as it is, maybe it'd be better to just fly to FLL...

 

[kent_1848]

In addition to trips to FLL and MCO (gotta love the Mouse for the kids!) I've also been thinking about driving down to Freeport TX (past Houston) to do one of the two day trips to the Flower Garden Banks NMS. But with gas as expensive as it is, maybe it'd be better to just fly to FLL...

Yeah, there are a bunch of people from KC doing the trip there, unfortunately I was too late to get in on the trip. I hear it is fantastic though, maybe I will get on the trip next year.

 

[Bison]

Hey everyone, please chime in with your cheapest warm water trip. My wife won't dive locally, so I need warm water for her, and something cheap since we are already going to Costa Rica late in the summer. I figure quite a few people have made short trips somewhere out of KC or STL. So far my cheapest warm water trip wasn't cheap! I'm just looking for ideas here.

If your looking for a nice warm water destination in the Carribean then look into Cozumel. Its has some nice diving and can be done at a reasonable cost. Look into the Cozumel thread which has alot of information to make the trip more enjoyable and cost effective. Have fun!

 

[Lamar Jr]

I suggest you consider Ft. Lauderdale if you're looking for a reasonably priced short dive trip. The reefs from Ft. Lauderdale all the way north to Jupiter are excellent, and if you prefer wreck diving there is plenty of that to be had too. Also, you're close enough to the Keys that you can easily drive down and stay there for a night or two if you want. You didn't mention what time-frame you have in mind in your post, but if you can wait until after mid April, the prices in Florida come down significantly.

What makes south Florida an ideal destination for short dive trips is that you can usually get low cost airfares. If you search Expedia or Travelocity, you will often find roundtrip airfare from MCI to FLL in the range of $200 to $250 per person. You can't get anywhere with decent warm water diving cheaper than that. As for hotels, if you're willing to stay a couple of miles off the beach at someplace like a Ramada, Days Inn or Red Roof, you should be able to find a room in the $60 - $80 per night range. Finally, you will need a rental car. With a little shopping you should be able to find a midsize for no more than $35 per day (excluding insurance).

The prices I'm suggesting all assume traveling in off-peak times. To get the best airfares, you probably need to stay-over a Saturday night.

If you want more information about dive sites or dive operators, check out the Florida Conch divers section of Scubaboard.