Coz for week for $1k with food, flight and scuba?

[CompuDude]

Can it be done?

I have been given the ok to take a week for myself on a dive trip (no specific timetable, I should be able to clear most time periods with work given some notice). The catch? A $1k budget, including... everything.

I'm in SoCal, so I figure Cozumel is probably the best diving I have a decent shot at.

I see ads in dive rags all the time for super cheap all inclusive vacations down there. I figure adding in airfare from L.A. and there's a chance this just may be doable.

I'm not picky. I'm a diver, and good diving (and lots of it!) trumps pretty much any other consideration. Heck, I would almost be willing to camp! But meals (that won't make me sick), hot showers (that won't leave me with anything contagious), and a bed to flop into to rest up for the next day are important, too...

Any thoughts? What should I look for? Or should I give up the dream?

(I'd prefer more than your average cattle boat dives, too, but I realize beggars can't be choosers...)

 

[parrotheaddiver]

not sure what your airfare would be from SoCal....but there are plenty of economical hotels and places to eat....doing your homework here and on the web you should be able to do it....the cheapest time to go IMO is between now and to the end of June or Sept through Nov....

some of the cheaper hotels will be intown http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/Accommodations.htm

diving is my first priority so I would pick a dive op that would suit you...I used BXTS small op big on cust service http://www.bluextseadiving.com/ another op is http://www.divewithmartin.com/ and there are many others to choose from....

eating can be done on the cheap http://www.bluextseadiving.com/restaurants.php
http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/Restaurants4.htm

 

[stevenq99]

Airfare Might be the most expensive part. How about this for about $12 a night:

http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Hostelito-Cozumel-15530

good luck sounds like an adventure to me.

 

[Firefyter]

I did it last June from DFW. 8 days, 7 nights for $1K total. The trick is shopping for the airfare. I waited until the last minute to book my flight, checking Funjet everyday, and got it for $190 Rt. You can eat cheap in town, and still eat really well.

 

[jlyle]

I figure adding in airfare from L.A.

If you've got $1K to spend, not including your air, you have lots of choices. You can go really cheap and have money to spare, or go in style at some of the better AI's.

I highly recommend Scuba Club Cozumel, includes everything except beverages, with unlimited shore diving.

 

[ggunn]

Can it be done?

I have been given the ok to take a week for myself on a dive trip (no specific timetable, I should be able to clear most time periods with work given some notice). The catch? A $1k budget, including... everything.

I'm in SoCal, so I figure Cozumel is probably the best diving I have a decent shot at.

I see ads in dive rags all the time for super cheap all inclusive vacations down there. I figure adding in airfare from L.A. and there's a chance this just may be doable.

I'm not picky. I'm a diver, and good diving (and lots of it!) trumps pretty much any other consideration. Heck, I would almost be willing to camp! But meals (that won't make me sick), hot showers (that won't leave me with anything contagious), and a bed to flop into to rest up for the next day are important, too...

Any thoughts? What should I look for? Or should I give up the dream?

(I'd prefer more than your average cattle boat dives, too, but I realize beggars can't be choosers...)

You can probably do it, but show us the best air fare you can get and then we'll talk. ;^)

EDIT: You might call Bay Adventures (http://www.bayadventures.com/) and tell them what you want to do; they might be able to hook you up with a package that suits your budget.

 

[94GTStang]

That's pretty easy to do budget wise. I can get 5 nights at Fiesta Americana with air from Oklahoma City for around $650.

I dove with bottomtimedivers.net which does not use cattle boats and is a top notch operation. Two tank dives I think are around $65-70 last I checked.

And food is really cheap..... tons of good places on the island to eat.

 

[Garrobo]

Papa Hogg's/Villa Blanca, 7 nights w/5 two tank dive days, single, $659 til April 15th, afterwards $619, plus tax.

 

[CompuDude]

If you've got $1K to spend, not including your air, you have lots of choices. You can go really cheap and have money to spare, or go in style at some of the better AI's.

I highly recommend Scuba Club Cozumel, includes everything except beverages, with unlimited shore diving.

That was $1k including airfare, unfortunately, else absolutely I'd have a ton of options.

Mind you, it's not a question of what I can afford... I can afford to go in style. But cutting the deal for a sans-[non-diving] wife weeks' vacation involved some compromises...

Now that I think about it, though, I have a bunch of miles on Alaska racked up on my credit card; I need to check and see if they can get me down there...

A small dive op would be perfect, but I fear that sort of choice may blow the budget if I'm looking at around $85/day just for diving. Even if I "only" got 5 days of diving in, that would be $425 (plus tips I'm sure), nearly half of my budget gone without food, airfare or a place to sleep! (At $65/day that's still $325... still a huge percentage of my budget)

Perhaps I'll contact BayAdventures and see what they can work out for me. I've never been there before, so having some sort of structure/hand holding, at least for this initial trip, may be helpful...

 

[DiverMo]

A small dive op would be perfect, but I fear that sort of choice may blow the budget if I'm looking at around $85/day just for diving. Even if I "only" got 5 days of diving in, that would be $425 (plus tips I'm sure

Must be nice. With two sons that dive, I spend north of $250/day for my diving when in Coz. And to think that I'm trying to get my wife and daughter to dive. I must be crazy.