Dive ops that offer 3 tank dives in Grand Cayman or Cozumel?
- Thread starter Watson G
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We have the option of either flying from RDU or Charlotte - given that we are planning to travel during spring break, flights to cozumel are super expensive (upwards of $700), so the only viable option we have is flying to Cancun and then taking a bus to Playa de Carmen and then a ferry. (even then though, flights are still around 450$), so we are just trying to find other options if possible... I've heard many positive reviews about Tres Pelicanos, will give them a look into today as well, thanks~
Keep in mind that unless you do find a package deal diving and eating on GC may eliminate or even exceed any savings on flights. Per tank cost of diving on GC can be very expensive. And while others will disagree, to me dives on GC pale to Cozumel, at least the dives on off the popular west side. If I were ever to do GC diving again, it will be back on the east side.
caydiver
Contributor
Read the thread with interest. We have lots of guests who regularly do 3Ts and lots of other small ops will do them as well. In our case it works easily. We normally try to pick guests up on their beach along the SMB corridor. Therefore during the surface interval between 2 and 3 we use the time to drop off the 2T guests. If we have to be south because of conditions timing is off so it doesn’t work. We are one of the few that do beach pick up but not that do 3Ts. I also believe Sunset House does on certain days. Many of the small ops have regular guests. Folks who come for weeks a few times a year. They will often join in. No need to arrange a package in fact many small ops don’t have packages per se, they simply discount repeat dives. You have plenty of options!!!! Happy diving
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Honestly you're going to be way more money on Cayman than Cozumel even with the higher flight costs. It's the 2nd most expensive place we've ever dove. Price accommodations, look at a Taste of Cayman to get some idea of what you'll be paying for meals and even food in the markets is beyond expensive as it's all imported. Plus it's the offshore banking capital of the Caribbean and they have a lousy exchange rate. I literally almost ran out of money there and I know how to budget for dive trips.
On top of that boat dives average around 2/$100 so 4x5 - add aound $1000+ more. No one is giving that away in a package either - they still have to pay the crew, the gas, etc.
I don't believe Sunset House does ANY afternnon boat dives either - except maybe special trips to the Kittiwake or Stingray City.
The car idea is a good one if you plan to shore dive but driving is on the left. Cobalt Coast is 20mins. from anything so you'll need one there - unless you plan to stay/duve/eat there.Don't even consider Ocean Frontiers - the East End unless you like quiet. And an hour drive back to everything not out there - not much is yet.
Kathy and I both like Cayman but you rarely hear it and budget mentioned in the same sentence.
One option could be Curacao. It's (I believe) still a direct flight from CLT and many operators there do 3-4 dives/day. Should be decent prices on flights, it's a good island for other spring break activities - ie there's nightlife and you can save a lot of money by shore diving the 50+ dive sites - most off beach entries with on-site dive facilities. At several dive sites we saw a boat from town moored at the same spot - with few exceptions only the Klein Curacao dives are boat only as it takes one to get there.
A week there cost me about $1700 and I rented my own condo (for myself) and shared a car with friends. Shore dives run about $9 each in a package. We didn't do a lot of boat dives but they were cheap also.Except the Dolphin Dive - that may be upwards of $200 now.
I think Cozumel is even cheaper but I have not been there. Can you even get into Cozumel still? I'd have thought it mostly booked up by now. Same with Aruba.
The transfer from Cancun is easier than it sounds. There's a thread about the "bag drag" in the Cozumel forum with details. Of course you're flying into Cancun - another prime spring break location - so allow for those delays.
The Bahamas are uber-pricey also. Dont let flight costs drive your decision, in most cases they're the cheaper cost.
Dirt cheap, except for flights is Roatan. Flights run even more - maybe in the $8-900 range but everything else is cheap. I rented a 3br house waterfront for $1500/wk, my friends stayed in small cabins benind a dive shop for $35-55 nt (1 or 2br)
Dives average $30-35 each and there's a lot of compettition. Food is everything from food trucks to nice restauarnts - most of our dinners were in the $15-25 range including steaks at Argentinean Grille.
Also you take a $25 cab ride to the West End and stay there, walk to the dive boats across the street from your hotel/apt. and should you want to see other parts of the island, I never paid more than aobut $10-12 to cab anywhere. If you want to go even cheaper - there's two hostels - one of them Chillies - also owns the Natvie Sons dive operation. It's by far the cheapest place we've dove excluding the flight costs. Downside is there's a lot of bugs and it's recommended to do the Malaria treaement b4 you go - mine coast around $200. We used Deep Woods Off most of the time - the little sand flies on the beaches are nasty.
An AI option there might be Anthony's Key if they still have the BOGO that week. They're about 5mins by cab from the West End if you find it too quiet. Your 5-day timeframe might be an issue - most of the AI resorts on Roatan price Sat-Sat as that's when they turnover.
On top of that boat dives average around 2/$100 so 4x5 - add aound $1000+ more. No one is giving that away in a package either - they still have to pay the crew, the gas, etc.
I don't believe Sunset House does ANY afternnon boat dives either - except maybe special trips to the Kittiwake or Stingray City.
The car idea is a good one if you plan to shore dive but driving is on the left. Cobalt Coast is 20mins. from anything so you'll need one there - unless you plan to stay/duve/eat there.Don't even consider Ocean Frontiers - the East End unless you like quiet. And an hour drive back to everything not out there - not much is yet.
Kathy and I both like Cayman but you rarely hear it and budget mentioned in the same sentence.
One option could be Curacao. It's (I believe) still a direct flight from CLT and many operators there do 3-4 dives/day. Should be decent prices on flights, it's a good island for other spring break activities - ie there's nightlife and you can save a lot of money by shore diving the 50+ dive sites - most off beach entries with on-site dive facilities. At several dive sites we saw a boat from town moored at the same spot - with few exceptions only the Klein Curacao dives are boat only as it takes one to get there.
A week there cost me about $1700 and I rented my own condo (for myself) and shared a car with friends. Shore dives run about $9 each in a package. We didn't do a lot of boat dives but they were cheap also.Except the Dolphin Dive - that may be upwards of $200 now.
I think Cozumel is even cheaper but I have not been there. Can you even get into Cozumel still? I'd have thought it mostly booked up by now. Same with Aruba.
The transfer from Cancun is easier than it sounds. There's a thread about the "bag drag" in the Cozumel forum with details. Of course you're flying into Cancun - another prime spring break location - so allow for those delays.
The Bahamas are uber-pricey also. Dont let flight costs drive your decision, in most cases they're the cheaper cost.
Dirt cheap, except for flights is Roatan. Flights run even more - maybe in the $8-900 range but everything else is cheap. I rented a 3br house waterfront for $1500/wk, my friends stayed in small cabins benind a dive shop for $35-55 nt (1 or 2br)
Dives average $30-35 each and there's a lot of compettition. Food is everything from food trucks to nice restauarnts - most of our dinners were in the $15-25 range including steaks at Argentinean Grille.
Also you take a $25 cab ride to the West End and stay there, walk to the dive boats across the street from your hotel/apt. and should you want to see other parts of the island, I never paid more than aobut $10-12 to cab anywhere. If you want to go even cheaper - there's two hostels - one of them Chillies - also owns the Natvie Sons dive operation. It's by far the cheapest place we've dove excluding the flight costs. Downside is there's a lot of bugs and it's recommended to do the Malaria treaement b4 you go - mine coast around $200. We used Deep Woods Off most of the time - the little sand flies on the beaches are nasty.
An AI option there might be Anthony's Key if they still have the BOGO that week. They're about 5mins by cab from the West End if you find it too quiet. Your 5-day timeframe might be an issue - most of the AI resorts on Roatan price Sat-Sat as that's when they turnover.
Since your friend lives in Florida and that is an easy option for you, have you considered spending your Spring Break diving in Florida?
The water will be rather cold, but there are good diving options in southern Florida and the Keys. When we first started diving we had a very limited budget and we would drive all the way from the Midwest to Florida because it was our nearest and cheapest ocean diving opportunity, and we had some great trips.
How about a quick, easy, cheap dive trip to Florida in the Spring and save your money for a longer trip elsewhere when you have more time and the prices are cheaper; in the Summer perhaps?
texasgingerbread
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Call Dive with Martin in Cozumel and they can accommodate special requests.
caydiver
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Will certainly agree that Cayman is more expensive than Mexico. First world country vs third world. Safety, infrastructure, etc is better so the cost of living is higher. Some folks prefer feeling safe to go out and about, to know they can drink the water, eat fresh fruit and vegetables etc. They want to be able to know ops are insured and regulated But do not agree about the exchange rate. The CI$ is worth more than the US$ just as the CAN$ is worth less the US$. It is easier for Americans to budget for trips here as most hotels, dive ops etc charge in US so guests don’t pay the exchange rate or at least shouldn’t unless their bank is ripping them off. We pay bank fees when we exchange your US$ to pay our CI bills.
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